Customer Reviews

Lords of Tsamra

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

 

 

While I don't think MAR Barker is a natural novelist - he tends to spend too much time explaining details about his world, and not enough developing the story and characters - I really rather liked this book.

The main character, Kurukka, the priest of Ksarul, is an engaging curmudgeon, and this trek through Livyanu during an artificially introduced plague and a foreign invasion, is nicely scripted and well resolved.

Also, for once, he actually gives away some of the interesting Big Secrets about the world, that he's often been prone to hoard closely to his chest.

The best of his recently published books, and I'd probably even rate it above Flamesong too.

One of my very first fantasy books was MAN OF GOLD, by this author. It has remained one of my top 10 favorites. For years, following his FLAMESONG, I searched for further novels of this mind-boggling world and never found them. Then a couple weeks ago I did a search on amazon and found that he has recently published 3 more novels and I promptly ordered them all. MAJOR WOWZERS. I would caution anyone to first read the two previous novels I mentioned in order to get a feel for this wild and wonderful experience. In LORDS OF TSAMRA there are countless references to clans, religions, gods, creatures, beliefs, and even plants and trees that the two earlier books will help familiarize you with. I also years ago purchased Professor Barker's Bestiary publication, which is now probably hard to find, and have found it helpful and awesome, cause you get pictures (yey!,love those). Also the hardcover TEKUMEL by Patrick Brady, et al, even though it is a role-playing publication, offers wonderful history on this world and the humans and non-humans that populate it (also pictures, jeez, you must get it). Nothing I have read since, not by any author, has offered this type of world-building and insight into alien cultures, human and otherwise, that these works do. You will be obsessed with learning more and believe me, it is an exhaustive study but oh so completely immersible. I must tell you that the only reason I gave this 4 stars is because it is rather as the above reviewer said, more into throwing cultures at you as secondary to the story and because of that, first readers entering the world of Tekumel will be perhaps somewhat lost. Professor Barker and his publishers need to get the word out about his world to fantasy readers along with role-playing gamers. But that said, search for all novels by Professor Barker, any publication you can get your hands on, and take yourself to the Empire of the Petal Throne. You will truly know what fantasy/sci-fi and the term "world-building" are all about in a way you've never experienced before.

I really enjoyed the two Tekumel novels published in the 1980s. Recently discovering that there were three more published in 2004, I bought them with a touch of trepidation as there was such a long time gap in publication and the cover art seems relatively crude compared to those published by DAW. I was relieved to discover that this is also a tasty book, entirely in character with the first two, with the story picking up shortly after the ending events of "Flamesong". Richly imaginative and never predictable, I noticed here more than previously the stylistic influence of Jack Vance.

This is one of three paperback sequels to the DAW book Man of Gold 1980s paperback.

Of the three I felt this was the weakest. While as engrossing as the other two (reviewed also) I found this story line slightly dreary with a weaker ending. Still recommended for Tekumel buffs as part of Professor Barkers fascinating imaginary world.