King of Shadows (Sword in Exile, Book 2)

Rating:
Summary: Applause for an excellent book
Review: Ann Marston has woven together a classic fantasy, ranking high among the many post Tolkein authors who attempt to craft a story as masterfully as he did. While steeped in magic, King of Shadows, to it's credit, is not so unrealisticly magical that it becomes abstract and stupid. This book has a great co-main character in Cynric, even more appealing than the star of the first book in this trilogy, Gareth. My only complaint is that, as the trilogy moves on seemingly towards the story of the foretold king who will free the land, it seems likely we will not hear anymore of Cynric first hand in Marston's next book, Sword and Shadow.

Rating:
Summary: Like the rest of the series, very enjoyable
Review: I am becoming very attached to this series. Marston has an excellent sense of suspense and fate. Her stories have the fiber of legend, and reading them somehow feels as natural as reading Robin Hood or the Aeneid. Like Cloudbearer's Shadow, King of Shadows drives ever closer to the oncoming of a king to drive the Maedun from the land. The character of Cynric, the half-Saesnesi, half-Maedun rebel is especially appealing. I wish we could learn more of what happens to him, but I suspect Marston will move to the next generation with the next book, so that we only find out second-hand. My main complaint is that it's hard to get to know the characters well in so short a span, especially when the book switches narrators midway through. The action almost seemed like a foregone conclusion, and I wished we could have slowed done for more characterization and complexity. However, the book as a whole is very enjoyable, and I look forward to the continuation of the series.

Rating:
Summary: Like the rest of the series, very enjoyable
Review: I am becoming very attached to this series. Marston has an excellent sense of suspense and fate. Her stories have the fiber of legend, and reading them somehow feels as natural as reading Robin Hood or the Aeneid. Like Cloudbearer's Shadow, King of Shadows drives ever closer to the oncoming of a king to drive the Maedun from the land. The character of Cynric, the half-Saesnesi, half-Maedun rebel is especially appealing. I wish we could learn more of what happens to him, but I suspect Marston will move to the next generation with the next book, so that we only find out second-hand. My main complaint is that it's hard to get to know the characters well in so short a span, especially when the book switches narrators midway through. The action almost seemed like a foregone conclusion, and I wished we could have slowed done for more characterization and complexity. However, the book as a whole is very enjoyable, and I look forward to the continuation of the series.

Rating:
Summary: Everyone else liked it... maybe *I'm* missing something...
Review: I didn't like this book. At all. They were the same character's we'd meet in the past few books, just with different names and faces. It was the same story we'd read in the past trilogy, just condensed. Too much focus was on the romantic aspect of it, and that was just twisted and moved to fast. I don't care about the whole "made for eachother" thing. The way this went was just wrong. The entire story wasn't written with the same wit as the previous ones, and it seems she's just writing to make money now, not to tell a story.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: I loved the first trilogy and I love this trilogy so far. Must read

Rating:
Summary: Perfect
Review: With the exception of the very first book, Kignmaker's Sword, this is the best of all of Ann's books in both the Rune Blade and Sword in Exile Triologies. I love how she makes two stories come together so nicely. I found both main characters very compeling and well rounded. Ann writes a great book and they just keep on coming.

Rating:
Summary: Second best book of all of the 2 triologies!
Review: With the exception of the very first book, Kignmaker's Sword, this is the best of all of Ann's books in both the Rune Blade and Sword in Exile Triologies. I love how she makes two stories come together so nicely. I found both main characters very compeling and well rounded. Ann writes a great book and they just keep on coming.