The Saints of the Sword [Book Three of Tyrants and Kings].

New York, NY Random House: Bantam Spectra, November 27, 2001. Mass Market Paper First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. Very Good+ in Wraps: shows indications of very careful use: very light wear to extremities; the binding shows slight lean, but remains perfectly secure; text clean. Remains close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo. 708pp. Mass Market Paperback. Finely crafted, fluid writing and fully rendered characters lift the third and concluding volume in Marco's Tyrants and Kings series, his epic militaristic fantasy about the warring continents of Nar and Lucel-Lor. In the series' debut novel, The Jackal of Nar (1999), Aramoor heir and reluctant warrior Richius Vantran (aka the Jackal) experienced magic and culture shock in Lucel-Lor. In The Grand Design (a B&N "Best of 2000" selection) the slaughter escalated as Nar's Emperor Biagio struggled for power and the exiled Vantran was drawn into the conflict. Complexities of political intrigue, rivalries and revenge erupt in the newest novel, with the focus on 16-year-old Alazrian Leth, a prince with secret magical powers. In need of allies to oppose gathering enemy armies, Biagio sends the young prince on a mission to find Vantran and ultimately raise a massive militia force. In this richly detailed world, the panoramic ocean battle scenes are particularly vivid. Avoiding cliffhanger climaxes, Marco has wisely injected a feeling of closure so that each book in the series can stand alone. The Jackal of Nar won a Barnes & Noble Reader's Choice award. At his best, Marco can hold his own as a writer with other major fantasists, including Stephen Donaldson and Terry Brooks. The superb series cover art by fantasy artist Doug Beekman is a major plus.