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Blood and Honor

Blood and Honor

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A wonderful blending of fantasy, humour and sheer cynicism.
Review: I have to admit, I'm absolutely shocked this book didn't become an instant bestseller. This is quite possibly the most well-written, involving, immensely satisfying piece of fantasy fiction I've read, and that's saying a lot. With fascinating characters, a riveting plotline, a dramatic scope, and smooth, vivid writing, all tied together with the classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy element Green captures so well, this book is simply awesome.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the best there is!
Review: I have to admit, I'm absolutely shocked this book didn't become an instant bestseller. This is quite possibly the most well-written, involving, immensely satisfying piece of fantasy fiction I've read, and that's saying a lot. With fascinating characters, a riveting plotline, a dramatic scope, and smooth, vivid writing, all tied together with the classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy element Green captures so well, this book is simply awesome.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A wonderful blending of fantasy, humour and sheer cynicism.
Review: I would like to say that this is the best fantasy book I have ever read ( beleive me I`ve worked my way through quite a few ) and am very surprised that this didn`t immediatly become a bestseller. It has all the twists and turns, magic and politics, humour and sheer bloody mindedness of masterpiece.

The hero ( if you could call him such ) is a complex yet lovable rogue who is thrust into the world of demons and politics when he`s hired to impersonate a sickly prince. The king is dead and the three princes are attempting to find his will ( losing it if it doesn`t suit them!) as well as his crown and seal. It soon becomes apparent however that all the princes are willing to go to great lengths, and forge strange alliances to achieve their aims.

The lovable hero twists and turns through the strange politics, magic and assassination attempts with a wonderful droll cynicism which is bound to catch your heart.

Simon R Green`s best work is right here and I`m looking forward to more in this series.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Green can do no Wrong!
Review: Once again Simon Green has given us another of his long line of very entertaining stories.This one concerns a down on his luck actor who agrees to become through magic of course to be stand in for ailing Prince Viktor.The actor,Jordan soon regrets his decision as he enters the sinister Castle Midnight where the real battle the terrifying unreal and he must match wits with Viktor's evil brothers, Lewis and insane sorcerer Dominic and their various henchmen.This novel has scenes of terrifying menace as the characters battle monsters and other creepy things thrown at them from barriers of the Unreal and there are scenes of lethal court intrigue and machivellian manuvers as each brother plots against one and another and no one is what they seem to be and no one can be trusted! A gripping fantasy novel set in the same world as Green's Blue Moon Rising.This novel also has ingenious murder mystery as you try to unravel who killed King Malcolm to gain the throne.The various villians like murderous Prince Lewis and dangerously insane Dominic were quite memorable as with some of the female characters as brave steward, Catriona Taggart, ruthless Lady Elizabeth and Viktor's ambitious Lady Heather were also great.Add this novel as feather in Green's cap as one of the most entertaining sf/fantasy author in the market today!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fantasy whodunit--among other things
Review: Once again, Green has used the setting of _Blue Moon Rising_ as the jumping point for a different kind of story; unlike _Down Among the Dead Men_, though, this one is quite similar in tone and complexity to _Blue Moon Rising_. (I'm sorry to keep referring back to that book, but I truly loved it, and some of the in-jokes, such as Jordan's monologue performance as the "High Warlock," will make better sense if you've read it.)

The protagonist is Jordan, a rather lovable itinerant scamp and actor. Things take a grimmer--and richer, considering the sum offfered--turn when he is abducted by some "friendly" notables from Castle Midnight to impersonate a fading Prince Victor. Castle Midnight is currently suffering a crisis due to the death of its king, commonly suspected to be murder, and Victor's two brothers make life very interesting for a bewildered Jordan.

There's magic and mystery galore. I went crazy trying to figure out who killed the king; and for once the denouement was no disappointment. The tale is well-crafted, certainly more consistent in tone than _Blue Moon Rising_ (which glides from the comic to the grim, though in all fairness the humor is present throughout) and worth a try.

My one complaint is a touch of the Wheel-of-Time syndrome: almost too many characters, and keeping track of them is sometimes troublesome. On the other hand, Green does a fairly good job of keeping them distinct, and a couple of paragraphs into any point-of-view change should jog your memory.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Return to the World of the Blue Moon
Review: The Great Jordan is an actor who has seen better days. But just when things seem to be at their worst, he is commissioned for a special role. He is to stand in for Prince Viktor who is currently under the weather. Viktor is the middle of three brothers in a small kingdom where the king has recently died. Palace politics would not allow him to seem weak at this time. Jordan agrees to the role.

Jordan is enchanted to look and sound like the prince and is schooled in the ways of the castle and family. But the castle is not an ordinary castle. It is Castle Midnight and it sits on a site where the real and unreal are very close. Without a proper king on the throne, the unreal becomes stronger and tries to break though completely. Add to that the plots and counterplots of the other princes, Regent, and supporting cast and Jordan realizes that this is not an easy role.

Another fine book related to Blue Moon Rising and the Hawk and Fisher books. The action is non-stop and the mysteries keep the reader guessing right up until the end. A fun and serious fantasy.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book was interesting and captivating.
Review: This book caught and held my interst. It was well writen, and the plot moved at a very nice pace. The characters were well developed, and an asset to the story line. I recomend this book to anyone who can read.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A fun read
Review: This is one of two works by Green that I've truly enjoyed, a well put together piece that combines fantasy and mystery.

Green has a very direct writing style that's well-suited for the frequent action going on, making it easy to read although you may occasionally wish for a more descriptive flair. (Then again, there are some gruesome bits I most definately would not want more detail on.)

In fact, he has a rather direct style in all things. His setting I found a bit simplistic but adequate, especially his system of magic (there are four royal children, each with an elemental gift: fire, water, earth, and air--a little too tidy and democratic for me). His dialogue is actually very modern, which again makes for easy reading but prevents this from becoming true high fantasy. (Not that I think that's what he's necessarily aiming for.)

His characters are the true joy in the story, especially the protagonist. His cynicism and wru humor will keep you smiling and rooting for him as he lands himself in the midst of trouble: impersonating a prince whose father was murdered, with the prince's permission--but not necessarily the acceptance of everyone else.

Things wrap up quite neatly, without any niggling loose ends. It's a fairly quick read that should tide you through any rainy day, but I won't award any literary merit to the author. Enjoy it for what it is: a light, amusing read.


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