To End a War
Nearly a thousand years ago a great warrior named Lachlan sought
to unify his people, using the power of the Three Swords of Destiny. Before his victory, Lachlan was killed by his
trusted friend, Allarun. Now, Allarun is
still in power but haunted by dreams of Lachlan’s death curse: that Lachlan would
return to avenge his death. Allarun’s
decision is to destroy the very people Lachlan tried to unite.
Only two men have the power to stop the slaughter. Romarin,
the last of a line of kings, and a half-blood mercenary named Shadowhelm. One may be destined to be Lachlan, but can they
unlock the secret to Lachlan’s power before Allarun kills them?
“Prophecy Of Swords is a remarkably rich fantasy
that takes you into new realms of wonder and imagination. The battles and magic
portrayed here full of excitement and intrigue. It's hard to find a good fantasy
that isn't a rehash of all that has been done before, but Margaret H. Bonham has managed
to break the mold and give readers something totally unique and different. A
guaranteed winner.” -- Laura J.
Underwood, author of Ard Magister, Chronicles Of The Last War, and
forthcoming Dragon's Tongue and Wandering Lark
“In
Prophesy Of Swords, Bonham has written an enjoyable and intriguing
novel, filled with believable characters and a rich, satisfying plot. I
look forward to the next book in the series with great anticipation.” -- Karen
E. Taylor, author of The Vampire Legacy series.
The following is a review
by Becka Goad:
Although this book was
sent to me several weeks ago, I was unable to focus on it for any length of time due to a
series of ill health and subsequent doctor's visits. My apologies to Ms. Bonham for the
delay.
Once I picked up the book, however, it drew me in, wrapping me in subtle intrigues,
vagaries of politics, and poignant characters. I found it difficult to put down, taking it
with me whereever I went, snatching a few moments between appointments to read a paragraph
here, a page there. Particularly engrossing was the story of Shadowhelm, the half-breed
merc, who went from a hangman's noose to protector and eventual blood-brother to the king,
Romarin.
Helped in his path, though he did not realize it at first, was an inner voice that told
him when to duck, what to dodge, and whom to trust. Shadowhelm rides the currents of
destiny as one accustomed to simply reacting, rather than understanding.
Romarin himself knows much of the fickle hand of destiny, having sought for years the
sword that would prove his lineage as Lachlan reborn. Mired in conflict, he struggles to
save his people and himself from Allarun, while keeping his own past an unspoken mystery.
Together, they fight a daily battle to defeat Allarun, to save their peoples, and to
finally unite them under the guidance of an ancient, dead king.
I enjoyed the inner struggles both men faced, and even got a kick out of the sheer evil
portrayed as Allarun's driving force. Mostly what I took from my reading, however, is a
sense of how easily one's perceptions can shift, given the slightest nudge. Romarin
deludes himself, with the help of his supporters, into believing that there's only one
possible outcome to his battle, only one way to win his war. Shadowhelm grows to
understand that not only do you do whatever it takes, but sometimes, you have to make the
decision to sacrifice all that you are in order to be more than you imagined.
A very good read, though it starts a bit slowly as it develops the various characters.
Forgivable, under the circumstances, as Bonham uses that time wisely to craft an entirely
new world, hopefully the first of many.
Though this book is not currently offered by either Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble, you
can order copies directly from the publisher, Yard Dog Press, via email or PayPal
shopping cart. Five minutes out of your life, to make a world of difference in your
perception of it.
Another great review
follows:
I am unashamedly a
massive fan of fantasy fiction, and I love a good swords and scorcery novel. The downside
of this, of course, is that you have to wade through a lot of dull, derivative rehashes of
the standard fantasy quest in order to find the occasional nugget, but I am happy to
report that Prophecy of Swords is one such nugget, managing to weave all the right
ingredients - a mysterious prophecy, shape-shifting dragons, magic swords and great
battles between warring peoples - into a rich, heroic fantasy with a twisting, turning
plot that carves its own original take on the genre.
The plot revolves around a great battle that took place almost a thousand years ago when a
warrior named Lachlan forged three powerful swords to unite the peoples of his kingdom.
Lachlan was betrayed and killed by his friend Allarun, but while Allarun has ruled with
terrible power ever since, he is haunted by Lachlan's promise to one day return and wreak
vengeance on the betrayer, and he has set out to destroy Lachlan's people in order to
thwart the prophecy.
Enter Romarin, last in a line of Kings, thought to be the reincarnation of the Lachlan,
and with his own mysterious skeletons in the closet, and Shadowhelm, a half-blood
mercenary, raised by Northmen and, when we meet him at least, just minutes from the
hangmans noose. Of course Shadowhelm is much more than he seems to be and eventually is
found to be the King's half-brother and as likely to be the Lachlan himself as Romarin.
The story unfolds as Shadowhelm uncovers more of his past and, in doing so, discovers
powers in himself that he never knew he had and between him and Romarin they set out to
defeat Allarun and unite the people.
Prophecy Of Swords is filled with believable characters inhabiting a beautifully realised
world, the action is nicely realised and the easy dialogue crackles with some unique
touches. The story, filled with politics and intrigue, is well paced, never flagging or
feeling forced, and while the ending is never really in doubt, the story keeps you fully
involved as it unfolds.
I await the prequels and sequels with great anticipation.
Posted 24 Dec 2007 by robert
