22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding ending to a powerful story!, January 6, 2009
This review is from: Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)
First, since some confusion exists regarding the progression of the Nine Kingdom's books, here's a current list (as of Jan '10):
Two Prelude short stories, found in anthologies with other authors:
The Queen in Winter (When Symon, the first king of Neroche, woos and wins Iolaire)
To Weave a Web of Magic (The Tale of Two Swords where Mehar and Gilraehen fall in love)
Miach and Morgan's story is told in:
1-
Star of the Morning (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 1)
2-
The Mage's Daughter (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 2)
3-
Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3) (this book)
Ruith and Sarah's story (which OVERLAPS Miach and Morgan's story in the timeline) is told in:
4-
A Tapestry of Spells (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 4)
5-
Spellweaver (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 5)
6-
Gift of Magic, due to be published in January 2012
And she's said there are more Nine Kingdoms trilogies planned for successive Januaries.
Princess of the Sword is the finale in the first trilogy's amazing story. These three books tell a story that is so exquisitely told... so powerful and beautiful... that you just get carried away to the Nine Kingdoms the minute you open the book. The world-building is subtle, but masterfully done. The character development is the key to the whole story, for everything hinges on who Miach and Morgan truly are, something which they must both come to understand and accept before they can possibly face what is before them.
Why do I love this book, and this series? Well, in addition to the amazing writing, I love the imagery. I love how much beauty is in the tale, in so many ways, and on so many levels. I love how the character of who Miach has always been unfolds, along with the character of Morgan and who she is becoming. The bond that they forge is something truly special.
Star of the Morning (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 1) laid the groundwork for the whole story. It showed you the characters for who they used to be and threw them up against things that shook them to the core of who they thought they were. In this first book, Miach and Morgan started to fall in love... and then we were left hanging.
The Mage's Daughter (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 2) came out a year ago and instantly became my all-time favorite romance book. The relationship between Miach and Morgan really unfolds in this book, becoming something truly beautiful. We start to see that their relationship is integral to the plot, because only together can they defeat the evil that threatens them. We also begin to see that the understanding, support, and refuge they give to each other could not possibly be found anywhere else. By the end of this book, they are a team... two people who finally understand what they must do together, and what they must face to save the Nine Kingdoms... two people who aren't sure they're equal to the task, but who know that there is no one else who can walk the path that has been laid out for them.
And so Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3) begins. It's the culmination of the first two... the final confrontation between good and evil. The relationship that Morgan and Miach have forged is now the bond that holds them together. They must find strength in who they really are to stand against the evil that threatens them in new places. And all the while, the kings and queen of old are watching them, for the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests on their shoulders.
They must find the spells needed to undo what Morgan's father began years before. Morgan must find the strength to succeed where her mother failed. And Miach must prepare himself for his ultimate showdown with Lothar, who is now more powerful than ever. And only then does Miach realize that he too must face more than he ever dreamed he would be called upon to provide.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fitting conclusion to an incredibly magical and action packed fantasy series, January 7, 2009
This review is from: Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)
No longer a simple shield maiden, Morgan of Melksham is now aware that she is not only the daughter of Gair - the evil black mage of Ceangail, but also the elven princess, Morghain. She must learn to accept as part of herself the powerful magic she has always abhorred for she now realizes that only she can cap the well of dark magic unleashed by her father's spell. It's a race against time for Lothar, the black mage of Wychweald, will do anything he can to stop her and gain the dark power for himself.
With his brother, the king of Neroche and his queen ensconced in Lothar's dungeon, the fate of the Nine Kingdoms is at stake, and with his heart forever bound to the beautiful warrior, Prince Mochriadhemiach, archmage of Neroche, will do anything within his own considerable powers to protect Morgan.
To uncover the spell of closing, Morgan and Miach would brave peril in unlikely places and obtain aid from unlikely beings. The battle would be won with the help of friends, family, and an incredible array of ancestors but most of all with a pair of enchanted swords and the power of love.
What will become of this pair of unlikely lovers? Join them on the conclusion of their journey which began with STAR OF THE MORNING and continued with THE MAGE'S DAUGHTER. Follow them as they soar the skies, steal into dangerous places to uncover spells, and fight for their lives, their kingdoms and their love. Fate has a plethora of surprises in store for the tragically orphaned duo - Morgan, a woman whose only desire was to wield a sword who instead finds herself a princess with a heritage of frightening magic and Miach, a prince whose heritage is magic but whose fondest wish was to be a simple farmer. Victory will force new responsibilities on the pair that they'd neither expected nor welcomed. Is their love strong enough to face the challenge?
I do hope Ms. Kurland will continue to offer us fantasy fare along with her incredibly popular romance novels. She has a knack for this genre that will have the reader longing to know the fate of numerous secondary characters as well as the rest of the Nine Kingdoms long after PRINCESS OF THE SWORD has been put to bed. Cathar is intriguing, Rigaud needs a good thumping and I imagine a child born to Morgan and Miach would be a right handful, no? Ah well, until then I highly recommend this incredibly magical and action packed fantasy series! ~ reviewed for PNR Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I WANT TO MARRY MIACH, April 21, 2009
This review is from: Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)
Miach is the true draw to this story... Ladies, the reason we read romance is to find a guy like him and have him brought to life from the page. He is truly a rare find. My only advice to readers of this fantasy series is to NOT start with this book - buy, borrow, steal "Star of the Morning" and "The Mage's Daughter", read them and then get started on this book; otherwise you will be lost as to what is going on (this is not one of those series that rehashes entire sequences for you in order to "catch up"). Although I feel this book, the finale, could have been better, the series itself really astounded me in how well-wrought it was; Lynn Kurland is truly one talented lady. This series is going to be a wonderful addition to my 'favorites' bookshelf. Please keep them coming, Lynn!
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