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The Sacred Band Paperback – June 9, 2011

by Janet Morris (Author), Chris Morris (Author)

77 customer reviews

Book 2 of 3 in the Sacred Band Series

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The Sacred Band of Thebes lives on, a world away, in this mythic novel of love in war in ancient times. In 338 BCE, during the Battle of Chaeronea that results in the massacre of the Sacred Band of Thebes, the legendary Tempus and his Stepson cavalry rescue twenty-three pairs of Theban Sacred Banders, paired lovers and friends, to fight on other days. These forty-six Thebans, whose bones will never lie in the mass grave that holds their two hundred and fifty-four brothers, join with the immortalized Tempus and his Sacred Band of Stepsons, consummate ancient cavalry fighters, to make new lives in a faraway land and fight the battle of their dreams where gods walk the earth, ghosts take the field, and the angry Fates demand their due.

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Product Details

Paperback: 618 pages
Publisher: Kerlak Enterprises, Inc. (June 9, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937035034
ISBN-13: 978-1937035037
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,965,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #638 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Myths & Legends > Greek & Roman
- #5879 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Fantasy
- #7404 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime

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Customer Reviews

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I didn't want to put it down.

By Raymond Lugo on November 30, 2011

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

I had read the Thieves' World anthologies in the 1980's and some of the novels. I had just recently finished the Beyond novels before reading The Sacred Band. Even though I missed a story or two between these novels, it was not a problem to read The Sacred Band. I was amazed how when reading The Sacred Band, the writing style or voice of the author so matched the way the Beyond novels I had just read which also matches my recollection of the tone in short stories too. I was worried that it wouldn't since it had been about ten years between the writing of the Beyond novels to The Sacred Band as well as the cover looking so different as if maybe the Stepsons had been reimaged. They have not and that's great. It's a reflection of the authors' inclusion of the Sacred Band of Thebes in their story.

Reading this book was interesting because the authors kept pushing the story so I never wanted to put it down. That's why I feel inclined to write a review--in case any of what I'm saying helps you to decide to buy this book. If you read Thieves' World before and liked it, you ought to enjoy this book. If you've never read Thieve's World before and you like fantasy and are bored of the typical boy-becomes-a-man-while-saving-the-world-from-evil stories, then here is a story with love and hate, loyalty and betryal, gods and monsters, magic and faith, balance and imbalance. So the story isn't about one thing and like I said, I didn't want to put it down. At about 600 pages, I felt I had some meat to sink my reading teeth into which I like to do. I enjoyed chewing all the way to the end where there was no gristle or fat. Yes, as another reviewer noted, the authors use some words that I'm not familiar with but that is a good thing. [Psst, "avatar" isn't a name.Read more ›

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The Sacred Band is a world within a world

By Jess S. Hughes on March 25, 2015

Format: Paperback

The Sacred Band is a phantasmagorical tome set in a mythical world of ancient gods, wars and battles. It is epic in scope, such as only a Homer could have written. Yet Chris and Janet Morris achieve the mark in this remarkable story.

Set in 338 BCE, the Sacred Band of Thebes, three hundred paired Greek warriors, lovers or friends, are about to be killed along with the rest of the Boeotian Army by the forces of Macedon during the Battle of Chaeronea. Tempus, known as the Riddler, and his band of Stepsons rescue twenty-three pairs, forty-six soldiers, from annihilation. They are integrated into his group, known as the Sacred Band of Stepsons, to fight even greater battles in faraway lands peopled by gods walking the earth, witches, phantoms and ghosts.

The characters, e.g., Tempus, Niko, Strat, Crit, etc. are badly flawed, but very human, the readers can identify with them. I know these people, their characters remind me of several of my buddies when I served in the US Marines during the Viet Nam era. I especially liked Niko. He carries out the commands of Tempus the Riddler even when it conflicts with which he believes to be right. Although he is not the central character, he comes close. I found myself identifying with him more than any other person in the story.

The battle scenes were poignant and brought back mind castrating memories of my own. The term used now would be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some the old veterans were still referring to it as "shell shock" when I was in the service. I don't know if Chris Morris served in the military or in combat, but the battle descriptions, even though no firearms were used, were otherwise spot on. Only this novel and the movie, Apocalypse Now, could bring back such searing memories for me. And yes, I can still smell the napalm.

For the reader of historical or fantasy novels, this one is not to be missed, a must read of the highest order.

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A Special Reading Experience

By Barbara Underwood on January 13, 2015

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

At 600 pages, this epic story is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who venture into the fantastic world of ancient gods, wars and battles, “The Sacred Band” is immensely rewarding. The writing style is meant to pace the reader, but by doing so, I found that the images of people and events were deeply impressed on my mind, particularly the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE, which is the central theme of this story. For those familiar with classic history, this Fantasy version would be particularly exciting, but even for those of us who just like to enjoy a good book, The Sacred Band won’t disappoint. The writing style epitomizes true literature of high quality, making it a very rewarding reading experience on its own merit, regardless of historic basis or the fantasy genre.
The ancient world relied heavily on its belief in gods and how those gods controlled or interacted with mortal man, and this makes an excellent platform for a special kind of Fantasy novel. The characters, gods, avatar of gods, and other beings in between the heavenly and earthly realm are gradually introduced and developed, and near the end of the book I found myself feeling well acquainted and even fond of the main characters; Tempus, Niko, Strat, Crit, the Theban goddess Harmony, among others, and was anxious to read the outcome of the climactic battle, hoping they would all survive unscathed. Getting involved with the characters, their lives and destinies in such a way is always a sign of a good story and a well-written book, and for me personally, “The Sacred Band” has made a part of obscure history come to life in my mind and thereby also changed my perception of this part of history.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

A Good Case for Reincarnation

This book makes a terrific case for reincarnation. Not that reincarnation is a theme, it's just that I find it hard to believe that it was researched in a library. Read more

Published 3 days ago by Jim Morris

More Exciting Than Homer!

More exciting than Homer! Reading this story is like studying a complex mosaic whose tiles please the eye individually and then resolve into larger fantastic images of warriors,... Read more

Published 1 month ago by A. R. Davis

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A phenomenal adventure into the mythological ancient world, procures a fascinating and compelling look into the history of man as he relates to ancient Gods and creatures of the... Read more

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