Legacy of the Sword (Cheysuli) (Book 3) [Paperback]

Jennifer Roberson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cheysuli | Publication Date: April 1, 1986

In the aftermath of the revolution, Prince Donal is being trained as the first Cheysuli in generations to assume the throne. But will he be able to overcome the prejudice of a populace afraid of his special magic and succeed in uniting the realm in its life-and-death battle against the enemy armies and evil magicians?

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: DAW (April 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886773164
• ISBN-13: 978-0886773168
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,942,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy and a rich culture, January 9, 2010

By 

S. Barton "sbarton2" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Legacy of the Sword (Cheysuli) (Book 3) (Paperback)

This book has it all. Pride in the race of the Cheysuli, struggle and conflict, heartbreak and triumph. An awesome book!

3.0 out of 5 stars Very up and down, February 8, 2006

By 

... "vilbs" (Montreal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legacy of the Sword (Cheysuli) (Book 3) (Paperback)

Just like the first two books in the series, the 3rd installment in the Chronicles of the Cheysuli is very hit or miss, and can be incredibly frustrating at times to read. The story progresses as though the author herself is unsure as to what she actually wants to happen, and after a certain point, I was unsure whether or not I really cared.

At the conclusion of the second installment, there was a core of interesting characters that had been created, developed, and preserved intact for the opening of the third novel (Finn, Carillon, Alix, Electra, Tynstar, Rowan, Donal). At the risk of giving away much of the plot... I'll be brief, but as the story progresses, characters are done away with very haphazardly and in a very unsatisfactory manner, and few new engaging parties are created to fill their void. It got to the point that I just expected more characters to bite the dust, and as noted previously... I just kinda stopped caring.

That's not to say that the novel was entirely unenjoyable... at points the fast paced plot and action were very engaging, but although Mrs. Roberson sets up the action very well, she does not write very engaging action scenes themselves, and at many points I felt that important encounters/battles, etc. had been glossed over or "jumped", so to speak, and it made many of the most important scenes quite unsatisfying.

So why three stars, you ask? To be honest, it should probably be 2.5, but Amazon won't allow that. Also, because in spite of the many flaws, I still must say that overall I did glean some enjoyment from the read, and because I haven't ruled out reading part 4. In spite of myself, I am somewhat curious as to how the story will play out. It's not a series that I would personally recommend, but it can be enjoyed for what it is.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Do I keep reading or not?, August 1, 2000

By 

Joseph McCauley (Normal, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Legacy of the Sword (Cheysuli) (Book 3) (Paperback)

Jennifer Roberson's "Chronicles of the Cheysuli" series came highly recommended by two people whose opinions I respect, enough that I sprung for all eight books. After making it through "Legacy of the Sword", the third book, all I can say is that tastes vary. This one is simply not working out for me.

"Legacy of the Sword" focuses on Donal (son of Alix and Duncan) as the central character. Donal is of primarily Cheysuli descent, but has been designated as successor to the Lion Throne of Homana, currently held by Carillon. Donal considers himself unworthy to follow in the footsteps of Carillon, and as the first Cheysuli to hold the throne in four hundred years, he has a considerable struggle of identity between his Homanan role and his Cheysuli heritage. There are, of course the wars with some of Homana's neighbors, and the struggles with the Ihlini, the sorcerers who wish to control Homana.

This book, and the series as a whole so far, pushes the limits on having bad things happen, with it seems too little payoff for the struggles our protagonists must endure. We anticipate truimph for Donal all the way through the book, yet in the final pages of this book he does something that left me feeling like he'd turned his back on all he was, had let his position take precedence over his identity. With five books still to go in the series, I'm trying to decide whether it's worth my time to read them.