Ahira's Hangar

I keep hearing some promising things about Sean Russell and his series called The Swans' War. I believe it is going to be a trilogy, of which two books are completed, The One Kingdom and The Isle of Battle. It sounds perhaps a bit reminisent of Martin, of a kingdom torn apart by a civil war between Great Houses, with a lot of scheming and political intrigue, and with a great and dark mysterious magic lurking in the background...
Has anyone given him a try? I think I would like to as soon as the concluding book is completed...
Incidentally, I have heard that the second book is dedicated to Stephen R. Donaldson and to their joint agent, Howard Morhaim... Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
****Tavern Wench of DOGMA, the Defenders of George Martin's Art****<i></i>

I read "The One Kingdom" last year, kind of hard to get into but on the second re-read it was quite alright.

Haven't yet read the second one but i'll get around to it eventually Vote in the Fantasy Author Showdown<i></i>

I've just bought Book 1, and will probably get around to reading it this summer on vacation. Arphent Cirion: i 'west hen bronatha an rîn aglar Dôr-en-Êl a bronwe Elendil Sadron. Hebithar ha aen, i cherir erin erchaim ned Annûn ar i Vin i northa or erchaim phain an uir. <i></i>

Well, this was once a much longer thread with a lot of replies, which seem to have been eaten in the hacker attack. So most of what I am about to say might become redundant.

I recently read the three book Swans' War series. I found it to be very good high fantasy.

It is set in the remains of a kingdom, being contested by two great houses, who both claim the now nonexistent throne. Each house contains some wonderful characters, both good and ill. Each house has a princess - both beautiful for their courage and kind hearts. You can't get farther away from the stereotypical pretty spoiled brats so prevalent in fantasy then these two young women.

So then, there is plenty of politics and back stabbing and the backdrop of yet another war about to break out.

But in the background is an ancient story of deathless sorcerors who have given themselves to the great magical river that runs through both the kingdom and other worlds...waiting to make bargains with the living to possess new bodies...

And there is yet another layer of story behind that one, with disagreements and warfare going back to yet another generation of even greater mages behind them.

Russell does a great job of keeping readers on their toes, with the layers of story and myth he weaves together. He tells good epic fantasy without devolving into cliche after cliche. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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