Customer Reviews

Legacy (Guardians of the Flame)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Personally, I hate it when an author or a publisher re-prints a book (or in this case 2 books) under a new title.

If you have already read or already own "Heir Apparent" and "The Warrior Lives" don't bother getting this book.

First of all, this book is a combination of two book that are really in the middle of a fantastic series. But to really appreciate the series, you realy REALLY must start from the beginning. The first book is called "The Sleeping Dragon" and may be a bit hard to find new, but it should not be hard to find at any used book store or at the Half site.

The Sleeping Dragon was the first book I ever read start to finish in 3 days. It is not that it is simple or short, but rather it is just exceedingly well written and engrossing. I quite frankly only put it down to sleep or when my eyes needed a break. I would read it rather than watch TV (and I liked TV alot when I read this the first time). Each book after The Sleeping Dragon adds so much to the story and truly builds up the characters and explains a huge amount of what each character is about and how they are related. Plus there are tons of secondary and terciary characters that really fill out the story...Not so many that it is hard to keep track of them...Mr Rosenberg has a knack for making each caharacter (even the non-main characters very memorable, so you wan't be flipping around the book trying to remember what some characters background was).

If I recall correctly the book listed here is about the 6th book in the series and it does mark an interesting turning point in the story, but it would be a great disservice to jump to this book as the enormity of the events will not really make an impact on you unless you know the full background.

Once you get The Sleeping Dragon (first book), the first page or two will list the next few books in the series and they in turn will list the next and so on...So Start with the Sleeping dragon and prepare for an awesome journey of fantasy, action romance, intriugue, sarcasm (you will know whom I am refering to when you read the books!) and a whole lot more.

One of the greatest things about Mr Rosenberg's style is that no character is safe, and you never know what will happen next...there are plenty of characters and action to leep you guessing chapter after chapter. He is really one of the best authors I have ever read and is right up there with Piers Anthony, Terry Brooks, J.R.R.Tolkien, Weis and Hickman (DragonLance), Isaac Asimov (but much more of a fantasy author than Asimov's Sci-Fi stylings) and other great fantasy authors.

I have only reviewed a few books here on Amazon, but I felt compelled to share this wonderful author with others... I have read other series' by Mr Rosenberg and I truly enjoyed them, but I have to say that the Guardians Of The Flame novels (starting with The Sleeping Dragon) are by far my favorite work of his.

If you are looking for a new series to quickly sweep you up into a whole new world, you search is now complete...I cannot recommend this series (and Mr. Rosenberg's works in general) highly enough !! I hope he continues to write for a long, long, time!!

"The Heir Apparent". The wizard brought role playing college students Karl, Andrea and five other Earthlings through the Gate Between Worlds. Over time Karl became the Emperor and he and his beloved Andrea had a child Jason while the magnificent seven fought against slavery. The dwarves, elves, humans, and the dragon Ellegon mentor Jason until Ahrmin the Master Slaver apparently kills Karl. Living in the shadows of his heroic parents has inadvertently overwhelmed his self esteem and now he failed in his first battle. To prove his worthiness he believes he must kill his dad's enemy.

"The Warrior Lives". With Karl declared officially dead, Jason takes over throne, but has doubts he can come close to matching the legacy of his renowned father. Still he leads the inner circle of warriors and Ellegon to battle the deadly Slavers Guild. However, he learns that an enigmatic message has been placed on the enemy's dead. Could his father be alive as the note states: "The Warrior Lives!" Jason needs to know the truth.

GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME: LEGACY is the delightful combining of two 1980s epic fantasies that hold up quite well and seem to belong together in one longer saga though both tales can stand alone. The book is a coming of age chronicle starring a delightful hero filled with reservation and uncertainty about living up to the legends of his illustrious parents (kind of like the son of Michael Jordan playing basketball). Though similar in many ways to other epic fantasy tales, Legacy is a fabulous reading experience as the next generation struggles with living up to the bar set by his incredible parents.

Harriet Klausner

The son of an aging Emperor faces his first battle--and fails. Running scared, he realizes that he cannot return without proving himself, without making something of himself. The one thing he can think to do--something that even HE hasn't been able to do--is killing his father's greatest enemy.

The Heir Apparent carries us through this rite of passage along with Jason, reminding us that its not easy growing up, let alone growing up in the shadow of successful parents. The Warrior Lives takes us along on a search for Jason's now missing father whose shadow is still hanging over the boy. He comes into his own, making sure that the Legacy of his father not only isn't dimmed, but that the Flame burns brighter than ever.

A highly recommended read. Engaging characters and edge-of-your-seat action make it hard to put this one down.

First off, I love this book and the entire series.
Also, this Joel Rosenberg is not the same as Joel C. Rosenberg, author of The Last Jihad and others. This Joel Rosenberg is vastly different and his books are, in my opinion, much better.

While I really enjoyed this book, as well as the previous "Warriors of the Flame", I would not recommend anything by Joel Rosenberg because he never ever finishes a series, you are just left hanging.

One of the best books i have read. Great for all ages. Well written. Will keep your interests.

I read these two books when they first came out, years ago. I was both pleased and surprised to find that they were even better.

I purchaes this book because I really ejoyed Ezekiel Option but I could not relate to this book