Beyond Sanctuary (Thieves' World) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Sep 24, 2013 A.L. Butcher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2013, swords-and-sorcery, mythic-scribes-authors, sci-fi-and-fantasy-challenge, mythology, adult-fiction, sci-fi-and-fantasy-2014-challenge

When gods, immortals and mages fight among themselves mortals die, and die again. Tempus, an immortalised warrior, and his Stepsons must unite with some of the scum of Sanctuary, an ironically named city to be sure, to save a child and themselves from the machinations of a powerful wizard. Souls and more are at stake in a war which must be fought, and must be won, no matter the cost.

I was hooked by this from the first few lines, as it is a superbly written and very intelligent heroic fantasy. Th ...more

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Apr 19, 2014 Andrew Weston rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this epic romp through a complex fantasy world of many layers.
Although I never give the plot of any story away, I will say this:
We have Tempus, avatar of a storm god, and leader of a band of mercenary fighters, the Stepsons, whose busy life is complicated by the meddling of his mage killing sister, Cime, the unlikely attentions of a Froth daughter, Jihan, and his concerns for the welfare of his men...Niko in particular.
And with good reason. War is brewing, and Tempus and his ...more

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Oct 18, 2013 Lori Myers rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow....what a trip this book gave me! I cut my book teeth on Thieve's World in my teens, fell head over heels with my first book boyfriend, Hanse, aks Shadowspawn. Here I am, today...ahhhmmm...somewhat older, a lot wiser and way more interested in plot, character and immersing my senses in a book.
Time stood still while I was reading this, and yet, it also flew by, like the pace of the precious Tros horses that Tempus so favors. Janet Morris is a master story teller that demands your attention, Wow....what a trip this book gave me! I cut my book teeth on Thieve's World in my teens, fell head over heels with my first book boyfriend, Hanse, aks Shadowspawn. Here I am, today...ahhhmmm...somewhat older, a lot wiser and way more interested in plot, character and immersing my senses in a book.
Time stood still while I was reading this, and yet, it also flew by, like the pace of the precious Tros horses that Tempus so favors. Janet Morris is a master story teller that demands your attention, and I for one am more than happy to sit down and listen. From the very first sentence, I was immediately transported back into Sanctuary (perhaps the worst place to ever live, but man...I would so love to visit). The sights, the smells (yes, a book city can have a smell, it is all in the imagination) the sounds (bar fights, creaking saddle leather, animals...I swear, I can hear it all even now!) She has a way with giving you the details without being too obvious.
We meet up with our old friend Tempus Thales, favored avatar of a number of gods. Nico is there as well, having a very hard time with things. The Stepsons are there, trying to teach and keep the order around Sanctuary. A war is brewing at Wizardwall, and Tempus, Nico and the Stepsons are being drug into it, whether they want it or not. We meet Roxanne, the Nisibisi witch that has visions of grandeur. Roxanne has become one of my favorite characters...she is so complex. Just when you think you have her character nailed down to black and white, the lines shift and you are not 100 percent sure anymore. I hated her and I loved her at the same time.
I was an emotional wreck after I finished this book. I even waited a full day to process it before I posted it my review on amazon. I waited even longer to post here, as this is my backyard,this is where I review the books nearest and dearest to me, in hopes of luring one of you readers into my library and finding one of my favored authors and make them one of yours. These reviews mean more to me here, even tho they are not seen by more people. If you are a fan of fantasy from the 80's/ sword and sorcery realms/ a really good military tale, this is the series for you! The descriptions are amazingly lifelike, I honestly felt at times that i could reach out and touch the armor, feel the horse sweat, the roughness of the fabric, blood, sweat and tears. I wanted nothing more than to continue right into the next book!
What did I like....that is always a question I ask myself. I love the setting, the whole situation that Tempus finds himself in. He does not WANT to go to Wizardwall, but knows he must. I loved Nico's story line, his balance lost, emotionally alone, thinking he is a failure and being punished. Roxanne...the best darn witch I have read yet. Janet Morris writes very complex characters that are only human and have faults and ye gods, I love a character that only human after all! Here are all these characters, larger than life and we find a weak spot, a vulnerability, plain as day. Yet, our heroes are heroes in spit of that weakness. I was kept on the edge of my sofa, reading my kindle while draped over my knees, wanting to read slowly and savor, but yet finding myself turning the pages faster and faster.
Was there anything I did not like....oh heck no...I loved every ounce of it. I want to revel in the decadency of it all. What a way to come back to the realms of fantasy! Now to go Beyond the Veil...I can't wait! My horse is tacked up, gear is stowed and I am fully provisioned! ...more

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Nov 30, 2013 A.L. Butcher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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Jan 02, 2014 Lori Myers added it · review of another edition

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May 03, 2014 Mike marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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May 09, 2014 Terry Littleton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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Dec 08, 2014 Janet E. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, action, mythic-fiction, heroic-fantasy, high-fantasy-series, dark-fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, historical-novel, metaphysical

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Dec 08, 2014 Janet E. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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Jun 30, 2015 J.W. Wright marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction

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Jul 14, 2015 Marie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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Mar 08, 2016 Janet E. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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Jul 17, 2016 stan the Bookman marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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Aug 06, 2016 Janet E. added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, adventure, young-adult, action, mythic-fiction, heroic-fantasy, high-fantasy-series, dark-fantasy, sword-and-sorcery

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