The Crimson Sword

Boringus Bookus:
Take 3 cups of cliche characters, add a pinch of magic weapon, a ounce of emotional whiplash and simmer.
Mix a demon queen, a sprinkling of her minions and a psycho mage prince in a small bowl and let stand for an hour.
Mix together and bring to a boil.
Serve with primitive, magic-fearing, cannibal elves.

What more can I say? the most interesting thing in the book was the elves, and they hardly got more than a few pages of attention.
Somehow, I don't think I'll be finishing this one.

First, let me say I thoroughly enjoyed The Crimson Sword. Having said that, the book breaks no new ground, but is a good genre work.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, and this is where I've been lately, I just want a good sword-and-quest story. If that's what you're looking for, you've found it.

The Crimson Sword is the debut novel by Eldon Thompson.

When the king is assassinated and the city conquered by an unknown army commanded by a wizard, all hope seems to fall on a young man named Jarom. With the help of his friend, Jarom goes in search of the legendary Crimson Sword, believing the magical sword will help in his quest to usurp the evil wizard. But there are many other forces at work, with their own plans for Jarom and the sword.

In typical high fantasy tradition, The Crimson Sword contains dragons, wizards, demons, and other unique creatures. But the strength of this novel lies in the twists and surprises in the story. And with plenty of action and violence, we're never sure who may live and who will die. The antagonists show more are ruthless killers, but the good guys aren't without their own arsenal of skilled combatants.

There were a few unique characters that I really enjoyed. But this novel is definitely driven by the action and exciting storyline. This was an impressive debut from a young author. I'll definitely be seeking out the sequels. show less

For the most part enough action going on to keep me interested, and wanting to finish the book. Did seem a bit drawn out in parts. Started reading the next in the trilogy.