Rating: 
Summary: Poor character
Review: I liked this book, but unfortunately the sequel does not keep up with the first volume.I liked the boy's adventures and even if the story doesn't stand out for its originality, I found it quite enjoyable: the lost prince, the lost heritage, the quest for the magical talisman... if not new, they were at least decently developed.
The characters also seemed quite interesting...
but in the following two volumes the main character loses all depth: as long as he was a commoner he was 'true', but as soon as he discovers his true identity he suddenly IS a prince. There is no struggle, no hesitation, no CHANGING, one day he is a foundling and the next he is an arrogant noble. Bah. I would suggest Miss Chester to read TheBoneDollsTwin (by Flewelling), just in order to see how a believable -and wonderful- character is developed. Three stars for the first volume, two stars for the following ones.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must-Read for Fantasy Lovers
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm ashamed that I read and somewhat enjoyed this series
Review: My reaction to this book confuses even me. Nothing in this book seems to be well done. The major characters are flat, the minor characters are completely insubstantial and all of them are too clearly either good or evil. The plot is made up of individual moments and situations that, though entertaining on the individual level, are tied together rarely by solid means. Character motivation is shallow and at some points stretched to the point of being totally illogical. The writing is deplorable, even for modern, pulp fiction standards (which is saying something) and the author made some truly terrible choices about the book's construction, in general (like the entire prologue's existance). Where is the editor? I don't have any reason to think that one ever existed. The main character getting together with a woman in the end is done suddenly with no basis behind his decision. The worst part is that the book is anything but memorable (though, come to think of it, that could be why I managed to come out of it with a relatively good impression). Overall, this book is only a good read if you're not paying attention.
Rating: 
Summary: Very entertaining read, often too simple
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Fantasy Story
Review: I am a great fan of fantasy stories. After reading many of them, I have learned that what marks a fantasy story is its originality, what makes one fantasy novel different from all of the others? So many stories follow the simple pattern of -- boy goes on adventure --> meets beautiful girl --> falls instantly in love with her --> defeats antagonist -- they live happily ever after. This makes for a very boring story. However, this trilogy was not like that! It was VERY unpredictable, which is only one reason why I gave it 5 stars. Another important part of a story is its characters. The characters in this story were extremely well developed, you could see how they were shaped by different experiences. Most of them had many different sides, ALMOST no one was really good or really bad. Even Alexeika and Dain had their weak points. Finally, I would recommend this book to everyone, young girls, boys, adults, adolescents, etc. I can only hope that Deborah Chester continues to write books about this world of Nether.
Rating:
Summary: Quintessential B-grade sword-n'-sorcery
Review: _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.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly engrossing.
Review: I must admit, the reason I bought this book is because I have a thing for elves (or in this case, elds). The idea of an elf who was a main character was particularly appealing to me and so I stumbled upon this charming little novel. The Sword has the classic fanstasy novel plot: poor, outcast, farmer boy accidentally comes upon his true destiny and ends up saving the world. However, I have never minded these plots and Deborah Chester pulls the cliche off with enough elegance that the book is engrossing from start to finish. Beginning the book with the story of Dain's father (who's name I won't even try to spell) was a well done touch. It was refreshing to have Dain's past be only a mystery to him, as opposed to the reader, because we all know very well, whether told or not that Dain is going to somehow be important. Dain himself was a compelling character, and I found myself becoming increasing furious at the way he was treated by humans, especially Prince Gavril. Prince Gavril, by the way, is a wonderful villain, and Dain responds realistically and in the end, heroically, to Gavril's constant torment. Dain, is his struggles and occasional lapses of logic, comes accross as very compelling. He is a teenage boy, albiet a noble, long lost prince, but still a teenage boy, and Chester does a magnificent job at portraying him as such. The fantasy world that Chester created is for the most part, complete in it's detail and well thought through. My only complaint is that there is no map. I found myself looking, on more than one occasion, in the back and front of the book for something in which I could get my bearings. Chester clearly put a great deal of work into the people, beasts, and customs of her world, but not so much into her geography. It was little distracting. Whatever my complaints, though, I could not put The Sword down. It was a quick read for me and I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. I find myself looking forward to reading the continuation of the series. I will definatly be buying those.
Rating: 
Summary: Mean spirited
Review: I was very disappointed with this novel. First the King's wife dies, then he is exiled, then the foster father for his kids dies (a nice old dwarf you never meet), then the daughter dies, the villian is introduced but has no depth, he is just evil and predictible. All this jut to set up the story. And I couldn't believe that this was written by a women, the females either die or have no depth. Terrible book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST series!
Review: I'm a very picky reader, I only have a few select authors that I adore and Chester is right up there. I found her first book, "The Ring" at the book store and decided to give it a chance. The idea behind the book was interesting. After a few dozen pages I was gripped with so much emotion that I was hooked right off. I found tears in my eyes and loving Faldain so much! His struggles and fight just gave me goosebumps. I believe I love this book series because of the realistic human emotions and choices people take - the characters are well thought-out and you tend to bond with all of them. I hated Gravil so much it drove me nuts and I couldn't put the book down! The names of the swords had a silly grin on my face, very well-thought of names and places. I've read through all three books in the series, the story even gets better! Hard to put down! You won't regret getting involved in this series. The series is The Sword, the Ring, and The Chalice. The Chalice is one of my favorites. I also picked up, "The Queen's Gambit" which is like a follow-up book on another character that I love. :)
Rating:
Summary: Could not put any of the 3 books down!
Review: I am a recreational reader at best, in that I only get stuck into ones I really enjoy. I then usually take months to read them, but not this trilogy! I swept through all 3 following the growth of Faldain who had to find himself and save his home lands. It had all the elements of a good story with action, magic, honor, suspense and a bit of love tucked in later on. I even read allowed in some parts to my young boys who got into it. Faldain's newfound friends and allies are loyal and true and Prince Gavril is so bad that you love to hate him. Your emotions get going in this one and you WILL enjoy it!
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