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Cenotaph Road #4
Iron Tongue
Lan travels to a strange planet and continues his fight to prevent the evil wizard, Claybore, from regaining magical powers
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 23, 2018
Lan finds himself in a different world on his continued path to defeat Clayborn. Clayborn is searching for his tongue and Lan must ally with the multiple factions in this world to keep Clayborn from it. Things are complicated by the tension between the Mountain Spiders and groups of Mages and humans, all of whom have been in conflict.
So I got this on netgalley and I didn't realize once more that it was part of a series, I only just find ou this is book number four. That might be a large reason why I just didn't enjoy this at all. Also it kind of reminded me of Harry Potter, which is on me because this was published first, but I just kept getting distracted and couldn't get into the book. I just had no attachments to the characters and the way Inyx is written about is just eh. I really swear I'm not trying to shove my morality on books written in the 70s but it's just weird to try to read them now and suspend my disbelief and also be like wow another description of a women's hot body yay. Especially because the other women in the book that's powerful basically uses her power to look attractive like okay. So with the lackluster character development arc and the writing being at best average I just did not enjoy this.
I don't think it's necessarily a bad book, I think it just doesn't stand up well alone. I had zero investment in the characters and I didn't care as much about what the outcome would be. This was 2.5 stars for me. I'm sure someone who likes scifi might enjoy this much more than I did. I may have even enjoyed it a little more if I had some attachment to the characters previously.
So I got this on netgalley and I didn't realize once more that it was part of a series, I only just find ou this is book number four. That might be a large reason why I just didn't enjoy this at all. Also it kind of reminded me of Harry Potter, which is on me because this was published first, but I just kept getting distracted and couldn't get into the book. I just had no attachments to the characters and the way Inyx is written about is just eh. I really swear I'm not trying to shove my morality on books written in the 70s but it's just weird to try to read them now and suspend my disbelief and also be like wow another description of a women's hot body yay. Especially because the other women in the book that's powerful basically uses her power to look attractive like okay. So with the lackluster character development arc and the writing being at best average I just did not enjoy this.
I don't think it's necessarily a bad book, I think it just doesn't stand up well alone. I had zero investment in the characters and I didn't care as much about what the outcome would be. This was 2.5 stars for me. I'm sure someone who likes scifi might enjoy this much more than I did. I may have even enjoyed it a little more if I had some attachment to the characters previously.
February 4, 2014
Does anyone remember the time when 'fantasy' meant 'new' and 'imaginative.'? When not every fantasy novel had to include dragons, an evil dark lord and a hero destined to save the world?
R.E.Vardeman's Cenotaph Road series is a throwback to those glorious pulp fantasy days. Instead of providing a detailed overview of the plot or the hero, i am just going to list a bunch of stuff that happens in his novels. If you find any of it appealing, read this book. If you are looking for a finely honed, detailed literary world-building exercise, look elsewhere. You will not find it here.
So, in no particular order of occurence: A bi-polar talking intelligent giant spider protagonist. A technologically advanced city-state of decadent illusionists ruled by a demented jester that enjoys trapping people into extraplanar mazes of his own creation. An extra-planar maze filled with madmen, shadows, homicidal magic robots, and giant, featureless blobs with huge jaws. A aeons-old power whose name has been forgotten that dwells in the bottom of a well, who answers all questions. A cult of fanatic earth worshippers that refuse to bathe and sleep under tents to protect them from the open sky. An evil wizard whose body has been scattered across the planes who attempts to restore his body-parts one by one. A magic spell that turns someone into a 100 foot tall flaming giant. Travel between worlds can only occur by use of a grave consecrated to a hero whose body has been lost beyond recovery. Flying machines powered by bound demons.
If any of that sounds like the sort of stuff you enjoy reading then you will 100% positively love the Cenotaph Road series. If you want your fantasy with a little more seriousness and 'versimilitude,' i suggest you look elsewhere.
R.E.Vardeman's Cenotaph Road series is a throwback to those glorious pulp fantasy days. Instead of providing a detailed overview of the plot or the hero, i am just going to list a bunch of stuff that happens in his novels. If you find any of it appealing, read this book. If you are looking for a finely honed, detailed literary world-building exercise, look elsewhere. You will not find it here.
So, in no particular order of occurence: A bi-polar talking intelligent giant spider protagonist. A technologically advanced city-state of decadent illusionists ruled by a demented jester that enjoys trapping people into extraplanar mazes of his own creation. An extra-planar maze filled with madmen, shadows, homicidal magic robots, and giant, featureless blobs with huge jaws. A aeons-old power whose name has been forgotten that dwells in the bottom of a well, who answers all questions. A cult of fanatic earth worshippers that refuse to bathe and sleep under tents to protect them from the open sky. An evil wizard whose body has been scattered across the planes who attempts to restore his body-parts one by one. A magic spell that turns someone into a 100 foot tall flaming giant. Travel between worlds can only occur by use of a grave consecrated to a hero whose body has been lost beyond recovery. Flying machines powered by bound demons.
If any of that sounds like the sort of stuff you enjoy reading then you will 100% positively love the Cenotaph Road series. If you want your fantasy with a little more seriousness and 'versimilitude,' i suggest you look elsewhere.
November 16, 2015
Iron Tongue is quick with a lot of action. And I enjoyed that Lan is finally becoming the powerful mage that he will need to become if he wishes to defeat Claybore. I also enjoyed finally seeing Krek at home in the giant webs of the Mountain Spiders.
I really do enjoy the characters that Robert E. Vardeman has created in this fun Fantasy series. The books are violent and contain a little sex, so may not be appropriate for the younger audience.
For anyone that truly loves a good Fantasy romp, Iron Tongue is a must read. But since this is a book in a series, you really should read the other three books first or you may be a little confused as to what is going on.
I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.
I really do enjoy the characters that Robert E. Vardeman has created in this fun Fantasy series. The books are violent and contain a little sex, so may not be appropriate for the younger audience.
For anyone that truly loves a good Fantasy romp, Iron Tongue is a must read. But since this is a book in a series, you really should read the other three books first or you may be a little confused as to what is going on.
I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.
January 25, 2016
Interesting & good fantasy series. Recommended
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews