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Jaran #3
His Conquering Sword
Following the events of An Earthly Crown, the jaran conquest of Rhui intensifies as rebel hearts simmer with conflicting loyalties
Across Rhui, the jaran have been taking over towns and bending all non-jaran to the law of their rule. With Ilya Bakhtiian in charge, the nomadic fighters are now preparing an assault on the royal city of Karkand. But within the campaign, another struggle looms. Ilya’s wife, Tess, is not from Rhui, but from Earth, and her brother, Charles, is a duke of the empire that includes Rhui, even though he once instigated a rebellion against it. Still driven by thoughts of a human revolt, Charles travels to Rhui for key information about the past, hoping to bring back his sister—his only heir. Does she want to passively abide by either man’s plan for her, though, and is any challenge to the ancient and mighty Chapalii realistic?
His Conquering Sword is the third volume of the Novels of the Jaran, which begins with Jaran and An Earthly Crown and concludes with The Law of Becoming.
Across Rhui, the jaran have been taking over towns and bending all non-jaran to the law of their rule. With Ilya Bakhtiian in charge, the nomadic fighters are now preparing an assault on the royal city of Karkand. But within the campaign, another struggle looms. Ilya’s wife, Tess, is not from Rhui, but from Earth, and her brother, Charles, is a duke of the empire that includes Rhui, even though he once instigated a rebellion against it. Still driven by thoughts of a human revolt, Charles travels to Rhui for key information about the past, hoping to bring back his sister—his only heir. Does she want to passively abide by either man’s plan for her, though, and is any challenge to the ancient and mighty Chapalii realistic?
His Conquering Sword is the third volume of the Novels of the Jaran, which begins with Jaran and An Earthly Crown and concludes with The Law of Becoming.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1993
25 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Kate Elliott
108 books2,889 followersAs a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 20, 2017
I don't know if I know how to discuss it without spoilers... It was a really strong volume, with some amazing worldbuilding and strong character arcs. All the same, after a great middle, the book sort of peters out for me, and then jumps over several important developments to deliver the ending. That didn't quite work for me, and neither did Vasil's arc, or Anatoly's. It would have been a four-star book otherwise, but the POV choice for the ending and its abruptness ruined it a little, for me.
It's interesting how strange Jiroannes is, stuck here. It's almost like he and everything connected to him is really from Crossroads universe, transplanted into Jaran.
(I love Nadine so much. I wish half of the book was about her.)
It's interesting how strange Jiroannes is, stuck here. It's almost like he and everything connected to him is really from Crossroads universe, transplanted into Jaran.
(I love Nadine so much. I wish half of the book was about her.)
May 21, 2017
The series continues to go in the right direction for me. In this part, choices both personal and political begin to have consequences, and the point of view characters mostly come across as both interesting and sympathetic, even when they're deeply flawed and do seriously objectionable things. That takes skillful writing, and I really appreciate the breadth of perspective the story gains by it.
I also really appreciated that the love stories now aren't all as straightforward and happy in their resolution as Tess and Illya's romance was (and still is) - there is a lot of bittersweetness, a lot of good intentions with messy results, and while my heart aches for some of the characters, it also gets me incredibly engaged in how their lives will turn out.
But it's still strange and uncomfortable - and will probably never not be strange and uncomfortable for me - to deal with characters who not only kill in battle, but commit wholesale slaughter and destroy entire cities for no other reason than that they believe they have a right to do so. Every time I'm reminded that pretty much everyone I'm rooting for casually accepts that it's okay to conquer and destroy because of one man's divine inspiration (and another's long-term strategic planning), I have to kind of pause and put that all aside to move on with the plot. Because it's hard to justify what the jaran do in their war of conquest, and harder yet to understand why the non-jaran characters get behind the unification by force without more insight into what's really going on back on alien-ruled Earth.
I also really appreciated that the love stories now aren't all as straightforward and happy in their resolution as Tess and Illya's romance was (and still is) - there is a lot of bittersweetness, a lot of good intentions with messy results, and while my heart aches for some of the characters, it also gets me incredibly engaged in how their lives will turn out.
But it's still strange and uncomfortable - and will probably never not be strange and uncomfortable for me - to deal with characters who not only kill in battle, but commit wholesale slaughter and destroy entire cities for no other reason than that they believe they have a right to do so. Every time I'm reminded that pretty much everyone I'm rooting for casually accepts that it's okay to conquer and destroy because of one man's divine inspiration (and another's long-term strategic planning), I have to kind of pause and put that all aside to move on with the plot. Because it's hard to justify what the jaran do in their war of conquest, and harder yet to understand why the non-jaran characters get behind the unification by force without more insight into what's really going on back on alien-ruled Earth.
February 18, 2022
Our heroes continue sowing wanton destruction, death and suffering wherever they go. But hey, at least they don't rape, and there is some potential for a dubious greater good to come out if it, so it's the other side who are uncivilized, right? Right?! And occasionally some of the main cast feel sad for the victims, so that makes it fine. /s
By the time Ilya orders a big city to be razed to the ground just because he experienced unrelated emotional pain in its vicinity, I finally decided I couldn't care less who lives, who dies and what happens to any of them.
The smartest thought from this book is expressed by David, something like: "Maybe we are better off with Chapalii after all."
It's likely that the author simply wanted to make an objective study of human nature and cultural differences through a story, rather than being on anybody's side, but it doesn't really come across that way, neither is it engaging to read.
So not reading further. One star for my pleasure in reading, another one because the author writing skill is otherwise really good, especially considering these are her early works.
By the time Ilya orders a big city to be razed to the ground just because he experienced unrelated emotional pain in its vicinity, I finally decided I couldn't care less who lives, who dies and what happens to any of them.
The smartest thought from this book is expressed by David, something like: "Maybe we are better off with Chapalii after all."
It's likely that the author simply wanted to make an objective study of human nature and cultural differences through a story, rather than being on anybody's side, but it doesn't really come across that way, neither is it engaging to read.
So not reading further. One star for my pleasure in reading, another one because the author writing skill is otherwise really good, especially considering these are her early works.
June 9, 2014
I would give this an extra half star if the facility were available.
It's a decent book. Like its prequel, it has lots of characters to follow, which lessens it overall for me, though some might enjoy this ensemble approach. It gives a good conclusion to the prequel, but i still don't know why they were split into two books when it is clearly one story. Also, it felt a third of the book was just the story ending with not much happening i. The space of 18months. Overall the two books were disappointingly not as good as the opening Jaran.
That being said, I enjoyed the read, and will undoubtedly read the next instalment, so I can't slate it altogether! I did enjoy some of the new characters - Aleksi, David ben Unbuntu and Nadine being some favourites.
It's a decent book. Like its prequel, it has lots of characters to follow, which lessens it overall for me, though some might enjoy this ensemble approach. It gives a good conclusion to the prequel, but i still don't know why they were split into two books when it is clearly one story. Also, it felt a third of the book was just the story ending with not much happening i. The space of 18months. Overall the two books were disappointingly not as good as the opening Jaran.
That being said, I enjoyed the read, and will undoubtedly read the next instalment, so I can't slate it altogether! I did enjoy some of the new characters - Aleksi, David ben Unbuntu and Nadine being some favourites.
January 24, 2024
The Jaran, led by Ilya Bakhtiian, continue to conquer the khaja lands. Charles Sorensen and his party, along with the Bharentous Repertory Company, continue along with them. There are several momentous, life-changing incidents that happen in this book that will change everyone individually, as well as Rhui and the Jaran, in unforeseen ways.
January 14, 2024
I thought I read this when I was 20 but even though the setting was the same as I remembered, the plot was completely different so who knows! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This book wraps up the story that begins in the previous book in the series, although there's still plenty to explore in the world. Most of this series explores relationships between different and alien cultures in a human, nomadic tribe, war setting. It's somewhat unfocused and all over the place but also somehow engaging and definitely thought provoking.
Note: trigger warnings in this one for difficulties in child birth.
This book wraps up the story that begins in the previous book in the series, although there's still plenty to explore in the world. Most of this series explores relationships between different and alien cultures in a human, nomadic tribe, war setting. It's somewhat unfocused and all over the place but also somehow engaging and definitely thought provoking.
Note: trigger warnings in this one for difficulties in child birth.
July 29, 2023
This continued and concluded the story from the second book well. The ending trailed off with a lot waiting to be told, but it felt like a more intentional conclusion than the previous book. Even moreso than the other two, this one left me wanting to keep reading: at this point I'm so invested in some of the characters that I really want to see how the setup from the end of this plays out.
March 3, 2018
I don’t find the Earth characters very compelling. Their hand-wringing over the interdiction while seemingly helpless to keep themselves from increasing the Jaran’s access to technology was simultaneously boring and the most realistic part. This series needed better editing for pace.
Read
October 23, 2025As the jaran tribes prepare to subjugate the royal city of Karkand, their leader, Ilya Bakhtiian, must deal with an important domestic issue and make peace with his wife and her brother. By the author of An Earthly Crown. Original.
December 19, 2017
This series keeps getting gayer as it goes along, which I am infinitely here for.
June 30, 2018
Really intriguing ethical arguments in this one. Sad parts that are very human and realistic. An easy read, as always!
June 7, 2019
I have passed on to book #4.
Read
January 10, 2021 i got confused by the side story about one of the ambassadors, but otherwise enjoyed this book
August 7, 2017
Action packed - and you could happily end the series here. So much fighting in this one reduced my overall enjoyment.
April 14, 2014
More epic SF about the Jaran (nomadic horse people on the planet Rhui) and the technologically advanced Earthlings (who are trying to infiltrate Rhuian culture without revealing their own off-planet identities) and the inscrutably alien Chapelli (against whom the Earthlings are rebelling and of whom the Jaran remain officially ignorant).
It's a big meaty book about culture clashes on lots of different levels, and it's as good as the previous two books (Jaran and An Earthly Crown). My favorite subplot was about the Jaran prince and the Earthling actress that he spontaneously marries. Neither has any idea of what the marriage entails, and they just can't communicate on a fundamental level, and disaster is clearly waiting in the wings...yet they just keep obstinately plugging along, unable and unwilling to perceive separation as the most merciful course. It's alternately sweet and wrenching; their concluding scene has all the external trappings of a fairy-tale ending and the internal dynamic of a hard punch to the gut.
It's a big meaty book about culture clashes on lots of different levels, and it's as good as the previous two books (Jaran and An Earthly Crown). My favorite subplot was about the Jaran prince and the Earthling actress that he spontaneously marries. Neither has any idea of what the marriage entails, and they just can't communicate on a fundamental level, and disaster is clearly waiting in the wings...yet they just keep obstinately plugging along, unable and unwilling to perceive separation as the most merciful course. It's alternately sweet and wrenching; their concluding scene has all the external trappings of a fairy-tale ending and the internal dynamic of a hard punch to the gut.
February 23, 2014
Really a single story with An Earthly Crown - my cross-posted thoughts:
This is massively epic SF(F?) compared to the first book - the story has expanded massively in scope and implications compared to JARAN, which was very much Tess/Ilya’s story. It’s really a single story split across two books (An Earthly Crown being Part 1), and I spent a week or so happily buried in its pages.
This is massively epic SF(F?) compared to the first book - the story has expanded massively in scope and implications compared to JARAN, which was very much Tess/Ilya’s story. It’s really a single story split across two books (An Earthly Crown being Part 1), and I spent a week or so happily buried in its pages.
November 7, 2016
This series continues to be good.
But I have a nag.
Spoilers.
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If Dr. Hierakis knows that interbreeding between Earthers and Rhuians is likely to cause the mother's death, why is she not telling all the Earthers about this? The actors are sleeping around, David is sleeping with Nadine, Diana is sleeping with Anatoly... There is absolutely no reason for this information to not be disseminated to everyone. Also, it sounds like women have some type of long-term contraceptive (Tess mentions a contraceptive patch on her arm), but men don't seem to have something similar. Why?
But I have a nag.
Spoilers.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
If Dr. Hierakis knows that interbreeding between Earthers and Rhuians is likely to cause the mother's death, why is she not telling all the Earthers about this? The actors are sleeping around, David is sleeping with Nadine, Diana is sleeping with Anatoly... There is absolutely no reason for this information to not be disseminated to everyone. Also, it sounds like women have some type of long-term contraceptive (Tess mentions a contraceptive patch on her arm), but men don't seem to have something similar. Why?
April 19, 2022
I read this book for the second time. The first time was almost 10 years ago and man can I say it got better with time. Likely cause I am more mature reader but I love Kate Elliotts writing. Her imagery of the plains and the deep characterization she creates for the Jaran and all the characters is commendable. You will fall in love with the tribes. This is a more of a character driven story then plot I would say. The battle scenes drives the story though out the book but the characters is what makes this one of favorite books.
October 4, 2022
3 stars when I first read it in the '90s, closer to 4 stars now.
Tess is torn between her brother and her husband, her life with the jaran and expectations beyond Rhui, and the knowledge that some hard decisions lay ahead of her. How can she stay? Equally, how can she not? How long can Charles leave her to live with the jaran? Beyond even that, what's the impact of her presence - and how has she changed them already?
Tess is torn between her brother and her husband, her life with the jaran and expectations beyond Rhui, and the knowledge that some hard decisions lay ahead of her. How can she stay? Equally, how can she not? How long can Charles leave her to live with the jaran? Beyond even that, what's the impact of her presence - and how has she changed them already?
August 29, 2013
I am really enjoying this series. The writing is excellant and so is the charter development. I like the juxtapisition of pre-tech society and aliens and space faring society. The story line did not evolve too much in this book, but set the stage for the next one.
May 10, 2012
The follow ups to Jaran weren't as well read. Sigh.
September 2, 2013
It's no Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series but good enough for a summer read.
February 18, 2014
I'm way too lazy to review complicated sci-fi with such highs and lows it'll give you whiplash, but I will say that this title sounds like terrible porn.
October 6, 2014
The previous volume of this series seemed to be all set-up, so I thought surely something of substance would happen in this one, but no.
This is why I never started the Wheel of Time books.
This is why I never started the Wheel of Time books.
March 14, 2015
This is where the series started to lose me. While it's always interesting to have many different perspectives I wanted more of Tess and Ilya and less of the younger generation.
February 10, 2016
Such a great series!
September 19, 2024
October 2024 - reread via audio. Hard to stop listening even when I know what is coming!
September 6, 2013
Jaran #3
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews