The Silver Crown

Guardians of the Flame #3

by Joel Rosenberg

paperback.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dragons, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy

302 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Note: This is a different person than the political/thriller author, Joel C. Rosenberg

Joel Rosenberg was the author of the bestselling Guardians of the Flame books as well as the D'Shai and Keepers of the Hidden Ways series. He made his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Reviews

[MrG LikesBooks&Booze · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story jumps forwards about five years, which was a little confusing at first. Especially with the prologue.
We see that there is more going on behind the scenes and in the past than we are aware of.
At first I was a little confused and unsure; however, it allows the larger plot that we see glimpses of to move forward. It also helps with a much better pacing than we had in the last novel.
I was a little disappointed with some of the choices the author made, and will be taking a break from this series, but will likely come back to books four and five out of curiosity of what that larger behind the scenes plot is. However, the in your face story is getting a little slow and stale, a bit of wash, rinse, repeat.
All in all, the book was okay, nothing to rave about, but not something to be upset or disgusted with either.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to re-read the Guardians of the Flame books and it was a mistake. This is another series I originally read as a teen or pre-teen, thanks to my dad's orders from the Science Fiction Book Club. We had two omnibus volumes, The Warriors and The Heroes and as a child, I really enjoyed their stories of American college students transported to a fantasy world. In my memory, it was like the Dungeons & Dragons Show but with more of a continuous plot.

Decades later, I read the first two and then halted about a third of the way through the third before I just couldn't continue. They are awful. Not awful in the "cheesy dumb fantasy" kind of way. More like, awful in the "increasingly morally offensive the more I read" kind of way.

Sexual assualt is a big plot element in these books, and it's handled in a not-great way [male authors: maybe never make this a plot point?]. But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems with these books.

No, the big problem is that the overarching plotline is an emerging guerilla war between our heroes [sic] and the slave-based economy of the fantasy world they've become trapped in. And the whole slavery edifice here is revealed to be just a narrative excuse allowing the books' main characters to engage in military tactics and oh so many ways to viciously kill a bunch of evil slavers.

Ok, sure, Rosenberg was trying to make a point here — that a medieval fantasy a la D&D or Middle Earth would not be glamorous or enjoyable. Medieval life was grim and brutal, he is clearly stressing. Hobbesian, you might say. And the good guys spend a lot of effort spreading modern technology and principles like "slavery is evil" in a transparent defense of stereotypical Western values like the Protestant work ethic and Enlightenment liberty.

But as I read one scene after another where the main characters planned and then executed careful plans to murder slavers, the whole premise fell apart piece by piece. This stuff is brutal. How many ways can you murder a slaver? And who the fuck are these slavers? They are generic bad guys who are evil by definition, and so the books seem to think it's fine if they are being constantly tortured and murdered. (Kind of like how terrorists in pop culture are generic evil characters.)

But nothing here makes any sense. The argument made by the characters runs like this: attacking slave caravans will make the cost of capturing new slaves rise exorbitantly and undermine the basis of the slave economy. So it's an economic argument. But, like, if you want to talk about economics. What is going on in this fantasy world?? There are zillions of slaves, slave markets, slave raids to capture more slaves, palaces full of slaves. It's slaves slaves slaves everywhere. Chattel slavery, with chains and everything. But what are the slaves doing? What do they eat? What possible advantage do they give to the slaveholders? These made-up slaves aren't laboring on farms or cotton fields or tobacco plantations or mines or whatever. Slavery here exists in order for slavers and slaveholders to be cruel and evil, so that the heroes can kill them with their cleverly-devised weaponry and military tactics.

I wouldn't go so far as to say slavery is off-limits in fantasy fiction. But it can't just be a window-dressing excuse for allowing characters to kill unrepentantly. There is a dark current running through these books that delights in the savagery, thrills to the development of new killing technologies, and is grateful for the evils of slavery so that there is still reason to keep on killing. It's sick and I wish I had never picked these books up again.

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of the series starts out with several years having passed since the previous volume. It's interesting to see how things have been developing for the characters and this world during that intervening time. I appreciate that Rosenberg is absolutely content to skip over the "slow" parts of a long-running story to keep the interest level pretty high.

All of that said: Man - this book brought a gut-punch in the form of a fan favorite's death. Major bummer!

I was a little miffed about how the story brought up the lingering background mystery of what's going on with Arta Myrdhyn, implying that this storyline might get fleshed out or moved forward, but there wasn't any helpful or useful information added. Instead, the reader is shown that there is more to Myrdhyn than Karl Cullinane may think; but that's about it. I don't mind a "long simmer" on a well-executed storyline, but this one has been slowly teased over three books, and there's still no real forward movement to it. Fortunately, there is enough happening in the book to keep the reader interested in the main events.

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The continuing story of the D&D party who got sucked into their game. Amusing, enjoyable, even when dealing with serious subjects - slavery, murder, identity, etc.

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll continue re-reading this series, but it doesn’t measure up to how it did in my memory. It’s interesting to see Rosenberg’s worldbuilding - this one skips ahead six or seven years to the point where the heroes’ free home base is well established, and we see a bit of the politics of all that plus some engineering advancements and, in turn, the fantasy world’s own reverse-engineering using magic (specifically gunpowder), which I thought was enjoyable.

But it’s pretty chauvinistic even for the ‘80s; the world itself seems to exist to serve the needs of the plot (the slave-based economy doesn’t make too much sense, and the plot development at the end of this novel was quite a stretch); and most of all, Karl Cullinane has become a pretty unlikeable character, not in a deliberate or interesting way but rather a way in which you can see unpleasant aspects of Rosenberg’s own mindset peeking through. There’s a scene in the second book in which he remonstrates with his apprentice for elbowing his adopted little sister, sternly telling him that professional warriors like themselves must never use even the mildest violence against those they protect; the sister raises that moment again in this book as evidence of Karl’s good character, so clearly Rosenberg considers that moment illustrative. Yet Karl quite regularly manhandles, threatens and intimidates those below him. There’s also a moment where he regards a former slave whose PTSD has left him permanently obsequious; Karl cannot understand how slave masters consider that attitude their due and even enjoy it, yet Karl himself clearly likes being in command and (noticeably) never explains his decisions or his line of thinking to his friends, instead telling them to shut up and obey his orders. I guess they’re in a paramilitary organisation, but it has a touch of Mary Sue about it, and for a series which is ostensibly about freedom and written by a self-professed libertarian, it all feels a bit off.

[Harry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up "The Silver Crown" after a book sale because nobody wanted to buy it ... and now I can see why. First of all, it has very little to do with a silver crown and nothing to do with "Guardians of the Flame." Having not read the first two books in this series, I had to figure out the back story by myself. A bit of background or introduction would have been helpful. Many reviewers liken this to a classic Dungeons & Dragons story. With all the elves, dwarves, wizards and mind-reading dragons, this book seems more out of the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien than a game board. Athough the protagonist, Karl Cullinane, comes from the Other Side and clearly knows of the modern world, there is no technology other than rudimentary guns and "healing draughts." While charasmatic, Culinane is a poor leader who leads his troops impetuously into battle without any strategy. There are 70+ characters to keep track of, many with unpronounceable names unless you speak Middle Earth. Thankfully there is a list of them at the beginning of the book, or else it would be impossible to keep track of them. Although there are some thrilling battle scenes, after a while you have to ask yourself, "Who cares?"

[Clint Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read The Silver Crown by Joel Rosenberg in my 20s, and recently, now in my 50s, I decided to revisit the Guardians of the Flame series. The first two books still hold up as engaging, exciting reads with a strong mix of adventure, danger, and the fresh twist of ordinary people thrown into a fantasy world.

This third installment, however, didn’t grip me the same way it once did. While Rosenberg’s writing remains solid, the story felt like it had lost some of the momentum and intrigue that made the earlier books so compelling. The characters and their struggles were still there, but the narrative seemed to flounder a little, and I didn’t find myself as drawn in as I had hoped.

Overall, it was still worth the read, but compared to the first two books, The Silver Crown fell a bit flat. It just didn’t carry the same spark or intensity I remembered from when I first discovered the series.

[A Critical Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

The series continues, and Rosenberg's skill at telling a story keeps improving. So far, this was the best of the three books. Not great, but fairly normal fare. I hesitate to say that I liked it, but it was definitely Okay, hence, another 2/5 stars. The book focuses almost entirely on the anti-slaver war, with some local politics thrown in; there are few to no surprises, and, from a 2022 point of view, very little originality. Still, if you're invested in the series, book 3 is an easy read - more of the same, essentially.

I'll probably continue the series, if only to find out what the Big Secret is all about. (Though frankly, judging by what I have read so far, it's either something really dumb because the author had not planned ahead, or it never gets resolved. Call it a coin toss between the two.)

[Jack Vinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book jumps ahead several years in the life of the characters and now is primarily centered around one of the party - Karl Cullinane - as he's the one around which the primary action is revolving in this book (and to a fairly large extent in the previous book).

I liked that the author jumped forward and basically told us that the action setup in book 2 has been moving along and expanding. Then this book takes it forward with a couple key activities as Karl Cullinane takes the fight to his enemies (slavers and the concept of slavery). Even when there is death amongst the hero's crew, it isn't gory detail - the effects are much more emotional / mental. Karl frequently feels guilty over the deaths of his fellow fighters.

Not sure if I'm going to read the rest of these.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the Guardians of the Flame series is more complex in character and plot than the previous two books, but I did not enjoy it as much. I preferred the lighter touch with an emphasis on the action. Karl and his allies continue their war on the slavers while striving to maintain the independence of Home. Unfortunately, these two disparate plot elements may have done better as separate novels (I expect the potential conflict between Home and the Elves will be dealt with in a later book).

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

[1997 review.] The third in the Guardian of the Flame series, about gamers turned real-life heroes in the game world. In this volume, Home is growing and so are the enemies of Home. Karl, hero,warrior, and adored, is leading the fight and finds himself in a battle against the slaver guild, who [which] has incited war between two small kingdoms to reap a plentiful supply of slaves. In the end, it is Karl who, to his chagrin, becomes the prince.

It’s a great series.

[Acidrazzor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series from my youth. It's been about 5 years since I last pulled out my copies of this series to read. I used to like reading it once or twice a year but with Audiobooks I've switched to working and reading and don't sit around as often reading. I hope one day I will find these as Audiobooks.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

My memory was that the first four books were all great, and things took a nosedive after that. But this one is actually where things start to go off the rails. Will continue on to #4 eventually.

[James Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book 3 times, the first being in my early teens, then again in my early 20s, and the lastest being in my late 40s.

[Joseph Conrad]

Still a good series after 2 or 3 readings

[Nate Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ewwwwww guns

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last book of the original trilogy I first read 40 years ago. Still a damn fine story. One of the original litrpgs. Read the first two first or you will be lost.

[James]

paperback.

[Ronnie Cross · Rating 2 out of 5]

An average book that has good dialogue. Story felt rushed.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of the three books in the “Guardians of the Flame” trilogy, this is the one I remember the least about. It was just two years since the publication of my favorite, The Sleeping Dragon, but I had more or less grown out of it in the interim. Or maybe the book just isn’t as good as the first one. It’s hard for me to be objective about it.

At this point, our D&D Gamers from the first book have grown up and settled in to their fantasy world, changing it as much as it has changed them. They are engaged in an out-and-out battle against slavery, and have set up a new society as a haven for former slaves, based on more or less democratic lines. They have to deal with some of the realities of running a free society in an un-free world, but also still involve themselves in the battle against the Slavers’ Guild beyond their own borders.

There’s still magic, and dragons, and adventure, and lovely moments of epiphany in this book, but it’s never worked for me all that well. One nit-picky annoyance is that there’s no map of the world at the beginning, so I constantly had to refer to the previous books to figure out where things were in relation to one another (for some reason, there’s a detailed map of one of the battle sites instead, which I never referred to). That probably wouldn’t annoy me if the book itself had worked better.

The problem, so far as I can see, is that the book changed somehow from being the conclusion of a trilogy to simply an installment in a series. The second book seemed very definitely to be the middle part, but somewhere along the line, this book failed to be a conclusion. As such, although a lot happens over its course, very little seems to get resolved. By the end, we’re stuck with the sense that no progress has been made and that we’re going to have to wait for the next book to find out anything. By then, I no longer cared.

Oddly, the scenes that stand out to me are the ones that concern relatively minor issues of family and personal decisions. I guess that may reflect the lowered stakes the book provides for its characters. Or, again, it just may be my personal lack of interest. What had been the best thing ever for me was now just a dull thud, but that’s what growing up looks like, a lot of the time

[Aelvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Karl's mission of bringing freedom to the slaves is going reasonably well. Home has prospered and is growing through the rough stages of democracy. The slavers aren't running away yet, but his efforts are definitely effective. But no good spell lasts forever: the slavers have gotten wizards to create their own version of guns. Armed with weapons far superior to any but Karl's, they're pushing to make up lost profit and take down Karl once and for all.

This time around, Karl's got more to worry about than getting an arrow in the back. Politics is every bit as dirty as warfare, and if he's not careful, will bring an end to his ideals just as quickly. Of course, that's not to say the action takes a back seat. The slavers are stepping up the game, with their guns and with a war to complicate matters.

Though the action is strong, the characterization is still weak. These are characters being built through the series, not particularly this book, and no one goes much beyond the surface. Even the fun in watching Karl is watching what he'll do---there's not much that's going to change. This makes the deaths that occur particularly unsatisfying, as the deceased felt like little more placeholders that got swapped out than people. The villains are still mostly evil slavers who don't care about human life (with a little more variety in the political enemies, who don't show up very much).

Overall this is worth reading as a continuation of the previous books, though still something I would hesitate to pick up alone as virtually nothing from the previous books is explained. The action and light characterization make it a quick read but a forgettable one. I rate this book Neutral.

[Tim Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The series is dated but fun. I'm not sure I'll finish the series, but for now, nostalgia is keeping me coming back. I do like the characters.

[John Teske · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review tempers my intial 5 star review from my youth with a bit of experience from amturity.

I continue to be shocked by the brutal violence, chauvanism, and other themes that first were manifest in the initial volume. I suppose I should not be; I had hoped that they might have dissapeared from this, the third installment in the series. As such, the physical violence, especially against women, is had to see, from any of the protagonists.

The story continues.

I realize that the novels themselves are snapshots in time of our culture, and now I see how much the culture has changed. While I still like the initial idea of players becoming their characters, being a gamer from 1981 onwards (and yes, this was many a late night discussion between myself and several of my fellow gamers, as we all read this series), well...gaming itself has changed as well.

Overall, still a read that represents the times, having some well-thought out tactics and political intrigue. Although worth reading at least once, I will be donating these and not planning to read again.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes this series different is that it's the anti-high fantasy. This is the third book in the series. In the very first, seven role-playing college students are transported to the world of their game as their alter egos. Those who survive stay and bring technology--and a crusade against slavery to their new home. I do often love sword and sorcery but you know what? The historical truth is that medieval societies suck. So hell yeah, I did adore the idea of those college kids from contemporary America messing with that world, trying to make it a better place. And I liked the characters--Karl, Walter, Lou, Ahira, Andrea--and the snarky dragon Ellegon. That makes this fantasy series different, and this book continued to give all the adventure of sword and sorcery while not pretending that kind of world couldn't use some shaking up.

[Flint · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books series started out as an ensemble of characters turned into real D&D players in a fictional fantasy world. They're still there but the ensemble is now a one man show with the other characters taking a backseat, and the whole D& D angle which was the complete focus of the first book seems to have been done away with; much like some bad plot device. While the books are entertaining and fast paced I often find that I have no real interest in the main character or any of the characters for that matter.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stick with the 1st book and call it good enough, the series gets weak after the 1st - REALLY weak. I give The Sleeping Dragon 5 stars, then each following book (2 & 3) only 3 stars. The first book condenses everything into a neat, if simple, package.


2 & 3 get overly moralistic, and the writing seems to be directed at people with a 5-6th grade education. Just WEAK. Plus, the whole "modern society folk try to modernize a primitive land" has been done so much better it makes me wish Rosenberg had not tried at all.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now I remember why I stopped reading this series with this book so many decades ago. I got tired of reading about the residents of the Other Side and I missed reading about the characters I got attached to in the first book. With a five year jump between books 2 and 3, we lost a lot of the "struggle" for our heroes adjusting to their new home, building their new community. And, more importantly, we're no closer to seeing any resolution with the two enemies that plague Karl and his allies. Really need to weigh if I am going to continue on the books I haven't read yet.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

And in my opinion this is where the series permanently descends to mediocrity. Superficially that is because this is when the two long term goals (freeing slave, modernizing tech) become diluted with additional and less interesting plots threads. Fundamentally it is because the author violated the trilogy rule.

Rule: Trilogy's should not be longer than three books.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book but the author instead of ending what purported to be a trilogy somehow extends the series. I hate that. But the guy knows how to keep you interested and his characters are fun and interesting

[Matthias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a basic Dungeons and Dragons book.
Though it is nice for the author to keep most his
characters over the course of 5 books and still continue
extended passages of that realm after the main bulk of
the story is done.