The Desert and the Blade, S.M. Stirling
The Desert and the Blade, S.M. Stirling
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The Desert and the Blade

Author: S.M. Stirling

Narrator: Tom McClaren

Unabridged: 26 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 09/01/2015


Synopsis

In his Novels of the Change, New York Times bestselling author S. M. Stirling presents “a devastated, mystical world that will appeal to fans of traditional fantasy as well as post-apocalyptic SF” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Continuing their quest that began in The Golden Princess, two future rulers of a world without technology risk their lives seeking a fabled blade …

Reiko, Empress of Japan, has allied herself with Princess Órlaith, heir to the High Kingdom of Montival, to find the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Grass-Cutting Sword, a legendary treasure of an ancient dynasty that confers valor and victory to its bearer. Órlaith understands all too well the power it signifies. Her own inherited blade, the Sword of the Lady, was both a burden and a danger to her father, Rudi Mackenzie, as it failed to save the king from being assassinated.

But the fabled sword lies deep with the Valley of Death, and the search will be far from easy. And war is building, in Montival and far beyond.

As Órlaith and Reiko encounter danger and wonder, Órlaith’s mother, Queen Matildha, believes her daughter’s alliance and quest has endangered the entire realm. There are factions both within and without Montival whose loyalty died with the king, and whispers of treachery and war grow ever louder.

And the Malevolence that underlies the enemy will bend all its forces to destroy them.

About S.M. Stirling

A well-regarded author of alternate history science-fiction novels, S.M. Stirling has written more than twenty-five books, including acclaimed collaborations with Anne McCaffrey, Jerry Pournelle, and David Drake. His most recent novels are T2: Infiltrator, The Peshawar Lancers, and the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ivan on September 08, 2015

I read about 100 novels and about 100 more other titles (comic books collected in trade paperbacks, anthologies, non-fiction titles, stuff like that) in a given year, and those are mostly titles that were published in a current year. About 10% of those novels tend to be exceptional. Others not so mu......more

Goodreads review by Sean on September 15, 2015

Another great story from S M Stirling. However as SM Stirling gets more successful he seems to falling in to the trap of many successful authors do of needing to be edited. I believe it was 150 pages of dialogue in this one before anything really happened. Some great battle scenes and great characte......more

Goodreads review by Matt on September 17, 2015

Originally posted at: [URL not allowed] Many of you who follow my reviews know that I am a big fan of SM Stirling's Emberverse (or Change) series. Hell I am responsible for creating the Wikipedia article on the series (O the things you can do when you are an intern and have not......more

Goodreads review by David on September 04, 2015

A slow-moving but extremely entertaining read. Stirling invests heavily in character development and his descriptions of battles are second to none. Love the concept and the series. Every time I finish one of his books, I cannot wait for the sequel, and this one was no exception (dammit).......more

Goodreads review by Ann on August 07, 2018

I felt this book was overly long. Remember that one professor in college that just droned on and on and on without really saying anything new; that is how I felt about this book. Over 800 pages to get to the point of the story, only to have it over in 10 pages. Same concepts and descriptions repeated,......more