Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Telastrian Song (Society of the Sword, #3)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Telastrian Song

(Society of the Sword #3)

Duncan M. Hamilton (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 1,820 ratings · 55 reviews

The final part of the Society of the Sword Trilogy.

A remote farm and meagre crops are a far cry from Ostenheim and the life of a banneret, but they are not far enough. For Soren to be free of Amero, there is only one answer.

In Ostenheim, Duke Amero presides over a war-weary population and an empty treasury, but still he hungers for more.

An Intelligencier uncovers the distu ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for $5.99

Kindle Edition, 280 pages

Published June 2014

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Telastrian Song, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Telastrian Song

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.93 ·

Rating details

· 1,820 ratings · 55 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Telastrian Song (Society of the Sword, #3)

Oct 19, 2017 Soo rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, audiobook

3 Stars for Story, 3.5 Stars for Narration by Derek Perkins

Mini-Review:

I'm a bit disappointed by this book in the trilogy. It was not as cohesive as the first story and there was a lot of repetition of overused phrases to describe or state the obvious. It seemed like there was zero growth by the main character and suddenly there was a surplus of other POV's flooding the story in a manner that did nothing to truly add to it. Definitely felt like the story the author meant to tell was more convolu ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2018 Steve Naylor rated it liked it

Rating 3.5 stars

Overall this was a good trilogy. I think the author missed quite a few chances to make it great though. There were many things that happened throughout the series that were never fully developed. The magic system is one of them. While Soren did know more about the gift of grace at the end of the trilogy, he by no means had it figured out. There were too many things hinted at that were never fully developed. It also felt like there was a long buildup to a few confrontations in th ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2019 James Tomasino rated it it was ok

See my review of The Tattered Banner ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2018 Aaron Clarke rated it liked it

Lots of promise but a few things that let it down. The pacing is off, for me. It seems as if the plot is something to continually push through, and this is at the expense of any serious character development, barring the main protagonist. In fantasy there can definitely be a tendency to bloat books unnecessarily, but in this case, I think some attention to character development - particularly ancillary characters - would have made the impact of some of those plot points stronger. As it was, inte ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2017 Ruby rated it it was amazing

Enjoyable.

From beginning to end this book was enjoyable. I can see where other stories and series could branch off and am hopeful of that coming to fruition

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 22, 2018 Zoe rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction-fantasy, audiobook-audible, listened

Looking forward to more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 21, 2019 Himanshu Modi rated it it was ok

Series Review: The series started with a lot of promise. It does not quite hook you the way the best "series" do, where you know you are in for a long-winded adventure and even look forward to it. Still, the poor, wretched, underdog who is invariably going to master his domain and vanquish baddies is a theme that can have enough twists to be fun.

Unfortunately, the series plays out like a video game story, in which the hero is plodding on from one stage to the next till he reaches a boss fight w Series Review: The series started with a lot of promise. It does not quite hook you the way the best "series" do, where you know you are in for a long-winded adventure and even look forward to it. Still, the poor, wretched, underdog who is invariably going to master his domain and vanquish baddies is a theme that can have enough twists to be fun.

Unfortunately, the series plays out like a video game story, in which the hero is plodding on from one stage to the next till he reaches a boss fight with a lackluster story in between stages. The world-building is all right. I will grant Hamilton that. It's no Wheel of Time, but then neither is this series a 14000 page tome. For the scope and volume of the story, the world building is not bad, even if it's all feels a little dumbed down.

It's the story itself however - both the plot and the structure - that makes it a really, really boring read. First of all, Soren - the protagonist, the swashbuckling swordsman, is what he is because of a "Fount" which makes him as special as he is. That irritated me the same as it irritated me when Bourne legacy suggested Jason Bourne was what he was because of a pill. The "gift" that Soren had, would at least have been a useful device if there were more people who had it. In the whole of the series, there's only one random assassin dude who has it. So basically Soren was overpowered for every single fight that happens in the book. In some instances, he is so overpowered, that he kills people accidentally. Except for that one assassin, who gets killed with lesser difficulty than a subsequent assassin who doesn't have the gift. That second assassin was more difficult to kill because apparently Soren was out of practice.

The other problem of course is the video game narrative. Where no one else in the whole world matters except Soren. In the whole story, there is Soren, his girlfriend, his one best friend who shows up a few times after college, and the sequential villains that get thrown at Soren. Soren does meet different people in different episodes, but that's only for the duration of that episode. It's a story that has absolutely no depth whatsoever. Most of those episodes are pretty mundane too. For e.g. Soren visits some mysterious island to understand his "gift" better, but I don't really think he learnt anything that could practically be useful. Felt like some of those gas-filled training sessions people are made to sit through at their workplace.

The other big problem is that the fantasy element is pretty superficial. The magic truly shows up only in the last book. We are told too little of it for it to have any significance. And as a major worldly element against swordsmanship, it ends up being far too inconsequential. When magic does get pitted against sword, it is like someone getting into a knife fight, or a sword fight, with a balloon.

For that matter, there is zero thrill to any action through the whole series. One on one fights can anyways be very limiting. (and there are no battles, except one with a pirate, but that's a fairly short skirmish too.) But even the ones that are there lack any intensity whatsoever, simply because all fights involve Soren, and he is overpowered af. The assassinations are like a walk in the park for Soren. He kills some 5 or 6 high powered people and he all but just walks into their palaces and dens and kills them off and walks away.

The villain then, you'd think there's some redemption there for the book. Nope. None at all. The villain for most part doesn't give two hoots about Soren. He literally seems to have forgotten about Soren when the final confrontation happens. He's merrily going about his plans of world domination. Heck, even the whole rant Soren has against Duke Amero seems to be because of an accidental slight on the part of Amero. Not a battle for the ages at all.

The hero is even worse. He doesn't have that many qualities that make him a shining example for heroes-to-be. But hey, we live in the age of anti-heroes. Unfortunately, Soren isn't that either. He is just a confused bloke, lacking any initiative whatsoever, who wouldn't really do much in his waking time if the author hadn't forced him all over the map.

Only good thing about the series is that it's a short read. The writing is flamboyant and world building is all right, so at least that keeps you going. But beyond that, there's nothing that is worth talking up. In the end, I'd rather not have read this series.
...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 09, 2020 JM rated it really liked it

Using the huge reward he got for rescuing the southern princess stolen by pirates at the end of the last book, this one starts with Soren and Alessandra living as farmers under assumed names in some small Estranzan village, when once again assassins strike.

Soren has had enough and decides to go back to Ostenheim to kill Amero once and for all, so he takes Alessandra to Venter where his old friend Ranph is living in exile as the last living Elector Count of Ostia, and then makes his way back to O Using the huge reward he got for rescuing the southern princess stolen by pirates at the end of the last book, this one starts with Soren and Alessandra living as farmers under assumed names in some small Estranzan village, when once again assassins strike.

Soren has had enough and decides to go back to Ostenheim to kill Amero once and for all, so he takes Alessandra to Venter where his old friend Ranph is living in exile as the last living Elector Count of Ostia, and then makes his way back to Ostenheim to have his revenge, only to find himself embroiled in local politics as several groups are trying to topple Amero for being a shitty Duke while he's trying to train his own mages in secret to have an edge over his foes now that he's squandered all his money during the war with Ruripathia. This last part is reminiscent of an important plot point in the author's later "Dragonslayer" trilogy, which seems a bit odd because it's pretty much a rehash of the same idea.

And just like we never got to learn just what the title "The Tattered Banner" meant until almost the end of the first book, nor the importance of "The Hunstman's Amulet" until the second book was also almost over, this time around we also don't get to find out just what the "Telastrian Song" in the title is, nor why the hell the series is called "Society of the Sword" when no such thing is ever mentioned unless you're supposed to assume it refers to the Academies where the bannerets study and from which they graduate with the right to carry swords inside the walls of the important cities.

Anyway, I did like it better than the second one, especially because the story circled around to getting revenge on Amero like I wanted it to, and it ends with Ranph as Duke and Soren being made a nobleman. I also liked that Amero's retainer, Emeric, was instrumental to Amero's defeat in the end, and that Soren let him go.

However, I think the first volume was the most fun of the three and I do agree with some of the reviews that mention that the prequel, "The First Sword of Ostia," seems strange if you read the books in publication order because Amero and Brynn's backstories don't seem to matter much in the grand scheme of things for the purposes of this trilogy, whereas if you read them in chronological order, you already know Amero is a huge piece of shit and you expect him to be as bad as he ultimately shows himself to be, but Brynn seems badly underused and doesn't have as big of a role as you would expect him to have.

Overall, the story for the whole trilogy was fun but the books in general felt a bit video-game-y because Soren basically does a bit of everything (joins factions, travels to different lands, finds magic, plays soldier and pirate, etc), but it often feels like the main quest is on pause because he's doing side-quests in order to get 100% of the game on his save file. ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 22, 2020 Andrea rated it it was ok

It was Bryn and Amero’s rivalry in The First Blade of Ostia that really sold me, and I’m unspeakably disappointed at Bryn’s relative absence from the rest of the series. It just begs the question — as much as I loved the prequel, was it really necessary? Did readers going by publication order even remember Bryn, let alone give a shit about his backstory?

Having read The First Blade of Ostia beforehand, I could see so many missed opportunities for drama and intrigue in the main series. God, how sp ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 31, 2018 Joshua rated it liked it

It was a decent book. Similar to the others. A book that would appeal to YA, except for all the swearing. Fun to read. I will say there were a lot of unanswered questions. Not once does the super special orphan with powers that haven't been seen in centuries, that are usually inherited, ever wonder who is parents are. We never learn how he became an orphan. He's must Mr. Orphan. that bothered me a lot, as him being an orphan, and his powers being inherited, were major aspects of the story. Yet h ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 27, 2020 Richard Radgoski rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, political

I felt Book 3 was a slight step down from the first two novels. Some might argue that the book was more complex to write, as it employed 3 POV characters instead of just one, but I tend to like my trilogies to keep with the same style, and moving to multiple POVs was an annoyance for me. Its probably the single biggest reason for the drop from 5 stars.

But 4 stars still means it's a good novel and I enjoyed getting to the end of Soren's story. It ended in a manner I'm good with and I enjoyed the ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 03, 2017 Jamie rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

It's difficult to believe how much happened in the course of this novel. The pace was fast, even by the standards of this trilogy, which itself easily contains five books worth of content in three. Each volume was also a different kind of story, which was an interesting and refreshing trait. "The Telastrian Song" was more intrigue than coming of age or adventure, as the previous two had respectively been, and there was not a single instant during any part of the trilogy where my attention wavere ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 07, 2017 Marianne rated it liked it

I enjoyed this but it wasn't the strongest ending to the trilogy I could've imagined. Alessandra is almost immediately sidelined, which is a shame, and a lot of the plot hinges on new characters and not the skills and wit of the protagonist Soren. I also slightly disliked the neat wrap up of the ending. Too much happily ever after for a series that was always quite dark in its direction. Oh well. There's nothing hugely 'wrong' with it as a novel, and in fact I very much enjoyed much of it. I'll ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 17, 2020 Katrina Evans rated it liked it

Audio review

This was a decent, if unsurprising end to the trilogy.

Like the first two, this isn't a deep story with tons of world building details and characters to remember. What is there is well constructed and colourful, combined with excellent narration this book and series is perfect for long drives.

I thought this book was the weakest of the three, some elements of it felt rushed while other elements felt forced in to set up future stories.

Overall I'm happy I listened to this trilogy and ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 16, 2018 Alexander Johnson rated it it was amazing

Wishing it wasn’t over!

I wish that this series didn’t end after only three books. I absolutely loved the conclusion, don’t get me wrong, but I would have preferred more stories involving our protagonist.

The magic system is well crafted and enjoyable. The sword fighting is masterfully written. I also appreciated that the protagonist wasn’t crippled by the self doubt that usually plagues fantasy heroes.

flag Like · see review

Mar 22, 2020 Rick rated it liked it

Appreciated

Well, I finished. But it was like taking the slow boat to China. I enjoyed the characters but the plot didn’t really develop and grow, reaching its crescendo at the climax. It just seemed to meander, from point A to point Z. Too much time reflecting on the past. Too much time reflecting on the context. Too much time reflecting on possibilities. So that, by the end, there had not been enough time ploughing the plot forward. Meanwhile, likeable characters were bogged in the “too much”. ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 22, 2021 Joseph Stone rated it it was amazing

Another delicious ride from Duncan Hamilton! As I listened to the audiobooks of the ‘Society of the Sword’ trilogy, I walked a little farther each day just to give myself more time with Soren and his trials. The author’s infectious writing style is so deeply satisfying that I often broke out in a verbal debate with the characters as I walked, no doubt to the concern of any pedestrians I passed by. I would gladly listen to another dozen stories about these marvelous characters.

flag Like · see review

Feb 19, 2017 Gina Basham rated it it was amazing

Nice conclusion.

This book did not have too many unkillable characters or too many antagonists that never seem to go away. It flowed well and was nicely tied up. I think book two was my favorite of the series because of the settings and characters. If you've read the other two you have to read this and won't be disappointed. I can recommend. Gbash ...more

flag Like · see review

Oct 10, 2017 Scott Wozniak rated it liked it

The writing is better, but not great. And instead of expanding the story, he collapses it back down to a solo quest of the main hero. So the drama of the end is reduced as well. Yes, there's a side plot but it wraps up neatly. And the ending is even anticlimactic--an almost futile victory. Oh well. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 05, 2021 Farseer rated it it was amazing

I thought this was a strong ending to the trilogy. Instead of being all from Soren's point of view, two new point of view characters are introduced and they help make the story interesting. Soren's story was finished in a very satisfactory manner, although there could be room for a continuation in the plot line about the eastern mages. ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 05, 2017 Pickyreader rated it liked it

Seemed rushed

This was pretty good. The first two were much better. This one really felt rushed to me. I also didn't like the antagonist POV's but that is just a personal preference. All in all a decent read. One I will probably read again. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 15, 2018 Duane Eberly rated it really liked it

Not surprising...but still fulfilling end to the tale.

Wraps it up and the end has one great twist. Foreshadowing was a bit heavy handed last book through this one but stll worth reading.

flag Like · see review

Apr 03, 2018 Kian rated it did not like it

For someone who grew up on the streets he's not very street smart. The story sends Soron to too many side quest to prolong the story instead of rescuing his girl. Dismisses threats too easily even after all the past experience. At the end of book 2 it seems to skip the story without explaining. ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 10, 2019 Roger Koo rated it really liked it

Great conclusion of the series!

Major improvement in character development compared to the previous two books. Plot was intriguing with unexpected complications. The ending was predictable but still enjoyable.

flag Like · see review

Jun 27, 2019 Miss Sarah rated it it was amazing

Thrilling 2nd visit to the former Empire

This trilogy is equally as riveting as the story of the wolf in the north. A completely different perspective that compliments what i already knew of this world perfectly. Excited and hungry for more!

flag Like · see review

Jul 24, 2021 Rick Worden rated it it was amazing

I love this author: his verb choice, character building, and story arcs are fun and engaging. He writes efficiently and effectively. Thank you!

I can’t wait for the next Duncan M. Hamilton book to come out!

flag Like · see review

Sep 30, 2021 Bob rated it it was ok

A bit disappointed at the ending. A lot of unresolved issues. Plot points that seemed interesting that just fizzled out unresolved. I guess some of the interesting threads were just book filler. Also the final showdown was very disappointing. The manufactured drama was unconvincing and boring.

flag Like · see review

May 14, 2017 Homero Roldán Rubio rated it liked it

The second was slow, but this was slow, predictable and didn't give a good ending too the the first and awesome book ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 15, 2018 David rated it really liked it

Finished up the Society of the Sword.

It's nothing fancy but i definitely recommend it. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 02, 2018 K.J. rated it liked it

Action, intrigue, suspense, betrayal... EXACTLY what I hoped it would be and more! Thank you Mr. Hamilton for that great epilogue!! We needed it!
Great end to a great series!

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

64 users

Fiction

7 users

Fantasy > Magic

7 users

Novels

2 users

Adventure

2 users

Audiobook

2 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

2 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves…

About Duncan M. Hamilton

Duncan M. Hamilton

900 followers

Hi, thanks for visiting my page. I’m Duncan, a fantasy and science fiction author from Ireland. I love to blend my passion for Medieval and Renaissance history with the freedom of fantasy environments to create fast paced heroic fantasy adventures with compelling characters and high stakes—exactly the types of stories that I love to read, so I hope you’ll like them too.

You can find more of my onli ...more