Discount Price: $8.99
Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780756401702
ISBN number: 0756401704
Label: DAW
Manufacturer: DAW
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 832
Printing Date: January 06, 2004
Publishing house: DAW
Release Date: January 06, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 267226
Studio: DAW
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Now, at last the Sun Sword has been delivered into the hands of its rightful owner, and the armies of the Dominion and the Empire are about to rendezvous for their final battle. But no one can know how the Lord of Night's daughter Kiriel will change both the nature and the course of the war. And no one can foresee whether mortals or the demon Kialli will prove the final victors.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Ok, so at this point I'm at page 704 in what is supposed to be the last book of the series (at the rather long-winded description of the night before the battle, as West goes through every single character, major or minor, and describes their mood -- mine was getting a little bored, but was looking forward to something finally happening).
I turned the page, and suddenly, I was reading about Jewel again. Yay! Maybe we'll get a little resolution! I KNEW she wouldn't just be left right at the climax of her story-line and then dropped! ... but no, I've read this before. I remember this prose. I flip back to the beginning of the book. Sure enough, the exact same text, for pages and pages. What is Michelle West doing? Is she assuming we forgot what happened with Jewel on her arrival in the North?
And then I look at the page numbers. Pages 195-256 were reprinted right after 704... followed by 769. I'm missing 65 pages. And since something's happening with Anya on page 769, they're probably really important pages. I can't describe how frustrated I am. I waited for this book for months, and now I have to go find it in a library or sneak in a 65-pages read in some Barnes and Noble before I can finish it (that would be faster and less trouble than trying to get it exchanged with Amazon). Way to go, idiotic printers. Way to go, Amazon.
As for the book itself, I already know from the reviews here that West simply drops Jewel's story right at its climax at the beginning of the book (it is bitter irony that these were the pages reprinted in my copy, reminding me of how upset I was when I realized what she'd done). While I've been able to forgive a lot in this series because of the fascinating plot lines and often compelling characters (though she does tend to repeat characters: ignoring their disparate powers, Finch and Jewel are written almost exactly the same way, as were many of the Serras), this one is inexcusable. I don't care if she plans on writing an entire new series around Jewel and Avandar. NO resolution here was a cheap trick, and not even something Robert Jordan would stoop to (ok, maybe he would). And I stopped reading him long ago, because I felt I was being strung along endlessly for no pay-off.
Jewel is NOT a minor character, and West has spent at least a thousand pages in this series on Jewel's development (sometimes derailing the other story-lines for hundreds of pages with a story that almost seemed to belong in a different text), and the LEAST a reader could expect for suspending judgment for that long is a resolution of why in the world the House War was so important that Jewel (and some rather insanely powerful companions) had to leave the field of what is supposed to be The Most Important Battle in human memory to arrive back at the House just in the nick of time. Oh wait, no. Not in the nick of time. About a minute too late.
And why didn't the Terafin just SAY that Jewel was her heir? Oh noes, chaos erupting right when I was about to make the announcement! Shout it out before you get killed, you stupid moron, if it's that important! There were witnesses everywhere, and you were going to die anyway. That was why you'd called the meeting, wasn't it? That seemed utterly pointless, and any reasonable reader would be expecting an explanation. Woe is us! Demons everywhere in the Houses, the demons are planning something! It probably has to do with the battle in the South, and we need someone up there to protect the ... um Houses? Kings? You know what? Who cares.
Next time, Michelle West, just write a book with NONE of the main story-lines resolved. (And yes, I wouldn't be this mad if I weren't enjoying it so much -- but my husband refused to read this series because he decided after the very first few hundred pages of the very first book that this was "one of those authors who just teases you with information you're never going to get" and I'd been defending it: "No, you just have to wait, and the important parts get explained!"). Sigh. He was right, I was wrong, it was still an enjoyable series, but Michelle West is indeed one of those authors. I expected more.
Rated by buyers 
-
I'm not going to lie: I couldn't get through this series the very first time around. I stopped reading around the fourth book, for two reasons - one, I didn't know if I could stomach any more of the subtlety inherent in every single scene, and two, I was probably just too young. But now I'm glad I reread it all and reached, at long last, this final chapter in a really intense, emotion-filled epic.
In THE SUN SWORD all the characters are finally coming face-to-face and learning to deal with their greatest fears. Valedan kai di'Leonne must lead his followers into a civil war while Kialli demons endeavor to gain control of Annagar; Jewel ATerafin is finally called back home to face the rest of her House; and Serra Diora di'Marano, Flower of the Dominion, must learn to live up to the memory of her dead family and step forward in life. And of course, there is everyone else: Kiriel, Auralis, Ramiro, Mareo, Alfredo, Isladar, Telakar, Elena, Yollana... Everybody goes through some sort of test that will ultimately prove their worth.
What I love about Michelle West's writing is that she doesn't neglect to fill in any gaps about these characters. Sure, she leaves some things up to reader imagination - but none of this has anything to do with the characterization itself. In fact, once you've got that characterization down, you know the characters so well that you're able to read into their actions as much (or as little) as you like. It's all extremely well-done: these characters are as close to human beings as you will find in books. West does this with constant perspective-switching and tons of description - but it's description that's definitely worth it. In fact, I don't think she could have pulled off this series without all that serious attention paid to detail in her characters.
So what does this amount to? It gives readers a lot to read, for one thing, but I see this as a plus; if you know what you're getting yourself into when you start these books (and you probably do if you're reading the review for book six!), you'll understand that long chapters full of seemingly random events actually lend themselves very well to the series as a whole. In the end, all those pages of pondering and character interaction and small events add up to the really BIG events that make the books.
And boy, does West know how to write great "big events." Those long pages serve as wonderful lead-in to confrontations brimming with legend, symbolism, magic, and emotion. And I mean it: there is TONS of symbolism and metaphor in these books. Light versus darkness, cradle songs, rings, slavery, and family among others are all issues that are dealt with. West also delves into the pros and cons of power, lineages and meritocracies. I could write a research paper as long as at least one of her books about it all.
This whole series was just such a huge endeavor. It's not for the faint of heart, certainly, but it's so REAL and yet at the same time - the stuff of legends. I loved this, and I will strongly recommend all of Michelle West's works from here on out. One of my new favorite authors!
Rated by buyers -
This is the last book in the most wonderfully written, engaging series I have read in a long time. The author knows how to build a character, even the ones with minor roles in the story. I highly recommend this book.
Rated by buyers -
I just finished re-reading the entire 6 book series. I would highly recommend that readers pick up the prequel books, Hunter's Oath and Hunter's Death, as they add many satisfying pieces to the Sun Sword series.
Although I too was frustrated to find Jewel left in the midst of things, the focus of the series is on the Sun Sword, afterall! So it just whet my appetite for the promise of House Wars.
This series is by far and away my favorite, over the course of 30 years of reading science fiction. Although Tolkien remains the King, I would appoint her Queen. Yes, there is Herbert, Martin, Clayton (and yes, the Diadem series is STILL worth reading)Dragonriders and Hawklords galore, but Michelle Sagara West is my favorite read. I'm currently scrounging for the Sundered series and any short stories about the Sun Sword world to assuage my craving for more.
More! Please. Soon. More. and Thank you.
Rated by buyers -
It's a shame more people haven't had the chance to enjoy the beautiful world West has crafted. The characters She has created are nothing short of astonishing in their complexity and the intricacy of their relationships. If you enjoy epic fantasy with wonderful characterization and eloquent prose akin to Guy Gavriel Kay, than read this series.
Find other books like this one:
