Customer Reviews

The Sword and the Chain

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

 

 

The sword and the chain has all the elements of an excellent fantasy novel. It's got the heroes, the magic, the villain, the party of good guys, its own private little world with a map included for the characters top romp around in, as well as its' own personal twist (the characters are humans from our world tranformed as they stepped through a gate to another world). My only regret about reading this novel is that I can't seem to find the rest of the series, and am therefore forever stuck in a world of questions and doubt.

The Sword and the Chain

The Sword and the Chain by Joel Rosenberg is about Karl, Andrea, Ahira, Walter, and Lou. Who are all from present day America. They have been transported to the past, a mystic world in which magic, not science prevails. Bound by their pledge to the Healing Hand society, they cannot return home until they give freedom to each and every person in the world of the past. After intercepting a few slaver caravans, Karl, Andrea, Ahira, Walter, Lou, and their new recruits (the slaves they freed) settle down in a remote valley. Because all of them are wanted criminals or slaves, the valley that no one knows about is the perfect place to settle down. Now, it becomes a race against time to make their valley civilization grow to a sufficient size (so they can protect themselves) before they are discovered. This book would only be interesting to people who like to read fantasy stories. The book is especially interesting because the author puts ideas of the present (freedom and equality of all people) into a book about the past (a time when slavery was widely accepted). The language in the story is very easy to understand if you know the meanings of words used in fantasy and fiction books about medieval times. Although some terminology is unique to this type of book, the author uses a lot of dialogue, a simple show don't tell technique. Since the book has many characters, following the story may be difficult; however, as the reader gets to know the characters, the story becomes clear. The characters in the book are very believable because they fit into the plot of the story. Each character plays a unique roll, making the story very lively. Although the characters play a unique roll, they are dependent on each other to seem real. The Sword and the Chain is for people who enjoy simple, but effective story telling. Because this is a typical fantasy fiction book (about medieval times and magic which contains battle and profanity), I recommend it to young adults, but not young children. The book is exciting, and delivers an important message about freedom.

The second book in the Guardians of the Flame series returns the reader to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Karl, Andrea, Ahira, Walter, and Lou are stuck in a strange world in the bodies of the characters they created and played. These friends are bound to this world through a pledge to bring freedom to the world. They made their pledges to save the life of a friend. Now Karl and his friends must wage a war on slavery, fighting against Wizards and the Slaver's Guild. With the aid of the young dragon Ellegon, from the first novel, Karl and his friends start trying to fulfill their promise. The two books in this series that I have read so far have read mostly like you would expect a Dungeons & Dragons adventure to be. The characters have to adapt to the strange world of magic, with only their wits and the instincts of their bodies. There is, of course, the obligatory quest, and plenty of magic and spells. This book is interesting, easy reading. Do not expect many plot intricacies, but do expect to enjoy the developing story of the Guardians of the Flame.

I can't believe these books are out of print. I originally bought them as a single hardcover collection from a book club. This takes up right where The Sleeping Dragon left off. There is no drop off in quality and it certainly feels like the 2nd part of a greater story and not some forced sequel. It also is an interesting social commentary on the ills of slavery.

The Sword and the Chain, while still a quick, entertaining read, lacks the unique appeal that The Sleeping Dragon had. The characters, having been imported into a Dungeons & Dragons world from our own, are now completely ensconced and resigned to staying. There is no longer any disconnect between the characters and their setting and, except for a certain sense of greater superiority, there is little to distinguish our heroes from any other fantasy character. Also problematic is that the narrative focus has shifted entirely onto Karl Cullinane, leaving the far more interesting Ahira in a side-kick role. There is, however, an intriguing plot development involving erstwhile professor Deighton, whose resolution appears to await later books.

Like The Sleeping Dragon, The Sword and the Chain is an incredibly quick read. It's not always enjoyable (do we really need to read about disembowelments that sound like a wet fruit exploding?), but it is a fine distraction from our own daily lives. A worthwhile read for any fantasy fan.

I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with this outing. While most sequels are stale and transparent, Joel Rosenberg manages to take up where The Sleeping Dragon left off and create a mystical tale that keeps the readers attention from the first page to the last.

Admittedly, I let out a yelp of joy when Karl announced to the slaver, "Tell you masters that I am hunting them!" It showed a glimmer of what was to come in this series (especially this installment), and it did not disappoint.

I won't allow myself to announce any spoilers for those who haven't enjoyed this, but let me say that it was delightfully intriguing when the secret of Deighton was revealed. The implications of this information should have an enormous impact in future volumes.

With the brilliant and broad array of characters, from dwarves to the ex-wizard Ricetti, this book sets the stage for many more great Rosenberg novels to come(I hope). The fact that the main characters aren't really warriors or wizards tends to fade away, until you are reminded that they are merely college students in a compromising situation. The mixture of swords-and-sorceries with the tease of developing technology, like simple firearms, is brilliant! Sehr gute, herr Rosenberg!

It has been attempted many times, but the task has been almost impossible, until this series came out no one had done a good, solid story centering around role players entering the game world. Here it is handled masterfully, an excellent story, with compelling characters, and a truly wonderful plotline.

Karl, Andrea, Ahira, Lou and Walter are stuck in the fantasy game world. It is a little bit different now as they are used to it, so this becomes more of a standard fantasy adventure type novel.

They become good guys, and fight to oppose a bunch of wizards and slavers.

The Sword And The Chain was a good book. It had an interesting plot and characters. There was exciting battle scenes and great character development. All around, this is a book worth reading.