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Summary: Heroines abound...
Review: So far Michelle West has delivered! The fate of two dominions and the world depends on a incredibly diverse group. These include some amazing women whose strength lies in character rather than muscle. Their stories and those of the other characters are woven into the tapestry that is the Sun Sword. It begins with the beautiful Diora whose only value seems to be her beauty. But beauty is not without strength and she'll prove more valuable than any may have imagined.....
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Summary: well worth the time
Review: the orignality, depth of story and characters is unmatched by anything i'vereadoutside of George R. Martin. i look forward to the rest of the series.
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Summary: A pleasant surprise
Review: The Sacred Hunt books were like a drug to me. I had never experienced anything like them, and I found myself in a state of withdrawal upon their completion, hence why I was ecstatic to discover the Sun Sword series. Now, I confess, it took me *three years* to finish this book, simply because you cannot just pick up this book and read it. You have to prepare yourself to be engulfed in the world West has created.
Welcome to the Southern Dominion of Annagar- there is slavery, war, death... women are treated as insignificant beings so long as they do not have a man to lay claim to them. A new system of politics in which only the strongest, not necessarily the firstborn of a family, can achieve power... because if you're not the strongest, you most likely will not survive your younger siblings into adulthood. It might sound dreary, but it's the perfect atmosphere for West to open up a new plotline with. West has a slow start, but it's crucial background information, as always, because West never wastes our time.
West creates an incredible, unique cast of characters to inhabit the Dominion, but she hasn't forgotten about the Empire to the North. The Empire is critical to the plot as well, for war is brewing between it and the Dominion. It all involves on single man who has suddenly and unexpectedly become the heir to a seat of power, but he will not be able to get that seat if he cannot fight both humans and demon-kin alike for it (that is all I will say about plot, however- you have to read it to get the good stuff!). Fans of the Sacred Hunt series might be excited to learn that most of the cast has returned, save for those from Breodanir. However, ****you do not need to read the Sacred Hunt series in order to appreciate the Sun Sword***.
While it was difficult to get into, it was one of the most worthwhile reads I've ever experienced. Aside from the fact that there is nothing out there, IMO, to rival Michelle West's works (including, of course, her writing style and plotlines), even if you just want to explore a new world and new ideas, this book is the exact story you are looking for. Just don't pick it up as a light read- be prepared to read it slowly, carefully, as to understand everything she has to present to the readers in this incredible world of hers. And also be prepared to start the second book when you're done with this one, because you most likely won't be able to wait to search for a copy. Prepare to become addicted ^^
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Summary: Absorbing creation of a world similar to this
Review: The writer has an irritating habit of not quite completing scenes and leaving rather too much to the imagination of the reader. None the less this is an absorbing story of (guess what) good against evil, aliens versus humans. The humans are well characterized and made sympathetic. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading book 2
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Summary: Michelle's plotlines and characters continue to improve.
Review: This almost but not quite standalone first volume (of two? three? or more to be written and published, one hopes) stands out in the crowd of fantasy adventure series. Ms. West elaborates characters, cultures and themes already presented in her Hunter's Oath and Hunter's Death duology plus introduces new ones. In her latest, and longest, fantasy novel, Ms. West deftly weaves interrelated plotlines across time and space in a unique, vividly described pre-industrial world of humans and humanlike powers (gods and demons) struggling for dominance, subject to certain rules and restraints. You can read this book as a straight action adventure, read it again as a character study, and yet again as a discussion of philosophy, ethics and social structure. While one of the four main societies (the Domain) displays strong elements of traditional Japan, on the whole Ms. West's cultures and religions are not copycat or derivative of either historical settings or other authors. The supporting descriptions of costume, architecture, custom and scenery enhance but do not overwhelm the tension and actions of the main players, as do the carefully crafted exoressions of each character's words and thoughts, which reflect the differing cultural backgrounds and individual thought patterns of each person. Her plots show novel twists which usually are internally consistent, although she sometimes resorts to a deux ex machina. Ms. West continues to explore themes of polarized powers acting out apparent conflicts through and with humans as first seen in her 4 (or was it 5) volume Dark/Light series (written as Michelle Sagara). She tempts the reader to deem the dark evil and the light good, yet eschews such simplification in favor of believable personae who are motivated by similar forces despite their differing methods and goals. Her protagonists, male and female, young and old, human and other, all have personal reasons for aligning with one side or the other. Each person works out personal conflicts and finds growth,! if not resolution, while also promoting one side or the other. Based on her previous work, the reader also tries to anticipate the unexpected, perhaps another form of ultimate synthesis of the seemingly opposed forces, but I have faith in Ms. West's ability to continue suprising me and to do something new each time. I have already read this book twice and look forward to reading it again when the sequel appears.
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Summary: Introducing a new land and characters into a familiar world
Review: This book has the most gripping beginning of any novel I've read. Isladar, a demon, stalks a healer in broad daylight, kidnapping her to initiate a horrifying plan involving the Lord of the Hells. I literally could not put this book down for 5 hours once I started it. Taking place 15 years after _Hunter's Death_, much of the first third of the novel introduces characters in the Dominion of Annagar, a country often referred to, but never visited in the previous Hunter duology. The Serra Teresa and her niece Diora, two women in a land where the only power women wield is subtle in nature, possess the Bardic Voice. This power, although respected in Essaylien, could cause their deaths in a country that kills the golden-eyed godborn at birth out of ignorance. Familiar characters Evayne and Kallandras make early appearances, and in the second third of the novel, Jewel, The Terafin, and other powerful players in Averalaan appear as the focus shifts to Essaylien. The last third of the book focuses once again on the Dominion, and particularly Diora and her father, who has tied his fate to that of his friend, the General Alesso di'Marente. A satisfyingly climactic ending leaves just enough unresolved that the reader is anxious for the release of the next book in the series.
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Summary: Introducing a new land and characters into a familiar world
Review: This book has the most gripping beginning of any novel I've read. Isladar, a demon, stalks a healer in broad daylight, kidnapping her to initiate a horrifying plan involving the Lord of the Hells. I literally could not put this book down for 5 hours once I started it. Taking place 15 years after _Hunter's Death_, much of the first third of the novel introduces characters in the Dominion of Annagar, a country often referred to, but never visited in the previous Hunter duology. The Serra Teresa and her niece Diora, two women in a land where the only power women wield is subtle in nature, possess the Bardic Voice. This power, although respected in Essaylien, could cause their deaths in a country that kills the golden-eyed godborn at birth out of ignorance. Familiar characters Evayne and Kallandras make early appearances, and in the second third of the novel, Jewel, The Terafin, and other powerful players in Averalaan appear as the focus shifts to Essaylien. The last third of the book focuses once again on the Dominion, and particularly Diora and her father, who has tied his fate to that of his friend, the General Alesso di'Marente. A satisfyingly climactic ending leaves just enough unresolved that the reader is anxious for the release of the next book in the series.
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Summary: The BEST book
Review: This is my FAVORITE book out of the whole Sun Sword Series! I've read it so many times my copy is about to break in half. This book is the best about going from the plot in the South to the plot in the North. The second book was almost all about the North, and the third was in the South. This one introduces most of the players so you get a more rounded view of both plot lines. I would buy this book right away. Be warned though Ms. West does not write books for the dumb. You really have to keep up with all the different characters, but it is worth it!
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Summary: Wonderful Read
Review: This is one of the more imaginitive books since Piers Anthony's Incarnation series. While there are no similarities, the pure originality of the book shines through.The story itself was wonderful, albeit somewhat slow in the beginning.
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Summary: Book is slow to start, but the series is very interesting
Review: This is the first book in the series. Honestly, this book is slow to start and can be difficult to get into, but once you involve yourself in the series it is hard to tear yourself away. Part of the problem of this book is that it takes time to develop the political/social structure of the Dominion (the country in the forefront of the book). I would suggest reading the Hunter Oath/Hunter Death series first which is made up of two books. It will introduce you to several of the characters in this series and will provide some needed background. All in all, this is a very entertaining series of books and I can't wait for the next one to come out...
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