Customer Reviews

King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

C.L. Wilson has a lot to live up to with, King of Sword and Sky, the third book in this fanasty saga and the continuing tale of Ellysetta Baristani and her soul mate and husband Rainer vel'En Daris who must save the Tairens from extinction. Ellysetta is the key to the Tairen's salvation and if she fails, both the Fey and Tairen will fall victim to their enemy, the Mages of Eld. King of Sword and Sky begins where Lady of Light and Shadow has left off. Rain is taking Ellie to his home, the Fading Lands, along with her father, Sol, and her younger twin sisters, Lillis and Lorelle. Ellie's family will not be traveling on to the Fading Lands, but will be protected and guarded by the trusted Fey warriors who follow Rain. Ellie is not just a simple woodcarver's daughter who has fallen for a mystical man, but a very powerful being who is also Fey and has mage powers.

The reason Ellie also has the marks of the Mage is due to Vadim Maur, the High Mage of Eld. He rules over all the Mages and is so, so evil. He has made Ellie's Fey parents, Shan and Elfeya, his prisoner for five hundred years and has used horrible tortures on both. Vadim wants Ellie because he was able to give their daughter some very dark mage powers. She is his ultimate perfection, a possible tool to destroy those against him, and a way for him to rule the world. Ellie was his first experiment and since then he has gone on to make more just like her. And Ellie just may be the most powerful of all. Vadim is able to kill the unborn baby Tairens by taking their souls and life forces, and using them to make future powerful Mages. The Tairens are totally clueless to what Vadim is capable of and because of that he is winning. All hope seems lost, that is until Ellie and Rain arrive.

Ellie and Rain have a lot of work cut out for them because the Fey senses that Ellie has dark magic within her. They know she has these mage powers and they feel she is an abomination, that Rain has been tricked into believing that Ellie is his soul mate. The Fey Rain thought would welcome his new bride, turn against Ellie, and soon Rain will have more problems that just the Eld Mages who are planning an attack on the Fey again, after a thousand years. Rain and Ellie are basically on their own with only a select few by their side to help them. Ellie will try to find out why the unborn Tairen are dying and save them. Rain will begin to ready his troops for battle because the Mages are on their way to destroy both the Fey and Tairen for good.

In all honesty, my review does not do King of Sword and Sky justice. It is so easy to say, "You must read this book!". As for the reasons why, that is a bit more difficult. C.L. has written another complex story, as in, complex being the key word here. And, let me tell you, this is one book that you cannot speed read through or lose your concentration with. Each page should be savored as you read, every character and their actions should be paid close attention to, because there is a slow build up to the final battle between two powerful enemies. I am not even sure if Rain and Ellie will survive because each day brings them, their friends, and loved ones closer to possible death. This is not a happy go lucky read, but a very dark, dark book filled with death, murder and torture, both physical and spiritual. And the culprit? That nasty piece of work, Vadim.

Oh how I hate Vadim! Let me count the ways! I wanted him to die a slow painful death with disembowelment and any other painful torture I can think of. What he inflects on Ellie's parents and even Ellie herself is so horrible. I have read many villains in my lifetime, but Vadim takes the cake. He is the total opposite of everything that is good inside of Ellie and Rain and I cannot wait for him to get his just desserts. If you are one who enjoys having such a visceral response over a character in a book, Vadim just may be the one.

Where as Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadows was a start of a journey and more of a romance with fantasy elements thrown in, King of Sword and Sky is the opposite. The fantasy and magic is more upfront and Rain and Ellie are now a team who understand each other. They are still very much in love and there are some nice scenes of love making between them, but really, their romance is a secondary one to everything else that is going on.

C.L. Wilson's Tarien Soul series just may be the closest one I can think of in comparison to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books. And, King of Sword and Sky is no exception. I found myself unable to move away from reading, wanting to get to the end to see how things will continue into the fourth and final book, Queen of Song and Souls, set to be released in June 2009. This is one book that everyone must read and if you haven't read the first two in this series, you are so very much missing out. The world that C.L. Wilson has created does not just make for good reading but brings to light an incredible vision that doesn't happen all too often. Take my word for it, the Tairen Soul books are cherished reads that should be passed down to each generation of readers. If there is one book you read this year, it must be King of Sword and Sky.

Katiebabs

Lord of the Fading Lands
Lady of Light and Shadows

As a bookseller, sometimes we get advanced copies of books from authors that are not well known. A little over a year ago I found a copy of Lord of the Fading Lands that we had received. And while you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, that's what drew my interest to pick it up. So glad I did!

C.L. Wilson is an author to watch! She has an artist's way with words. She's created a truly magical world filled with Fey, evil Mages, wonderful creatures called the Tairen and spun her own special weave of love, friendship, honor and sacrifice.
Her characters gain more depth with each new volume of the series, and while I love the main storyline of Rain and Ellysetta, I also have to admit her other characters have me hooked as well. Connecting the dots between the supporting characters, both Fey, Celerian, Eld, and the Tairen is a fascinating puzzle. Galen is my favorite secondary character. Why do I always like the 'bad' boys? :)

This third installment of the Fading Lands does not disappoint. It picks up right where the ending of Lady of Light and Shadows left off with Raine bringing Ellysetta back to the fading lands. The lovers face numerous challenges: The Mages of Eld are planning another war, Ellysetta still doesn't understand her vast powers nor how she will help save the Tairen. Not to mention the High Mage is trying to claim her soul.
And just HOW are the Fay going to react when they see Galen, the former dahl'reisen Dark Lord returning home? dahl'reisen are considered 'lost souls'...those who have strayed from the Fey path of honor due to killing so many others (in battle, etc) and the weight of those souls becomes too much for them to bear and they are banished from the Fading Lands. The Fey do not look kindly upon their 'fallen' brothers. Now Ellysetta is bringing one of them, the most notorious, home with her. But first they have to get through the Faering Mists that guard the Fading Lands.

The Tairen are counting on her to save them. The ferocious winged felines (the size of Clydesdales) are the source of the Feys magic, and are connected somehow to the life force of the Fading Lands. The kitlings are dying in the eggs and no one can figure out why.

If you like Fantasy stories with strong female characters (as well as compelling male ones), stories that bring the Fey out of legend, the creation of fascinating creatures like the Tairen, Good vs Evil on an epic scale, and a true love that lasts no matter what, then you will love this series. I guarantee it.

Lord of the Fading Lands
Lady of Light and Shadows
King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul)

And don't miss the next and final chapter of Raine and Elly's story, The Queen of Song and Souls, due out in March of '09. I can't wait!!!

I started out enjoying the writing, the imagination and the romance of this series. But.... the torture, rape, mind control, and stealing of babies souls has now reached its limit for me. So if you like that kind of thing this will be a good series for you. If you like reading about pedophiles read Anne Bishop. Way too dark.....

I didn't think this third book in the series was as good as the previous two. I found the storyline dragged unmercifully for 3/4 of the book. We have Rain and Ellie entering the Fading Lands and then they just stew. Ellie tries to figure out how to save the eggs and Rain works at uniting his people, but no great action happens in the story. Wilson imployed the plotting of the bad guys more in the previous books also. She does bring the mages in a bit, but again, not much action happened on their end,either. They are pretty much waiting for the battle to begin. It does, but not until the very end of the book. I thought this one could have been better if it had more purpose.

I will start off by saying I love this series. I am so glad I took a chance on a new author and picked up C.L. Wilson's first book, Lord of the Fading Lands.

My main problem with this book was that it seemed to drag in places. There seemed to be little movement forward in the story until near the end of the book.

Overall, it is a good edition to the series and a necessary one, but it just dragged a little too much.

C L Wilson's first two books in this series, 'Lord of the Fading Lands' and 'Lady of Light and Shadow' were an astonishing debut pair of novels that introduced us to the world of Rain Tairen Soul, a shapechanging powerful fey King and his truemate, apparently ordinary Ellysetta Baristani. But there was far more to Ellysetta than met the eye and the first two novels showed how her powers were gradually revealed and how she began to understand her position as truemate to Rain.

The third book, 'King of Sword and Sky', continues the story directly after the end of the previous book. After the shock of Elly's mother's death, she and Rain, their bodyguards and the remaining members of her family set off for the Fading Lands. However this isn't going to be happy ever after, there are many problems within the lands of the Fey as their lands become barren, their women no longer have children and the Tairen, the great cat-like flying beasts, also seem to be sickening. Can Elly's arrival change things, or will the dark forces that are buried deep inside her cause problems? Can Rain continue to be king or will his association with Elly mean that he is placed under suspicion? Can Elly come to terms with her powers and will she understand from where they spring?

I read this book almost a year after reading the previous two and it took me some time to get up to speed with the story, events, characters and - particularly - terminology. This would be a very difficult book to understand if you hadn't read the previous books and it makes few concessions to a reader with a rusty memory. The author piles on more and more terminology and phrases in Feyan, a foreign language that appears to be liberally sprinkled with apostrophes. I found the first half of the book particularly heavy going and it seemed to take a long time to get round to any action. Elly is still a rather difficult character, one who leaps before she looks and who tends to do her own thing, albeit with usually the best of motivations. There were some slightly disturbing scenes in which the evil High Mage played a part and there was more focus on sex than in the previous book.

Despite some of these criticisms this was still a very good book. C L Wilson's imagination is impressive, her list of characters interesting and varied and her worldbuilding congruent. Those who enjoyed the previous books will enjoy the continuation of the story - as long as they can remember the people, events and Feyan phrases from the previous two books!

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

KING OF SWORD AND SKY
C. L. Wilson
Fantasy Romance

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Ellysetta Baristani is a Tairen Soul and is now married to Rainier vel'En Daris. She is also the Feyreisa. This position and power holds many requirements and duties but a few stand higher priority than the others. First on her list is to find what is killing the Tairen while still in the eggs, second stop the impending war, third complete the bond with Rain.

Rain wants nothing more than to have Ellysetta behind the faering mists where she would be safe in his home. He knows that to her, her family is more important then her safety so he grants her a few more precious days with them. The time is cut short however when it seems that the primage is again at her soul. Rain will do anything to protect his truemate and cure those of his pride of the evil that is killing them

KING OF SWORD AND SKY picks up only 7 days after the end of `Lady of Light and Shadows', Ellysetta is assorting her family to the safety of Teleon. It is there that Sol and the twins can hide from any of the Eld's allies. What she does not expect is the sudden attack that is just like so many others that she has experienced in the past. The fey think that it is the work of the Vadim Maur, the primage, and it is, however it is just not an attack on her. She is feeling the torture that her real father is feeling. Rain whisks her away to the Faering mists where life seems to become even more complicated. Neither Rain nor Ellysetta can figure out what is killing the Tairen babies. The Tairen's eye crystal has prophesied that Ellysetta will be the death of all that is light. Half of the Fey either love her and the other have are wary of her and her mage marks. The only good thing that she has going is the fact that she can heal all the Rasa by restoring their souls. On top of everything that happens a huge family secret is revealed that could change everything.

I am at a loss for words. I can not think of the proper way to describe my love of KING OF SWORD AND SKY! If I could give this book more than 5 Enchantments I would. C. L. Wilson has a way of making her stories come alive. Each page I read was as if it was taking place in front of me. I did not see the words on the page I saw what was happening in the story. I could see the colors of the sky, I could smell everything, and most of all I could feel the pain and love. This is the kind of story that sticks with you and makes you think of it for days to come. I cried with the way the book left off but I understand why it ended as it did. I have faith that the fourth book, Queen of song and souls will be just as good as the first three were. With that said the books does not stand very well by itself and the first two should be read before KING OF SWORD AND SKY. The character relations are very confusing and the first two explain it all. I highly recommend this series to anyone who wants a page turning, never ending action, keeping you on the end of your seat, story.

[...]

C.L. Wilson has created a story that so engrosses the reader that these charaters in the book matter. I loved this book and cannot wait until the next and I believe final book in Rain and Elly saga coms out. If you have not read any of the previous books in the series, buy them because they will be on the keeper shelf that I know everyone has in their home.

The plight of the Fey is more dire than most can understand. They live in the shadow of extinction. Only two months ago Ellysetta Baristani had been the daughter of a woodcarver. Now she is the Feyreisa. She is the first female Tairen Soul. Her mate is Rain, once the last Tairen Soul, Defender and King of the Fey.

Now Ellysetta, Rain, and the warriors who have blood sworn their newly-born souls to the Feyreisa travel through the Mist and into the Fading Lands. The Massan council, consisting of five Fey lords who work with Rain to govern the Fading Lands, do not fully trust Ellysetta even though she has been the source of several miracles. Ellysetta is still Mage-marked. No matter that the gods and the Eye of Truth show Ellysetta to be working for them, the Massan's trust is weak. And this may very well mean the death of all Fey and Tairen.

Few of the Tairen Pride live. One-by-one the unhatched kitlings die in their shells - never to purr or fly or breathe flame. Ellysetta is their only hope and she feels helpless. All the while, the High Mage Vadim Maur puts his evil plans into motion. Should Vadim succeed, the world would fall.

**** Readers finally learn exactly what the High Mage is up to. The answer is far worse than I could have imagined. Therefore, I am glad that the imagination of the author is more devious than mine. Most of this (third) installment of the Tairen Soul series is Ellie and Rain getting settled, healing, worry, and researching the illness of the kitlings. Information on the High Mage slowly trickles in and sneaks up on readers. Yet the entire book is pure enjoyment. Be warned that this has a cliffhanger ending. I know many hate that; however, this episode ends in a good spot. C.L. Wilson writes bliss. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

At the end of Lady of Light and Shadows, Ellysetta Baristani had just discovered that she was a tairen soul, a true counterpart for her mate Rain Tairen Soul, Defender of the Fey and Lord of the Fading Lands. Ellie had also just lost her mother in a battle against the Elden mages, including the one determined to steal Ellie's power and use it for evil.

King of Sword and Sky begins with Ellie training to rein in her powers and wield them with patience and restraint. She is trained by the Fey soldiers who work for Rain and by Marissya, a healer who can teach Ellie the full extent of her powers. Ellie is also focused on saying good-bye to her family so that she can travel beyond the Faering Mists and complete her bond with Rain.

Only not all of the Fey are welcoming to their king's new mate. In fact, many of them distrust Ellie's powers and fear her mage marks will bring darkness to the Fey. Even more so, they worry that any woman who can heal a dahlreisen (those Fey who have turned to evil and forgotten the path of light) must have somehow taken some of that darkness into herself. Still, they are marginally accepting and let Ellie into their fold so that she can focus on finding a solution to what is killing the tairen, in order to save her and Rain's people.

King of Sword and Sky is readers' first glimpse of what lies on the other side of the Faering Mists. The mystical Fey are revealed to not necessarily be so larger than life and Fey politics play a big role in this story. Rain is their king and has been since the last tairen soul was killed, but not all of this people follow blindly. This is a man who once scorched the world, and his people wonder if it might happen again under the influence of his new mage-marked lady love. Still, Rain has always been a man of strong passions and never has that passion been more focused than it is on his relationship with Ellysetta. Things finally start heating up between them in this book, and I had more than one moment when I was rooting for them to make it work and complete their bond.

Fans of the Tairen Soul series will not be disappointed with this newest installment, but new readers should start at the beginning with Lord of the Fading Lands. It was one of the best books I read last year, and you'll be a little lost without reading it first for background. And after you enjoy this story, sit tight for the final installment Queen of Song and Souls, which will no doubt provide a riveting conclusion to this dazzling fantasy romance series.