Customer Reviews

Nightsword: A Starshield Novel

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

 

 

As with the previous Starshield book (Sentinels), Nightsword offers a unique blend of the fantasy and science fiction genres. Understandably, any combination of these two different genres may result in story line elements that some readers find difficult to accept. I felt that Weis and Hickman's attempt at streamlining the two genres had some interesting results. However, I did find it a little difficult to believe in space faring vessels that had closer resemblance's to sea going ships. Nonetheless, their method of introducing dragons, elves and minitors as alien species was engaging.

I did feel that Nightsword had a weaker plot than its predecessor. There did not seem to be as much action and the ending was anticlimatic. Though it did promise the involvement of planet Earth in the third volume of the Starshield saga.

The characters in Nightsword are typical of Weis and Hickman. They have close resemblance to character types in some of their other works. Griffiths does have a likable character. he is portrayed as gullible, naive and sometimes funny. He is not the typical action adventure type you would expect to find as the main character of a fantasy/SF story line. However, his link to the mantle does place him in a unique position. A role that he obviously would rather do without.

While Nightsword lacked some of the power of its predecessor and to other works by Weis and Hickman, it was still an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy and science fiction and has an open mind. I am looking forward to the next volume in the saga.

The first Starshield novel introduced us to a galaxy that was beyond our wildest imaginations, literally. Fantasy stories that have come close to integrating technology into the story line is such stories as the Darkover novels. But, even Darkover used psionics and crystal lattice technology. This new "Starshield" universe is one that starts out with a bang that is followed by the sonic boom in its wake. It integrates the principles of "mysticism" and "technology" to create a universe that is at once both magical and technological. In this world, you can have the technologically savy spy and also have the great sorcerer in the same person. Combining the aspects of fantasy adventure with the grand space fleets of space opera. This is a collaborative book and somehow I think that the authors used everything they learned from their previous 9 book series, "The Death Gate Cycle", to improve upon their new series.

Explaining how such a "universe" composed of both magic and technology is difficult, but not impossible. This book certainly requires a new level of belief, that the fantasy or sci-fi genre has already created.

The second book of the Starshield series starts off with a prologue of events 53 years before the end of the first book. Then it continues immediately after the first book in the Chapters of Alpha. The Mantle of Kendis-dai is real and therefore logically the Nightsword and the Starshield are real also. This is a story of the mad and somewhat enigmatic quest of 6 factions striving to retrieve the Nightsword in its last resting place. Along the journey, the book recounts various tales and legends which fill in the gaps left out in the history of the first book. Various questions about the "quantum wave fronts" are answered like how exactly does one travel from one quantum wave to another with several types of engines? The story is along the same lines as a treasure hunt, with secret maps with the X that marks the spot, to various betrayals for the treasure. Except this is a treasure that everyone wants, the power to shape reality itself. This book also explains why Griffiths, one of the protagonists of the story, has met only humans among the stars so far. The hands of various contributors are seen in this story, in addition to the authors. The people at the Starshield website has helped add their own views to the story, thereby enriching it. Many subtle mysteries are in this story, which replaces the gap caused by the rather lack luster plot line as compared to the first book.

A fine sequel to "The Mantle of Kendis-dai".

This second installment of the Starshield series is a stunning achievement. Now that the reader is familiar with the nature of the Starshield universe one can fully appreciate the story.

While not as well known as Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance saga, this series has all the promise of being as epic on a stellar level.

The secrets revealed in the final pages of this book are such that I cannot wait to read the third installment. Unfortunately, I have heard no news of the next book being written. It would be a shame to kill the series on such a power and gripping novel.

I highly recommend this book.

Despite the cheesy title, i bought this book on the strength of MW & TH's previous books, which are excellent. I read this, however, and wondered if their hearts were really in it. The plot was a predictable, off-the-shelf, race to the ancient artifact. The characters were weak, they had odd and changing motivations, and trite dialogue. Parts of the book make no logical sense. Most dissapointing was the setting. The starshield universe held a bright promise for mixing scifi and fantasy, but there is little to no science here. The authors seem to have fallen back to their old material and use only d&d creatures. The setting might just as well have been the forgotten realms. And obviously someone is hung up on sailing and sailing terms. Do your self a favor, skip this book, and hope for better in the future.

After I read Starshield: Sentinels (aka The Mantle of Kendas-dai), I knew I had to get my hold on the next book when it came out. Well, now I want to get my hold on the next book right whenn it comes out!!

Weis and Hickman make an amazing pair as the explore the realm of sci-fi, adding just a hint of magic and humor. Griffiths is a loveable main character, with witty personality and snappy one-liners. And just when you think you know who gets the Nightsword... you don't.

All in all, this is probably the best sci-fi novel I've ever read to date and I recommend it to anyone looking for someone who wants sci-fi that's a little out of the ordinary.

A MUST READ! WIES AND HICKMAN HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!! This is a wonderful book. It is a bit different from there norm (or from any other standard of normality for that matter) but it is still them. This book elaborates greatly on the STARSHIELD universe which has been a great success. The Nightsword gives a wonder feel for what the STARSHIELD universe is, and introduces a lot more races and cultures than the last book.It puts a compleatly new spinn on what a typical fantasy novel would have.

While "Starshield" was exciting and interesting, Nightsword seems like an attempt to pacify fans of the Weis and Hickman Dragonlance series by setting the action in a fantasy zone with Dragons and a Pirate Crew made of mythical creatures. The main characters of the first novel are now on the run from the Omnet a combination CNN/CIA to which the Heroine Merinda Neskat belonged and which now consider her a renegade. The human Jeremy Griffiths has found the first of the three articles of power of the lost Kendais empire, the Mantle of Kendais Dai and has used it to find the second article the Nightsword, a weapon that can change physical reality.

Hot on their heels is the evil Tarq of Gandry the head of Omnet who covets the artifacts of the lost empire for himself. The characters go thru many adventures and at the end it is hinted that the Starshield itself will be found on a primitive backwater planet called "Earth".

Alas, due to contractural reasons, Starshield:Starshield will probably nevr be written and our heroes and heroine will hang out in time stop forever.

This is terrible because Starshield showed so much promise and there was even a online interactive group started by Tracy Hickman www.starshield.com where you could create your own stories in the midst of the Starshield Universe(the lost carrier mentioned in one of the Omnet newscasts in Darksword was my own CSS Ark Kansas). Perhaps one day Tracy will write a non fiction book detailing the trials and tribulations of his own dot com bust.

I have always been a Weis/Hickman fan. Nightsword perfectally continues where Sentinels left off. Once again Weis and Hickman have made another OUTSTANDING book!!!! I to have a story. For a copy of it so far, e-mail me. Once again,this book RULED!!!!!

_Nightsword_ does, infact, deliver more on the Story of the Starshield Universe. _Nightsword_ is a powerful novel whose universe is based on Quantum Physics, making a dynamic medium with which to work in.

_Nightsword_ follows _The Mantle of Kendis-Dai_ beautifully, adding the ideas of others into the plot, making it a living work. The Mythology behind the Starshield Universe is also expertly revealed: from hints at Earth's involvement in the Galaxy's distant past to Lokan's Crusade to stamp out racial diversity, literally.

I say that anyone interested in reading this book should do so, but only after you've read the first one first. Or you would be lost.

As a long time fan of Weis & Hickman I have read nearly everything they have released. Nightsword is classic Weis & Hickman, but it is not their best work. It continues the story from the first Starshield novel, but does not quite reach the power or intensity of the first novel.

I waited well over a year for this book to be released so perhaps my anticipation made it somewhat anti-climatic. I had hoped to continue the space-opera drama of the first book that combined a wonderful sci-fi view of the universe and an epic fantasy world of action and drama. Instead I was treated to the standard fare of W&H characters, a minor bit of drama, and an overinflated sense of "epicness".

The characters are familiar from the first book, as well as from their other books (while W&H don't vary character's much they do have good characters to start with, so it's a fair trade). I loved the Starsheild universe in the first book, and was a bit let down by it here. The exposure to the universe was not as grand and the hostility of the galaxy was almost missing.

I have trouble saying whether it was a good book or not because I enjoyed reading it, but was disappointed by so many aspects - perhaps this is a testament to W&H's writing in that even their bad books are still good.

This novel was reminiscent of the final books of the Death Gate Cycle (by W&H) which seemed to lose the power for the first several books in the series. Starshield started strong in the first book but is already tapering off.

For W&H fans, this is a good book to read. For non-W&H fans, try some of their earlier paperback series or the Death Gate Cycle. I'll withhold judgement on the whole Starsheild series until further books have been released, but I am a bit worried at this point. I wonder if W&H have lost their focus on story telling in the effort to launch business with their books.