The New World: Book Three in The Age of Discovery (Age of Discovery Trilogy) [Paperback]

Michael A. Stackpole (Author)

Book Description

Series: Age of Discovery Trilogy | Publication Date: July 24, 2007

Time is running out. Nalenyr is besieged on all sides by those who would save the fabled land—and those who would enslave it. Soon the realm will be ravaged by the scourge of magical warfare—overrun by terrifying forces created by an ancient enemy, and soaked in the blood of champions and gods. It is the moment of final conflict, and the grandchildren of the Royal Cartographer are at the center of the climactic struggle.

Keles Anturasi will race across the world, fleeing assassins, seeking control over powers he can barely understand. His brother, Jorim, having ascended to godhood, now finds himself pitted against an elder god—the very god who once created the entire pantheon and now seeks its destruction. And their sister, Nirati, embarks on a treacherous crusade with a dead hero to wage war on hell itself!

As the final battle lines are drawn, they will gather the land’s newly awakened defenders of the ancient past. But can this small band of champions, mystics, and magicians stand against an evil that threatens to sweep reality itself into an unending dark age of nightmare and oblivion?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in a sprawling realm of scheming deities and heroic mortals, the earth-shaking conclusion to bestseller Stackpole's Age of Discovery trilogy (after Cartomancy and A Secret Atlas) focuses on the efforts of the three grandchildren of royal cartographer Qiro Anturasi, a master mapmaker whose unparalleled magical ability allows him to reshape the landscape of reality, to save their world from destruction. Major threats include an undead, soulless prince hell-bent on usurping the crown from his empress stepmother and a vengeance-obsessed elder god determined to undo all of creation. With its huge cast, numerous byzantine subplots and nonstop action, Stackpole's ambitious epic is comparable to—if not quite at the level of—sagas by adventure fantasy heavyweights like George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan. Considering the story's intricate mix of military, political and supernatural machinations, the overall theme is surprisingly simple and profound: every act of creation, no matter how big or small, is significant, and life itself is magic. (July)
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From Booklist

This volume concludes the Age of Discovery trilogy, begun in A Secret Atlas (2005) and continued in Cartomancy (2006), which plays out in a fantastic version of the age of European exploration, in which maps were considered treasured secrets if not magical talismans. The three siblings battling evil come to the end of their perilous quest, with Keles on the run for his life while trying to master terrible powers, Jorim contending not with human pursuers but with an angry and destructive god, and sister Nirati harrowing Hell, with the spirit of a dead and not necessarily trustworthy warrior as her only companion. The whole trilogy has been distinguished by Stackpole's affinity for the Renaissance, and it isn't outrageous to suggest that when the roster of his work is complete, the Age of Discovery may be deemed his finest fantasy. Green, Roland

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055338239X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553382396
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #922,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael A. Stackpole is the New York Times bestselling author of over 40 novels, including I, Jedi and Rogue Squadron. He's won awards in the realms of podcasting, game designer, computer game design, screenwriting, editing, graphic novel writing and novel writing. He lives in Arizona and frequently travels the United States attending conventions and teaching writing workshops. His website is www.stormwolf.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars flawed, January 16, 2009

By 

P. Budney (Amherst , MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New World: Book Three in The Age of Discovery (Age of Discovery Trilogy) (Paperback)

Rather than review this final volume in the series by itself , I will review the trilogy as a whole.
I felt there were some good sections in this trilogy, with some fascinating, well fleshed out characters. Stackpole creates a fantasy world which is initially believable and quite interesting. I liked the idea of Jaedun, a sort of magic that comes to some who attain total mastery of their craft or skill. The interplay between the bureaucracy and the rulers of the nine kingdoms was also a nice idea with some fine moments , such as Grand Minister Pelut Vniel's attempts to out maneuver Prince Cyron .
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of odd terminology , which , even after nearly 2000 pages , I found to be confusing at times. There were also so many characters it was difficult to keep track of who was who until nearly the end. The series would have benefited by a glossary. This was only a minor annoyance for me , the real problem was the "gods". We find characters such as Keles and Jorim/Wentoki , who start out as believable characters, turning into gods . This begins to give the whole story a cartoonish character as they bring down moons , raise mountains , travel through time , rise from the dead etc..The gods , we are told , exist only because people worship them . This makes no sense to me. The struggle between the minor gods and Nessagafel, the first god , struck me as a poor imitation of Greek Mythology. The rules of the game were unclear , what the gods could or could not do in relation to each other was never clarified . This left me uninterested in a struggle I could not really follow.
Jorim and the Maicana seemed too much like Cortez and the Aztecs , and Jorim's journey through the nine hells was too much an imitation of Dante's Inferno.
If only the author had kept the magical elements of this trilogy subtle , left out the gods entirely and concentrated on the struggles between the principal , human characters, I would have given it 4 stars. As is, it becomes too much a silly cartoon. A shame.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good - but a little too much, too fast., November 13, 2007

By 

Steven Saus (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The New World: Book Three in The Age of Discovery (Age of Discovery Trilogy) (Paperback)

Remember the last season of Buffy? There were so many characters going through so many things - and so much backstory - that trying to explain it to anyone who wasn't already a fan usually ended up with handing them sets of DVDs.

You'll be just as enthralled with these characters - and drawn along through the vast problems they face - due to thier wonderful and vivid characterization. And there are a LOT of problems. And that's my gripe.

This book should have been two. Or three. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine book, and worth reading. Its presence as the capstone of a good series definitely makes it worth the time to find out what all happens - and a LOT happens.

And that's really the problem. Stuff happens a little too fast. Whipsaw changes in characters - and the world - are fascinating, but they're piled on thick and furious. All of them are consistent with the world and the characters themselves - there are just so damn many that it becomes hard to keep track.

I'm sure that, due to the publishing world, he was locked into a three-book contract. I just wish he'd been able to make this arc span out across a fourth book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Loses Steam, May 30, 2008

By 

Rogue Pen "Subway Reader" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New World: Book Three in The Age of Discovery (Age of Discovery Trilogy) (Kindle Edition)

I loved the first two books, but this one doesn't hold my interest. A little too much deus ex machina and the story gets muddled due to all of the plots Stackpole has going. I do love his imagination, but i wished he would've kept it a little simpler in this final installment. Overall, a great series though and would recommend it to friends or anyone else who loves fantasy with a twist.