Sky Knife is a young man cursed with an unlucky name--a name that his mother saw in a vision and gave to her son to honor whatever destiny the gods decreed. Through his service at the King's Temple, Sky Knife hopes to prove himself worthy of his people and discover his purpose in the world. Then Sky Knife's dreams are tragically interrupted.
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Review
"From brutal human sacrifice to the daily concerns of a people for whom magic is as common as the air that they breathe, Sky Knife is a compelling portrait of ancient Mayan culture". -- Mystery News
From the Publisher
"A gripping tale of the mystical forces wielded by ancient Mayan priests in the once-great city of Tikal." --Booklist
"From brutal human sacrifice to the daily concerns of a people for whom magic is as common as the air they breathe, Sky Knife is a compelling portrait of ancient Mayan culture." --Mystery News
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By seide
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book is an excellent, enjoyable fantasy that is built on a solid foundation of historical and anthropological research. Ms. Sands' thorough understanding of the Mayan culture is what helps to draw the reader in and allows him or her to go along with the more fantastical aspects of the story. I learned a few things about the Mayan world while at the same time enjoying the magical elements of the plot. The fantasy integrated seamlessly with the framework of cultural information that the author provides.
One of the reasons we read books with a fantasy element is to transcend and escape the everyday world. Since _Sky Knife_ was not proffered as a historical account of the Maya, the magical facet of the book only enhanced it in my mind, reifying the worldview of the characters. The reader lives the protagonist's experiences with him and is drawn into the adventure as he encounters it. Sands pays careful attention to character development and detail so that you see, hear, feel, taste, smell-- and sometimes recoil in horror from-- the world she has created. What more can you ask from a fantasy novel other than to be drawn completely into it for a while? _Sky Knife_ is well-written, well-researched, fun reading.
By Heather H.
Format:Hardcover
But who really cares. It is a fun, fast paced, light on the mind read.
By "1-dfw"
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I thought this was one of the best written books of this nature I've read in a long time. The author made it an easy, fun read and easy to understand. She wrote as if she was actually trying to convey a story to us, instead of impress us with her vocabulary, scientific knowledge, etc. as so many current S/F-Fantasy writers seem to try to do nowdays. However, my two criticisms would be that she gets a little carried away with the magic part of the story, and it gets a little overblown for me. And I discovered that this was a continuing-sequel book. This is probably fine with most readers, but not with me, and the book did not give any hint from the cover, etc. that there was a sequel in the works. I simply don't generally read sequel books, so I'll pass on future offerings from her.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fantasy? Mystery? History?
Sky Knife's story line was a little too dependent on magic and a little light on practicality for my taste. Read more
Published on April 17 2002 by plum9195
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great View of an Alien Culture
I had the opportunity to visit the Yucatan a few years ago and Belize after that and came away with a fascination for the Mayan culture which has not died. Read more
Published on May 7 2001 by Sires
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating magic, compelling worldbuilding
_Sky Knife_ immerses the reader in an alien culture, making it familiar and compelling. Magic and human sacrifice are both part of the landscape in this story about gods and... Read more
Published on Oct 27 1997 by Janni Lee Simner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brings the Maya to life with vigor, humor, and reverence
This is simply a terrific book. Ms. Sands has a professional anthropologist's knowledge of the historical Maya. Read more
Published on Sep 24 1997 by Mark Sumner
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