Customer Reviews

Talion: Revenant

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

this book was well thought-out and well written...there were some difficulties in understanding certain things because of bad grammar the editor must not have seen (i.e. little by slowly...should be little by little...this is only one of numerous examples unfortunately) and a difficulty in understanding the layout of the cities...also, i must pose one question: the goddess states that princess zaria would marry the duke ra sinjaria...this never happens seeing as how that duke is killed...is there supposed to be a seqquel and nolan is the new duke or what? maybe morai with the star of sinjaria? anyway, hopefully someone will see this and able to help out

Michael A. Stckpole said this was the first novel he ever wrote. As an aspiring author I have to say, I wish my first efforts were this good.

Fantasy books are very difficult to write for several reasons. Far too many people have tried to ride Tolkien's momentum. Consequently, many books feel like the author was afraid to try some original ideas. Conversely, some go so far off of the path that it's difficult to identify the work as fantasy. Then you have repetitive characters and plots, thin worlds, and thousands of undefined theologies. These are just a few of the snares waiting for aspiring writers.

Stackpole deftly avoided all of these traps, and gave us a book that is a plain and simple good read. The story moves at a good pace. Characters and lands are very well defined. And, it's easy to understand, and identify with the main character Nolan.

To me it's quite amazing. This story has many of the elements that one would expect to come off as repetitive, and maybe even a little cheesy. There's a beautiful princess in it for crying out loud. But, with a slick plot, frequent and well thought out fights, and exceptional characters this story pulls it off.

My last thought goes out to Mr. Stackpole. I'm sure he's heard it before, but one more won't hurt. How about a sequal?

MhalkyChris

This is amazing. Read it. You have to. From the first page I was hooked, and I nearly burst into tears at the last page-because i didn't want it to end. This is a must-have for any fantasy book lover.

One of the finer works. It is compelling without being preachy or ham-handed. Along with Martha Wells Death of the Necromancer, it goes on my all-time favorites list.

This was Mike's earliest fantasy book as far as I know but it reads simply brilliant. It doesn't have the reach of his DragonCrown War but the characters themselves are so real that it more than makes up for the less realized world they inhabit. A sequel would fix that problem nicely though (hint hint Mike!) The complex interactions of charcters and their ever-changing minds embraces the reader, keeping him/her guessing as the ever-deepening plot evolves into something much darker than initially thought. Buy it! Read it! You'll love it!

In the afterword to Talion: Revenant, author Michael Stackpole states that this novel initially went unpublished because, at 175,000 words, it was too long for an unknown author. Whoever said that must have not read the book, because the problem is that it is too SHORT, not too long! This is one of those titles that you just don't want to end, and that make you seriously depressed when you realize there is no sequel, even by another author.

The world that Stackpole has created in this stand-alone adventure is original, detailed, and has incredible potential. His characters, as always, are so real that you start wondering if you actually know them. This novel, like Once A Hero and I, Jedi is told from the first person perspective. This isn't an easy way to write a good novel, but Stackpole certainly makes it seem that way. The protagonist is Nolan, a Talion Justice with a tragic history that has some serious scores to settle. The story switches between his time training as a Talion and his missions as a Justice. At first this might be a bit confusing, but you will soon get accustomed to it, and it quickly becomes apparent that the author has turned this potentially unwieldy scheme into an elegant and pivotal element of his tale.

Some fantasy authors write works that are what I like to call 'borderline romance,' with an obvious love scheme that is typically invincible and an almost fairy-tale style of storytelling. Don't expect this from Stackpole. Talion: Revenant is traditional purebred fantasy, and it doesn't get much better than this. If you are even remotely interested in fantasy, or just a very deep, compelling story, then look no further. Summon your tsincaat and pick a good Imperial hawk- Talion: Revenant will certainly sweep you off your feet.

Fans of Stackpole's work will enjoy this book. His vivid imagery and unsurpassed character representation shine through. However, it is easy to see why this was his first book. There are some areas of this book's world that could be expanded. While a good story, I would not say that this is one of his classics. This novel is a good read, but do yourself a favor and read some of Stackpole's later works (like the Dragoncrown War books) as well.

Michael Stackpole's Talion: Revenant is the first novel he wrote, but that is hard to tell once you read the book. This is a well-told heroic fantasy with believable characters and fast paced action that keeps the pages flying by.

One might call this story the study of a hero, because ultimately, Nolan, a Talion Justice is just that, a Hero. The novel opens with Nolan, an experienced Talion Justice, in pursuit of bandits led by the rogue Morai and Nolan's eventual disbanding of the group. The novel then switches to years earlier as Nolan arrives at the gates of Talianna, the home nation of the Talions, with aspirations of becoming a Justice. He wants to ultimately right a wrong that befell him, the killing of his entire family by the King of Hamis in his conquest of nations.

The novel takes place in the world of the Shattered Empire, a loose band of nation policed by the Talions-an elite police nation. The Talions are divided into Warriors, Wizards, Archers Lancers and the Justices, which are the highest ranking of the Talions. The rest of the novel switches between these two view points, that of Nolan as a full Talion Justice in the midst of his missions and Nolan's growth and development through the land of Talianna as he pursues his goal of becoming a Talion.

The novel also has interesting creatures, the giant Hawks that are used as mounts by the Talions, Jevin the Fearleen, one of Nolan's Talion companions. Fearleans are Stackpole's version of ogres. And of course the undead nekkhit, the basis for Nolan's ultimate assignement. The nekkhit possess the bodies of the dead, and is being used in an attempt to take the life of King Tirrel. The only problem with this assignment, other than the usual possible death at the hands of the nekkhit, is that King Tirrell is responsible for the death and slaughter of Nolan's family.

This parallel narrative works extremely well and again, Stackpole handles it so well that it does not read as his first novel. In the parallel narrative we see the growth of Nolan at two stages of his life, as a young man growing up and a mature man accepting his state in life. This is a novel illustrates the fact that not every issue is black and white, not every struggle is good vs. evil.

To sum up, this novel has many qualities to enjoy: believable, likeable characters, intrigue and action, tension and struggles between characters.

For the past 10 years or so I have been a Stackpole fan; I have always loved the way he mixed and mingled politics and whatnot into his novels, and how he would never let it completely drown out the actual story line.

This book solidified my love of it even further. Not only is it a good fantasy novel, but it is also a good introduction to the world of Talions (which, I believe, he is continuing due to fans of his Star Wars and BattleTech fiction).

I have read quite a lot of fantasy books, and I have to say this is my favourite. I don't understand why Stackpole doesn't continue this series. The protagonist is the ultimate goody-two-shoes in the universe, but he is cunning and flexible which makes him a very special character. If you want to understand what Lawful Good means, read this book. :)