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Tyrants and Kings #1
The Jackal of Nar
The first of a new fantasy series A fast-paced epic with enormous scope, believable and appealing characters and an impressively imagined world. The Empire of Nar is being torn apart by the ambitions of its states and the lax rule of its Emperor. The balance has been tipped by the unleashing of magic by the sorcerer Tharn. The Emperor wants control of the magic, Tharn wants to rule the Empire and countless thousands of people are caught up in the struggle. And now the love of Prince Richius's life has been spirited away by Tharn. But all is not what it seems. Richius is a flawed hero pursuing a woman he has met just once. The Emperor is greedy and lazy, while Tharn is a dying man touched by the gods and struggling to use his power for good.
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First published January 1, 1999
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May 29, 2012
This is an article I wrote for fantasyliterature.com called "Why You Should Read... John Marco."
I was first introduced to John Marco a number of years ago by a good friend of mine through the first book in his Tyrants and Kings Trilogy, The Jackal of Nar. After that I was hooked. To this day, years later, I can vividly see the cathedral of Nar being frescoed, hear the din of each battle, but most of all I can still feel every bit of pathos written into his books.
And that’s what draws me back to John Marco; his characters are so real you can practically reach out and touch them. They could be any one of us and their struggles are monumental. Marco takes you to highs and brings you down low with a manageable amount of characters with whom you grow unbelievably attached. Their motivations are understandable and their suffering can be heart-wrenching at times, not to mention their exhilarating triumphs.
If you’re looking for gray, Marco pretty much wrote the book on it (hehe). I’m always impressed when authors, like George R.R. Martin, can have you sympathizing for the most dastardly character and Marco does it over and over. Characters such as the Machiavellian Biagio will always stay in my head as a prime example of someone I wanted to hate, but could not help but root for.
I could probably go on for pages about his characters, but I’ll save you that at least. In summary, they’re deep, they’re three-dimensional, and if you don’t love them, you’ll at least be impressed with them.
While I appreciate the fast-paced, run-and-gun novel, Marco employs a much more descriptive style to bring about his reading experience. Through this approach, he paints a picture that stays with you. You’ll find yourself inside the characters’ heads, feeling what they feel and seeing the world how they do.
When I found out about this project, I emailed the man himself, John Marco, and here’s what he had to say about his writing:
“The only thing I might say, however, is that I’ve never undertaken a story I’m not passionate about. Some folks love my books, some dislike them intensely, but I’ve always taken heart in knowing that I’ve done my best and told the stories I wanted to tell.”
Marco has written two trilogies, Tyrants and Kings, and the Lukien Trilogy, and his first foray into the young adult scene Starfinder, book 1 in the Skylords series. He is currently working on another Lukien book. (Don't you just love commas?)
Do yourself a favor and read John Marco.
I was first introduced to John Marco a number of years ago by a good friend of mine through the first book in his Tyrants and Kings Trilogy, The Jackal of Nar. After that I was hooked. To this day, years later, I can vividly see the cathedral of Nar being frescoed, hear the din of each battle, but most of all I can still feel every bit of pathos written into his books.
And that’s what draws me back to John Marco; his characters are so real you can practically reach out and touch them. They could be any one of us and their struggles are monumental. Marco takes you to highs and brings you down low with a manageable amount of characters with whom you grow unbelievably attached. Their motivations are understandable and their suffering can be heart-wrenching at times, not to mention their exhilarating triumphs.
If you’re looking for gray, Marco pretty much wrote the book on it (hehe). I’m always impressed when authors, like George R.R. Martin, can have you sympathizing for the most dastardly character and Marco does it over and over. Characters such as the Machiavellian Biagio will always stay in my head as a prime example of someone I wanted to hate, but could not help but root for.
I could probably go on for pages about his characters, but I’ll save you that at least. In summary, they’re deep, they’re three-dimensional, and if you don’t love them, you’ll at least be impressed with them.
While I appreciate the fast-paced, run-and-gun novel, Marco employs a much more descriptive style to bring about his reading experience. Through this approach, he paints a picture that stays with you. You’ll find yourself inside the characters’ heads, feeling what they feel and seeing the world how they do.
When I found out about this project, I emailed the man himself, John Marco, and here’s what he had to say about his writing:
“The only thing I might say, however, is that I’ve never undertaken a story I’m not passionate about. Some folks love my books, some dislike them intensely, but I’ve always taken heart in knowing that I’ve done my best and told the stories I wanted to tell.”
Marco has written two trilogies, Tyrants and Kings, and the Lukien Trilogy, and his first foray into the young adult scene Starfinder, book 1 in the Skylords series. He is currently working on another Lukien book. (Don't you just love commas?)
Do yourself a favor and read John Marco.
December 19, 2012
To be quite blunt, I LOVE this book.
When I started it I wasn't sure what to expect. Whatever I was expecting, it certainly paled in comparison with what I got. John Marco brings us a gritty fantasy with believable characters and a plot with many unseen twists and turns. The characters in the book are presented in such a way that there is no cut and dried good vs. evil as in so many fantasy novels. Marco has done an excellent job in portraying the motivations of his characters in such a way that no-one is shown as being purely good and at the same time, even the villains are given redeeming qualities. What this does is flesh out the story in such a way that even though it is still a fantasy novel, the characters and story seem more real.
The plot itself if rife with political intrigue and even when the reader is not immersed in the heat of battle, the story carries you along at a feverish pace that is extremely hard to put down.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre (and even for most who are not) I HIGHLY recommend The Jackal of Nar.
When I started it I wasn't sure what to expect. Whatever I was expecting, it certainly paled in comparison with what I got. John Marco brings us a gritty fantasy with believable characters and a plot with many unseen twists and turns. The characters in the book are presented in such a way that there is no cut and dried good vs. evil as in so many fantasy novels. Marco has done an excellent job in portraying the motivations of his characters in such a way that no-one is shown as being purely good and at the same time, even the villains are given redeeming qualities. What this does is flesh out the story in such a way that even though it is still a fantasy novel, the characters and story seem more real.
The plot itself if rife with political intrigue and even when the reader is not immersed in the heat of battle, the story carries you along at a feverish pace that is extremely hard to put down.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre (and even for most who are not) I HIGHLY recommend The Jackal of Nar.
July 17, 2010
Perhaps I didn't give this book a fair chance. (No, I didn't finish this one.) But I found that I was forcing myself to read it, and so decided why bother. The beginning caught my attention instantly while I was examining it in the store. It started in the midst of a battle involving trenches, war wolves, and flame cannons. So I bought it. Sigh. That's the only compliment I can really give this book.
I found myself irritated with just about every character. Richius, the protagonist, always seemed to make stupid, hypocritical decisions. He would lecture his friend, Dinadin, for a page about why they can't sleep with Trin women, but only moments after his friend goes to bed, Richius himself sleeps with a Trin whore (that's not an insult, she's actually a prostitute). Then the next morning Richius decides he's in love with her and sells Dinadin's dagger to pay for another night with Dyana, the Trin prostitute (who he had ironicly saved from being raped earlier in the book). The list goes on; Richius never seems to learn from his multiple bad decisions. And his bad decisions weren't the cute "Oh, he's a flawed but loveable character" bad, they were the "Is he mentally challenged?" type of bad.
The other characters were no better. Dinadin is mad at Richius because if Richius hadn't gone to this one city another of their friends wouldn't have died, but another character has to point out to Dinadin that it was his idea to go to that city in the first place. Dyana, the whore, makes the conscious decision to become a prostitute, but is suprised when her employer expects her to sleep with someone. I understand that must have been a hard decision to make, but she wasn't forced to choose that path; And instead of going into it with her head held high, she whined, begged, and pitched a fit. All these things would have been acceptable if she had been some sort of slave, but she made the decisions she made of her own free will. That's like choosing to drink spoiled milk, and then becoming angry when it tastes bad. I lost all respect I had held for her.
The story also slows quickly after the beginning. I found myself asking "What exactly is the conflict here?" The war was over in the first few chapters! Then the characters did a lot of staring at each other and asking, "Well, now what?" I guess that's an exageration, but it still seemed very slow.
In the end (or rather somewhere around the middle) I just couldn't force myself to follow these characters that I couldn't stand any longer. Perhaps the story would have gotten better if I'd kept reading, but I honestly couldn't find the motivation to keep going.
I found myself irritated with just about every character. Richius, the protagonist, always seemed to make stupid, hypocritical decisions. He would lecture his friend, Dinadin, for a page about why they can't sleep with Trin women, but only moments after his friend goes to bed, Richius himself sleeps with a Trin whore (that's not an insult, she's actually a prostitute). Then the next morning Richius decides he's in love with her and sells Dinadin's dagger to pay for another night with Dyana, the Trin prostitute (who he had ironicly saved from being raped earlier in the book). The list goes on; Richius never seems to learn from his multiple bad decisions. And his bad decisions weren't the cute "Oh, he's a flawed but loveable character" bad, they were the "Is he mentally challenged?" type of bad.
The other characters were no better. Dinadin is mad at Richius because if Richius hadn't gone to this one city another of their friends wouldn't have died, but another character has to point out to Dinadin that it was his idea to go to that city in the first place. Dyana, the whore, makes the conscious decision to become a prostitute, but is suprised when her employer expects her to sleep with someone. I understand that must have been a hard decision to make, but she wasn't forced to choose that path; And instead of going into it with her head held high, she whined, begged, and pitched a fit. All these things would have been acceptable if she had been some sort of slave, but she made the decisions she made of her own free will. That's like choosing to drink spoiled milk, and then becoming angry when it tastes bad. I lost all respect I had held for her.
The story also slows quickly after the beginning. I found myself asking "What exactly is the conflict here?" The war was over in the first few chapters! Then the characters did a lot of staring at each other and asking, "Well, now what?" I guess that's an exageration, but it still seemed very slow.
In the end (or rather somewhere around the middle) I just couldn't force myself to follow these characters that I couldn't stand any longer. Perhaps the story would have gotten better if I'd kept reading, but I honestly couldn't find the motivation to keep going.
January 8, 2017
The Jackal of Nar, described on the back cover as 'dark science', definitely brings something new to both fantasy and scifi. The land is ruled by a bizarrely long-lived Emperor (who takes a particular rare drug, only sharing it with a privileged few) who seeks to bring all under his sway. Our hero is tasked with putting down a rebellion inspired by a religious faction that has a leader with apparently mystical powers. But our hero falls in love with a member of the rebellion and begins to see just how corrupt and selfish the Empire is. That's the basic plot, but there's much much more to this book and series. Technology, magic, religion and morality are all mixed in this heady and disorienting read. It's fresh and different. I'd recommend it to fantasy and scifi fans alike!
June 8, 2013
Fantasy Review Barn
In lieu of a review I am going to have a conversation about my last read with an average fifteen year old male reddit user (AFYOMRU). Won’t that be fun? Warning, that kid is known to drop minor spoilers at times.
Me: I will just go ahead and say it. “The Jackal of Nar” was thoroughly mediocre. It went from slightly interesting to boring. Your thoughts?
AFYOMRU: You are crazy man, that may have been the best book I have read all year!
Me: Really? Well break it down for me, what makes this book work for you?
AFYOMRU: Everything.
Me: This conversation will not go anywhere with one word answers, let’s be more specific. I will start; usually if a protagonist is unlikeable it is because the author wants him that way. This man was unlikable, but I think we were supposed to be impressed by him.
AFYOMRU: What?! Richius was bad ass throughout! He was an awesome military commander and all the chicks dug him.
Me: I guess I just didn’t see it. We are supposed to think he is a great military mind but really we saw him either get defeated or run into a completely inept enemies that were are also TOLD are great minds, but never really see. As for the “chicks” thing, ya there was some wish fulfillment stuff going one that got borderline creepy. I mean, he sleeps with a girl whose circumstances force her to turn to prostitution, takes her virginity, and then gains her trust and love with a simple apology? Then gets the most beautiful girl in the kingdom in an arranged marriage, who also falls deep in love with him at first sight? This seem realistic to you?
AFYOMRU: Yes. And it is not like it was one way love, he seemed to love them both. Look at his reaction when his wife died. It changed everything for him.
Me: Ya. That is known as a “fridging” these days. And I would say that it was laughably predictable looking at the plot before it, but this author decided a basic fridging wasn’t good enough, first he had to go Terrry Goodkind on the poor girl and pass her to Richius’ rival. Frankly it was disgusting, and this is coming from a guy who enjoys most GRIMDARK he reads.
AFYOMRU: Goodkind sure is awesome.
Me: I knew you would say that. I suppose you like the bad guys too? At first I thought they were going to have some depth, but once you knew who they were they were obviously bad all the way through.
AFYOMRU: Oh I loved them! Biagio seemed like a nice guy, with only subtle hints that he was really bad at first. Like when you learn he has a thing for both boys and girls in a throwaway line.
Me: ……………………
AFYOMRU: Anyway you seem stuck on dissing the characters, what about the battles? You say you like that kind of thing, were they not awesome?
Me: They kind of were. I liked the war wolves; I liked the hint of new technologies changing the style of war being fought. Really it was the details like that kept me reading through the end. But for military fantasy there was very little in the way of military. I saw what, 10 pages of battle in a seven hundred page book?
AFYOMRU: ………… Huh. Your kinda right about that one. I liked the world building though.
Me: Really? It was Rome in expansionist era. It may have been neat with some kind of depth, but all we got were names of places. No history or life. And the politics made no sense. If Nar is stretched fighting battles on all sides why did it take so long for its enemies to ally together?
AFYOMRU: Dunno.
Me: Like I said, boring.
AFYOMRU: No, you’re boring. I am going home man.
Ok let’s review. Apparently this book would be more enjoyable if you enjoy being told how great the main character is by the author and have a deep love of male wish fulfillment. It also seems to help if you like moody teenagers in adult bodies as your main character. You probably won’t care for it if you expect battles in your military fantasy, or politics that make sense, or anything that resembles excitement. I should have given up this book around the halfway point, but I was hoping for a climactic battle at the end. Got more boredom instead.
2 Stars
In lieu of a review I am going to have a conversation about my last read with an average fifteen year old male reddit user (AFYOMRU). Won’t that be fun? Warning, that kid is known to drop minor spoilers at times.
Me: I will just go ahead and say it. “The Jackal of Nar” was thoroughly mediocre. It went from slightly interesting to boring. Your thoughts?
AFYOMRU: You are crazy man, that may have been the best book I have read all year!
Me: Really? Well break it down for me, what makes this book work for you?
AFYOMRU: Everything.
Me: This conversation will not go anywhere with one word answers, let’s be more specific. I will start; usually if a protagonist is unlikeable it is because the author wants him that way. This man was unlikable, but I think we were supposed to be impressed by him.
AFYOMRU: What?! Richius was bad ass throughout! He was an awesome military commander and all the chicks dug him.
Me: I guess I just didn’t see it. We are supposed to think he is a great military mind but really we saw him either get defeated or run into a completely inept enemies that were are also TOLD are great minds, but never really see. As for the “chicks” thing, ya there was some wish fulfillment stuff going one that got borderline creepy. I mean, he sleeps with a girl whose circumstances force her to turn to prostitution, takes her virginity, and then gains her trust and love with a simple apology? Then gets the most beautiful girl in the kingdom in an arranged marriage, who also falls deep in love with him at first sight? This seem realistic to you?
AFYOMRU: Yes. And it is not like it was one way love, he seemed to love them both. Look at his reaction when his wife died. It changed everything for him.
Me: Ya. That is known as a “fridging” these days. And I would say that it was laughably predictable looking at the plot before it, but this author decided a basic fridging wasn’t good enough, first he had to go Terrry Goodkind on the poor girl and pass her to Richius’ rival. Frankly it was disgusting, and this is coming from a guy who enjoys most GRIMDARK he reads.
AFYOMRU: Goodkind sure is awesome.
Me: I knew you would say that. I suppose you like the bad guys too? At first I thought they were going to have some depth, but once you knew who they were they were obviously bad all the way through.
AFYOMRU: Oh I loved them! Biagio seemed like a nice guy, with only subtle hints that he was really bad at first. Like when you learn he has a thing for both boys and girls in a throwaway line.
Me: ……………………
AFYOMRU: Anyway you seem stuck on dissing the characters, what about the battles? You say you like that kind of thing, were they not awesome?
Me: They kind of were. I liked the war wolves; I liked the hint of new technologies changing the style of war being fought. Really it was the details like that kept me reading through the end. But for military fantasy there was very little in the way of military. I saw what, 10 pages of battle in a seven hundred page book?
AFYOMRU: ………… Huh. Your kinda right about that one. I liked the world building though.
Me: Really? It was Rome in expansionist era. It may have been neat with some kind of depth, but all we got were names of places. No history or life. And the politics made no sense. If Nar is stretched fighting battles on all sides why did it take so long for its enemies to ally together?
AFYOMRU: Dunno.
Me: Like I said, boring.
AFYOMRU: No, you’re boring. I am going home man.
Ok let’s review. Apparently this book would be more enjoyable if you enjoy being told how great the main character is by the author and have a deep love of male wish fulfillment. It also seems to help if you like moody teenagers in adult bodies as your main character. You probably won’t care for it if you expect battles in your military fantasy, or politics that make sense, or anything that resembles excitement. I should have given up this book around the halfway point, but I was hoping for a climactic battle at the end. Got more boredom instead.
2 Stars
November 11, 2013
Friends becoming strangers. Enemies become friends. All is not what it seems; especially, in love and war. First, I really enjoyed this book. The characters are neither "good"/"evil" nor "perfect" or "faulted"; they are, just characters each with their own motives, cares and burdens. Characters I was sure I wanted to see with an arrow through their eye, I was made to see that they acted, from their view, amidst a raging war, with the noblest of intentions. The author makes you realize, that depending on what side of the conflict you are on, you will see people and their actions in different lights.
I have to admit that the mention of a love story in the book description made me a little hesitant. Typically, if my military fantasy does not mention the word love ever, I am no worse for the wear. Here, it provided the backdrop to many of the actions and decisions of the main characters nicely and not in an overly flowery way nor taking away from the gritty nature of the book.
I wanted to give the book 5 stars, but the first 25% of the book started off slowly. I appreciate world building, but the beginning could have been tightened up without losing anything. The author does seem to hit his stride and much of the rest of the book moves along very nicely (though, it seems like he struggled to fit in-involve a couple of characters he introduced early, not knowing what to do with them toward the end).
I am looking forward to the next book in the series and letting the author confuse and play with my emotions (in a good way)through another well-written book.
I have to admit that the mention of a love story in the book description made me a little hesitant. Typically, if my military fantasy does not mention the word love ever, I am no worse for the wear. Here, it provided the backdrop to many of the actions and decisions of the main characters nicely and not in an overly flowery way nor taking away from the gritty nature of the book.
I wanted to give the book 5 stars, but the first 25% of the book started off slowly. I appreciate world building, but the beginning could have been tightened up without losing anything. The author does seem to hit his stride and much of the rest of the book moves along very nicely (though, it seems like he struggled to fit in-involve a couple of characters he introduced early, not knowing what to do with them toward the end).
I am looking forward to the next book in the series and letting the author confuse and play with my emotions (in a good way)through another well-written book.
April 21, 2015
I hated this book about halfway through. I couldn't stand the main character. I wanted to use his face as a scratching post. The only reason I kept with it was because it's one my boyfriend wanted me to read. I'm glad I finished it too. After getting past the extreme disgust I had been feeling for Richius, I found myself once again enjoying the book. Don't give up! It's worth reading to the end. I'm even going to read the others in the series.
July 7, 2023
Amazing book, really. I already read it 15 years ago but it really stands the test of time in my opinion and it's a shame John Marco is so criminally underrated.
Liked the characters, and while they were definitely flawed and did stupid things, I found those quite believable. Maybe I'm exposed to dumber people in real life than some of the other reviewers who couldn't believe some of the behaviors...
The action and the military aspects are great and enjoyable. No annoying repetitive explanations about the world or actions, as in many other books especially from those days. Plot was very intruiging and engaging as well. And some moments in the book were deliciously dark. Yeah, there's a bit of a fridging aspect to it but I honestly though it was very well executed and served a great purpose.
Liked the characters, and while they were definitely flawed and did stupid things, I found those quite believable. Maybe I'm exposed to dumber people in real life than some of the other reviewers who couldn't believe some of the behaviors...
The action and the military aspects are great and enjoyable. No annoying repetitive explanations about the world or actions, as in many other books especially from those days. Plot was very intruiging and engaging as well. And some moments in the book were deliciously dark. Yeah, there's a bit of a fridging aspect to it but I honestly though it was very well executed and served a great purpose.
March 21, 2008
Truly one of the best books ever written. The trilogy only gets better.
April 16, 2012
Well, this was a book. There were characters. Sort of. And there were words. Lots of words. They were strung together in not very interesting ways.
July 12, 2024
At this point I’m a huge fan of John Marco. Everything I’ve read has at least been 4 stars. Even his YA book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but it did have some issues that bothered me that brought it down 1 star.
Cons:
1. The actions scenes are very average and little to be seen.
2. The worldbuilding was a below average and he missed perfect times to tell about his world he created. At one point Richius travels across half the country in a matter of a page or two, going from city to city but literally nothing was said about some of the cities. Lack of worldbuilding is surprising from a 700+ page book.
3. The characters made some idiotic, stupid, downright frustrating decisions that I just can’t imagine happening in the first half of the book.
Pros:
The characters, although irritating, are to die for. Character work is by far the most important thing in literature for me and John always does a great job with it. I’d say 90% of this book is just character building with tons of dialogue which I loved. I also realized that Marco loves to write about “forbidden love” in his books.
The story follows Prince Richius who is a part of a country stuck in the middle between 2 large countries. His country is technically an “Unincorporated Territory” to the country Nar (Basically what Puerto Rico is to USA). The Emperor of Nar, Arkus wants to take over Lucel-Lor to gain access to powerful magic that will make him immortal since his potions are just delaying death vs dismissing it altogether. He wants to Arkus to handle the fight only Arkus falls in love with a woman of that country, who’s betrothed to the king.
Long story short he hates Lucel-Lor for their perceived barbarianism and the fact that the king won’t let him marry his woman, even though she doesn’t want to marry the king. Once he gets to know the Lucel-Lorians he finally understands who the real enemy and must choose who’s side he’s on.
There are tons of romance, betrayal, and death in this book and I’m excited for book 2!
Cons:
1. The actions scenes are very average and little to be seen.
2. The worldbuilding was a below average and he missed perfect times to tell about his world he created. At one point Richius travels across half the country in a matter of a page or two, going from city to city but literally nothing was said about some of the cities. Lack of worldbuilding is surprising from a 700+ page book.
3. The characters made some idiotic, stupid, downright frustrating decisions that I just can’t imagine happening in the first half of the book.
Pros:
The characters, although irritating, are to die for. Character work is by far the most important thing in literature for me and John always does a great job with it. I’d say 90% of this book is just character building with tons of dialogue which I loved. I also realized that Marco loves to write about “forbidden love” in his books.
The story follows Prince Richius who is a part of a country stuck in the middle between 2 large countries. His country is technically an “Unincorporated Territory” to the country Nar (Basically what Puerto Rico is to USA). The Emperor of Nar, Arkus wants to take over Lucel-Lor to gain access to powerful magic that will make him immortal since his potions are just delaying death vs dismissing it altogether. He wants to Arkus to handle the fight only Arkus falls in love with a woman of that country, who’s betrothed to the king.
Long story short he hates Lucel-Lor for their perceived barbarianism and the fact that the king won’t let him marry his woman, even though she doesn’t want to marry the king. Once he gets to know the Lucel-Lorians he finally understands who the real enemy and must choose who’s side he’s on.
There are tons of romance, betrayal, and death in this book and I’m excited for book 2!
January 3, 2008
Military Fantasy. Not large scale battles, but the main character spends much of the book as an underdog in a big war. I found the 'bad guys' the most entertaining people in the book. My biggest complaint it the main character is a bit of a whiner and makes stupid decisions.
January 8, 2011
John Marco è un carnefice. Punto. Non ho altro da dire^^
November 20, 2014
I have heard John Marco is one of the more under-rated fantasy authors out there and so I had been looking forward to giving him a try for quite some time. I may just have found another fantasy author to add to my power rotation. The Jackal of Nar is the first book in a trilogy referred to as the Tyrants and Kings Trilogy and I must say, even though this is the first book he ever published, if this is an indication of his writing talents and the types of fantasy stories he tells, then there is nothing but great things to come.
In some ways this novel reminds me a bit of GRRM’s A Game of Thrones. Major themes involve power struggles at the very highest levels, lots of political intrigue, lots of shifting loyalties and no clear cut good guys vs. bad guys. The main character is Richius Vantran, a prince who is among his homeland’s primary warlords. The novel begins in battle and there is a lot of tactical level warfare described throughout the novel, but it is not really about those battles. Most of the “fantasy” elements, like Game of Thrones involve swordsmanship and the creative use of non-magical machines of war. There is magic but it is not described in much detail yet. In fact most of the populace does not believe it exists and those few instances when we, the reader, get to witness its power, it is truly awesome in its capability. I have no doubt that the next two volumes of this trilogy will explore this magical force.
And also as with GRRM, John Marco is not afraid to kill off major characters.
The plot is fairly complex but the author, thankfully, is able to boil it down so we know exactly what is going on when we need to know it. There are lots of strangely spelled place names and character names throughout and normally that can be a turn-off for me. Places like Ackle-Nye and Aramoor and Criisia and characters like Lucyler and Dinadin can become confusing when there are many of them but the author balances those out with people like Dyana, Tharn, and Sabrina, etc. The result is that unmistakable feeling that you’re reading fantasy but you’re also grounded is some familiarity.
If I have one criticism, it is that many times the main characters shift loyalties a little too easily. We have people that have been best friends since childhood that choose different sides over a single action. Others have watched their life-long enemies kill their own family members and yet become strong allies and even friends after a few weeks. I had to suspend my disbelief a little over some of those and thus the only reason this one didn’t earn 5 stars from me.
Regardless, this was really a fun read. Look out book number two…I’m looking for you…
In some ways this novel reminds me a bit of GRRM’s A Game of Thrones. Major themes involve power struggles at the very highest levels, lots of political intrigue, lots of shifting loyalties and no clear cut good guys vs. bad guys. The main character is Richius Vantran, a prince who is among his homeland’s primary warlords. The novel begins in battle and there is a lot of tactical level warfare described throughout the novel, but it is not really about those battles. Most of the “fantasy” elements, like Game of Thrones involve swordsmanship and the creative use of non-magical machines of war. There is magic but it is not described in much detail yet. In fact most of the populace does not believe it exists and those few instances when we, the reader, get to witness its power, it is truly awesome in its capability. I have no doubt that the next two volumes of this trilogy will explore this magical force.
And also as with GRRM, John Marco is not afraid to kill off major characters.
The plot is fairly complex but the author, thankfully, is able to boil it down so we know exactly what is going on when we need to know it. There are lots of strangely spelled place names and character names throughout and normally that can be a turn-off for me. Places like Ackle-Nye and Aramoor and Criisia and characters like Lucyler and Dinadin can become confusing when there are many of them but the author balances those out with people like Dyana, Tharn, and Sabrina, etc. The result is that unmistakable feeling that you’re reading fantasy but you’re also grounded is some familiarity.
If I have one criticism, it is that many times the main characters shift loyalties a little too easily. We have people that have been best friends since childhood that choose different sides over a single action. Others have watched their life-long enemies kill their own family members and yet become strong allies and even friends after a few weeks. I had to suspend my disbelief a little over some of those and thus the only reason this one didn’t earn 5 stars from me.
Regardless, this was really a fun read. Look out book number two…I’m looking for you…
May 30, 2012
To start this book was hard to get into for me, I’m not entirely sure what it was that didn’t catch me because I enjoy John Marco’s writing, I like the idea in the book, but I just wasn’t drawn in right away. Although around the time that Richius and Dinadin ended up in the hotel with the Trin woman Dyana I was huffing about “men”. Although that is mostly due to personal issues I have I was so annoyed that Richius could save Dyana from rape, save her from Dinadin and then go ahead and sleep with her himself even after proclaiming that he wanted to “Protect” her. It just annoyed me so much that I got very, very huffy over that whole part in the book.
Oh and then suddenly he wants to show her that he isn’t a bad guy and wants to prove to Dyana that he still wants to protect her and that he would never hurt her. *huff huff huff* !!! So annoyed! Moving on!
Dyana is a spirited woman who wants to bow to no man, which is why I was so confused about her complete change once she is married to Tharn. What the hell happened there? She is a completely different character and it is impossible to take her seriously. Her fire just seemed to burn out.
The writing was slow. Like I said previously I like John Marco, Eyes of God continues to be one of my favorite books, but this book was slow. Maybe it’s because it’s his debut book but it was slow. The scenes dragged out with too much detail being mentioned for things that didn’t really matter. I’ve always liked the fact that Marco is not opposed to killing off vital characters but it felt so forced in this book, so needless.
Perhaps it is the theme of war but it just wasn’t a very fun or catching book. Conversations were broken up by long winded descriptions, action was broken up by long periods of Richius worrying over this and that and Dyana. Their love was very forced as well.
I’m not sure what more to say about this book. Marco seems to write damaged characters a lot better than normal ones, Richius came off pretty average and maybe that was the issue. I want the damaged, broken characters that caught me in Eyes of God. This book just seemed to drag on, and I dragged my feet trying to read it. I’m hoping that as the series moves forward John Marco’s writing will evolve into the style I fell in love with.
**This has nothing to do with the book but man are these advertisements on highlighted words the most annoying thing ever**
Oh and then suddenly he wants to show her that he isn’t a bad guy and wants to prove to Dyana that he still wants to protect her and that he would never hurt her. *huff huff huff* !!! So annoyed! Moving on!
Dyana is a spirited woman who wants to bow to no man, which is why I was so confused about her complete change once she is married to Tharn. What the hell happened there? She is a completely different character and it is impossible to take her seriously. Her fire just seemed to burn out.
The writing was slow. Like I said previously I like John Marco, Eyes of God continues to be one of my favorite books, but this book was slow. Maybe it’s because it’s his debut book but it was slow. The scenes dragged out with too much detail being mentioned for things that didn’t really matter. I’ve always liked the fact that Marco is not opposed to killing off vital characters but it felt so forced in this book, so needless.
Perhaps it is the theme of war but it just wasn’t a very fun or catching book. Conversations were broken up by long winded descriptions, action was broken up by long periods of Richius worrying over this and that and Dyana. Their love was very forced as well.
I’m not sure what more to say about this book. Marco seems to write damaged characters a lot better than normal ones, Richius came off pretty average and maybe that was the issue. I want the damaged, broken characters that caught me in Eyes of God. This book just seemed to drag on, and I dragged my feet trying to read it. I’m hoping that as the series moves forward John Marco’s writing will evolve into the style I fell in love with.
**This has nothing to do with the book but man are these advertisements on highlighted words the most annoying thing ever**
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July 23, 2012I read promising reviews and I really, really wanted to read and like this book.
But after 308 pages I gave up. The story is good but I felt separated from the main characters. And without a certain connection to characters I can't enjoy a book.
As I did not finish the book I can't rate the book. Therefore I gave no stars.
But after 308 pages I gave up. The story is good but I felt separated from the main characters. And without a certain connection to characters I can't enjoy a book.
As I did not finish the book I can't rate the book. Therefore I gave no stars.
September 12, 2010
Second time through this book. Ran into it while cleaning op my old room and remembered loving it. I've read a lot of other books since and this one still ranks up there with some of the best fantasy I've ever read.
This is fantasy but is very light on the magic. Lots of action and political intrigue in a non-modern world. Just my style. On to book 2.
November 5, 2012
The Tyrants & Kings trilogy are not like any other fantasy series that I have ever read. Most authors write about good versus evil & you know what side you are rooting for. This series brings you each side's story. One minute you are on one side, hoping they will win, the next you are on the other side. I can't wait to read more of John Marco's books.
September 18, 2007
Good book, you never know what's going to happen or who's going to die with this author. Makes for interesting reading! All of the characters seem to have real emotions with the bad guys having feelings and obsessions while even the good guys have some very real-seeming "evil" moments.
March 13, 2009
Marco's debut book, and what a debut! Following the story of Richius Vantras, the Kalak, or Jackel. An epic blend of sorcery, military, and science, that kept me reading, and unable to put the book down!
February 20, 2012
this series of books is awesome i would recommend them to anyone
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June 8, 2015I tried, really tried; much more than it deserved.
April 2, 2023
I came into the genre unknowing of what I would find. I found a masterpiece. Honestly this was an amazing books and I have high hopes for the rest of the series. The entire book was very action packed even when you were in a lull you were still getting information that would come in handy later. The character switches took some time to get use to but after a few chapters you got use to how it worked.
This book follows Richius Vantran a prince of the kingdom of Aramoor a province of the empire of Nar. Richius was given the name of The Jackal by his enemies. He was a valent soldier who fought for the cause he believed in. Though he did not believe in the emperor's true cause. Richius falls in love with a Trinn maiden. A woman betrothed to the sorcerer in charge of the enemies of Nar but instead the leader of Luc-Lore. The story of all these people is intense. There is a constant line of death on all sides including characters you grow to like. You get to learn the politics of the wars. The truth behind the leadership and iron circle of Nar. You learn about the leadership and warlords of Luc-Lore. Each one having a very detailed political system that worked so differently. Each country having a detailed background. You get a constant stream of storyline, history, battles, and anything else you can hope for in a military fantasy. Then of course the main story is also the love of Richius for Dyana the Trinn maiden. He falls for his lust and lays with her and she bares his child. It's a wrench into the plans of all the characters in charge though not everyone knows about it. It's generally a surprise to some of the characters and the child is looked down upon because she is half Narrian and Dyana is looked at as a whore for laying with someone who's not her husband and before being wed.
Overall everything is great and there's no way for me to tell enough about this book. I only hope to not be disappointed on the continuation of this journey.
This book follows Richius Vantran a prince of the kingdom of Aramoor a province of the empire of Nar. Richius was given the name of The Jackal by his enemies. He was a valent soldier who fought for the cause he believed in. Though he did not believe in the emperor's true cause. Richius falls in love with a Trinn maiden. A woman betrothed to the sorcerer in charge of the enemies of Nar but instead the leader of Luc-Lore. The story of all these people is intense. There is a constant line of death on all sides including characters you grow to like. You get to learn the politics of the wars. The truth behind the leadership and iron circle of Nar. You learn about the leadership and warlords of Luc-Lore. Each one having a very detailed political system that worked so differently. Each country having a detailed background. You get a constant stream of storyline, history, battles, and anything else you can hope for in a military fantasy. Then of course the main story is also the love of Richius for Dyana the Trinn maiden. He falls for his lust and lays with her and she bares his child. It's a wrench into the plans of all the characters in charge though not everyone knows about it. It's generally a surprise to some of the characters and the child is looked down upon because she is half Narrian and Dyana is looked at as a whore for laying with someone who's not her husband and before being wed.
Overall everything is great and there's no way for me to tell enough about this book. I only hope to not be disappointed on the continuation of this journey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2011
Tea: Why yes, I believe a half cup will do for now
Overall a good solid intriguing read with some flaws that prevented it being great.
Another author I had never heard of or read before (this is his debut novel). Definitely an adventure fantasy series, with a few twists and turns along the way.
Nice start to the story, being thrust right into the middle of the action where the main character is fighting a war. I enjoyed the journal entries from the main character too (another reluctant hero) and would have enjoyed more of them. I also enjoyed the variety of characters presented in the story, kept things interesting where otherwise I might have put down the book and stopped reading.
Some romance in the story, which was a little weak for me, I attribute the weakness to the characters foundational development. As was some parts of the magic presented, and the Emperor I felt could have been a lot stronger as a character.
Good enough though for me to pick up the next book in the series.
Tyrants and Kings
The first book The Jackal of Nar (Tyrants and Kings, Book 1) had some flaws, overall it was still an enjoyable read. It follows a young man who becomes ruler of his land at the death of his father, only to be tasked by the Emperor himself with an almost impossible job.
The Grand Design (Tyrants and Kings, Book 2)
The Saints of the Sword : Book Three of Tyrants and Kings
Kindle: Not yet
Overall Rating: 3/5
Time Period: Unknown
Heat: Tepid
Main Character: Richius (aka Jackal)
Species: Humans, non-human mythic creatures
Subjects: Adventure, Magic, politics, war
Overall a good solid intriguing read with some flaws that prevented it being great.
Another author I had never heard of or read before (this is his debut novel). Definitely an adventure fantasy series, with a few twists and turns along the way.
Nice start to the story, being thrust right into the middle of the action where the main character is fighting a war. I enjoyed the journal entries from the main character too (another reluctant hero) and would have enjoyed more of them. I also enjoyed the variety of characters presented in the story, kept things interesting where otherwise I might have put down the book and stopped reading.
Some romance in the story, which was a little weak for me, I attribute the weakness to the characters foundational development. As was some parts of the magic presented, and the Emperor I felt could have been a lot stronger as a character.
Good enough though for me to pick up the next book in the series.
Tyrants and Kings
The first book The Jackal of Nar (Tyrants and Kings, Book 1) had some flaws, overall it was still an enjoyable read. It follows a young man who becomes ruler of his land at the death of his father, only to be tasked by the Emperor himself with an almost impossible job.
The Grand Design (Tyrants and Kings, Book 2)
The Saints of the Sword : Book Three of Tyrants and Kings
Kindle: Not yet
Overall Rating: 3/5
Time Period: Unknown
Heat: Tepid
Main Character: Richius (aka Jackal)
Species: Humans, non-human mythic creatures
Subjects: Adventure, Magic, politics, war
September 19, 2021
This book feels like the author read the game of thrones books and then learned all the wrong lessons from them. His characters make dramatic allegiance changes, but on an emotional dime, he kills off key characters, but a. before they are able to do anything that makes you care about them or b. After their usefulness to the main plot has run out. And finally, he has a complicated world with major empires built upon tenuous and frayed allegiances, but that never actually gets in the way of anything and the plot needs roll right over any established distrust. By far the biggest problem though is that he tells you characters are one way and then they consistently act another. The whole book you’re being told the hero is a good guy and a strong warrior when all that ever happens is that he makes morally repugnant decisions and loses fights. We’re told the bad guys are maybe worthy of empathy but they literally just do the most evil thing they can most of the time. The dissonance between what he says about the characters and world and how they actually act is genuinely upsetting and also every story plot reveal is painfully obvious. That being said, stories are hard to write and long stories are really hard, and beside some seriously problematic character arcs, it’s a decently told epic.
March 30, 2025
Résumé maison: Le prince Richius Vantran, dit Le Chacal de Nar, est au cœur d'une vaste entreprise politique mené par le roi d'un petit pays, Biagio, un séduisant et brillant seigneur. À travers les conflits aux frontières, ses responsabilités princières et la belle Dyanna, qui porte contre son grès sa fille Shany, Richius semble devenir un pantin entre les mains secrètes de l'ennemi. Car Biagio n'est pas homme à se laisser barrer la route dans ses grands projets.
Trilogie lu au secondaire, j'avais bien aimé cet univers qui amalgame la technologie des romans de science-fiction et l'impérialisme guerrier des romans de fantasy. J'avais particulièrement aimé l'antagoniste de cette histoire, qui est fin stratège, bien élevé, érudit et guay, loin de la brute maléfique en capuche noire, quoi! Richius, le personnage principal, est un prince naïf et même parfois maladroit, ce qui est aussi inusité, mais somme toute différent. Cette série fut lue un peu après la série interminable de "Chevalier d'Emeraude", une saga terriblement ennuyeuse peuplé de personnages stéréotypés à souhait. C,est pourquoi "Des tyrans et des Rois" m'est apparue aussi rafraichissante. Aujourd'hui, je constate qu'il existe des meilleurs série fantasy, mais cette série m'a fait un bon moment.
Catégorisation: Roman science-fiction/Fantasy états-uniens, littérature adulte
Note: 7/10
Trilogie lu au secondaire, j'avais bien aimé cet univers qui amalgame la technologie des romans de science-fiction et l'impérialisme guerrier des romans de fantasy. J'avais particulièrement aimé l'antagoniste de cette histoire, qui est fin stratège, bien élevé, érudit et guay, loin de la brute maléfique en capuche noire, quoi! Richius, le personnage principal, est un prince naïf et même parfois maladroit, ce qui est aussi inusité, mais somme toute différent. Cette série fut lue un peu après la série interminable de "Chevalier d'Emeraude", une saga terriblement ennuyeuse peuplé de personnages stéréotypés à souhait. C,est pourquoi "Des tyrans et des Rois" m'est apparue aussi rafraichissante. Aujourd'hui, je constate qu'il existe des meilleurs série fantasy, mais cette série m'a fait un bon moment.
Catégorisation: Roman science-fiction/Fantasy états-uniens, littérature adulte
Note: 7/10
March 4, 2018
I had this book on my "To Read" list for the longest time, then finally found all three books in the series at Goodwill for a buck each. It was put on my radar by a friend for its classification as "military fantasy." But mostly it's a standard fantasy with one of the most unlikable main characters ever who's embroiled in an incomprehensible love triangle. The brightest spot of the novel is the tribal culture of the enemies then turned allies, the Trinn, but it's so underdeveloped because of the writer's need to follow around the aforementioned flat and deplorable main character. On top of it all is the writer's bland writing style. It reads like a computer wrote it. So glad to be done with this novel so I can sell it and the rest of the series to Half-Priced Books.
January 11, 2009
I really enjoyed this book. For this being John Marco's first novel, I was very impress. I totally enjoyed it. It was very visual and I could imagine myself there. I was kind of bummed that some of the characters were killed off so quickly, because I would have liked to gotten to know them better. But all and all a very good read. Mostly military fantasy, a little bit of magic and a made up creature or two. But it was mainly about one man's struggles and where his loyalties lie, epic love and finding one's place in the world.
August 3, 2011
This is a great book of Fantasy. Marco poses the question "Despite oaths of allegiance, how long can you serve evil masters?" Always an interesting subject to explore.
This may be one of the only works of fictional fantasy that I can think of that has been written that also explores concepts of racism, interracial relationships, cultural and religious differences and how they can or can't be reconciled. I recommend this series without reservations. It may not be the best work of fiction, but it is far, far, far from the worst.
This may be one of the only works of fictional fantasy that I can think of that has been written that also explores concepts of racism, interracial relationships, cultural and religious differences and how they can or can't be reconciled. I recommend this series without reservations. It may not be the best work of fiction, but it is far, far, far from the worst.
November 14, 2012
I have read this book a few time and if you like the fantasy genre it is a great story.
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