What do you think?
Rate this book
Emberverse #9
Lord of Mountains
Rudi Mackenize, now Artos the First, High King of Montival, and his allies have won several key battles against the Church Universal and Triumphant. But still the war rages on, taking countless lives, ravaging the land once known as the United States of America. Artos and his Queen, Mathilda, must unite the realms into a single kingdom to ensure a lasting peace.
If the leaders of the Changed world are to accept Artos as their ruler, he will need to undertake a quest to the Lake at the Heart of the Mountains, and take part in a crowning ceremony—a ceremony binding him to his people, his ancestors, and his land.
Then, once he has secured his place and allegiances, Artos can go forward, and lead his forces to the heart of the enemy’s territory…
If the leaders of the Changed world are to accept Artos as their ruler, he will need to undertake a quest to the Lake at the Heart of the Mountains, and take part in a crowning ceremony—a ceremony binding him to his people, his ancestors, and his land.
Then, once he has secured his place and allegiances, Artos can go forward, and lead his forces to the heart of the enemy’s territory…
448 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
115 people are currently reading
1418 people want to read
About the author
S.M. Stirling
170 books1,653 followersStephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. Stirling is probably best known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent time travel/alternate history Nantucket series and Emberverse series.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
September 2, 2013
Once I walked my puppy through a Fiesta Market parking lot, and she found a tortilla on the ground. It had been run over several times; maybe that made it even more delicious. Thereafter, every time we passed Fiesta Market, that dog checked the tortilla spot.
I read each installment of the Emberverse series for much the same reason. The first few books were so fun. The new ones are clogged with backstory and are probably generated via Emberverse Mad Libs, fleshed out by an intern living in S. M. Stirling's basement.
But maybe next book, the tortilla will be there again. I'd better check.
I read each installment of the Emberverse series for much the same reason. The first few books were so fun. The new ones are clogged with backstory and are probably generated via Emberverse Mad Libs, fleshed out by an intern living in S. M. Stirling's basement.
But maybe next book, the tortilla will be there again. I'd better check.
October 7, 2012
The ninth book of the series and I really felt that this was written just to extend the series. There was no real major character development or changes, the plot wasn't substantially advanced, and there really wasn't any world building of any kind as well. I wonder if Stirling added this in at the behest of the publisher because it really seems to be a three chapter story stretched into a 300+ page novel. I know he added to the series length when for years he said he would write the ending by now. I expect the success created some opportunities to extend the series, but now I have some trepidation that it may not end as well as I thought it might. So if your a fan of the series don't see a real need to rush and get this story. Pretty forgettable in my opinion.
Pithy review - skip
Pithy review - skip
December 24, 2012
Arrrrggh. That's my review in a nutshell.
This is book number 9 in this series, book 6 in the Rudi-centered series. It is entirely masturbatory on Stirling's part, gah. A minimum of four times he told me that Eric and Signe are fraternal twins in their mid-forties. Yes, yes. I know. Because I read the first 8 books in which Signe and Eric are main characters- and oddly enough, they were twins in all those books too.
Mostly what happens in this book is that each character from the earlier books walks on, recounts his or her entire backstory, and walks off. There is a battle, but most of the battle scenes involve two characters meeting, recounting their backstories, and waving a sword around.
There is no reason for this book. For all it advances the series, it could easily be a chapter or two in the previous book.
But I will continue to read these, I think. I'm too invested in the characters to stop. I just wish Stirling would wrap it up already.
This is book number 9 in this series, book 6 in the Rudi-centered series. It is entirely masturbatory on Stirling's part, gah. A minimum of four times he told me that Eric and Signe are fraternal twins in their mid-forties. Yes, yes. I know. Because I read the first 8 books in which Signe and Eric are main characters- and oddly enough, they were twins in all those books too.
Mostly what happens in this book is that each character from the earlier books walks on, recounts his or her entire backstory, and walks off. There is a battle, but most of the battle scenes involve two characters meeting, recounting their backstories, and waving a sword around.
There is no reason for this book. For all it advances the series, it could easily be a chapter or two in the previous book.
But I will continue to read these, I think. I'm too invested in the characters to stop. I just wish Stirling would wrap it up already.
October 2, 2012
These books are not getting any better. The author seems to have taken a cue from songs of ice and fire and become much more descriptive about food, dress environments etc. the problem is, it's just not that interesting. It feels like added drivel in order to stretch out the series to god knows what end. But I, the faithful reader will soldier on. I am too invested in the outcome and want to know how it ends. Lets be real though, it's not like they are going to lose. I jut want to know how they win.
October 13, 2012
SPOILERS.....
I couldn't wait to read it but by the end I just wished it would have concluded the story. The wonderful characters seemed to make cameo appearances with Stirling mostly reminding us who they were rather than developing them more. There's a large battle but not much resolution and by the end I felt like I was reading more of a travelogue than the story I began nine(?) installments ago. This lacked much of the tension and daring exploits of earlier books. Besides Rudi's horse, all the main characters survive and although there are war casualties most are unknown to us and the battle is won surprisingly easily. I kept expecting some sinister comeback. Rudi seemed to steamroll over the enemy and I was sure the tide of battle would ebb and flow but we never saw that. Maybe that suspense and excitement is for the next book but I wanted it right away.
Fans of detailed world building may appreciate this one more. So much happened in the earlier books that time has come to a stop waiting for all the characters to catch up. Previous books threw characters into a new world and made them scramble for survival, this chapter let's them start mapping the world and plan for its future. I can see numerous spin offs and a never ending story. In many ways I would be satisfied with this ending.
I couldn't wait to read it but by the end I just wished it would have concluded the story. The wonderful characters seemed to make cameo appearances with Stirling mostly reminding us who they were rather than developing them more. There's a large battle but not much resolution and by the end I felt like I was reading more of a travelogue than the story I began nine(?) installments ago. This lacked much of the tension and daring exploits of earlier books. Besides Rudi's horse, all the main characters survive and although there are war casualties most are unknown to us and the battle is won surprisingly easily. I kept expecting some sinister comeback. Rudi seemed to steamroll over the enemy and I was sure the tide of battle would ebb and flow but we never saw that. Maybe that suspense and excitement is for the next book but I wanted it right away.
Fans of detailed world building may appreciate this one more. So much happened in the earlier books that time has come to a stop waiting for all the characters to catch up. Previous books threw characters into a new world and made them scramble for survival, this chapter let's them start mapping the world and plan for its future. I can see numerous spin offs and a never ending story. In many ways I would be satisfied with this ending.
January 4, 2013
Damn you, S.M. Stirling! You're like that charming boy who always stands a girl up on dates but then comes by with the best apology and the sexy smile and the girl winds up accepting him back, even though she knows it's going to break her heart again.
Why no, I have no experience of this at all.
*Ahem*, the reason I use that analogy is that Stirling's Emberverse is fascinating. The first six books were highly entertaining and interesting, especially to me the medievalist. I mean, the High Middle Ages filtered through Ren faires in Oregon? Sure, I'm there. But the past couple of books have been so...uneventful. And then this comes along, and surely, surely this time there will be BATTLES and HAPPENINGS, right?
Erm. I actually almost didn't make it through this one, which is shocking, but pretty much nothing interesting happens until halfway through the freaking thing. I mean, there are some moments of fun character development, but it's been enough time since I read the last book that I have no freaking idea who the characters are anymore, which Stirling must realize since about a third of the story is poorly disguised references to who's married to whom and why that's important via the other books. I felt like I was drowning in backstory and universe-rebuilding and sheer schoolboy fascination in all of the weaponry stuff he's researched. I'm glad you know more about medieval warfare, but I do that for a living. If I wanted to know the minutiae of the machinery, I'd go read the actual chronicles that describe them.
But then, in the middle or so of the book, things Start Happening. Then there's this great bloody battle (which kind of took me off-guard, to be honest, and I have no real idea what it accomplished because the confrontation we're all waiting for literally got held off by a dash, which was EPICALLY FRUSTRATING). Then there's some more stuff about the craziness of the Sword of the Lady and its powers, which was actually pretty fascinating but again, kind of out of the blue. And now we're at the end, and *spoiler alert* the CUT is still out there, Sethaz still hasn't been dealt with, and we're still waiting for the clash set up two or three books ago.
COME ON, STIRLING. I'M NOT GOING TO ACCEPT YOUR FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATE TOO MANY MORE TIMES. I mean, I'll find some willpower somewhere. Maybe by revisiting my relationship with Stephen R. Lawhead. He may not have as flashy a car, but he's pretty reliable.
Why no, I have no experience of this at all.
*Ahem*, the reason I use that analogy is that Stirling's Emberverse is fascinating. The first six books were highly entertaining and interesting, especially to me the medievalist. I mean, the High Middle Ages filtered through Ren faires in Oregon? Sure, I'm there. But the past couple of books have been so...uneventful. And then this comes along, and surely, surely this time there will be BATTLES and HAPPENINGS, right?
Erm. I actually almost didn't make it through this one, which is shocking, but pretty much nothing interesting happens until halfway through the freaking thing. I mean, there are some moments of fun character development, but it's been enough time since I read the last book that I have no freaking idea who the characters are anymore, which Stirling must realize since about a third of the story is poorly disguised references to who's married to whom and why that's important via the other books. I felt like I was drowning in backstory and universe-rebuilding and sheer schoolboy fascination in all of the weaponry stuff he's researched. I'm glad you know more about medieval warfare, but I do that for a living. If I wanted to know the minutiae of the machinery, I'd go read the actual chronicles that describe them.
But then, in the middle or so of the book, things Start Happening. Then there's this great bloody battle (which kind of took me off-guard, to be honest, and I have no real idea what it accomplished because the confrontation we're all waiting for literally got held off by a dash, which was EPICALLY FRUSTRATING). Then there's some more stuff about the craziness of the Sword of the Lady and its powers, which was actually pretty fascinating but again, kind of out of the blue. And now we're at the end, and *spoiler alert* the CUT is still out there, Sethaz still hasn't been dealt with, and we're still waiting for the clash set up two or three books ago.
COME ON, STIRLING. I'M NOT GOING TO ACCEPT YOUR FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATE TOO MANY MORE TIMES. I mean, I'll find some willpower somewhere. Maybe by revisiting my relationship with Stephen R. Lawhead. He may not have as flashy a car, but he's pretty reliable.
December 17, 2012
This book, like the rest of the later part of the Emberverse series, seems to suffer from a serious identity crisis.
For the first few novels after Dies the Fire, you can tell that S. M. Stirling had a strict purpose- that is, to outline how communities and governments would grow out of a world without power. And, honestly, those books are incredibly entertaining; the growth of towns, cultures, and religions in the ruins of the old world make for an excellent read. However, at a certain point, Stirling attempts to move the stories forward to focus on the CAUSES of the worldwide blackout, rather than the effects, and it's there that the story suffers.
It isn't that lacks good points, of course. The battle scenes are well written, and while not my favorite, a specific sequence of divine intervention in the later part of the book was definitely interesting. And, honestly, some of the characters that have been around since the first book are as entertaining now as they were then, if not moreso. There were some bright spots here and there.
Yet.. It seems as if Stirling is attempting to find a direction for his story, and in doing so, is sort of tossing quite a bit at the wall to see what sticks. New side characters are given additional prominence at the expense of established characters, major events fly by quickly and with minimal fanfare, and the cast of characters swells to almost maddening levels of complexity across a span of locations and cultures. The pacing seems to lack the normal rhythm, and the climax of the story comes and goes somewhat too soon, leaving several chapters to focus on character homecomings, despite the fact that the overarching story is not yet at a close. A lot seems out of place, and it honestly becomes hard to read in certain sections.
If I had to give advice to a new reader, it would be to pick up the first three books in the Emberverse series- Dies the Fire, The Protector's War, and A Meeting at Corvallis are all entertaining reads with focused, interesting stories and settings. Beyond that, I can't really recommend the other novels that follow. They're too different- practically a complete shift in the genre- and seem to lack the heart the original trilogy possessed.
For the first few novels after Dies the Fire, you can tell that S. M. Stirling had a strict purpose- that is, to outline how communities and governments would grow out of a world without power. And, honestly, those books are incredibly entertaining; the growth of towns, cultures, and religions in the ruins of the old world make for an excellent read. However, at a certain point, Stirling attempts to move the stories forward to focus on the CAUSES of the worldwide blackout, rather than the effects, and it's there that the story suffers.
It isn't that lacks good points, of course. The battle scenes are well written, and while not my favorite, a specific sequence of divine intervention in the later part of the book was definitely interesting. And, honestly, some of the characters that have been around since the first book are as entertaining now as they were then, if not moreso. There were some bright spots here and there.
Yet.. It seems as if Stirling is attempting to find a direction for his story, and in doing so, is sort of tossing quite a bit at the wall to see what sticks. New side characters are given additional prominence at the expense of established characters, major events fly by quickly and with minimal fanfare, and the cast of characters swells to almost maddening levels of complexity across a span of locations and cultures. The pacing seems to lack the normal rhythm, and the climax of the story comes and goes somewhat too soon, leaving several chapters to focus on character homecomings, despite the fact that the overarching story is not yet at a close. A lot seems out of place, and it honestly becomes hard to read in certain sections.
If I had to give advice to a new reader, it would be to pick up the first three books in the Emberverse series- Dies the Fire, The Protector's War, and A Meeting at Corvallis are all entertaining reads with focused, interesting stories and settings. Beyond that, I can't really recommend the other novels that follow. They're too different- practically a complete shift in the genre- and seem to lack the heart the original trilogy possessed.
September 17, 2012
When I read the first novel of the Change Dies the Fire I couldn't put it down. The plot was exciting, the characters were vibrant and I appreciated the sympathetic treatment of Wicca. The sense of wonder and real worldbuilding has continued throughout the series (this is book #9) but the most recent books, The Tears of the Sun and Lord of Mountains have bogged down.
In previous books Rudi Mackenzie and a growing group of friends and companions travelled from the west coast (the region formerly known as Oregon) to Nantucket where Rudi received the Sword of the Lady and then returned to defend their home against the Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) lead by the prophet Sethaz. The blurb on the inside of the book cover makes it sound as though the focus of this book will be the unification of the new high kingdom of Montival and a new quest by Rudi, now known as high king Artos, but the first 200+ pages of Lord of Mountains tell of the preparation for and actual fighting of a major battle. The follow-up trip to the Lake at the Heart of the Mountains doesn't start until after page 240. (The book is only 326 pages.)
Most of the characters in this book were drawn flatly, depending more on the descriptions from previous books than on anything new here. Most of the women were only seen in passing. I was especially disappointed that Mathilda, Rudi's wife, didn't have more of a role of her own. There were some good scenes with her during the visions she experienced at the lake but not in her actual time.
This book was better than Tears of the Sun.
In previous books Rudi Mackenzie and a growing group of friends and companions travelled from the west coast (the region formerly known as Oregon) to Nantucket where Rudi received the Sword of the Lady and then returned to defend their home against the Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) lead by the prophet Sethaz. The blurb on the inside of the book cover makes it sound as though the focus of this book will be the unification of the new high kingdom of Montival and a new quest by Rudi, now known as high king Artos, but the first 200+ pages of Lord of Mountains tell of the preparation for and actual fighting of a major battle. The follow-up trip to the Lake at the Heart of the Mountains doesn't start until after page 240. (The book is only 326 pages.)
Most of the characters in this book were drawn flatly, depending more on the descriptions from previous books than on anything new here. Most of the women were only seen in passing. I was especially disappointed that Mathilda, Rudi's wife, didn't have more of a role of her own. There were some good scenes with her during the visions she experienced at the lake but not in her actual time.
This book was better than Tears of the Sun.
September 9, 2012
I've been a long-time reader of this series and have enjoyed every one. In the latest book "Lord of Mountains" the author goes to painstaking detail in describing the practical challenges facing the new generation of post Change heroes.
This book seemed to be just a little different from his prior work. In the previous novels he pays great attention to detail of what we take as mundane tasks, such as baking, brewing, carving, and similar skills and turns the act of making a loaf of bread into a mini-drama. There were not nearly as many songs, dances and other verse he is so fond of.
The details of a grand battle between "good" and "evil" are depicted in remarkable detail as well. I very much enjoyed that aspect of the work.
I think my biggest issue with "Lord of the Mountains" is that the overall "super plot" is starting to get muddled and overly complex. The first several books in the series were about the practical realities of living in a dramatically Changed world. Afterwards, the next generation of protags became the "stars" of the series and as well-defined, interesting characters they work well. But more and more supernatural elements are starting to pop up. And there was an entire chapter in this book involving time-travel, trans-temporal sendings and other heady stuff which I felt brought the entire momentum to a grinding halt.
I certainly hope the next work concludes with the utter destruction of the primary antagonists. Fans of the series have been reading for at least four or five books about how "bad" the CUT is. We get it. Now have our heroes do something about it.
That being said, SM Stirling is still an "insta-buy" author for me. : )
This book seemed to be just a little different from his prior work. In the previous novels he pays great attention to detail of what we take as mundane tasks, such as baking, brewing, carving, and similar skills and turns the act of making a loaf of bread into a mini-drama. There were not nearly as many songs, dances and other verse he is so fond of.
The details of a grand battle between "good" and "evil" are depicted in remarkable detail as well. I very much enjoyed that aspect of the work.
I think my biggest issue with "Lord of the Mountains" is that the overall "super plot" is starting to get muddled and overly complex. The first several books in the series were about the practical realities of living in a dramatically Changed world. Afterwards, the next generation of protags became the "stars" of the series and as well-defined, interesting characters they work well. But more and more supernatural elements are starting to pop up. And there was an entire chapter in this book involving time-travel, trans-temporal sendings and other heady stuff which I felt brought the entire momentum to a grinding halt.
I certainly hope the next work concludes with the utter destruction of the primary antagonists. Fans of the series have been reading for at least four or five books about how "bad" the CUT is. We get it. Now have our heroes do something about it.
That being said, SM Stirling is still an "insta-buy" author for me. : )
September 27, 2012
The thing I love about S.M. Stirling is that every September a new Emberverse novel comes out like clockwork. I wish GRR Martin would take note of this.
If you haven't read the original Emberverse trilogy (starting with Dies the Fire) or the current series (starting with The Sunrise Lands) you'll want to read those way before this one. This is your last chance to avoid spoilers.
There aren't any real epiphanies in Lord of the Mountains--if you enjoy the series you'll quickly tear through this section of the tale of Rudi McKenzie, King Artos of the kingdom of Montival and the large cast of characters built up over the previous ten or so books. There is a huge battle with the forces of the Church Universal and Triumphant with kind of a weak conclusion. Much more interesting is the third act where Rudy and his wife Mathilda experience the past and future of the kingdom they are currently founding.
Ever since the original trilogy Stirling has focused on theme of the King who sacrifices himself for his people and his land - Rudi's father Mike Havel's death at the conclusion of the original trilogy cemented this and from the first book in the newer series we know that Rudi will not die as an old man in bed. Stirling is skilled at measuring out just enough plot to keep me hooked and I look forward to seeing where the series will end. I just wonder if we will end up with yet another Emberverse series centered around Orleath, the daughter of Rudi and Mathilda.
All in all a solid continuation of the series and I'm already looking forward to next September.
If you haven't read the original Emberverse trilogy (starting with Dies the Fire) or the current series (starting with The Sunrise Lands) you'll want to read those way before this one. This is your last chance to avoid spoilers.
There aren't any real epiphanies in Lord of the Mountains--if you enjoy the series you'll quickly tear through this section of the tale of Rudi McKenzie, King Artos of the kingdom of Montival and the large cast of characters built up over the previous ten or so books. There is a huge battle with the forces of the Church Universal and Triumphant with kind of a weak conclusion. Much more interesting is the third act where Rudy and his wife Mathilda experience the past and future of the kingdom they are currently founding.
Ever since the original trilogy Stirling has focused on theme of the King who sacrifices himself for his people and his land - Rudi's father Mike Havel's death at the conclusion of the original trilogy cemented this and from the first book in the newer series we know that Rudi will not die as an old man in bed. Stirling is skilled at measuring out just enough plot to keep me hooked and I look forward to seeing where the series will end. I just wonder if we will end up with yet another Emberverse series centered around Orleath, the daughter of Rudi and Mathilda.
All in all a solid continuation of the series and I'm already looking forward to next September.
September 26, 2012
I loved this series when it started but it has lost most of it's charm. I find myself reading each new book almost as if I have to. I can no longer connect with the characters and I really don't care what happens to them. The science fiction aspects of the story have been taken over by the fantasy elements, to the detriment of the story.
May 20, 2018
Lord, o lord...So, this is what happens when I try to see what other people are reading...I’ve never really been a fantasy reader. And let’s face it, whatever else Stirling thinks he’s doing with these books, it’s just an elaborate excuse to write fantasy books. I try to read just a little of this one, and the writing is just...atrocious.
Admittedly, it’s fairly late in the series, but that has nothing to do with it. The writing is the writing, and the writing is bad, regardless of whether it’s the ninth or first in a series. It’s the kind of parody you get from someone who thinks they know what writing looks like, and it’ll always appeal to readers who think they know what writing looks like: the nonsense where description explains everything, seems to be the whole reason the thing exists at all. No, stupid, it’s the storytelling.
And Stirling definitely doesn’t have storytelling going for him. The idea behind the series is familiar enough: what if for whatever reason all modern technology stops working? In Stirling’s imagination, it...randomly and conveniently looks like classic fantasy, the pseudo-renaissance fair nonsense (no offense to fans of renaissance fairs) that middling writers have been exploiting in and around material Tolkien, Lewis, and even Martin have generated for the genre over the years. At least Rowling plunders the legacy of King Arthur and Merlin in the real world. But without even the magic, all Stirling has is his feeble renaissance fair, weakly justified for having arisen in the popular imagination of the Katrina wake, where environmental and social alarmists first rang their apocalyptic bell.
And the saddest part? That Stirling envisioned his world thusly: the technology goes dark in 1998. This book takes place in...2025. And already the renaissance fair is old.
And people take this seriously???
Take not offense, fans of this material, for I have mocked the efforts of greater talent. I abhor Cormac McCarthy’s much-celebrated The Road. I even ridiculed T.C. Boyle’s A Friend of the Earth. McCarthy, so readers of The Road may not have been aware, wrote of the old west in much the same way (Blood Meridian), and more convincingly, but objectively we know that however entertaining his old west may have been, it could not possibly have been that apocalyptic in real life, since our real history emerges from it.
I much prefer, for this sort of thing, Stephen King’s The Stand, which not only benefits from building on King’s bonafide credentials but presents a convincing portrait of a fallen world struggling to rebuild, even if there are magical forces manipulating it along the way. The Stand is a masterpiece, but all the more when contrasted with the likes of so little imagination. And laughably, it emerges from the mind that also produced The Mist, which some dumb saps I came across when trying to decide how anyone takes Stirling’s vision seriously could possibly exist, ended up referencing...And, well, they do. One guy negatively reflected on the ending of the Keanu Reeves Day the Earth Stood Still by evoking Stirling and his vision. And hey, let me show you a TV show about “doomsday preppers,” dude, and you tell me how credible you think you are...Anyway, so someone brings up the ending to the movie version of The Mist in the comments, and thereafter everyone agrees that The Mist is too nihilistic to be taken seriously. And they’re too...clever? Of far too discerning taste and insight?
So I cast such nonsense aside, and hope to avoid such lapses of judgment in future...
Hey! But maybe, just maybe in seven years or so we really can have a nonsensical renaissance fair society! I know at least one guy who would relish the idea. And I’m not thinking of S.M. Stirling. I don’t really care what he thinks, thankee.
Admittedly, it’s fairly late in the series, but that has nothing to do with it. The writing is the writing, and the writing is bad, regardless of whether it’s the ninth or first in a series. It’s the kind of parody you get from someone who thinks they know what writing looks like, and it’ll always appeal to readers who think they know what writing looks like: the nonsense where description explains everything, seems to be the whole reason the thing exists at all. No, stupid, it’s the storytelling.
And Stirling definitely doesn’t have storytelling going for him. The idea behind the series is familiar enough: what if for whatever reason all modern technology stops working? In Stirling’s imagination, it...randomly and conveniently looks like classic fantasy, the pseudo-renaissance fair nonsense (no offense to fans of renaissance fairs) that middling writers have been exploiting in and around material Tolkien, Lewis, and even Martin have generated for the genre over the years. At least Rowling plunders the legacy of King Arthur and Merlin in the real world. But without even the magic, all Stirling has is his feeble renaissance fair, weakly justified for having arisen in the popular imagination of the Katrina wake, where environmental and social alarmists first rang their apocalyptic bell.
And the saddest part? That Stirling envisioned his world thusly: the technology goes dark in 1998. This book takes place in...2025. And already the renaissance fair is old.
And people take this seriously???
Take not offense, fans of this material, for I have mocked the efforts of greater talent. I abhor Cormac McCarthy’s much-celebrated The Road. I even ridiculed T.C. Boyle’s A Friend of the Earth. McCarthy, so readers of The Road may not have been aware, wrote of the old west in much the same way (Blood Meridian), and more convincingly, but objectively we know that however entertaining his old west may have been, it could not possibly have been that apocalyptic in real life, since our real history emerges from it.
I much prefer, for this sort of thing, Stephen King’s The Stand, which not only benefits from building on King’s bonafide credentials but presents a convincing portrait of a fallen world struggling to rebuild, even if there are magical forces manipulating it along the way. The Stand is a masterpiece, but all the more when contrasted with the likes of so little imagination. And laughably, it emerges from the mind that also produced The Mist, which some dumb saps I came across when trying to decide how anyone takes Stirling’s vision seriously could possibly exist, ended up referencing...And, well, they do. One guy negatively reflected on the ending of the Keanu Reeves Day the Earth Stood Still by evoking Stirling and his vision. And hey, let me show you a TV show about “doomsday preppers,” dude, and you tell me how credible you think you are...Anyway, so someone brings up the ending to the movie version of The Mist in the comments, and thereafter everyone agrees that The Mist is too nihilistic to be taken seriously. And they’re too...clever? Of far too discerning taste and insight?
So I cast such nonsense aside, and hope to avoid such lapses of judgment in future...
Hey! But maybe, just maybe in seven years or so we really can have a nonsensical renaissance fair society! I know at least one guy who would relish the idea. And I’m not thinking of S.M. Stirling. I don’t really care what he thinks, thankee.
September 24, 2012
You know how a football game lasts 3 hours and then all the post game coverage is even longer sometimes? That's a bit how this book feels, the first half is a "murthering great battle". Just one battle, mind you. The second half is post-battle reactions. I don't want to say nothing happens in the second half of the book, because some of the revelations are quite significant in setting up further books in the series, but it almost feels that way at times. Fortunately, Stirling is constitutionally incapable of producing 800 page doorstops that fail to either advance the plot or reveal anything new about the characters, this book is blessedly short and does move things along. Still, the book ends up rather oddly paced, something of an inversion of how such books are normally constructed and that keeps it out of four star territory.
November 7, 2012
I cannot wait for this book to come out. I have read the entire series more than once. I have always compaired it a King Author and the round table type quest. What a story!!
I finally had the chance to pick this one up at the bookstore. ( Work is very overrated) So far I am really enjoying it. One of my favarite charactors has died, but that is be expected.
I finished this one earlier today. Things are starting to come together for Rudi and his allies. It is more and more a Round Table Quest.
I finally had the chance to pick this one up at the bookstore. ( Work is very overrated) So far I am really enjoying it. One of my favarite charactors has died, but that is be expected.
I finished this one earlier today. Things are starting to come together for Rudi and his allies. It is more and more a Round Table Quest.
October 7, 2012
Was looking forward to the next installment of this series which started out so strong, but was disappointed. It seems as thought the author was either tired of the storyline himself or was rushing the job because it really seemed as though he "phoned it in". I saw the word cote-hardie so many times I felt like I was in some medieval version of Project Runway.
September 21, 2012
This is the worst book in the entire series. It just felt hurried through and it turned out to be kind of anticlimactic. Still, I enjoy being immersed in this tale - I just hope S.M. Stirling goes back to the basics!
September 26, 2012
I have story-itis or I would have stopped reading these a year ago. Oh my god. . . finish the story. And if it can't be finished? At least close this arc. I want to be done for ever and ever and ever.
September 8, 2012
I love most of his books....but this was a waste of time and money and an insult to his followers.
October 2, 2012
OK...a battle though not THE battle...mystic visions and then... and then... and then
September 7, 2017
True that this series is mostly a Lord of the Rings/GOT mix rather than a story of learning to live without machines. This installment was ok, but it could have ended about 50 pages earlier.
February 21, 2018
I'm going back, re-reading the Emberverse novels after the first three, to see if I like them better. Sadly, this one is as I remember it-- a lot of filler, a really lot of battle action (which I find hard to keep straight), and did I mention, a lot of filler? The whole hippy dippy "vision" sequence, which takes up an inordinate number of pages, is not only really bad but doesn't really move the plot. Speaking of which, it appears that this is the novel where Stirling just totally gives up on the main plot-- the expected confrontation of Rudi and his nemesis has to wait for the next two books. If Stirling was so sick of these characters you would think he would have taken the opportunity to close out the series (or at least this part) with the good vs evil confrontation. I also have much less affinity for the "youngster" generation, who seem largely insufferable, than I did for the characters in the first three novels. Oh well, I have two more to re-read, but I think its downhill from here. And subterranean, if you count the current books, which are totally terrible.
March 22, 2013
This book has a serious case of Robert Jordanism - and I say that as a true fan of the Wheel of Time series. This book was so frustrating that it is the first time I have refused to finish a book in about a decade. Friends of mine will know my theory - you have to read bad books (watch bad movies, listen to bad music) to appreciate the good. I will read almost anything but this book actually made me mad. If I have to listen to one more subplot character tell me how evil Norman Arminger was or how the High King got his position or how awesome Odard was, I think I will shoot the book. No character development, plot that could have been told in three chapters and enough descriptions of riveted armor and bath scents to make Jordan's penchant for embroidery look quaint.
Soooooo disappointing after such a great start to the series. Maybe the author was deflated by the TV show Revolution stealing his ideas.
Soooooo disappointing after such a great start to the series. Maybe the author was deflated by the TV show Revolution stealing his ideas.
June 14, 2016
He spent a quarter to a third of the book (on Hoopla audio it is hard to judge) just bringing everyone back to their homes after the battle and talking about what a terrible battle it was and what they hoped to do when the war was finished.
The mystic "high king and high queen" being blessed by the land and the Powers in their role as rulers took over an hour (of a 13 hour book) alone. I was bored out of my skull and only completed it because I've read so many of the series at this point.
At this point, as long as I have other audio books queued up to listen to while I drive, I will be taking a long break from this series. My interest in the story or characters isn't enough to make dealing with this level of marking time interesting.
The mystic "high king and high queen" being blessed by the land and the Powers in their role as rulers took over an hour (of a 13 hour book) alone. I was bored out of my skull and only completed it because I've read so many of the series at this point.
At this point, as long as I have other audio books queued up to listen to while I drive, I will be taking a long break from this series. My interest in the story or characters isn't enough to make dealing with this level of marking time interesting.
November 26, 2012
(spoilers)
This series began with such promise but the excitement has ebbed out of the series since the fourth book onward, The pacing of Lord of Mountains is all wrong, the promise of a large battle is a huge let down, characters appear and disappear. There's a a lot of padding and details that don't seem to contribute much to this tale. On one hand I have to admire the depth that Stirling goes into with some of his characters and the world building, however the sad news is that he appears to have set this story up for another sequel(s). Based upon this book I'm officially done with this run-on epic, file under Robert Jordan revisited.
This series began with such promise but the excitement has ebbed out of the series since the fourth book onward, The pacing of Lord of Mountains is all wrong, the promise of a large battle is a huge let down, characters appear and disappear. There's a a lot of padding and details that don't seem to contribute much to this tale. On one hand I have to admire the depth that Stirling goes into with some of his characters and the world building, however the sad news is that he appears to have set this story up for another sequel(s). Based upon this book I'm officially done with this run-on epic, file under Robert Jordan revisited.
December 23, 2015
I liked it, but it felt more like the last chapter of the previous book with an extended afterword. That being said it was an interesting structure for the book to begin with a climactic battle that spans the first half of the book. I suspect that I would have been happier with this book if I had read it immediately following reading the previous volume instead of a year later. This may have more to do with publishing limitations/conventions than the authors intent. Anyway anyone who has enjoyed the series this far will likely enjoy this book aswell (especially if it is read directly after "Tears of the Sun".
December 8, 2013
Incredibly boring. I waited a good long time to read this, and I could've waited longer. I actually fast-forwarded my reading through the first half without missing a thing because it was mostly historical recap. One of the reviewers said he could live with this as a last novel in the series, and I completely agree. We're left with a nice picture of each family unit (the only reason it got a 3 from me instead of a 2), a glimpse into the future for Rudi and Matti, and an overall sense that good will win its battle over evil. I won't be reading any further.
November 21, 2013
First successful battle of new Montival Kingdom against CUT/Boise alliance, not really anything surprising. Other reviews have mentioned how it felt padded and it does. Way too much on the clothing, etc. and little plot development. The magic sword and underlying mysticism is pretty lame and feels like a cop-out the longer the series goes on and the glorification of feudal systems grates even more. Still want to see where he takes it, but I think this is going to feel like reading the last of the "Wheel of Time" series; more out of recognition of past interest than any true desire.
October 13, 2012
I have enjoyed this series, but this installment seems to be go nowhere in its development. Most of the book seems to be a recap of the main characters from previous books, and they come off looking flat. Long-time readers know who the characters are, they don't need to be reminded. Newer readers will likely be confused anyway, unless they go back to the first books in the series. Please move on with the story!
June 26, 2014
I read this (and will read the next and last for the same reason) due to momentum, I tend to have trouble letting go of stories I've gotten into. And while Stirlings first books, and the companion Nantucket books are engrossing. This one was decidedly not. Containing mostly descriptions and a bit of dialogue and action here and there. No real character progression, little plot progress. The previous book, this one and the next could just fine have been condensed into one book.
May 29, 2012
3.5
Back on track, solid pace, excellent hints of things to come with subtle references to past books. Appreciate the deft touch working the Other Wordliness, along with religious tolerance, viewpoints and perspectives.
Accepting the final trilogy is going to be shorter books, with a focus on state craft, war craft, topped with solid pieces of Other.
Back on track, solid pace, excellent hints of things to come with subtle references to past books. Appreciate the deft touch working the Other Wordliness, along with religious tolerance, viewpoints and perspectives.
Accepting the final trilogy is going to be shorter books, with a focus on state craft, war craft, topped with solid pieces of Other.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews