I had high hopes for this book and trilogy, but am sorely dissapointed. From the desriptions I read, I was expecting some entertaining political intrigue, but the book's descriptions are really decieving. What I found was third-rate Martin meets third-rate Jordan in this jumbled fantasy bore. I read some positive reviews on amazon and was intrigued by Robin Hobb's blurb of praise on the back cover. I picked this up and it sat on my shelf for a while, but finally I started it and didn't find what I was expecting at all. The prologue starts intriguingly enough, with an explanation about the two rival houses and an assassination conspiracy plotted by members of the victim's own family. This was what I was looking for and I was engrossed right away. Unfortunately as I got to the first chapter and the main characters were introduced, I immidiately became dissapointed and bored. The three main characters (or at least the 3 characters that consume 60-70% of this book) are completely cliche and their part of the story was so boring that I struggled not to skip it. These are three farm boys on an adventure, oblivious to the larger troubles in the world... can we say Rand, Matt and Perrin from Wheel of Time? The characters, Tam, Fynnnol and Baore, even resemble Rand, Matt and Perrin very closely (Tam is the noble, level headed one, Fynnol is the sly and mischevious one and Baore is the big lovable oath with a kind heart but a fighting spirit. Come on!) I almost stopped reading after just a handful of their chapters. It's too bad too, because a few of the characters from the larger, rival families (the Renne and the Wills) seemed promising and their storylines were sort of fun to read, such as Elise and Dease. But in order to get to them I had to trudge through far too many Tam, Fynnol and Baore chapters. By the time I got back to the interesting characters, I almost forgot what happened with the other plot threads in the first place, and ultimately stopped caring. And then there was the character Alaan, who at first was interesting and quickly became rediculous. He appears to nearly every character in the book, trying to stop a major war and manipulating each side to his own ends. Meanwhile Hayfyyd, the main enemy of the book, the evil knight turned councilor who is pulling the strings of a powerful prince, hunts him down. So at this point we have typical fantasy cliches piled upon other typical fantasy cliches. So I don't recommend this book. It has very little to offer in way of originality and is not very well written at that (uninspired, forced dialouge, generally lazy prose.) There is a part of me that likes the atypical fantasy story lines, but this was too much for me. If you want to read a story that abuses the fantasy archetypes, there are authors who do it much better, such as Tad Williams and even Robert Jordan. If you want to read some wonderful orignal fantasy, try George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Daniel Abraham, among many others.
Sean Russell's strength of slowly stitching together a story with crafty and subtle characterization rather than non-stop action almost works to his disadvantage in book one of The Swan's War trilogy.The story meanders and branches mysteriously like the river along which the essential plot elements unfold, with barely a stretch of white water. It teeters precariously but does not quite topple over the precipice of too slow and too unfocused. If I were not already a fan and thus inclined to trust the writer, I might have given up. But in the end, as I expected, my patience was rewarded.For Russell more so than most authors I can think of, the story is the part that happens between the battles, chases and duels. These interludes are when people talk, question and argue; when they confront personal demons, in the flesh or in their dreams; when they laugh, love and untangle the moral choices that guide them when the battles come and that give those battles meaning.The One Kingdom, character driven as it is, features more action than The River Into Darkness duology (Beneath the Vaulted Hills and The Compass of the Soul). It also features the same top-notch descriptive writing that Russell has a real gift for, especially when it comes to the sights, sounds and smells of nature.I prefer The River Into Darkness series: It's a legitimate five-star masterpiece, a deep and compassionate character study that hones in on a handful of fascinating characters in an equally fascinating setting. The Swan's War, in contrast, eschews this tight focus and aims squarely at epic: I'm just not prepared after one volume to declare whether it hits its mark.I am in fact tempted to call this book a prologue: Russell takes essentially the entire novel to weave multiple disparate elements into a single story quilt. Three friends seeking adventure and treasure unwittingly pulled into ancient feuds. A princess used as a pawn in a ruthless power play. A prince determined to do right, fearful that his duty will not allow him to, willing to risk his life opposing an enemy who appears to have no weakness. Implacable foes with enmity that is stronger than death. Mysterious travelers and storytellers with keen insights into history and magic. And a handful of peacemakers trying, possibly in vain, to blunt the forces pushing relentlessly to rekindle suicidal warfare between rival families seeking a contested throne.While I only rate this “prologue” three stars, I think it sets the table for an exceptional book two if Russell is able to pull all these elements together. I look forward to finding out.
What do You think about The One Kingdom (2002)?
Two family with an old enmity (9 generations?) are currently at peace. The Wills and the Renné will certainly go to war soon, thanks to a man (Eremon) who is trying to scheme against the Renné. To fight it a traveler is trying to prevent it. Three young traveler will be drag into this and... Nah, I can't resume the book and I can't sell it. I'm not sure I will read the next one. I'm curious because the three young traveler will obviously be more and I want to know how and why. The traveler, Alaan, seems to be kind of a magician but is he neutral, good, or something else? Eremon became more than human?The story is quite nice but it didn't really work for me. I was disconnected from it mid book, and had to take a long break to finish it and I did it pretty quickly then. You can try it and be your own judge.
—Steuve
This book seems plagued by reviews slamming it for its "cliffhangar ending." Honestly, I think that should be considered a compliment. People enjoyed the book so much they were frustrated by the conclusion because of the lack of conclusion. That just shows that the author was able to get his reader's emotional engaged. I am sorry if you expected a "conclusion" in the first book of a trilogy there is something wrong with your head. Those reviewers aside, this book was a fun read. Nothing revolutionary or Tolkien level of writing. However the characters were interesting, the plot moved at a relatively smooth pace and I found myself immersed in the Swan War. This is a fun fantasy adventure story and exactly what I am looking for when I pick up a book.
—Richard Austring
An okay book, but it really took some reading to get into it. I really dislike the books that jump between multiple main characters every few pages in the beginning - what's the main plot? In whom do I invest my interest? Ironically enough, the jumps occurred more frequently in the beginning, with lots of quick vignettes, and then started slowing down in the middle of the book. I almost stopped reading a couple of times because it just didn't hold my attention. But it got better halfway through, and the storyline started getting interesting, enough that I'm slightly curious what happens in the next book. But I don't know that I'm going to pick it up - it's just too slow.
—Tara
