Customer Reviews

The Saints of the Sword: Book Three of Tyrants and Kings

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Saints of the Sword was a very entertaining book, though it does not measure up to its predecessor The Grand Design, which was an excellent book. The plot is exciting certainly, but characterization slips a bit. Biagio, Richius, Nicabar, etc. don't always maintain a consistency in character (particularly Biagio and Nicabar), though Mr. Marco tries to explain the radical shift in personalities from previous books. This shortcoming detracts from the solid characterization of previous books and also hampers the plot. Still, the book was exciting and the pages turned fast. If you read the first two books, I do recommend you read this one. Mr. Marco is one of the better writers out there and one waits with bated breath for his next book (which will not be about Nar - sadly). But he does leave the possiblility of other books taking place in Nar, though he has "other things on the burner right now." His words, not mine.

John Marco should be very proud of himself. The concluding volume of his TYRANTS AND KINGS trilogy was a wonderful read and satisfying conclusion to one of the finest sequences in recent fantasy literature. THE SAINTS OF THE SWORD maintained the high quality of the previous two novels in the series.

The action of the battles and interactions of the characters were superbly drawn. One of the themes that came up in this concluding volume was the notion that people can change; redeem themselves. The Emperor Biagio was cast as one of the main villains in the previous two novels, but throughout The Saints of the Sword, Biaigio constantly tried to prove that he was a changed man. He made apologies for his previous dastardly acts and was truthful in Saints, something he was not in previous volumes. Biaigo is a reformed drug user, something that touches upon one of the problems of society today. Herein, Mr. Marco has tied a notion in the fantastic setting with a real world issue, lending credence and believability to his characters and their story.

The character or Richius Vantran, who was the primary character in the previous books takes a step back as a secondary, yet very important character. The series began with Richiuss tale, and while not as primary a character in this novel, the story ends with the resolution of his initial struggle. The perspective change of Richius as primary character from the earlier volumes and almost a living legend in this volume was enjoyable.

The cast of characters was sizeable, but not overwhelming, there were new characters playing big parts such as Alazarian and returning characters such as Jelena. Mr. Marco balance everything expertly, the drama, the passion and the war. Occasional bits of humor helped to highlight Mr. Marcos deftness at showing the humanity in a fantastic story of magic, war and fantasy.

John Marco has told a compelling, plausible tale with sparkles of magic and wonderful battle scenes. He is one of a new group of superb writers of Speculative Fiction that should be read and held up as the best of the genre.

John Marco has continued to improve upon his tale, in "Saints of the Sword" building upon the strengths of the earlier two books, while stepping back from some of their weaknesses. In particular, the author has skillfully expanded upon his use of multiple point of view used to such good effect in "Grand Design," adding new and strong characters with the introduction of Alazrian, Kasrin and Elrad Leth, as well as further developing the strong roles played earlier by Biagio, Nicabar and the Queen of Liss. Richius Vantran, the dominating protagonist in "The Jackal of Nar," steps even further to the background, a choice that I applaud, as I had always found his characterization mildly problematic, with his vacillating, at times verging on overwrought resistance to his role in events. In many ways, compared to Simon in "Grand Design," or Biagio or Kasrin in this work, Richius' actions and motives appear weak and not as successfully realized, threatening his character with being overshadowed as new characters come to the forefront. This was particularly true in the case of Simon in book two, who in many ways reflected many of Richius' dilemmas, but with greater strength, clarity and sympathy of purpose. I missed his presence here.

Marco has also refined his use of political intrigue, in many ways this series beginning more and more to mirror George R.R. Martin's ongoing "Song of Ice and Fire," without seeming a knock off, though lacking the latter's scope and depth of detail and characterization. Nonetheless, those of you that have enjoyed Martin's current series will likely find much to admire here, as long as you do not draw your comparisons too closely. After all, this would be unfair to Mr. Marco, who is a relative newcomer, whereas George R.R. Martin has been writing successfully for a couple decades. But as John Marco has been building more upon his strengths than his weaknesses, as evidenced here, one greatly anticipates his future.

Marco continues to at times make his plot too tidy, certain characters, as another reviewer has noted, too readily changing their stripes or accepting changes in circumstance. It is difficult to entirely accept Biagio's change of heart, despite the author's efforts to convince us, and Nicabar's ready acceptance of Kasrin seems too easy to be wholly credible. Other incidents occur with similar ease or coincidence. Finally, Richius' pangs of guilt have by now worn more than thin, though, with his little stage time, we are not again forced too much into dragging his whining bones through the fire.

It would appear that the author has already begun a new work, evidently not a direct outgrowth from this series. However, for those of you who will miss Lucel-Lor and Nar, there are a number of hints at the conclusion of this work that leave more than ample room for a return sometime later. In any event, as this series is one of the more impressive debuts I have read, I will eagerly look forward to Mr. Marco's next project. I can only promise great expectations for the future.

You could probably name this novel redemption of Biagio because this epic conclusion to Marco's impressive fantasy saga is about how Biagio, the sometimes cruel and Mad emperor of Nar tries to change his evil ways and save his empire from invasion BUT he needs the help from some unlikely sources:a boy who is the son and the grandson of the men who are trying to overthrow him and who has magical powers to heal;a group of rebels lead by a charismatic priest and Biagio's nemesis, Richius Vantran, aka the Jackal. Biagio must also betray his old friend Admiral Nicabar by using the Lissans and a Naren sea captain who once idolized Nicabar.Marco's themes of war,revenge and redemption echo through this novel and his world-building skills are still above-average and descriptions of battles on the sea and land are a wonder to behold.I hope he returns to world of empire of Nar! It was quite a journey.

Nar Emperor Biago vows he wants peace, but all rational thinking person knows the monarch's reputation as a brutal lunatic and nobody believes one word of it. Rather than wait for the expected Biago invasion, one of his governors Elrad of Aramoor joins forces with neighboring King Gayle of Talistan intending to throw Biago off the throne.

Although he seeks peace, Biago remains a Machiavellian strategist tossing a "Hail Mary" pass to save his position and his nation. He persuades Elrad's "son," teenager Alazrian, to go on a quest to find the legendary outlawed SAINTS OF THE SWORD so that the sect can locate the exiled ruler of Aramoor and the Triin in a united battle to save Nar from the invaders. The odds of success are decimally close to zero, as each step appears impossible to achieve.

The third and final novel in John Marco's "Tyrant and Kings" trilogy is fantasy at its sword and magical best. The story line is fast-paced and filled with intrigue due to the machinations of the leaders who make republicans and democrats look like elementary school children (then again, many politicos do that quite nicely on their own). Alazrian makes this novel work as he brings youthful innocence and compassion to a realm led by treachery and cynicism. Revenge still remains a key theme as it did in the previous tales. Bottom line is that this entire series (see THE JACKAL OF NAR and THE GRAND DEIGN) is some of the best the genre has offered over the past few years.

Harriet Klausner

The Saints of the Sword is the last (but hopefully not the very last) book of the very successful Tyrants and Kings series. John Marco has again succeeded in writing a fantasy masterpiece.

The book continues where the previous part, The Grand Design, left us. Renato Biagio is finally emperor of Nar, but things aren't going the way he would like them to go. Instead of gaining total control over the empire, Biagio is now facing a civil war. After the death of general Vorto at the end of The Grand Design, the legions of Nar refuse to fight for Biagio. And, to make things even worse, admiral Nicabar (Biagio's lifetime friend) has decided to disobey Biagio's orders and continue the war against Liss. Meanwhile king Tassis Gayle of Talistan is secretly building an army to overthrow Biagio and avenge his son Blackwood Gayle.

Trying to get things under control again, Biagio has set up a war tribunal called the Protectorate. One of the persons who has to face the tribunal is the governor of Aramoor, Elrad Leth. This is where we meet one of the new main characters of the Saints of the Swords, Alazrian Leth, Elrads step-son. Alazrian has a special gift, he can heal people, altough he doesn't know how or why. When Elrad Leth leaves for the Black City to face the Protectorate he takes Alazrian with him.

This is precisely what Biagio hoped for. Thanks to his spies throughout the empire Biagio is aware of Tassis Gayles plans. And Biagio wouldn't be the Biagio we know from the previous books if he didn't think of a plan to out-smart his enemies. Biagio needs the help of some of his former enemies, among which is Richius Vantran. Richius, the main character from The Jackal of Nar and the exiled king of Aramoor, lives with his wife an daughter in Lucel-Lor. To get a message to Richius he needs the help of Alazrian. Just to make things a bit more complicated, Alazrian is the grand-son of Tassis Gayle......

In this final part of the Tyrants and Kings series John Marco has yet again written a fine piece of fantasy. Just like the previous two books, The Saints of the Sword is full of warfare, intrigue, romance and......magic. Where The Grand Design lacked a certain amount of magic, The Saints of the Swords is full of it. Don't get me wrong, you won't find any magicians destroying whole armies, but you just can sense its there.

You've read The Jackal of Nar and The Grand Design and you liked it? Then you simply can't afford not to read it, you will really love this conclusion of the Tyrants and Kings series.

In this stirring conclusion to the Tyrants and Kings saga, we find a Biago recovering from his drug addiction. We discover a young boy named Alazrian, grandchild of Tassis Gayle--a boy with remarkable gifts. We encounter zealous priests and clan leaders. Lastly, we reunite with a lethargic Richius Vantran. The ultimate reluctant anti-hero, Richius plays a lesser role here, allowing Alazrian, Biago, and sea-lord Kasrin to become larger than life figures.

One of John Marco's weaknesses is also a strength. At times, while reading this novel, I felt I was reading historical fiction rather than fantasy. The series, as a whole, rides on thin wings of magic and fantastical creatures. Primarily, it comes across as a view into a forgotten segment of human history.

And, paradoxically, that is what makes it so impressive.

Marco manages to breathe life and depth into his characters and settings. They seem so real that it's hard to believe they haven't existed at some point in time. In fact, his characters are driven by very real emotions and desires. They change. They elevate. Degrade. Fall in love. Hate. Some fester with insanity while others wear insecurity for all to see.

I particularly enjoyed the sea battles and Lissen environs. I'd love to see Marco do a series based on oceanic struggles. This book has some memorable moments, though not as many as his previous two. He handles the magical elements credibly and shows he can move further that direction. While bringing things to a satisfactory close, he also leaves plenty of room for a continuation of the series.

Which wouldn't be a bad thing. This is one of the better series around.

THE SAINTS OF THE SWORD was the third book of the Tyrants and Kings trilogy and I was very sorry to see the series end. John Marco has created a very plausible fantasy realm with very early technology (flame cannons, poison gas, etc.) and a touch of magic. He focused on political intrigue and naval military combat and did it very well.

Overall, this was an excellent book. It wasn't quite as mysterious and edgy as THE GRAND DESIGN, but was a quick page-turner none the less. The idea of Biagio as the hero took some getting used to. I was somewhat disappointed by the end of the book. It seemed that the loose ends were tied up very quickly, some angles being taken care of in a two page chapter. For being the end of a trilogy I expected there to be more emphasis on the partings. Perhaps this means there will be more to come of land of Nar. I certainly hope so!

This book isn't quite as full of intrigue, plot twists, and second guessing as THE GRAND DESIGN was, but it is a wonderful read and a fantastic ending to a brilliant and fresh trilogy. John Marco has a style all his own and I'm looking forward to reading his next book, THE EYES OF GOD.

Well, after thoroughly enjoying both the first and second books in Marco's series, I must say the third one was no disappointment. The world in which Tyrants and Kings takes place is lavish with detail. From the island of Crote to the halls of Lucel-Lor, Marco's attention to detail paints a wonderful picture in the reader's mind. I still vividly recall images of a seige fom the earlier books.

Some of our old friends are here, some are gone, and some new friends have joined the fray. Marco deftly sorts these many storylines into one cohesive plot without any confusion as to who's doing what and, most importantly, without compromising the characters themselves.

I'll admit this series isn't for everyone, but it's worth a look. I'm personally looking forward to reading future works by John Marco, and while he says he is through with Nar, I also hope he'll come back one day (and perhaps give us something more with Lucyler, whose depressed presence left a good bit of concern in my mind).

An exciting conclusion to the Tyrants and Kings trilogy. The focus of this book is Biagio and Alazrian, not Richius. Marco continues to be creative and original in the storyline. by developing new characters and bringing minor characters in his previous books into the forefront of the story. Richius continues to be the reluctant leader, but Marco does not concentrate on his internal battle. Rather, Marco looks to Alazrian to develop the emotional battle that has been seen in the previous books.

The most difficult issue facing the author was the change in Biagio. We are expected to believe that Biagio is a changed man; that he simply wants to bring peace to his empire. It was hard to sell the fact that Biagio was actually a good man whose evil only came from his addiction. Marco handled this well, with only a few moments where the reader became skeptical.

The only problem I had with the book is that I found the Eastern Highlands plot a bit much. Biagio needs allies and tries to find one in the clans of the barbarous Highlanders. Biagio just walks into the kingdom and announces who he is and people believe him. I didn't.

Mr. Marco has announced that he will start a new line of books, leaving the world of Nar. Sometimes series should be ended, but I don't believe that this is one of them. The series is still fresh and could continue. Marco has introduced an extremely interesting new character in Alazrian Leth. I want to know more about his quest to learn about his gifts. I would hope that Marco returns to Nar/Lucel-lor. There is much left to tell.