The Blood Knight : Book Three of The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone

Genre adventure Author Greg Keyes Publisher Del Rey External Links Official Del Rey Books Website

If you haven't already, go out and buy The Briar King and The Charnel Prince. These are the first two books in The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, a tetralogy by Greg Keyes, and rank among the greatest fantasy novels in recent publication. They serve up a whopping batch of just about anything you'd want from a top notch fantasy series-action, romance, magic, and well developed characters. All this, and the series is only half over. With the third book, The Blood Knight, Keyes really hits his stride.

The Blood Knight provides a multifaceted story that picks up plot threads from the past two books in the series. While Keyes skillfully works in back story, readers would probably be better off reading the other two excellent books in this series before tackling this one.

At the start of The Blood Knight, Anne Dare, a princess seeking to claim her throne in the city of Elsen, finds herself alone and abandoned by her friends and guards. Hers is the main story-that of her struggles to reunite with her companions and claim her rightful pace as queen.

There are other plot threads, no less important to the central story. Scholar Stephen Darige is taken captive by the forces of The Briar King and propelled toward an unknown destiny. All the while he is pursued by a horrible beast known as a "wyrm." Composer Leoff Ackenzal is forced by Robert Dare, usurper to the throne of Elsen, to compose a symphony of horrible magic.

Keyes has a knack for weaving an intricate tale of the fantastic without confusing his reader. He balances a colossal cast of characters delicately, granting each his or her own voice. These characters are so delicately crafted in action and thought that they seem real. From Cazio the poetic swordsman to Neil the chivalrous knight, Keyes has created a memorable menagerie with which to tell his story. All these characters are expertly handled, and all contribute to the overall story.

The story itself is a dark one. While there are lighter moments, this is not simple escapism. Keyes' world is often dark and gritty. Keyes does not flinch from describing violence, atrocities, or the things they do to people. The darkness serves the story, though, and is welcome to those who savor realism.

Still, all these elements would be for naught if the book wasn't well written. Fortunately, Keyes is also a master of the English language. The style of The Blood Knight can only be described as poetic. Keyes's subtle knack for sound work and word rhythm suck you in and keep you reading up to the last page.

With a wonderful story populated by wonderful characters and told with poetic language, is there anything negative to be said about The Blood Knight? A bit. Almost unnecessarily, Keyes provides back story in the first few chapters. Most of this is done subtly, but some feels like blatant exposition. Later, there are a few sections that feel heavily edited-time leaps forward a month into the future and several plot points are jumped over and explained away. This, however, does not keep The Blood Knight from being an excellent read.

Easily, The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone is one of the best fantasy sagas in publication today. Its poetic language, real characters, and gritty realism can rival that of George R. R. Martin's beloved A Song of Ice and Fire saga. The Blood Knight is another excellent addition to a landmark series from an author who is only just hitting his stride.