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Juggler's Blade

Rob Ross (Goodreads Author)

4.33 · Rating details · 12 ratings · 9 reviews

What if the gift of magic marked you as damned?

Ian is a young juggler apprenticed to his uncle, until he develops powers that brand him Accursed. Hunted by the immortal Heralds, he is taken underground by other Accursed with the ability to manipulate the forces of shadow, motion, cold and even gravity itself. Forced to live as a thief, Ian learns to harness his blasphemous ...more

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Published June 2013 by A Few Good Books Publishing

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Sep 06, 2013 Noor Jahangir rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

If I was to say that Juggler's Blade is like Push (movie starring Chris Evans)crossed with The Lies of Locke Lamora, I would mean only that the plot resonates with those two works. Ross's Juggler's Blade features a bunch of people who have ESP (extra-sensory perception), that have been graced with simple tags such as Prod, Press, Chill and Shade to describe their powers, who have gone underground and live in groups of 4 (each person in the group possessing one of the above powers), because they If I was to say that Juggler's Blade is like Push (movie starring Chris Evans)crossed with The Lies of Locke Lamora, I would mean only that the plot resonates with those two works. Ross's Juggler's Blade features a bunch of people who have ESP (extra-sensory perception), that have been graced with simple tags such as Prod, Press, Chill and Shade to describe their powers, who have gone underground and live in groups of 4 (each person in the group possessing one of the above powers), because they are being hunted by a small group of immortals known as the Heralds. If they are caught, they are forced to wear a collar that turns them into mindless slaves (as in the Sword of the Truth series by Terry Goodkind). They are known as the Accursed and the reason for their persecution is that there use of their abilities is somehow attracting lich-like creatures from the wastes.
What drew me to this book was that it explores the superhero mythos in a fantasy world, which resonates with my own Godsend story, and also the fact that the protagonist and his kind in principal are actually the bad guys, i.e. the Accursed use shadows as their source of power, their use of powers is drawing evil creatures that will wipe out humanity, and they live underground and steal from law-abiding citizens. The Heralds on the other hand have protected humanity for over a thousand years from both the undead and from being preyed upon by the Accursed, and the Heralds use light.
The story begins with Ian, a Juggler, who travels from inn to inn with his showman uncle, eking our an existence, until one night Ian unconsciously uses a previously latent ability to prod a skittle back into play. This use of power attracts the attention of Jolland, an old friend of Ian's mother and a D'Natai (the actual name for the Accursed) who has dedicated her life to finding other D'Natai and putting them into hiding so that they can survive and learn to use their powers; and also attracts Isidore, a Herald whose job it is to hunt down the D'Natai. As Jolland helps them escape, the Herald catches up with them and slays Ian's uncle. Jolland then takes Ian to the Capitol and places him with a cell of other D'natai known as the Spiders. Ian quickly learns that life in hiding is a lot more difficult than being a travelling showman. He also learns that Della, the leader of his pack, has something in common with him; the desire for revenge. Ian conspires with Della to strike back at the Heralds, only to discover a terrible secret that has been lost to the world for over a thousand years.
Characterisation is one of the strong points of this book, as Ross quickly establishes the personalities and foibles of the Spiders. However, I was a little under-inspired by the mundane name of main protagonist. Ian (not Iain, Eon, or even Eeyain) seems to have drawn the short straw with names, as even his pack mates have been given more memorable names. Overall the sentence structure is weak and poor formatting of the epub version makes this stand out even more. There is also a lot of info-dumping (i.e. telling instead of showing) and poor transitions between viewpoint characters. There seems to be an apparent lack of professional editing in this book and that has scuppered this book's chances of standing a cut above the masses of poorly written books, which is a shame as the world-building is good (except for one shameless reference to an item that appears in the Da Vinci Code) and the overall plot isn't bad either. It is for the latter two qualities that I have awarded the two stars out of five to this book. ...more

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Aug 01, 2013 Natasja Hellenthal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Great read with the potential to become an Epic Fantasy!

I can seen this becoming a film as well, it was that visual with very well fleshed out characters, each with their own background stories and motives and good flowing dialogue.
The cover, however not the author's fault, didn't do much for me personally and especially after finishing the book think it lets the novel down. It doesn't make people interested and does not capture or justify the inside; the excellent story.
This book is about so m ...more

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Jul 14, 2013 P.J. Wetzel rated it it was amazing

Ian is a young showman with a special gift. Yes, he is an accomplished juggler, but that's not the gift to which I refer. The gift that makes him special is telekinesis--the ability to use his mind to make things move. Ian is not yet aware of his gift, but it puts him in grave danger. It makes him `D'Natai'--Accursed--a target of the Heralds, immortals who are able to fly and wield enormous power through the use of a mineral known as dianthium. The Heralds want nothing more than to suppress and Ian is a young showman with a special gift. Yes, he is an accomplished juggler, but that's not the gift to which I refer. The gift that makes him special is telekinesis--the ability to use his mind to make things move. Ian is not yet aware of his gift, but it puts him in grave danger. It makes him `D'Natai'--Accursed--a target of the Heralds, immortals who are able to fly and wield enormous power through the use of a mineral known as dianthium. The Heralds want nothing more than to suppress and control all who possess such gifts as Ian's.

Opposing the Heralds are experienced free D'Natai such as Jolland, a friend of Ian's family, who roams the land rescuing young Accursed before the Heralds and their henchmen the Wardens get to them. Jolland maintains an underground network of `Packs' of her charges, and when Ian first unwittingly displays his gift, it is Jolland who manages to rescue him even as the Wardens are closing in.

Therein begins the tale. Ian is whisked away to a `Pack' of D'Natai living underground in the sewers of the capital city of Lodric. He is brutally hazed and trained in his skills by Della, the cynical and headstrong pack leader. Though Jolland's goal is merely to allow the D'Natai to survive and remain out of the hands of Lodric's ruling Heralds, Della wants more. She wants revenge. And she recruits Ian to help her.

`Juggler's Blade' is a fast paced fantasy tale of suspense and intrigue. Rob Ross builds the story gradually, exposing the reader to the rich and elaborate fantasy world he has constructed and to the story arc. The four fellow members of Ian's pack are all very different characters, and Ross is deft at developing their personalities. And though the writing style is sometimes wooden, occasionally clichéd, the plot grabs your interest from the start and keeps it as the tension builds. By half-way through the book I didn't want to put it down.

`Jugglers Blade,' published as an e-book only, is the first of Ross's `Juggler Trilogy'. I heartily recommend it, and look forward to reading the second and third installments.

Disclosure: The author provided a free copy for review.
...more

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Mar 26, 2014 Lauren S. rated it it was amazing

I don't read a lot of fantasy, but this book held - no, gripped - my attention from start to finish. I found it easy to be transported to this other world, even with its complex mythology and ranging environments. I enjoyed the characters - even the unlikeable villains were still mesmerizing and charismatic. The plot played out like a movie, and I could see this adapted to the big screen.

The book was a quick read. It is one of a trilogy. My only complaint is that given the length of the book, a ...more

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Dec 15, 2013 Doug Norton rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans

I don’t often read fantasy novels but I’m glad I read this one. The opening chapter pulled me in with its action and hints of more ahead, and the plot raced along, spiced by several sub-plots. But the book offers more than plot: Rob Ross has given his readers interesting characters on both sides of the Good/Evil divide that he creates. I hope to learn something new about the real world from each novel I read, and as it sped along Juggler’s Blade gave me fascinating glimpses into the juggler’s ar ...more

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Aug 18, 2013 Newton Love rated it it was amazing

Shelves: newtonlove

Juggler's Blade is a strong coming-of-age tale of honor against all odds. A young boy/man, Ian, has lost his parents, so his uncle took him under wing, teaching Ian to be a master juggler and showman. Ian and his uncle discover that Ian is also the one of The Accursed, people with the ability to manipulate the forces of shadow, motion, cold and even gravity itself.

The Uncle dies protecting Ian from the immortal Heralds, a small group of Accursed who discovered centuries earlier that they can col ...more

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Apr 02, 2014 Terra Snider rated it it was amazing

This fantasy adventure, the first in a trilogy, follows a “pack” of “Accursed” teenagers as they thieve and connive their way through streets and sewers to save themselves from immortal rulers intent on controlling them. The book’s hero, young Ian, has joined this pack, after spending his youth apprenticed to his magician uncle as a juggler. Much like Harry Potter, Ian has his life suddenly overturned when he discovers that he has magical powers and is whisked into a hitherto hidden world to be ...more

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Nov 27, 2013 Cindy Young-Turner rated it it was amazing

Juggler’s Blade had me hooked from beginning to end. When young juggler and showman Ian discovers he is one of the Accursed, the name for those who possess magical powers, everything he believes about himself and the world he lives in changes in an instant. Rob Ross has written a richly detailed coming of age fantasy that has some humor, adventure, and some very poignant scenes as well. The characters are well drawn, especially Ian and a couple of the other members of his Pack, a small group of ...more

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Jan 10, 2015 Camille Carter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Juggler’s Blade is a fantastic fantasy novel. It is filled with intrigue, adventure, and page-turning events. I was transported to this other world easily and happily. It has a multifaceted mythos and environments, but that just added to the reading pleasure for me.

The characters are complex and really in depth. I really felt for the main character, as well for the other characters in the world. Even the villains were interesting and unique.

This is a really quick and easy read, and the firs ...more

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