- Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: Bantam (Oct 29 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0553381849
- ISBN-13: 978-0553381849
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13.2 x 2.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 358 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,900,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A return to the marvelously complicated world of witty court intrigue and deadly University scandal last seen in Swordspoint (Tor, 1994). Theron Campion, an aristocratic student, is drawn into a controversy about the nature of the ancient kings and the northern wizards. Basil St. Cloud is at the center of this dispute and as his relationship with Campion deepens, he finds that his historical findings have modern, highly political implications. As all scholars know, the kings were corrupt and their wizards were simply charlatans, but St. Cloud has discovered an ancient source that promises something altogether different. However, the Council of Lords becomes aware that the northern-most parts of the country are murmuring for a return to monarchy and, suspecting the University as a source for the discontent, they send a spy to ferret out information. St. Cloud and his students become the focal point for an explosive denouement that is as tragic as it is inevitable. Kings stands on its own in all its intricate, fascinating glory. The characters are fully realized, and some of the secondary ones, like Campion's mother, are so well done that they threaten to steal scenes. Kushner and Sherman inject plenty of humor and bawdiness into their tale, providing grounding for some of the abstruse historical debates. This is high fantasy at its best-literate, passionate, and compelling.
Jody Sharp, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jody Sharp, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Generations have passed since the nobles rose to power, killing the last king and burning the wizards who served as the king's advisers. When Basil St. Cloud, a professor of ancient history, meets Theron Campion, a young and eccentric nobleman, their passionate relationship brings to light forbidden knowledge about the true history of the last king and the nature of the bond between the king and the land. Set in the same world as Kushner's Swordspoint, this dynamic tale of the twin powers of love and scholarship offers a glimpse into the connection between learning and politics while portraying the lives of individuals poised on the border of myth and reality. Kushner and coauthor Sherman (Through a Brazen Mirror) craft a sensual and evocative tale that should appeal to fans of Tanith Lee and Storm Constantine. Highly recommended for readers of mature fantasy.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Uneven but Worthy of Attention,
By "journeyof1" (Berlin, Germany) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fall of The Kings (Mass Market Paperback)
Complicated. Thats how I would describe the book, The Fall of Kings. Most times I really go in for a complicated, rich tapestry of a fantasy world, and gladly dove into this one based on the many glowing recommendations around Amazon for it. However, half way through the book, I realized also why some had described it as overly complicated and pathless. There is a definite path through this book. One can almost immediately see where it is headed, and if you're like me, you can become disappointed on the destination. The destination itself was not the problem, but the journey was. Sure many of the characters are vivid, but not the necessary ones. The story was a good one, but its evolution was...I searched for a word and the only one I could come up with is stupid. While some areas of the world were described overmuch, the main characters (except for some sexual detail) were described too little, I found myself having forgotten what one of the main characters looked like within pages of opening the book. Too little was reinforced, and certain aspects of novel writing were too obvious. Ok, it seems I am only downing the book but there are positive parts to it. If you are a fan of Robert Jordan, I would say you would like this book. I read a number of his, but the over complication without the strong return for what you've read put me off him and I never finished his series. I struggled through this book. Half way through I was completely exasperated at the uneven characterization. I left it for a number of weeks, until in a fit of determination came back to it, but even then skimming through overwritten passages. The ending is unsatisfying even in its basic premise. Without trying to give a spoiler, it ends as one expects it might but without the emotion that would have made it at least acceptable. Yes, a difficult review, as uneven as the book itself. Struggle through it yourself and you'll see what I mean. All the above glowing reviews...I dont really understand them. As a writer myself I suppose I can see more of the faults, weaknesses, and problems with the book, but at the same time it does create a sense of tension and inevitability very well. For those looking for gay sex and relationships, this one has it in abundance, but again it was irritating and one-dimensional somehow. I'm sorry, many people like this book, and it has its good points and its a worthy read, but over all I feel it could have been better written and realized. Perhaps two writers working on it overcomplicated what could have been a truly lyrical and strong novel.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Better than Swordspoint, but..,
By Shimmertje (Muscat, Oman) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fall of The Kings (Paperback)
The reviews for Swordspoint and The Fall of the Kings glow, but give the wrong idea. This is a very rich world, with a good plot and lots of tantalisingly familiar legends, academic argument, sensuality and magic, but the authors mentioned in the reviews: Georgette Heyer, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, Dickens.. probably wouldn't have come close to this. They would have set their work in a similar society; but that would have been all, and anyone hoping to see echoes of their work would have come away disappointed.The academic arguments were a bit too erudite for me, and I'd've enjoyed the story more if there had been less of that and more about Basil and his students, or the Tremontaines, or even about Arlen and Galing. My favourite character was Jessica, and she turned up only towards the end of the book. Hopefully she gets her own story later.
3.0 out of 5 stars
mythology, but not as powerful as it should have been,
By Maris (California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fall of The Kings (Paperback)
A strange book. I don't often read fantasy, but a friend gave me Swordspoint, the book that precedes this one, and I've read it several times for its concise wit and great characters. I read this book hoping for a similar elegant comedy of manners, but The Fall of the Kings is a different and much more ambitious book. It aims for mythic tragedy, and like many mythic stories it seems that the characters are there to serve the drama they play out, not vice versa. This is a powerful concept, but maybe not the best one for a 400+ page novel. The mythology here is essentially the classic horned god-king story of sacrifice and rebirth (with all feminine aspects strangely missing), somewhat oddly grafted onto a tale of political intrigue. I wanted to like the characters -- they start out so imperfect that you can only hope they'll do learn and do better, but instead they're devoured by myth and lose whatever intriguing humanity they had to begin with. Maybe that's the point, since they're archetypes after all, but it kept the end from having the emotional impact it should have had.
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