The Sword and the Lion (Daw science fiction) [Paperback]

Roberta Cray (Author)

Book Description

Series: Daw science fiction | Publication Date: June 1, 1993

With all the energy and power of ancient history brought to life, this epic story tells of war and how it alters the very fabric of society--by changing the course of nations and touching people's lives. Set in the Bronze Age, in a land reminiscent of Greece during the height of its city-states, this classical epic chronicles the conquest of a legendary city.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When the forces of Haffat the Conqueror lay siege to the independent city of Ghezrat, the city's elite fighting force of father-daughter "Dyads" channels the power of their earth-goddess Denota against the enemy's lion god Axtekeles in a desperate attempt to preserve their freedom. Set in a world reminiscent of ancient Greece during the Alexandrian conquests, this first novel starts slowly but gathers in momentum and intensity as it reaches its dramatic, but not unforeseen, conclusion. Richly detailed and vividly imagined, this belongs in larger fantasy collections.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 632 pages
• Publisher: DAW (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886775582
• ISBN-13: 978-0886775582
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,161,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Hit Wonder, October 9, 2001

By 

Acnoth "acnoth" (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sword and the Lion (Daw science fiction) (Paperback)

It is a tremendous shame that this was Roberta Cray's one and only novel, for it is excellent. The story is set in a classical Greece style of world, centred around the efforts of one city state (Ghezrat) to resist an expanding empire (Diye Haff). The characterisations are superb. The protagonist (Breyd) and her father are very believable, and the internal struggles of Prince Pellerin and the immaturity of his heir are very well portrayed. In fact, I can only think of one major character (Hadda) that isn't well developed, and that includes characters on both sides of the struggle. Cray starts the novel with the announcement that a war is coming, takes the reader through the battles, and then takes the reader into the aftermath and attempted counterstrike. The announcement comes from an active involvement of Ghezrat's god, and ends with both the Ghezrat and Diye Haff gods taking active roles, something that is not common in fantasy novels even though the gods are frequently invoked in these novels. The problem is that the power displayed in the novel's end is not present during the bulk of the fighting (although the Secchi are an awesome fighting machine). A brief easily missed explanation is that the gods didn't display their power earlier because they didn't want their people to become complacent and lose humility. Unfortunately, this sounds like a weak explanation for a rather clumsy ending. The ending is the book's only real fault. The final victory is too easy. The final battle is entirely one-sided, and isn't even conclusive. Events outside the city and uncontrolled by the city make the results of the battle final, but a different conclusion to those events could have made the final victory worse than disasterous. Still, this was a very enjoyable effort and I wish she had written more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Book, April 12, 2006

By 

Coinspinner - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sword and the Lion (Daw science fiction) (Paperback)

This is my favorite book and I just wanted to let the rest of you know that Roberta Cray did not write any other books because it is actually an alias of Ru Emerson (who did write quite a few books).

I have not yet read any of them, but plan to soon.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sword and the Lion, July 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sword and the Lion (Daw science fiction) (Paperback)

This is an excellent novel by a novelist that I wish had written more. I would compare it to Robin McKinley's the Hero and the Crown, and this is very high praise from me. Even more interesting is that it is set in a context much like that of ancient Greece in comparison to your average fantasy novel set in what amounts to the British Middle Ages. Good plot, good writing, some serious bad guys and a great heroine.