Customer Reviews

The Sword of the Land

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

 

 

Noel Anne Brennan has successfully turned me into a lover of fantasy. Assuming all fantasy writers are as clever in plotting and writing as this author! But this book is not just for fantasy readers. With the clever plot line, the ingenuous use of mythology, paganism and medieval nuances - she puts a new twist into writing that I have not yet experienced. The author not only uses recognisable rites of these times, but she makes them her own, to fit the universe of the Saeditin, along with clever "inventions" of her own the author kept me reading without pause till the end. Suspense, a touch of romance without being too obvious, and the hints of history abound - making this a must read for lovers of any genre! A brilliantly designed book! I am looking forward to her new book to be release in April 2004 (June here in Europe) titled THE BLOOD OF THE LAND. And to reading more by this up and coming author who is bound to be a bestseller should she keep putting out books as well written as this one! I must congratulate Berkley Publishing Group for snatching up this author! We demand more from her!

If you're a fan of Tamora Pierce's Tortall books or Sherwood Smiths Wren or Mel stories, you're likely to enjoy this book. I've read so many fantasy novels now that couldn't meet my standards, but this book wove it's way in to my favorites.
A loyal and determined heroine, cool hunting cats, mysteries of who is friend and enemy, and a truelly engaging plot make this one of the most enjoyable stories I have read.
The readers are shown the feelings and intentions of many characters without the story straying much from Rilsin's point of view. It's written beautifully with the perfect amount of action and detail. Do not pass this by!

Damn, this is a good book. This is a very thrilling fantasy that keeps your attention all the way till the end. I never wanted to stop reading it because so many incredible things were happening and I wanted to find out what happens next, etc., and, well, I just kept going and going.

Sword of the Land is remarkable in that its characters, plot, and writing style are engaging, exciting, admirable, and fast-paced. The heroine, Rilson, is very likable, as she is one who has gone through so much pain and betrayal, but still manages to live for what she believes in, no matter who is trying to take advantage of her throughout her life.

This book is one of the books I bought from just reading reviews on Amazon.com. Usually when I do this I regret it, but my p.o.v is that if you don't try new things, you might miss a big opportunity. I am so glad I got the great opportunity of reading this book, and hope you take the chance to, too. I can probably say this is one of my favorites.

In the land of the Saeditin, power and wealth are held through the matriarchal line with the head of the kingdom, the Saeket, always a woman. At eight years of age the heir to the throne, Rilsin Sae Becha sees her mother killed in a civil war that put a Saeket Melisin on the throne. The order went out that the disposed Sae Becha was to be put to death but she was murdered by an assassin before that order could be carried out.

The new Saeket, Rilsin's cousin Sithli commutes the death sentence of the child and they grow up in the palace together as best friends. Rilsin pledges her loyalty to Sithli and becomes the first minister and leader of the army. Sithli is not a very good leader, alienating the commoners and allowing her people to be sold as slaves to the south. The land calls to Rilsin but if she answers that summons, she will plunge the country into another civil war and stands to lose all she holds dear.

THE SWORD OF THE LAND is a very entertaining fantasy featuring a heroine it is impossible to dislike. She is loyal to her cousin who she truly loves and tries to turn a blind eye to her excesses but she can't ignore the complaints of the people or her ties to the land. Court intrigue and battle scenes are only a small part of this novel as the author focuses her attention on the protagonist tugged in opposite directions by opposing forces demanding she choose between the moral high ground or her cousin's desires.

Harriet Klausner

Rilsin, the last remaining heir to the Saeditin throne, swears fealty to her cousin Sithli after her cousin's family seizes power in a bloody coup. The two girls grow up together, and Sithli becomes SaeKet(queen) while Rilsin becomes her first minister and commander of Saeditin's northern armies. Rilsin watches helplessly as her cousin misrules the country, bringing Saeditin to the brink of war within her borders and without. The burden of responsibility falls upon Rilsin when she is forced to make the choice between risking everything she loves in a rebellion against her cousin or keeping her vow to remain loyal. This book has politics, a love triangle, battles, sword fights, a wicked queen, a heroic hunting cat, and even an explosion or two. I wish that the relationship between Sola, an inventor and Rilsin's childhood friend, and Rilsin were developed more, but I recommend this book as a quick and entertaining read.

This is by far one of my favorite fantasy books. It portrays a young, strong heroine named Rilsin, but she also has weaknesses. She isn't as beautiful as other fantasy heroines, or even her cousin Sithli, but her personality is so constistent.

She is forced to protect and obey her cousin's rule, even though it was stolen from Rilsin in the first place. She has now problem with that at first because she does love her cousin dearly and her cousin did save her life from Silthi's mother.

Although, the book did have more typos than I've ever seen in a book. But that's not exactly the authors fault. Great read! I recommend very much!

In the land of the Saeditin, power and wealth are held through the matriarchal line with the head of the kingdom, the Saeket, always a woman. At eight years of age the heir to the throne, Rilsin Sae Becha sees her mother killed in a civil war that put a Saeket Melisin on the throne. The order went out that the disposed Sae Becha was to be put to death but she was murdered by an assassin before that order could be carried out.

The new Saeket, Rilsin's cousin Sithli commutes the death sentence of the child and they grow up in the palace together as best friends. Rilsin pledges her loyalty to Sithli and becomes the first minister and leader of the army. Sithli is not a very good leader, alienating the commoners and allowing her people to be sold as slaves to the south. The land calls to Rilsin but if she answers that summons, she will plunge the country into another civil war and stands to lose all she holds dear.

THE SWORD OF THE LAND is a very entertaining fantasy featuring a heroine it is impossible to dislike. She is loyal to her cousin who she truly loves and tries to turn a blind eye to her excesses but she can't ignore the complaints of the people or her ties to the land. Court intrigue and battle scenes are only a small part of this novel as the author focuses her attention on the protagonist tugged in opposite directions by opposing forces demanding she choose between the moral high ground or her cousin's desires.

Harriet Klausner

I usually hate fantasy stories where the "rightful" ruler is portrayed as being good and kind, simply by virtue of their parentage. However, this book is so interesting, that I was willing to overlook that issue and enjoy the intersting plot twists. I reccomend this to anybody who enjoys fantasy and political intrigue.

Rilsin, the last remaining heir to the Saeditin throne, swears fealty to her cousin Sithli after her cousin's family seizes power in a bloody coup. The two girls grow up together, and Sithli becomes SaeKet(queen) while Rilsin becomes her first minister and commander of Saeditin's northern armies. Rilsin watches helplessly as her cousin misrules the country, bringing Saeditin to the brink of war within her borders and without. The burden of responsibility falls upon Rilsin when she is forced to make the choice between risking everything she loves in a rebellion against her cousin or keeping her vow to remain loyal. This book has politics, a love triangle, battles, sword fights, a wicked queen, a heroic hunting cat, and even an explosion or two. I wish that the relationship between Sola, an inventor and Rilsin's childhood friend, and Rilsin were developed more, but I recommend this book as a quick and entertaining read.

This was an excellent book! The writing style along with the plot reminded me a little of Robin McKinley.
I was surprised at how good the book was. The book begins with murder and betrayal, and that continues through most of the book. The heroine, Rilsin, is intelligent and amazing - but not perfect, which makes her fun to read. The book could have used a bit more light and fun, but the serious tone was very convincing, considering all the serious things happening.
I definitely recommend this book to any lover of fantasy, as well as people who love other genres.

And if you like this book, I recommend both of Robin McKinley's books that are like it (I mentioned one above): "The Blue Sword" and it's prequel (of sorts), "The Hero and the Crown".