Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great sequel to The Jackal of Nar, June 3, 2000
The Grand Design is the second book by the American writer John Marco. This book is the sequel to John Marco's thrilling debut The Jackal of Nar.After the death of emperor Arkus of Nar, the empire of Nar has exploded into civil war. The fight for power is between the religious supporters of Bishop Herrith and the ruthless supporters of the former right hand of the emperor, Count Biagio. Meanwhile the main character from The Jackal of Nar, Richius Vantran, lives together with his wife Dyana and his daughter Shani in Lucel-Lor. Despite this easy (and seemingly safe) life, Richius can only think of one thing..revenge on his arch-enemy Count Biagio. When Richius is offered the change to get his revenge by an old friend, he grabs it with both hands. Unfortunately for Richius hasn't Biagio forgotten him. On the contrary, Biagio is even more after revenge than Richius ever can imagine. Even worse, Biagio plans to get rid of all his enemies in one blow..... For the second time John Marco has succeeded to put down a readable, thrilling novel. The Grand Design offers even more depth than The Jackal of Nar, since John Marco succeeded to build a story around more then one main-character. Where The Jackal of Nar was mainly situated around Richius Vantran, The Grand Design has four main characters who are all equally important to the story. Besides that John Marco's great knowledge of military history shows in the realistic way he describes the battles between the armies, both on land and at sea. The most important thing I like about John Marco's writing is the way he keeps you guessing about what will happen next..and most of the time you're wrong about it. After writing The Grand Design John Marco now has definitely joined the ranks of famous writers like Tad Williams, Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan. Pieter Willem Lak Leeuwarden, 2nd June 2000
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Grand sequel!, July 10, 2000
When it finally came time to review The Grand Design, I was thrilled. I am not a fantasy reader, but I do like unusual stories, and after reading John Marco's first book in the Tyrants and Kings series, Jackal of Nar, I just knew this one was going to be just as good. I was right. Honestly, most fantasies tend to leave me confused, but not this series. It's not only easy to follow and comprehend; it's hard to put down! Just as with Jackal of Nar, it is full of never-ending action, villainy, politics and fabulous technology! The story begins with General Vorto, the Supreme Commander of the Legions of Nar bombarding the walls of Goth with the War Machines of Nar (Descriptions of these are fascinating). Duke Lokken of Goth flies the Black Flag of Nar and misses the Black Renaissance. Having shredded Harrith's Banner and sent it to Nar City, he now finds Vorto Bombarding his walls. The Empire now suffers a war of religion between religious fanatics Bishop Harrith (Light of God) and Count Biagio (The Black Renaissance). Richius Vantran, the Jackal of Nar, is now considered a traitor. He is in exile with his wife and daughter. When he becomes involved in the religious fanatic war, his old enemy the Count, who wants total control over all, makes plans to take Richius and Dyana's only child. The Grand Design has a futuristic atmosphere, yet also carries an historical feel. The characters are great. Besides the remarkable main characters, Harrith, Biagio, and Vantran, there are the even more impressive secondary characters like Lorla, The Mind Bender, Simon, Duke Enli, Duke Eneas (The Raven Master) and many others. Each character is intriguing, well written and impressive. It's an impressive fantasy series; expect to be entertained throughout.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent followup to a terrific debut, April 6, 2000
Book 2 is very different from Book 1: more action-focused (though the first book was no slouch on action), more complex, and more nuanced. It's not a simple followup to THE JACKAL OF NAR: it adds a lot of depth to the world of the series and focuses not just on Richius and Dyana, but on many new and memorable characters. John Marco has a knack for creating characters who straddle the line between good and evil: even the most heroic are flawed in some way, and even the most evil are portrayed with understanding and sympathy. Impressive also is the degree to which this middle book of a trilogy stands alone, deftly incorporating all the backstory from Volume 1 into the flow of the action. Once again, a strong performance from a talented new author.
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