Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: An outstanding story of loyalty, love, honor, conjuring and deception. A story of a king and a swordsman bonded to the king by sorcery. This story follows the bond between the king and his swordman and the dangerous missions faced. This book shows how people are played as pawns in the game of thrones. The characters are well developed and the story is a little dark but well done. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy. All I can say is that I couldn't wait to finish it to find out what happens. I couldn't wait to read the 'Lord of the Firelands' and 'Sky of Swords'. The other two titles are the same story from another point of view, but don't be put off by that, they are great stories as well with a wonderful twist!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: An outstanding story of loyalty, love, honor, conjuring and deception. A story of a king and a swordsman bonded to the king by sorcery. This story follows the bond between the king and his swordman and the dangerous missions faced. This book shows how people are played as pawns in the game of thrones. The characters are well developed and the story is a little dark but well done. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy. All I can say is that I couldn't wait to finish it to find out what happens. I couldn't wait to read the 'Lord of the Firelands' and 'Sky of Swords'. The other two titles are the same story from another point of view, but don't be put off by that, they are great stories as well with a wonderful twist!
Rating: 
Summary: Slow to Unfold
Review: I found the book a little slow to unfold. I considered not finishing it at one point, but I am glad I did continue to read. The last half of the book is a much better and more engaging read. I would say overall it is a slightly better than average Fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Slow to Unfold
Review: I found the book a little slow to unfold. I considered not finishing it at one point, but I am glad I did continue to read. The last half of the book is a much better and more engaging read. I would say overall it is a slightly better than average Fantasy.
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to standard
Review: I have passionatly loved every book in this series and in the junior companion series until I read this one. Why? First because this book changes the tone of the series and has zero joy anywhere inside it. Second because it's ending cheaply nullifies the journey of the heroine to pull the author out of the paradox he put himself into in the second (vastly superior) novel. Duncan is a masterful writer and after the first two novels he set expectations for this book very high. But mainly it is because the heroine is such a useless tool and you have to live with her for 300 pages! You have to try and evoke some sort of compassion for your main character, but in this book he failed miserably. His next book in this series, Paragon Lost, is due out in October 2002. I hope it will erase this book from my mind and recapture the glory of the first two novels as well as the delight you find in the King's Daggers companion novels.
Rating:
Summary: A grave disappointment
Review: I have passionatly loved every book in this series and in the junior companion series until I read this one. Why? First because this book changes the tone of the series and has zero joy anywhere inside it. Second because it's ending cheaply nullifies the journey of the heroine to pull the author out of the paradox he put himself into in the second (vastly superior) novel. Duncan is a masterful writer and after the first two novels he set expectations for this book very high. But mainly it is because the heroine is such a useless tool and you have to live with her for 300 pages! You have to try and evoke some sort of compassion for your main character, but in this book he failed miserably. His next book in this series, Paragon Lost, is due out in October 2002. I hope it will erase this book from my mind and recapture the glory of the first two novels as well as the delight you find in the King's Daggers companion novels.
Rating: 
Summary: I Am SO IMPRESSED!
Review: I must say this first of all: Dave Duncan is the best male writer of female characters I have ever encountered. Until I was recommended "The Gilded Chain" by Amazon I had not touched a modern fantasy book by a male author other than Guy Gavriel Kay for several years. I was completely sick of the silly, illogical, and improbable female characters male authors often create. I figured I'd just read "Chain", be disgusted, and toss it away. Three books later... In no way, shape, or form does Mr. Duncan demean Princess Miranda--or indeed, any other female characters in any of the Blades books. Miranda was a real person, not just a male writer's opinion of what a woman should be. Throughout "Sky of Swords" she displays strengths, failings, and needs any male author would give a male character. I was never embarrassed or annoyed by her behavior, which is saying something. In fact, I admired her tenacity and courage. Nothing infuriates me more that watching a female character do something incredibly stupid "because she's a woman", and that's what the male author thinks a woman would do in that circumstance. In "Sky of Swords", Miranda makes mistakes because she is human and inexperienced -- and Mr. Duncan makes sure we know that. I was also impressed with the way Mr. Duncan handled Miranda's affair with Sir Dog. He had her choose not the handsomest of her guard, nor the cleverest, but the one who would be kindest and most gentle. He does not encourage the reader to brand Miranda with a great big red letter "A", not even when she steals a kiss from Sir Eagle as a teenager. He recognizes (gasp!) that women are sexual beings and have desires of their own -- and that this is NORMAL! As "Sky of Swords" is really more about Princess Miranda and her ascension and downfall than anything else, the Blades took more of a supporting role in this book. However, the Blades' presence was felt and affected the outcome of the story. Definitely a great addition to the series. Kudos, Mr. Duncan. I am seriously impressed.
Rating:
Summary: I Am SO IMPRESSED!
Review: I must say this first of all: Dave Duncan is the best male writer of female characters I have ever encountered. Until I was recommended "The Gilded Chain" by Amazon I had not touched a modern fantasy book by a male author other than Guy Gavriel Kay for several years. I was completely sick of the silly, illogical, and improbable female characters male authors often create. I figured I'd just read "Chain", be disgusted, and toss it away. Three books later... In no way, shape, or form does Mr. Duncan demean Princess Miranda--or indeed, any other female characters in any of the Blades books. Miranda was a real person, not just a male writer's opinion of what a woman should be. Throughout "Sky of Swords" she displays strengths, failings, and needs any male author would give a male character. I was never embarrassed or annoyed by her behavior, which is saying something. In fact, I admired her tenacity and courage. Nothing infuriates me more that watching a female character do something incredibly stupid "because she's a woman", and that's what the male author thinks a woman would do in that circumstance. In "Sky of Swords", Miranda makes mistakes because she is human and inexperienced -- and Mr. Duncan makes sure we know that. I was also impressed with the way Mr. Duncan handled Miranda's affair with Sir Dog. He had her choose not the handsomest of her guard, nor the cleverest, but the one who would be kindest and most gentle. He does not encourage the reader to brand Miranda with a great big red letter "A", not even when she steals a kiss from Sir Eagle as a teenager. He recognizes (gasp!) that women are sexual beings and have desires of their own -- and that this is NORMAL! As "Sky of Swords" is really more about Princess Miranda and her ascension and downfall than anything else, the Blades took more of a supporting role in this book. However, the Blades' presence was felt and affected the outcome of the story. Definitely a great addition to the series. Kudos, Mr. Duncan. I am seriously impressed.
Rating:
Summary: King's Blades series
Review: I read The Gilded Chain a couple of years ago and thought it perhaps one of the top five books I have ever read (in 22 years or so). Well, I reread it a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed it as much (possibly more) than I did the first time. I also enjoyed Lord of the Fire Lands (second in the series). Not as much as GC, though I was intrigued by the alternate ending. I think I missed Durendal (What a character!)....maybe I will like it better the second time around. I also was apprehensive about Sky of Swords due to some moderately bad press posted. However, Sky of Swords was excellent. Malinda evolved into a quite likable and courageous heroine and her Blades were almost on par with Wolfbiter and Quarrel (from The Gilded Chain). I enjoyed the time twists you used to make the story different than the usual fare. All the twists and turns were why I decided to read GC again. I'm currently reading The Reluctant Swordsman by Mr. Duncan and it is proving to be as good as I hoped.
Rating:
Summary: Last Blade Tale is a Master Stroke!
Review: I thought Dave Duncan was great after reading _Lord of the Fire Lands_, but after reading Sky of Swords, I know he is a master storyteller. The Tales of the Kings Blades is one of the best and most fun trilogies I have read. The weaving of the story and tying up of the the different storylines in the previous two volumes is masterful. In _Sky of Swords_ Dave Duncan has told the story of one of the strongest and most admirable women in fantasy fiction, the Princess Malinda. She is strong, sacrifices, fights and is admirable in many ways. We meet more of the Blades that were minor and outside characters in previous books. SoS (and the whole trilogy) has everything a reader expects in a fantasy tale: amazing sword fights, magic and great characters. Duncan handled the ending (and the whole trilogy, for that matter) as deftly as the blades handled their swords tying SoS back to the first book and nice way. If Duncan returned to tell more Tales of the King's Blades, he could do so easily and not take anything away from the story he told in this trilogy. If you want to read about a story with strong, believable characters; that gets you turning the pages rapidly; and that will leave you clamoring for more, read this trilogy!
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