Legend of the Skyfire Stone

I was a lucky winner of this book in a LibraryThing giveaway.

Firstly, Joseph Robert Lewis is certainly a talented writer! This piece is incredibly imaginative and fascinating. I particularly love the way the historical and factual is interwoven with the fantastical and fictional—a favorite mixture of mine. There was just enough of the real world—marital issues, wars, intricate machines—combined with the supernatural—ghosts, demons, magical relics.

Each character is wonderfully developed and complex. There are so many side-stories that could be developed into other books! Taziri is one of my favorite characters (the main character of the first book of the series). As the pilot of the Halcyon, she is an intelligent, strong, show more confident woman who leaves her husband and child at home in order to carry out her duties. Lorenzo and the others are required to place a lot of trust in her in order to succeed.

My only complaint with the book is that there were times that it moved somewhat slowly. Since I usually read late at night before bed, I would find myself easily putting it aside and going to sleep—something that doesn’t happen very often. It isn’t that the story wasn’t stimulating, just that there were times that I wasn’t so involved that I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I think partially it could be attributed to the sheer density of the storyline. As I mentioned before, there was a lot of substance behind the characters and a few different subplots going on at once. While this was all magnificently written and interesting, I found I needed a break every now and then.

I actually rate this book at 3.5 stars, only because of the slightly slow pace. I did enjoy it and was intrigued enough to purchase the first of the series, The Burning Sky (Halcyon 1)! If you enjoy stories like The Three Musketeers and Treasure Island, this is right up your alley. I urge you to give this series a try! show less

I received an electronic copy of this book as part of the LTMG scheme. It is evidently the second book in a series but, although it made frequent reference to events that I assume took place in the previous book, it was quite readable as a standalone novel.

The story is set in a version of the Earth in which the Ice Age never ended, with a few fantasy elements (principally the existence of ghosts) and a curious mixture of technology from renaissance to early 20th Century (sword fighting and aeroplanes, etc.). It follows about half a dozen main protagonists, alternating chapters between each of them, although their stories are quite closely intertwined right from the start so there are never more than 3 separate stories to keep track of show more (and only two for the most part).

While not an absolute masterpiece, I felt the story was well-written and enjoyable. I would certainly consider reading more by this author. show less

JOSEPH ROBERT LEWIS' "HALCYON 1 & 2" (REVIEW)

Joseph Robert Lewis has taken the best part of living in a Steampunk age and written two extraordinary novels full of excitement and imagination. Taziri Ohana is one of the best airship pilots around, struggling with home life and her job. When almost the entire fleet of ships as well as their crew is wiped out by an attack, it is up to her to find the ones responsible, discover the conspiracy at a higher level and save the day.

The second book continues the epic saga of Taziri and her friends. Definitely a must-read for anyone that loves Steampunk novels and enjoys works written by a writer that knows his stuff. I definitely enjoyed them and I know you will too! "Halcyon 1: The Burning Sky" & show more "Halcyon 2: The Broken Sword" don't miss out!

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club show less

This is a very good book. It's the kind of good that makes me tell people to read the first book in the series just so they can read this one. The first book, The Burning Sky, is a good book in it's own right, but I found The Broken Sword to be the better of the two.

Lewis has created a very interesting world with well realized characters. The Broken Sword benefits from it's ability to jump right into the story without having to explain the setting and the people. And that's what's so great here. The alternate history is an absolutely fascinating one, and seamlessly blends speculation and mysticism to create a very unique world. Better yet, Lewis has made it very real, incorporating technologies and cultures that while extraordinary and show more exotic, are also very natural.

The characters are bold and lively, and while they aren't the type of people you meet in real life, they are the type of heroic people who populate stories like this without being outlandish or ridiculous.

This is a very satisfying entry in the series, creating plenty of momentum to carry the reader into the next book. It is very well done. show less

Free e-book received in exchange for a review, through LT member giveaway.

This is the second book in the Halcyon series, I have read the first book as well. This book continues with the same characters as in the first one, but the previously seperate plot lines get merged as the main characters meet and interact with each other in this book. The airship Halcyon is not central to this book, but it was still important.

The central characters, Tahiri, Lorenzo, Kenan, and Qhora all undergo some development in this book. They have depth and feelings and help draw the reader into the plot. I enjoyed the change of geography, the alternate reality Spain is interesting: Espani, a cold snowy land, full of ghosts, and completely lacking in show more technology. Lorenzo's struggle with being an expert sword user, and instructor, with being a deeply religious man are highlighted in this book. Lewis has created a good cast of characters in an alternate steampunk Mediterranean world. I've enjoyed this series and look forward to reading more by Lewis. show less

The Broken Sword (Halcyon #2)
by Joseph Robert Lewis

A highly entertaining steam punk fantasy set in an alternate universe, The Broken Sword, moves quickly and is filled with interesting and engaging characters. Opening the book I soon found myself shivering through an Ice Age winter in Espana, with Don Lorenzo Quesada de Gadir, fencing master who specializes in the Sword of Life technique. Revolutionary and a pacifist, Don Lorenzo, his Incan wife Qhora, and his fencing pupils find themselves in the midst of a dilemma that could mean the end of peace and perhaps even the end of the world! Along with with a rag tag band of plane crash survivors including a whiny Dante Alighieri and a stalwart Shahera Zade, Don Lorenzo and his group face show more dangers and overcome obstacles in the best questing tradition. While that may sound simply put, any loyal reader of fantasy knows its not the destination, its the journey. In this case the journey is worthwhile when tagging along with this group of characters. I would recommend this if you like fantasy, it was a fast, fun reading experience. show less

Having read the first book in this series, I was happy to return to the world that Lewis has created. This world, similar to ours but caught in an Ice Age that never ended, is strongly developed and very real. I felt that the pacing in The Broken Sword was a little more even than in the previous adventure, The Burning Sky. Lewis writes a good mixture of adventure, romance and humor about very solidly developed characters. I enjoy the contrast of technology and mythology that winds through this book, and I certainly look forward to more from this author.

I received a free electronic copy of this book through a LibraryThing giveaway.