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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Quintessential B-grade sword-n'-sorcery, February 26, 2004
This review is from: The Sword (The Sword, the Ring, and the Chalice, Book 1) (Paperback)
_The Sword_ is the first of a high-fantasy trilogy and is little more than a prologue for whatever follows. What I mean by that is this: in terms of actual plot development, very little happens here. Each paperback in this trilogy is about 400 pages long (1200 total), so this could easily have been a 2-book saga with little to no impact on its quality. As for the story itself ... There are some books you can read when you're tired, some you can't, and some that just make you tired. At its best, this book falls into the first category; at its worst, in the third. The writing is clear but rough and unremarkable (much more telling than showing, especially where character emotions are concerned, not one clever simile or metaphor), while the plot is uneven and filled with numerous, extended chase and fight sequences that create a sense of deja vu. (Other reviews here describe the plot, so I won't, except to express complete disappointment with the climax, in which the hero saves the day not through his own talents but through, not just one, but two instances of deus ex machina.) Two sub-plot threads are interspersed with the main one; however, the female protagonists in those receive so little stage-time that one can only hope their actions will actually mean something later in the trilogy. The book's one strength is its ability to keep you wanting to know what happens next, which is certainly a literary virtue. However, few to none of the other ones (style, plausibility, insight, etc.) are present here. I strongly recommend _A Game of Thrones_ by George Martin or _The Briar King_ by Greg Keyes instead of this (though this one does contain a lesser degree of sexual content, if not violence, than those very fine tales). That said, if you're looking for a fantasy book to distract yourself during a long plane ride, this one would probably work. 2-1/2 disappointed stars.
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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Read for Fantasy Lovers, April 27, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Sword (The Sword, the Ring, and the Chalice, Book 1) (Paperback)
Having never read anything by Ms. Chester, I was a bit hesitant to pick up this book. The back cover review was quite intruiging, therefore I chose to try it out. Let us just say that I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of "The Ring". Although it took quite some time to actually meet the main characters of the series, the background information you are given leading up to your first meeting with an "adult" Dain, gives you a much greater understanding of what he is to face in the future. It also explains, quite engagingly, why he has no clue as to his true identity and role in the future politics of his homeland. In meeting Alex, I (especially as I am female) found myself being completely drawn into her struggle to keep her father's dream alive of defeating the evil Nobility against the resignation and depression of the "army" she has grown up and fought with. I look forward to the plot's twists and turns within which Dain and Alex will come together to defeat what is thought to be undefeatable.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very entertaining read, often too simple, August 15, 2002
This review is from: The Sword (The Sword, the Ring, and the Chalice, Book 1) (Paperback)
The triology makes for a nice week of reading and is quite well written. Unfortunately, it does have a couple flaws, which are neglectable if one seeks only entertainment (see below). Conclusion:
I usually turn off my brain and simply enjoy a story when reading fantasy. For me, a story needs to be gripping, seem real and make me want to not put the book down. Chester delivers those things for sure. The main characters are well developed, the side characters neglected and quickly killed. Sometimes, unimportant things are described in great detail just to never surface again. A love story between the two main characters is somewhat crammed into the last pages: The heroine's affections for the good guy are mentioned and well developed throughout the series, but he's going for some other chick all the time. His sudden decision to dump the other chick and take the heroine instead is unprepared, unexplained, seems unlikely and leaves a sour aftertaste which spoils the closing chapter. It's not exactly an unforgettable series; one can read the books again in a couple of years and pretend it was the first time. I enjoyed the series and - within the frame of the restrictions mentioned before - I do recommend it. The flaws:
Flaw No. 1: The first 100 pages of the first book drag on and do not really have relevance, it's just an extended prelude about how the father of our hero screws up big time. The triology is actually more thrilling (I'd imagine) if one simply skips the beginning and reads this "prelude" afterwards.
Flaw No. 2: The author obviously does not know or not care about the historically correct meaning and status of aristocratic titels. There's a bunch a princes running around who are neither heir to the throne nor related to any king. That bugged me a little, as it is somewhat confusing.
Flaw No. 3: Our hero rises to high status in various steps. Each step he makes by saving the life of his respective superior: A huntsman to begin with, then a lord, then a prince, then the king. When there's no one else to save, cause there's no one above the king, it turns out our hero's of royal blood himself (which the reader assumed all along but that's a different story). It's somewhat too simple cause one quickly figures out that soon the next situation in which he'll save a life will come up in order to push the story along. Most of these live-saving-situations are quite unlikely, so if one prefers stuff that is thought through, logically sound and "thick" story-telling (like Tolkien), this is not your series. It's comparable to Goodkind's books: Extremely grave danger and a way too simple solution.
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