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Deepwood: Karavans # 2 (Karavans)

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Surviving Alisanos 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Deepwood (2007) is the second fantasy novel in the Karavans series, following Karavans. In the previous volume, the Hecari decimated the farewell camp. They killed one out of ten people and burned a like number of tents. The survivors gathered the dead and prepared them for burial.

Then Alisanos expanded within a half mile of the karavan tent town. A massive storm preceded its move, devastating trees and structures as well as killing many people. Rhuan anticipated the change and passed the news to the town leaders to warn the people.

In this novel, Rhuan remains within the Deepwood with Audrun and her newborn baby. The demons and other monsters have caught the smell of the newborn and they want her. Rhuan takes on the manner of his father and commands them to leave. They slink off, but some will think more about it and come back.

Ilona is dazed from the fall off Jorda's draft horse and has a broken arm. While Jorda is preparing to set the arm, he sends Bethid to make a fire for willow tea. The branches and twigs broken off the trees by the storm are too watersoaked to catch fire. Jorda tells her use the dry rune sticks. Bethid is reluctant to destroy the sticks, but they do need a fire right now.

Brodhi has been deserted by Ferize, his demon paramour. When he returns to the farewell camp, he finds battered wagons and trees and scattered tents and livestock. He comes upon Bethid trying to make a fire, but having little luck. Brodhi lets a drop of his own blood fall upon the wood and it bursts into flames.

Davyn recovers his senses near his broken wagon. He is alone, so he follows the path that Rhuan had taken with his wife and children. He finds that the Deepwood has grown across the way. In his pain and grief, Davyn blames Rhuan for the loss of his family.

Torvic and Megritte come out of the crevice in which they have taken shelter. Then they hear a high-pitched, inhuman scream and clamber back into the crevice. After a while, a woman about the same age of their mother finds them and invites them to come home with her.

Ellica awakens to find grass penetrating her clothes and skin. She tears herself away from the sharp blades and painfully rises to her feet. As she walks forward, branches reach out toward her and roots wind themselves around her ankles. Finally, she leaps onto a boulder and finds some temporary safety.

Gillan is also struggling through the underbrush when his left leg falls through a hole into boiling liquid. His leg is burning. Gillan jerks his leg out of the liquid and pulls himself forward. He screams and screams and screams.

In this story, Audrun encounters a winged demon within Alisanos while Rhuan is away gathering food and water. Rhuan returns to fight the demon and is severely wounded. The demon grabs the newborn girl and flies away with her.

At the farewell camp, Jorda and Mikal organize the survivors into groups and have them straighten out the mess. Unlike the old tent ground, the newly rebuilt settlement is shaped in concentric circles around the central firepit. Naturally, Mikal's tent is the meeting place for the town leaders.

Bethid sends Brodhi to Cardatha to report the relocation of Alisanos to the Hecari Warlord. After his interrogation by the warlord, Brodhi goes to the Courier Guild to report these changes to the Guildmaster. He leaves some preliminary maps of the new boundaries before returning to farewell camp with four Hecari warriors.

Davyn comes back to farewell camp and accuses Rhuan of luring his family into the dangers of Alisanos. He looks for Rhuan to force the guide to take him through the Deepwood to his loved ones. But Rhuan is nowhere to be found within the camp.

Then Ilona encounters Alario -- Rhuan's father -- outside the Deepwood and learns about the identity and purpose of Rhuan and Brodhi. Later she reads Davyn's hand and sees that Brodhi is the key to recovering the farmsteader's family. Brodhi refuses to go into the Deepwood to recover the family, but does go to warn his sire about Alario's plans.

This tale starts the recovery of the settlers and karavaners at farewell camp. Since Alisanos now blocks their paths out of Sancorra, the survivors have nowhere else to go. They start building a permanent town on the site. The Hecari are not likely to permit the settlement, so the survivors also prepare for another attempt to decimate their population.

The story continues to build upon the first volume, but introduces enough new material to maintain the reader's interest. Yet it leaves enough unresolved storylines for the sequel. The series is beginning to look like a very pleasurable read. It may be even better than the Tiger and Del series. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Roberson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic magic, disaster survivors, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Editorial Review:

Diviners have told Audrun that the child she carries must be born in a haven of peace, far from her war-scourged homeland, but as she flees she finds only far greater danger. For her karavan is overtaken by Alisanos, the deepwooda dangerous magical forest that harbors not only demons, gods, and other otherwordly creatures, but also its own sinister intentionsand which may have already claimed Audrun and her child for its own.

The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume II: Sword-Maker - Sword Breaker

Jennifer Roberson

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Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The (Complete) Adventures Of Tiger And Del 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume I
The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume II: Sword-Maker - Sword Breaker
The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume III (Sword-Dancer Saga)

In the beginning of this very enjoyable, unique series, we meet Sandtiger, a man who was raised as a nameless orphan, a foreigner from an unknown land and a slave within a nomadic desert tribe. He gained his name and begrudged freedom as a boy when he killed a deadly, venomous sandtiger which had been preying upon members of the tribe. Defeating death, and bearing the beast's claw marks as a distinctive scar upon his face, Sandtiger found a willing teacher who took him in and taught him the skills and honor codes of the sword dancer. Driven, he achieved the highest level of mastery, (7th level) in record time, and went on to become a living legend. Much of the story is narrated by Tiger, mixed with third person perspective. Roberson did an admirable job using this fresh technique; it works well.

When he is not hiring out his services as a sword dancer in order to settle disputes or matters of honor, Tiger, who is in his mid-30's, spends his time in cantinas, drinking and womanizing. It is within such an establishment that he is tracked down by young, beautiful Delilah, a fair skinned woman with blonde hair from the far north who carries a sword (unheard of for a female) and claims to be a sword dancer. Despite personality clashes, Delilah hires Tiger as a guide to help her journey across the very large, deadly desert of the region. Del is a driven soul, searching for her lost brother, and for revenge against murderous bandits who took him, and her innocence, years prior.

As the adventure unfolds, Tiger is forced, by circumstances and interactions, to adjust his perspectives and attitudes towards Del, and women in general. It becomes evident that Del is a truly skilled sword dancer, as well as a sword singer who is able, through her song, to call forth a mystical power which is infused within the spirit of her specially forged blade. It also becomes known that Del is quite likely Tiger's equal in the dance, a discovery which follows betrayal and near death at each other's hands. Through it all, we discover that the presence of magic is very disquieting to Tiger, both mentally and physically, every time it is encountered. This leads to ironies.

Through the first of these novels, we experience the hardships and struggles faced by the couple as they fight to fulfill Del's quests and simply stay alive. We are given views into the humorous relationship which Tiger faces on a regular basis with his very spirited, very difficult stallion. We also enjoy the gradual meeting of minds and souls of our two heroes, creating a bond of loyalty between the two, which becomes imperative to Tiger's very existence as he is eventually faced with the threat of an ancient, powerful evil which struggles to control him through his own mystical sword, a sword forged specifically for him during a journey to Del's homeland, a sword which he did not even want.

Over the course of the first four books, Tiger becomes increasingly embroiled in circumstances beyond his control, a victim of prophecy and fate. His love for Del leads him to break oaths, which makes him a target for death, outside the ceremonial circle of the sword dance. This leads to his departure from his beloved home in the southern desert region, searching overseas for the unknown, unconfirmed land of his ancestry, all upon the basis of a stranger's comments. A stranger with similar appearance and large build. This is where the final two novels begin.

Upon their sea voyage, Tiger and Del encounter pirates, slavers, and near drowning. Tiger never learned to swim, having been raised in a desert. As the story progresses, we are introduced to the interesting female captain of the pirate crew, an attractive redhead who desires Del. We also meet the first mate, a mysterious outcast from Tiger's homeland who bears strange blue tattooing upon his shaved head, multiple piercings, and a secretive knowledge of mystical powers. The mate recognizes Tiger's common heritage, and rather than selling their captives into outright slavery, Tiger is ransomed to the matriarch of his homeland as a potential lost heir to the throne. The bounty he was traded for, however, indentures and angers Tiger, but bound by his own codes of honor, he agrees to cooperate with a task she sets before him... for awhile.

Up to this point, I have attempted to offer only the most general of a synopsis, hoping to inspire interest but not to give too much away. The joy and excitement lies within the steps of the journey. From this point, If your interest has not been inspired as of yet, nothing else I say will matter. Assuming that it has, I will only say that Tiger sleeps with death, and we discover interesting things about the first mate and his abilities. Secrets are then gradually revealed about Tiger, himself, secrets he is not pleased at all to know. Intrigue and irony ensue, in large portions, in more ways than magic can account for.

Whenever magic is dealt with in Roberson's Tiger and Del novels, it is always low-key, for the most part. It is not along the lines of Tolkien's wizardry or the magic of elves, it is much more subtle, and I believe, more suited to the stories. (Nothing comes across as "over the top.") I really cannot give any more of the story away without creating a spoiler, but I will say that I was sad to see the saga end. To me, that has always been a measure of a really good book or series. This series has definately been among my favorites to read, and I am somewhat particular about what I will endorse. I hope my effort here has been enlightening and enticing.

Editorial Review:

This second Sword omnibus edition includes the third and fourth novels in the best-selling series: Sword-Maker and Sword-Breaker.

The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume III (Sword-Dancer Saga)

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The (Complete) Adventures Of Tiger And Del 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume I
The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume II: Sword-Maker - Sword Breaker
The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume III (Sword-Dancer Saga)

In the beginning of this very enjoyable, unique series, we meet Sandtiger, a man who was raised as a nameless orphan, a foreigner from an unknown land and a slave within a nomadic desert tribe. He gained his name and begrudged freedom as a boy when he killed a deadly, venomous sandtiger which had been preying upon members of the tribe. Defeating death, and bearing the beast's claw marks as a distinctive scar upon his face, Sandtiger found a willing teacher who took him in and taught him the skills and honor codes of the sword dancer. Driven, he achieved the highest level of mastery, (7th level) in record time, and went on to become a living legend. Much of the story is narrated by Tiger, mixed with third person perspective. Roberson did an admirable job using this fresh technique; it works well.

When he is not hiring out his services as a sword dancer in order to settle disputes or matters of honor, Tiger, who is in his mid-30's, spends his time in cantinas, drinking and womanizing. It is within such an establishment that he is tracked down by young, beautiful Delilah, a fair skinned woman with blonde hair from the far north who carries a sword (unheard of for a female) and claims to be a sword dancer. Despite personality clashes, Delilah hires Tiger as a guide to help her journey across the very large, deadly desert of the region. Del is a driven soul, searching for her lost brother, and for revenge against murderous bandits who took him, and her innocence, years prior.

As the adventure unfolds, Tiger is forced, by circumstances and interactions, to adjust his perspectives and attitudes towards Del, and women in general. It becomes evident that Del is a truly skilled sword dancer, as well as a sword singer who is able, through her song, to call forth a mystical power which is infused within the spirit of her specially forged blade. It also becomes known that Del is quite likely Tiger's equal in the dance, a discovery which follows betrayal and near death at each other's hands. Through it all, we discover that the presence of magic is very disquieting to Tiger, both mentally and physically, every time it is encountered. This leads to ironies.

Through the first of these novels, we experience the hardships and struggles faced by the couple as they fight to fulfill Del's quests and simply stay alive. We are given views into the humorous relationship which Tiger faces on a regular basis with his very spirited, very difficult stallion. We also enjoy the gradual meeting of minds and souls of our two heroes, creating a bond of loyalty between the two, which becomes imperative to Tiger's very existence as he is eventually faced with the threat of an ancient, powerful evil which struggles to control him through his own mystical sword, a sword forged specifically for him during a journey to Del's homeland, a sword which he did not even want.

Over the course of the first four books, Tiger becomes increasingly embroiled in circumstances beyond his control, a victim of prophecy and fate. His love for Del leads him to break oaths, which makes him a target for death, outside the ceremonial circle of the sword dance. This leads to his departure from his beloved home in the southern desert region, searching overseas for the unknown, unconfirmed land of his ancestry, all upon the basis of a stranger's comments. A stranger with similar appearance and large build. This is where the final two novels begin.

Upon their sea voyage, Tiger and Del encounter pirates, slavers, and near drowning. Tiger never learned to swim, having been raised in a desert. As the story progresses, we are introduced to the interesting female captain of the pirate crew, an attractive redhead who desires Del. We also meet the first mate, a mysterious outcast from Tiger's homeland who bears strange blue tattooing upon his shaved head, multiple piercings, and a secretive knowledge of mystical powers. The mate recognizes Tiger's common heritage, and rather than selling their captives into outright slavery, Tiger is ransomed to the matriarch of his homeland as a potential lost heir to the throne. The bounty he was traded for, however, indentures and angers Tiger, but bound by his own codes of honor, he agrees to cooperate with a task she sets before him... for awhile.

Up to this point, I have attempted to offer only the most general of a synopsis, hoping to inspire interest but not to give too much away. The joy and excitement lies within the steps of the journey. From this point, If your interest has not been inspired as of yet, nothing else I say will matter. Assuming that it has, I will only say that Tiger sleeps with death, and we discover interesting things about the first mate and his abilities. Secrets are then gradually revealed about Tiger, himself, secrets he is not pleased at all to know. Intrigue and irony ensue, in large portions, in more ways than magic can account for.

Whenever magic is dealt with in Roberson's Tiger and Del novels, it is always low-key, for the most part. It is not along the lines of Tolkien's wizardry or the magic of elves, it is much more subtle, and I believe, more suited to the stories. (Nothing comes across as "over the top.") I really cannot give any more of the story away without creating a spoiler, but I will say that I was sad to see the saga end. To me, that has always been a measure of a really good book or series. This series has definately been among my favorites to read, and I am somewhat particular about what I will endorse. I hope my effort here has been enlightening and enticing.

Editorial Review:

The thrilling concluding novels in the epic adventures of Tiger, the hardened Southron sword-dancer, and Del, the beautiful and dangerous northern sword-singer. Filled with dramatic action, danger, magic, and the crackling repartee and verbal fireworks which have made the Sword series a fantasy fan favorite

Children of the Lion: Cheysuli Omnibus #3

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Epic Saga 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful story with fabulous characters. Each character has a totem animal, which is his other self. They,"The Cheysuli" are awaiting a prophesied son to return balance to the world. Lots of magic and mayhem. What I remember best is hating it when one character got old and died and Roberson went into the next generations. I got so involved with each of them.

. 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The only problem I have with this is that this far in the series, it becomes sort of repetitive.
I still loved this book very much, but some of it is kind of predictable. Some of the events repeat themselves several times throughout the series. I won't mention them, as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, but I think it takes away from the story.
Other than that, though, this is a wonderful buy and I would recomend it to any avid fantasy reader.

Karavans #1

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Karavans 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've never read a book by Roberson and had only gave this one a chance because it kept coming up as a recommendation in Amazon. Honestly, the cover and blog did not grab me. The fact that it had such high reviews did.

Overall, I think the book was wonderfully written, with well defined characters and setting. As a matter of fact, I was overly intrigued by the story line and had a difficult time putting the book down. On the down side, it was a terrible let down for me because the book had a fabulous conflict and climax, yet was completely lacking in a resolution. I feel as though I've read an incomplete book.

Editorial Review:

A NEW JOURNEY DAWNS
Audrun and her husband Davyd, along with the others of the land of Sancorra, have been left homeless because of the brutal Hecari. Consulting diviners, they learn that their newest child must be born in the peaceful province of Atalanda. They must now travel close to the sinister woodlands of Alisanos, where darkness awaits. Joining a karavan for safety, the family moves ever closer to the dangerous, mystical forest. And, as they are all about to discover, Alisanos is moving ever closer to them.

Lady Of The Forest

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Very good with just a couple quibbles 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I liked both this book and the sequel, "Lady of Sherwood". I read both when they first came out and have recently re-read them and still enjoyed them. Marian is believable as the docile woman of the times growing into something more, and realizing that if she can stand to pay the consequences, she can be who she wishes to be rather than who she is expected to be. What more could one ask for? Robin is convincing as a sensitive man traumatized by war. I do wish some of his history could have been more fully realized. We are only allowed disjointed glances that don't really convey the depth or development of his friendship with King Richard, or the alien-ness of being a captive of the Saracens. They are experiences that have apparently changed him profoundly in some respects, but we are unfortunately not allowed to share them with him. One thing Ms Robinson does - more in the first book than the second - that drives me nuts is that she doesn't write in "scenes". She will, for example, have Robin confronting the Earl at the same time Marian is confronting the Sheriff and skips back and forth between the two confrontations as if trying to convey "real time" actions, instead of letting first one confrontation occur and build to a conclusion, and then switching to the other and letting that one do the same. This makes for very disjointed writing, and if you have to put the book down, you lose the tension of the situation and it's hard to keep track of who is doing what. It makes me want to grab the scissors and "cut and paste" the book into the proper order! Also, in every major fight in the first book, Robin loses. Little John beats him at the log bridge, Marian has to step in against the Sheriff...how did this guy ever survive the Crusade if he's that inept of a fighter? Thank goodness he won at archery! The book is also decribed as taking place in early spring (Richard finally came back to England in March of 1194), but she describes Sherwood Forest as dark, green, and leafy. I don't think a hardwood forest in England in March is any of those things, even if it is the primeval Sherwood. Those things aside, it's a good retelling, and far more believable than the obviously heroic, always clean portrayal of the 1938 movie (although I adore that movie), the sterilized belligerance and brutality of the original tales, or the more often lame than not "Prince of Thieves".

Editorial Review:

When Sir Robert of Locksley shuns his life of wealth to fight alongside Sherwood Forest's outlaws, Lady Marian of Ravenskeep, eludes the Sheriff of Nottingham to join Locksley, now Robin Hood, in his life of adventure. 50,000 first printing.

Irresistible Forces

Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Jennifer Roberson, Deb Stover, Catherine Asaro

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

I just had to say something... 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I looked over the reviews here of a book I enjoyed, and saw that the majority didn't care for Ms Putney's story. As it was my favorite among them, along with Winterfair gifts, I wanted to share my opinion that perhaps Ms Putney's story didn't work well with the mostly science fiction tales here, and regular readers of science fiction (of which I am not one) might not appreciate her brand of storytelling. I know that she has written a follow up novel, and I have set that aside to read when I have more time (I am a returning student, and my spare time is sadly taken up with reading less enjoyable fare). I also think that some reviews were harshly critical of the brevity of the stories, but after all, what do you expect from a romance story that is one of perhaps 4-6 tales in the same space used for a typical novel by these authors? If you don't care for two persons hooking up within the space of a few pages, I would suggest that you stop buying these compilations.

Editorial Review:

New York Times bestselling authors Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, and Lois McMaster Bujold join forces with award-winning authors Catherine Asaro, Jennifer Roberson, and Deb Stover in this all-new anthology of original stories proving that love can conquer all...even the boundaries of time and space.

From sixteenth-century Britain to the farthest reaches of outer space, from medieval adventures to tales of inter-galactic love, here is a compilation that explores the wonderfully kinetic forces that lovers share-forces too great to resist...

Lady Of Sherwood

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Satisfactory Sequel 3 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Lady of Sherwood continues, and finishes, the drama set in motion by Lady of the Forest. Robin, the rebellious son of the Earl of Huntington, lives with Marian in her estate. With them are the Merrie Enough Men, making ends meet, unmolested under the pardon of King Richard. It is upon King Richard's death that the trouble begins, not only for Robin and Marian's new life, but for the rest of England as well under the impeding rule of the detested Prince John.
Marian comes off stronger than ever as a character in this male-oriented power struggle, contributing far more than what a woman in the medeival ages is expected to impart, yet without overstepping the realism that is so well-embedded in this book.
This book is immersed much deeper in intrigue, and Marian's naivette in the first book had been completely irradicated in this installment. All the major players in this book push their characters to the extreme; Robin broods even more, the Earl of Huntington is more ruthless; the Sherrif of Nottingham more despicable... etc.
While I would have given this book a rating of 5, I could not help but compare it to the first book which, to me, holds more purpose in the context of why the story was told. In the first book, it was shown how Marian came to being as a woman and the lover of a famous outlaw amidst a brewing political struggle. In this book, Marian is made even tougher as the political struggles become more pronounced. It's like "Lady of the Forest: Extra Strength."
However, I would still recommend this book to satisfy the craving "Lady of the Forest" sowed in its readers. It's a fine read, well-constructed and well-developed.

Editorial Review:

A new installment of a thrilling retelling of the adventures and enduring love of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, begun in the popular Lady of the Forest finds Robin and his love involved in political intrigue and personal betrayals.

Sword-Singer (Tiger and Del)

Jennifer Roberson

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Tiger out of his element, Del back in hers 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

In this second volume of the series (you definitely need to have read the first in order to understand what's going on), Tiger, the Southron sword-dancer, follows his battle-comrade and bedmate, the striking female dancer Del, back to her Northern homeland to stand as her advocate when she faces the council of teachers in an attempt to justify having killed her own in order to take his spirit into her jivatma (blooded blade). She has one year to do this or be foresworn and declared outlaw, whom any Norherner may kill with impunity. Of course, the quest isn't easy. Tiger is still recovering from the aftereffects of his brief enslavement in the tanzeer Aladar's mine, and the weather seems determined to delay them even though Del knows the country well. Tiger inadvertantly releases some loki (apparently a kind of malevolent earth-spirit) from the magical circle that imprisons them, and a Borderer widow and her two children in need of protection and escort hold the pair up even further. Then they realize that they're being hunted by what Tiger christens the "hounds of hoolies"--doglike but clearly sorcerous beasts who seem to have a sinister interest in Del's sword Boreal.

What makes this book hold your attention is twofold: the developing relationship between Tiger and Del, who, having become lovers as well as comrades, are gradually settling into the practicalities of pairhood, trying to blend their differing views of what women can (or should) do and how Del can balance personhood with her quest to avenge her murdered family; and the picture we get of the North and its culture. As you read, you begin to understand more and more of the influences that shaped Del into the woman she is, just as the revelations of "Sword-Dancer," the first book, gives you an understanding of Tiger. Any fantasist needs to learn how to explain her world while still keeping the pace of her story intact, and Roberson succeeds very well in this. I wish that she had provided a map of the lands through which Del and Tiger travel, but that may just be me: I always like to be able to locate characters in space as well as time. In the end Tiger displays both his deep regard and loyalty for Del and the pragmatism of his training as a sword-dancer in a climactic conflict that made me immediately pull out the next book in the series to find out whether he'd really done what it looked like he had. A solid entry into a fantasy series that has become classic.

Editorial Review:

Sword-Singer once again unites Del and Tiger--she among the greatest of Northern sword masters, he a Southron warrior of legendary skills--on a new and perilous journey into the North, to the Place of Swords, where Del must submit to trial-by-combat for the slaying of her sword-master.

The Novels of Tiger and Del, Volume I

Jennifer Roberson

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A worthy-if offbeat-fantasy compliation 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Meet Tiger. Or rather, the Sandtiger, the most famous, skilled and revered sword-dancer in the south (as he would say it, but then a man must build a reputation.) Tiger exists solely for the sword-dance, and for pretty women, and liquor. And I'm not going to say that all of that changed when he met Del, but some of it did.

Del is an oddity to Tiger, a northern, pale skinned, pale hared woman who wears a sword that exudes magic (not that he gives much credence to magic, but it is one weird sword.) At first he's more than doubtful that she herself is a sword-dancer, but when she hires him to take her across a deadly dessert on a search for her brother who was kidnapped by slavers five years ago; he is forced by circumstances to learn her skill. Her tragic past and his own as well, are part of the package.

This was one of the weirdest fantasy novels I ever read and I mean that in a good way. Generally I hate first person but Tiger's voice is so true and funny and sounds so real that it's a joy to read. From his rather boneheaded observations about women (which do change as the book goes on) to his constant battle with his seemingly invincible and very mean horse, Tiger is the perfect narrator. Also the tense shifts as his self perception does, so when Tiger losses himself the book slides into third person which is an amazing writing tactic I've never seen before. The book (or I should say Books, because this omnibus addition contains the first two of six novels) has everything a good fantasy novel should have. Magic, adventure, tortured heroes who really aren't that heroic, heroines who don't need rescuing, mystery, magical creatures who are rather malicious as well as good ones, even a nice creation of the world myth.

The two novels in this book show a lot in our main characters, Tiger and Del. The more we learn about them the more complicated they become, and the harder it is to let them just live on paper. I LOVED this book (despite the first person, and my rather sketchy history with this authors other works) and ordered the last books before I'd even finished the first.

If you like fantasy, romance (subtle though it may be) adventure, or just swords, then read this book. If not, well, that's your loss.

Five Stars.

Editorial Review:

He was Tiger, born of the desert winds, raised as a slave and winning his freedom by weaving a special kind of magic with a warrior's skill. She was Del, born of ice and storm, trained by the greatest of Northern sword masters. Together, they discover a kinship and friendship that grows to love while facing dangers of both sword and sorcery.

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Roberson, Jennifer Books

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson

Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Jennifer Roberson, Deb Stover, Catherine Asaro

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson

Jennifer Roberson