Customer Reviews

A Sword for the Immerland King (Portals of Tessalindria series) (Portals of Tessalindria Series)

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"A Sword for the Immerland King" draws you in gently with it's characters and plot that feel familiar in another world. Strong value and conviction are woven with a skill to intrigue both young and old. It's proverbs and plot open your awareness, nudge you to think beyond what you have, tell you a simple story about love and hate and humanity and beyond. Read it and pass it on.

"A Sword for the Immerland King, The Portals of Tessalindria Series" is a fantasy story set on a medieval planet with a feudal society. The "Sword" is the physical embodiment of the spiritual truth among the lives, myths and legends of Immerland. It is a metaphor for a powerful life achieved with the right material and forged, to the brink of destruction, by a master craftsman, equal parts artist and engineer.

Though I am not a fantasy devotee myself, "Sword" describes the mythic lands and characters quite vividly and intriguingly. Each Chapter beings with a glyph and a pithy saying from the prophets and writings of Immerland. One of my favorites from Chapter 21: "And where does one see his true self? Is it not in the darkness, when no one else is watching? When the full freedom of possibilities presents itself and he has to decide who he really is in that vast ocean of opportunity?" - Oratanga Passages.

The themes that stand out in the book explore a controlling father (the King) trying to relate to his pre-adult daughter (the Princess); the various ways of dealing with death and disappointment, the question of fate versus free choice; and the meaning and potential of power and love. The back of the book jacket says it best, "A different time...A different place...A familiar struggle".

The hatred between the King of Immerland and his nemesis, the Mountain Prince creates great hardship for the people outside of the King's land. The power of his hatred leads both characters to a destiny that affects the future and possibly the past of Immerland.

One of the more interesting constructs in the tale is the notion of a "cymbic" relationship. Faller describes it as, "...they are timeless in that they seem to have always been there...The cymbics have natural relationships. They do not have to have the approval of others or even expect it."

There is something for everyone to relate to in this book regardless of age or gender. You can read it as an adventure. You can read just the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter to derive deeper meanings from life and the universe. Each effort invested into understanding the tale is rewarded.

I smell sequel!!!

I recently read the Sword for the Immerland King and am waiting with bated breath for the sequel. The characters were so life like and their journey was exciting, and terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. Excellent job!! I encourage anyone eager for an amazing adventure to read this right away.

In crafting a spiritual book without a stereotypical spiritual "language," F.W. Faller has handled a sensitive area of our lives with a gentle strength that inspires as well as entertains. From the strong "hook" of the opening chapter to the resolution and further anticipation in the last, it kept me coming back for more. It is easy to read, yet extremely inspiring.

F.W. Faller's book is possibly one of the best that I have read anytime recently. He has created a world. Filled it with unique people, each with his/her own agenda. Given it it's own landscape, beleifs and customs. And he has woven a history that is as intricate os the history of our own world. The book captivated me, and I could not put it down. ( I even stayed up till 11 some nights before school, as a result.)

I had to continously remind myself that an author as talented as F.W. Faller lived less than a half an hour away, and that I knew this author. I could, therefore, be plugging this book because I know the author. BUT, it is (in all seriousness) one of the best books I think I've read ever. Right up there with A Tale of two Cities, 1984, and Theif of Time.

Bottom line: This book was amazing! It was successful in both exciting and relaxing me as the reader.

Well I read this book over a period of three days, and every minute of it was enjoyable. Even if you don't necessarily like fantasy or sci-fi, there is much richness and depth to the schemes, characters, settings and time period. Just about anybody would find this a delightful read. Throughout the story there are many philosophical and interesting viewpoints and lessons that are not normaly found in adventure stories. Along with a very unique plot and interesting facts about an unusual central theme, blade smithing, the diverse adventures throughout will keep you involved in the book to the very end.

This is a very imaginative book that is at the same time both readable and deep. It explores spiritual issues in a fresh environment - the nature of love and friendship, the power of good over the arrogance of evil, & the differing perspectives of truth and how it influences lives. All of this is unpolluted by our preconceived understanding by the use of new words to which we have to discover the meaning.

While I do not share the concerns some have regarding "Harry Potter" as books for reading in school, I do respect it. For those with such concern, this book would make an excellent alternative. Yet do not mistake this as a children's book - it has enough "meat" to entertain adults that enjoy to think.

I was swiftly thrown into another world, where immediately I knew an adventure of great significance lay before me. A kingdom without fear or hate is the ultimate goal, as relevant today as in any other time in history. The forces of two powerful leaders change the destiny of Immerland--a score to be settled with dramatic results.

Strong imagery leaps from the pages; strong, vibrant characters weave a thread throughout this unfolding sage.

The book is very enteraining and is able to hold the reader's interest. Great imagery throughout the book. My mind could picture exactly what the author was describing. The battle between good and evil was being waged but you didn't always know what side the characters were on.

The author displays a great imagination.

I highly recommend this book and hope there is a "next in a series".

I was happily surprised to find out that there are still great fantasy authors out there who can not only spin a good yarn, but also do so in a way that shows morally why some ways of acting are better than others. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.