The Sword of Knowledge [Paperback]

Cherryh (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Sword of Knowledge | Publication Date: March 1, 1995

The Empire of Sabis is falling, besieged by the army of a more powerful empire. A small group of philosopher-scientists could reverse the tide if they could convince the rulers of Sabis to build the deadly new weapon that they have invented.

Product Details

• Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: Baen; 1St Edition edition (March 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671876457
• ISBN-13: 978-0671876456
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,219,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two excellent, one middling novels in a believeable universe, February 4, 2004

By 

Esther Schindler (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sword of Knowledge (Paperback)

I own the three novels that are apprarently combined into this single compendium; I bought them in the 80s, I guess, when they came out. Their spines are more than a bit worn, because I've read them each several times. They're long out of print, though, so I'll review the series here.

These three novels all take place in the same world, in events that occur 500 years apart from one another. The stories are separate, though there are well-presented references to the earlier time. (One character in the first book, who's about 10 years old at the time, is remembered 500 years later as being a Great One.)

But what held me, and what keeps me re-reading these stories, was the worldbuilding, which I suspect was the largest contribution by C.J. Cherryh. There is magic -- but magic consists only of ill-wishing or well-wishing, nothing more. How much can people do with that? And how much will that affect the (inevitable?) evoluation of mechanics and science? These three authors do a good job at exploring those questions.

The first two books are especially satisfying, with strong characters that I quickly grew to care about. The third, by Mercedes Lackey, was... somehow unsatisfying. Acceptable tale-telling, but no more than 3 stars for that one. (To be fair, I've never been a big fan of Lackey's works, so take that with a grain of salt. If you like her stuff, you'll probably like this, too.)

I've often wished for a fourth and fifth book in this series. As is the case for the best SF/F books, the world came alive for me.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Magic" is "Science" disguised in this book - refreshing!, February 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sword of Knowledge (Paperback)

In the rush to save their city, their way of life and their very lives, "Natural Philosophers" attempt to invent, build and test a means to defend themselves using what we would recognize as a crude grenade launcher powered by gunpowder. But the story does not focus on who has the biggest and best magic - it focuses instead on the various ways and ethics involved in surviving in a world where might makes right - and are "we" right enough to use our "might"? And the consequences afterward.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rich tapestry of a civilization's rise, fall and resurrection, June 8, 2009

By 

W. Bentrim (Bucks County, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sword of Knowledge (Paperback)

This is an omnibus including "A Dirge for Sabis", "Wizard Spawn" and "Reap the Whirlwind. Dirge is the chronicling of the demise of the Sabis empire. Overrun by barbarians a group of engineers and wizards flee to the wilderness.

Wizard Spawn is decades later and details the decadence and decay that has found the Ancar barbarian invaders who are now the representative civilization. It also is a treatise on intolerance and racism. Duran, a pure blood Ancar, discovers the depth and depravity of intolerance when he helps an injured Sabirn.

Reap is again decades later and set in a stronghold of tolerance. An island of learning and tolerance in a sea of arrogantly intolerant kingdoms, the Order is dedicated to accepting all who wish to learn. Their desire to remain sequestered is shattered by the arrival of a tribe of nomads. The nomads successfully demonstrate the need of the Order to change and more directly apply their principles.

I liked all three books. The authors were very successful in pulling the diverse threads into a well knit tapestry. The characters were very likeable and well defined. They truly came to life to express their concerns and opinions. The drive for knowledge and the desire for freedom from oppression was clearly expressed. Their was a deep depth of feelings between the characters that drew you into their world and forced you to share their anguish and delight. My only dismay was there lack of further books. The trilogy demands a sequel. There is much to be told about the future of the Order and the nomads.

Read these books, you will enjoy them.