The Scepter's Return (The Scepter of Mercy, Book 3) [Paperback]

Dan Chernenko (Author), Harry Turtledove (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 5, 2006

For hundreds of years, the rulers of Avornis sought to reclaim the Scepter of Mercy, their only protection from the fallen god known as the Banished One. They all failed. Now, the burden rests on the shoulders of two kings, divided by pride, but united in duty.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like its predecessors, The Bastard King (2003) and The Chernagor Pirates (2004), the good-natured, leisurely final installment in Chernenko's Scepter of Mercy trilogy subverts the familiar fantasy tropes with its polite, understated swordplay and minimal, often mundane sorcery. In the kingdom of Avornis, an unseen array of Olympian gods and goddesses has ejected a disgruntled god known as the Banished One. He may also be unseen, but the Banished One is a noisy frequenter of the nightmares of his victims, whom he attempts with mixed success to suborn. The author excels at characterization, in particular of the pair of down-to-earth Avornis kings: Grus, the thinking man's head of warfare, and Lanius, the thinking man's thinker. The two rivals must set aside their differences if they are to regain the scepter that will thwart the Banished One's evil machinations. Some readers may be annoyed not to be let in on Lanius's secret plan to do so, though all should be satisfied with the natural, somewhat bittersweet ending that leaves the door open for further wise and humorous adventures.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

While it helps to have read this book's two predecessors, The Bastard King (2003) and The Chernagor Pirates [BKL Mr 1 04], the third book in the series stands on its own without difficulty. The land of Avornis has suffered the enmity of the banished god for a long time. The only weapon that can withstand him is the scepter of mercy. Now Lanius and Grus, the two kings of Avornis, just may be able to recover the scepter. Lanius has a plan that must remain secret from the banished one. Grus must do battle, for the scepter lies in the lands of the hostile Menteshe peoples. Chernenko's world isn't especially distinctive, but his characterization, dialogue, and plotting keep one involved right up to the twist ending. Good basic fantasy storytelling, especially appealing to readers just beginning to explore the genre. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Roc (July 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451460251
• ISBN-13: 978-0451460257
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Conclusion to Turtledove's "Sceptre of Mercy" trilogy, November 16, 2008

By 

Marshall Lord (Whitehaven, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Scepter's Return: Book Three of the Scepter of Mercy (Paperback)

This is the third volume and climax to the "Scepter of Mercy" Trilogy, which consists of the following books:

1) The Bastard King: Scepter of Mercy, Book One
2) The Chernagor Pirates (Scepter of Mercy, Book 2)
3) The Scepter's Return

These books were written by Harry Turtledove using the pen-name Dan Chernenko. Apparently he felt the books were different from his usual subject matter and wanted to see the reaction they would get without his name. The most recent printings actually do have his name on the cover, followed by "writing as Dan Chernenko".

In the previous volumes, unusual political manouvers caused the situation where the Kingdom of Avornis had two kings at the same time: King Lanius, descended from a long line of kings, and King Grus, the son of a guardsman.

The Kingdom of Avornis is beset by enemies on all sides, particularly by barbarians to the south, in territory ruled by the immortal "Banished one" who used to be a God before the other Gods expelled him from heaven. King Lanius has discovered that the Banished one was previously worshipped as Milvago, the principal god. Milvago has stolen from Avornis a powerful talisman for peace, the Scepter of Mercy, which had been given to the Kingdom of Avornis by the Gods who supplanted him.

Strong rivalry remains between Lanius and Grus, but neither wants to tear the country apart in civil war when they have so many dangerous enemies: both would like to get the Scepter of Mercy back from the Banished one. But strife between Lanius and Grus is not the only possible threat to the peace of Avornis: King Grus has been watching his fellow King like a hawk as long as they have shared the throne but neglected to consider a possible threat from even closer to home.

Meanwhile Lanius has thought of an ingenious scheme to recover the Scepter of Mercy ...

Some readers absolutely hated this series, other, of whom I was one, greatly enjoyed it. There books do have both the strengths and weaknesses of many of Harry Turtledove's books. For example, there is a strong storyline, well crafted and believable characters - but he does tend to repeat things an awful lot. I also had some difficulty with the fact that the Banished One seems to have a kind of selective omniscience: if that sounds like an oxymoron it's because what he knows and doesn't not do not quite make sense.

Milvago has enough awareness of what Lanius and Grus are plotting to be able to send both the kings themselves, and also one of the key players in their plans, horrible nightmares to try to put them off. Yet he doesn't seem to know enough to give his supporters some fairly simple instructions by which he should have been able to make the plan impossible. I suppose since his mortal heroes were up against a defrocked God, Turtledove had to put some limits on how their enemy could use his powers to give them a chance.

There is a similar and more explicitly explained depiction of interaction between pre-industrial humans, and Gods who are much more powerful than humans but neither omnipotent nor omniscient, in a novel which Turtledove published under his real name, Between the Rivers.

Apart from these minor flaws this is a really enjoyable trilogy.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars better than the first 2 books, but still not great, July 25, 2006

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Scepter's Return: Book Three of the Scepter of Mercy (Paperback)

This third book in its series appears better written than the first two. Perhaps Turtledove pulled his socks up and paid more attention to the writing. At times in the book, there are actually interesting plot developments of some sophistication.

However, if you really do like Turtledove's writings, you will see better in his other series, like the Civil War tomes.

You might wonder about the previous reviewer, Craig, who commented how this is a good first work by Chernenko. Was that tongue in cheek, or did he even read the book? It says on the front cover that it is by Turtledove. Probably because the publisher wanted to attract more readers. Who unfortunately may not get all that they hoped for.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Scepetrs Return, July 18, 2008

By 

james fortune (loudonville, ny United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Scepter's Return : Book Three of the Scepter of Mercy (Scepter of Mercy) (Paperback)

A good ending to the trilogy. As with the other novels, not a brethless pace but it gets there, albeit sometimes through the back door. The interplay of the kings, the family interplay and the court intrigue amke this better thn average.