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The Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron


AncalagonTheBlack

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I actually didn't realize the Arthurian parallels, not being familiar with those stories in particular, so thanks for that info. And about the ring.

Are we sure the archangel is a Wyrm in particular? I would have to read that section again but although it is most likely a Power of the Wild (as opposed to a literal angel, which I never thought likely but seemed like an interesting idea), I didn't get the impression that all such Powers were dragons. In fact we have the example of the great golden bear who was a Power (if minor).

Reread the section with the Wyrm again. It seemed fairly blatant.

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Lancelot as a crazy aristocrat

*yawn* honestly, is there any decent retelling where this isn't the case? I guess after The Ill-made Knight other portrayals are kind of hard to top, but still

Just seems like cheap-anti frenchness to me.

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The longer I read The Red Knight the more irritating those endless jump cuts of place, time, character are becoming. I don't know anyone, I don't feel we're getting anywhere, just more of the same: more characters, more locations, more beings, etc. This is overwhelming the pleasure initially in the book's ressonances with romances like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and how magic and even beasts or monsters or even angels can appear in these Romances. I'm going to give it one more chance tonight, read another 75 pages or so before bed, and it stays like this throughout those pages as well, I'm giving up on this book.

Also, author? your witty and meta references? they are neither as witty or as funny as you think they are.

It's as though with your cut-up, constant jump-cuts as chapters, and these not-so sly and cunning metas are deliberately designed to undercut the pleasure of reading, the immersion in the story. Since you've written a fantasy advanture novel, one can't figure out why you would want to do that, but surely, as clever as you are, you have your reasons! :)

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Just finished the book; really liked it. The last time I enjoyed reading an "unknown" writer this much was Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora. Looking forward to the next installment which I believe is coming out in September.

The multi time/person story telling did not bother me. Two criticisms: the end of the queen's story arc was anticlimactic. And the whole romance with Amicia seemed a bit contrived.

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The multi time/person story telling did not bother me. Two criticisms: the end of the queen's story arc was anticlimactic. And the whole romance with Amicia seemed a bit contrived.

I feel the same on all three of your points. The multi-person storytelling didn't bother me at all and I think the two weakest points of the book were the romance with Amicia and how the queen's story ended up pretty irrelevant by the end. That said, in so far as the queen is concerned, there is definitely potential for her character and her story to develop into something better in the coming books.

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  • 4 months later...

Plot synopsis for The Fell Sword:

There are some things you can pay a man to do. And there are some you can't.

Betrayal by one of your own is usually free.

Hiring experienced mercenaries to protect your throne is not.

When an Emperor is deposed, the Red Knight and his men find their services in high demand - and themselves surrounded by enemies. The country is in revolt, the capital city is besieged and any victory will be hard won. But The Red Knight has a plan. The question, can he negotiate the political, magical, real and romantic battlefields at the same time - especially when intends to be victorious on them all?

http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/ProductDetailPage.aspx?sequence=1&group=search&keywords=fell+sword&searchContext=&searchOrgID=&searchCatalogID=&searchMailingID=&sku=0316212334

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  • 1 month later...

At first he makes a smoothbore gun barrel, then gunpowder.

A map would have been helpful, for the author as well as the reader. Minor spoilers:

In chapter 8 the Red Knight discusses taking some of his men west from Lissen Carak towards Albinkirk. Then in chapter 12 the queen, who is south of Albinkirk, discusses how her husband the king has gone west from her location (near Albinkirk) towards Lissen Carak.

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The longer I read The Red Knight the more irritating those endless jump cuts of place, time, character are becoming. I don't know anyone, I don't feel we're getting anywhere, just more of the same: more characters, more locations, more beings, etc. This is overwhelming the pleasure initially in the book's ressonances with romances like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and how magic and even beasts or monsters or even angels can appear in these Romances. I'm going to give it one more chance tonight, read another 75 pages or so before bed, and it stays like this throughout those pages as well, I'm giving up on this book.

:agree:

I finished it, but I don't think I'll buy the sequel. It's a pity in a way because the premisse of the book / series is something right along my alley.

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At first he makes a smoothbore gun barrel, then gunpowder.

A map would have been helpful, for the author as well as the reader. Minor spoilers:

I figured it was a cannon. I just wasn't sure.

I really liked the book. One of my favorites of the year so far.

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  • 3 months later...

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