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Anteros #3
Kingdoms of the Night
Amalric Antero, adventurer and confidant of kings, had grown old before his time. His discoveries had brought peace and countless riches to his beloved city of Orissa. But his wife, Omerye, had recently died; his sister, Rali, had disappeared some time ago while on a dangerous expedition; and his son--his only child--was a grave disappointment. All around him, Amalric saw his generation being carried away, and he, himself, was beginning to feel the cold fingers of death.
But then a mysterious figure intruded on his winter years. She claimed to be the great-granddaughter of Janos Greycloak, master-wizard and betrayer of Amalric's youth, and she had come to issue a The idyllic and magical land he and Janos had discovered had not been the Far Kingdoms. In fact, the real Far Kingdoms--the Kingdoms of the Night--had yet to be found, and only she knew where that realm of myth lay.
As she spoke, a veil was ripped from Amalric's eyes.
The people of Orissa believed--thanks to Amalric and Rali's discoveries--that they were living in a Golden Age, an age of many blessings that would never end. But Amalric now realized that dark forces threatened his beloved city. Several expeditions seeking to broaden Orissa's horizons had met with disaster. In fact, the boundaries of Orissa's "known world" had actually been shrinking. Areas he and Rali had opened had dropped off the map, back into legend and obscurity.
It looked as if the Kingdoms of the Night were all that stood between civilization and unimaginably evil powers from another world. But the strength of the Kingdoms was flagging. Unless chaos was to reign once more, Amalric must throw off his old man's robes and join Janela in her search for the Kingdoms of the Night.
And so Amalric set out once again across forbidden seas and a nightmare-blasted landscape, on an expedition haunted by betrayal and stalked by a rogue army, with little more than his wits and the magic of another Greycloak to aid him. For only if Amalric and Janela succeed in unraveling the secrets of the Old Ones and locking the door between realities can civilization's plunge into darkness be stopped...
But then a mysterious figure intruded on his winter years. She claimed to be the great-granddaughter of Janos Greycloak, master-wizard and betrayer of Amalric's youth, and she had come to issue a The idyllic and magical land he and Janos had discovered had not been the Far Kingdoms. In fact, the real Far Kingdoms--the Kingdoms of the Night--had yet to be found, and only she knew where that realm of myth lay.
As she spoke, a veil was ripped from Amalric's eyes.
The people of Orissa believed--thanks to Amalric and Rali's discoveries--that they were living in a Golden Age, an age of many blessings that would never end. But Amalric now realized that dark forces threatened his beloved city. Several expeditions seeking to broaden Orissa's horizons had met with disaster. In fact, the boundaries of Orissa's "known world" had actually been shrinking. Areas he and Rali had opened had dropped off the map, back into legend and obscurity.
It looked as if the Kingdoms of the Night were all that stood between civilization and unimaginably evil powers from another world. But the strength of the Kingdoms was flagging. Unless chaos was to reign once more, Amalric must throw off his old man's robes and join Janela in her search for the Kingdoms of the Night.
And so Amalric set out once again across forbidden seas and a nightmare-blasted landscape, on an expedition haunted by betrayal and stalked by a rogue army, with little more than his wits and the magic of another Greycloak to aid him. For only if Amalric and Janela succeed in unraveling the secrets of the Old Ones and locking the door between realities can civilization's plunge into darkness be stopped...
481 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
Allan Cole
81 books65 followersAllan Cole was an American author and television writer, who wrote or co-wrote nearly thirty books.The son of a CIA operative, Cole was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. He collaborated with Chris Bunch on the Sten science fiction series, as well the Far Kingdoms Series, and the historical novels, A Reckoning For Kings and Daughter Of Liberty.
He co-authored a non-fiction book A Cop's Life with his uncle, Thomas Grubb; and a fantasy novel Lords Of Terror with Russian author Nick Perumov.His solo books include the fantasy novels that make up the Timura Trilogy and the thrillers, Dying Good and Drowned Hopes.
He sold more than a hundred television episodes, including ones for Quincy, M.E., The Rockford Files, The Incredible Hulk, Dinosaucers, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Magnum, P.I., Werewolf, and Walker, Texas Ranger.
He was also a Los Angeles newspaper editor and investigative reporter for 14 years.
Cole was married to Chris Bunch's sister, Kathryn. He died of cancer in Boca Raton, Florida, aged 75, on March 29, 2019.
He co-authored a non-fiction book A Cop's Life with his uncle, Thomas Grubb; and a fantasy novel Lords Of Terror with Russian author Nick Perumov.His solo books include the fantasy novels that make up the Timura Trilogy and the thrillers, Dying Good and Drowned Hopes.
He sold more than a hundred television episodes, including ones for Quincy, M.E., The Rockford Files, The Incredible Hulk, Dinosaucers, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Magnum, P.I., Werewolf, and Walker, Texas Ranger.
He was also a Los Angeles newspaper editor and investigative reporter for 14 years.
Cole was married to Chris Bunch's sister, Kathryn. He died of cancer in Boca Raton, Florida, aged 75, on March 29, 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 30, 2016
A great adventure told in a classical yet refreshing way. I love the Far kingdoms series. Despite that it has been about 15 years since I read book 2, the events of the first two books were still imprinted on my mind- a testament to how good they are.
One of the things I like about the series is how each one is a self-contained story. You could technically read them in any order. One of the things that put me off fantasy books a long time ago is how they tend to have to go for many volumes more than they need to; although the far kingdoms series is 4 books long it doesn't give the impression of being dragged out.
Kingdoms of the Night isn't so much different to the original book in the series, but although the story isn't particularly new, the charm of it, I think, is the adventure. Every chapter has some new danger; some creature or demon trying to pluck sailors to a watery death. A new location full of mystery and lurking threats. It's a classic boy's adventure. I really got caught up in that, and I think that's where the story's simple charm lay. It's good escapism, and although (outside of A song of Ice & fire) I've long ago been put-off fantasy, I enjoyed this enough to have already bought book 4 which is queued up to read.
There were a few things I'd nit-pick though; None of the bad-guys seem to be particularly threatening- except the demon king who really only appears late in the story. I think more could've been made of Amalric's son. Many of the lesser characters seemed that they weren't that well fleshed-out and were perhaps generic archetypes. That said, it fits in with the 'boys own adventure' type tale. A few phrases also bothered me; early in the book they are sneaking up a graveled 'drive' to a mansion. A driveway to me is a modern thing, if it said path I wouldn't have flinched. Also Amalric's journal often read 'Janela and me' as opposed to 'Janela and I' but that can be passed off as the character's voice rather than author's style. And lastly arrows were often 'fired' but of course arrows are 'shot' or 'loosed' rather than fired being as there is no fire involved.
A great, fun book. It's not too deep or particularly thought-provoking, but it's a great adventure well told.
One of the things I like about the series is how each one is a self-contained story. You could technically read them in any order. One of the things that put me off fantasy books a long time ago is how they tend to have to go for many volumes more than they need to; although the far kingdoms series is 4 books long it doesn't give the impression of being dragged out.
Kingdoms of the Night isn't so much different to the original book in the series, but although the story isn't particularly new, the charm of it, I think, is the adventure. Every chapter has some new danger; some creature or demon trying to pluck sailors to a watery death. A new location full of mystery and lurking threats. It's a classic boy's adventure. I really got caught up in that, and I think that's where the story's simple charm lay. It's good escapism, and although (outside of A song of Ice & fire) I've long ago been put-off fantasy, I enjoyed this enough to have already bought book 4 which is queued up to read.
There were a few things I'd nit-pick though; None of the bad-guys seem to be particularly threatening- except the demon king who really only appears late in the story. I think more could've been made of Amalric's son. Many of the lesser characters seemed that they weren't that well fleshed-out and were perhaps generic archetypes. That said, it fits in with the 'boys own adventure' type tale. A few phrases also bothered me; early in the book they are sneaking up a graveled 'drive' to a mansion. A driveway to me is a modern thing, if it said path I wouldn't have flinched. Also Amalric's journal often read 'Janela and me' as opposed to 'Janela and I' but that can be passed off as the character's voice rather than author's style. And lastly arrows were often 'fired' but of course arrows are 'shot' or 'loosed' rather than fired being as there is no fire involved.
A great, fun book. It's not too deep or particularly thought-provoking, but it's a great adventure well told.
April 23, 2022
Gosh, somehow I thought it was only a year since I read
The Warrior’s Tale
, but it has actually been two?? How time flies in this pandemic.
I was in a minor reading slump the week following Untamed , so when I went back to reading I wanted something I knew I could get through, something unchallenging. Kingdoms of the Night fits these criteria. As I have remarked in my previous reviews of this series, these are not exactly your most original or thought-provoking fantasy novels. In his introductions, Allan Cole makes it clear that he and Chris Bunch set out to replicate their science-fiction success in the fantasy genre in a practical, nearly formulaic way. It’s very similar to how David Eddings has approached writing fantasy, starting with his Belgariad series—and since the Belgariad was my gateway into fantasy, I suppose I have a soft spot for these kinds of books. Indeed, my vague memory of The Warrior’s Return, the next and final book of this quartet, is what motivated me to go back and re-read these.
In this installment, Amalric Antero returns as the narrator. He’s an old guy and definitely no longer interested in sex unless you magically rejuvenate him and dangle the sexy granddaughter of his one-time protégé, Janos Greycloak, in front of him … and what are the odds … what’s that? That’s exactly what happens? Oh. OK then.
Amalric and the new Greycloak set off on an adventure to find the real Far Kingdoms, because the one that he and the old Greycloak found in the first novel were but a poor reflection, much like what C.S. Lewis pulled with Narnia. What ensues is very much your typical hero’s journey adventure narrative, complete with a series of obstacles to overcome, a literal demonic villain, and heroism aplenty for all our major and minor characters alike.
I want to say this is better than either of the first two books, that Cole and Bunch have improved, but honestly … it’s more of the same. If anything, The Far Kingdoms had more heft to it because Amalric faced more internal conflict and character development. In this book, as a fully formed adventurer, he is much more confident in himself—but he doesn’t really have to struggle with his inner demons, just the outer ones, and they aren’t as scary. As much as Cole and Bunch try to add depth to their world through spiritual aspects of the study of magic, the characters don’t live up to these aspirations. Most of them are flat, one dimensional, and even the main characters like Amalric are two dimensional at best.
Now, there are some redeeming qualities. Once again, this book features at least a whiff of queerness (though, sadly, the explicitly gay character is killed off page before we even meet him). I say this only to remark on it as a book from the late 1990s including such views.
Also, while the plot is formulaic and predictable, I would hardly call it plodding or pedestrian. I like to think of books like this as B-movies. I’m not going to heap praise on it, but if it’s on TV one afternoon I would watch it (or stream it if I’m in the mood for something mindless). That’s what Kingdoms of the Night provides, exactly what I was looking for: a simple fantasy story with a happy ending that I didn’t have to think too much about.
I’m not mad about it.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
I was in a minor reading slump the week following Untamed , so when I went back to reading I wanted something I knew I could get through, something unchallenging. Kingdoms of the Night fits these criteria. As I have remarked in my previous reviews of this series, these are not exactly your most original or thought-provoking fantasy novels. In his introductions, Allan Cole makes it clear that he and Chris Bunch set out to replicate their science-fiction success in the fantasy genre in a practical, nearly formulaic way. It’s very similar to how David Eddings has approached writing fantasy, starting with his Belgariad series—and since the Belgariad was my gateway into fantasy, I suppose I have a soft spot for these kinds of books. Indeed, my vague memory of The Warrior’s Return, the next and final book of this quartet, is what motivated me to go back and re-read these.
In this installment, Amalric Antero returns as the narrator. He’s an old guy and definitely no longer interested in sex unless you magically rejuvenate him and dangle the sexy granddaughter of his one-time protégé, Janos Greycloak, in front of him … and what are the odds … what’s that? That’s exactly what happens? Oh. OK then.
Amalric and the new Greycloak set off on an adventure to find the real Far Kingdoms, because the one that he and the old Greycloak found in the first novel were but a poor reflection, much like what C.S. Lewis pulled with Narnia. What ensues is very much your typical hero’s journey adventure narrative, complete with a series of obstacles to overcome, a literal demonic villain, and heroism aplenty for all our major and minor characters alike.
I want to say this is better than either of the first two books, that Cole and Bunch have improved, but honestly … it’s more of the same. If anything, The Far Kingdoms had more heft to it because Amalric faced more internal conflict and character development. In this book, as a fully formed adventurer, he is much more confident in himself—but he doesn’t really have to struggle with his inner demons, just the outer ones, and they aren’t as scary. As much as Cole and Bunch try to add depth to their world through spiritual aspects of the study of magic, the characters don’t live up to these aspirations. Most of them are flat, one dimensional, and even the main characters like Amalric are two dimensional at best.
Now, there are some redeeming qualities. Once again, this book features at least a whiff of queerness (though, sadly, the explicitly gay character is killed off page before we even meet him). I say this only to remark on it as a book from the late 1990s including such views.
Also, while the plot is formulaic and predictable, I would hardly call it plodding or pedestrian. I like to think of books like this as B-movies. I’m not going to heap praise on it, but if it’s on TV one afternoon I would watch it (or stream it if I’m in the mood for something mindless). That’s what Kingdoms of the Night provides, exactly what I was looking for: a simple fantasy story with a happy ending that I didn’t have to think too much about.
I’m not mad about it.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.
November 7, 2011
Well, I am not impressed. The book is not bad, but it is kind of borring. It's predictably adventurous. There is the great evil, which of course is overcome in the end, there is the good hero, the love story. Personally I enjoyed the first book the most, but frankly, I read it long ago, and don't remember it much. The writing style is bearable, at least there is some humour.
July 18, 2013
"Там, където отиваме с Джанела, корабите не потъват. Вятърът духа само на изток. Всички брегове са легендарни. И душата на всеки мореплавател лети към хоризонта.
Там мечтите чакат да ги прегърнем...
Там, в Далечното царство."
Край на трилогията на Алън Кол и Крис Бънч.
Беше едно великолепно пътешествие!
Там мечтите чакат да ги прегърнем...
Там, в Далечното царство."
Край на трилогията на Алън Кол и Крис Бънч.
Беше едно великолепно пътешествие!
January 17, 2013
Very good. Just a little bit too similar to the first book for my taste. But if you liked the first one, you'll want to read this one.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews