One of the reasons that I really d this series at the out-set was that while it was a standard-as-all-heck sword & sorcery/epic type story, Martin wrote good characters that I d and genuinely cared about. And even in this last installment, it's the little personal touches of the story between the characters that I enjoy the best.

Unfortunately, they're rather few and far between as the story, overall, focuses on the war being fought on multiple fronts.

One of the downfalls of our characters being spread all over - aside from the lack of personal touches - is the fact that we jump between 5 or 6 different perspectives, and as soon as things start getting good, we jump to someone else.

More than that, though, is the fact that our characters have little to know way to communicate with each other, so we see each group sort of have to learn the same things that you already watched the other groups already learn. And while it makes sense to the story for all the groups to have certain information, it gets kind of tedious to have to keep reading the same stuff over and over again.

And while the battles were sometimes cool, they felt mostly repetitive, and it was kind of annoying that it was just "ooh, here's the newest and baddest magical thing you have to fight against" and then, against the odds, people win, and then "ok, no, here's the newest and baddest magical thing you have to fight against".

*sigh*

There were some moments were it shined (Gethin was a nice addition, though I would've d to see him interact more with Berry, Jonmarc's thoughts while on the battleground and missing the birth of his children was good, I d the Aidane and Kolin storyline until Aidane started acting so stupid), but, overall, it just didn't live up to earlier installments in the series. I missed Carina and Calloway a lot, and Tris' parts, which were often my favorite in past installments, seemed to fall flat here - even though they were, arguably, some of the more intense and interesting. And after all the set-up, the climax was just so rushed and sort of unsatisfying, and a lot of the magical problems were resolved a bit too patly.

I don't know - just, overall, I felt Martin was relying on our connections with the characters from earlier books in the series instead of putting any effort into it this go around. (I will say, though, that she's pretty good at reminding you of things that happened in past installments without doing huge info-dumps.)

Anyway, I didn't hate it and it was a pretty fast read, considering the size, but Fallen Kings doesn't hold a candle to the Necromancer cycle and it's kind of a pity that the end of the Kings cycle was so meh.

It was also kind of annoying that the ending read a lot the set-up for the next arc in the series, which is obviously going to involve the children that everyone's having. Bit too heavy-handed with the hooks for the next arc in the series, there.dark-fantasy sword-and-sorcery5 s Blodeuedd Finland3,477 306

I her books for the simple reason that yes they are never awesome, BUT, they are never bad. They are always light and enjoyable. When I pick one up I always know I will enjoy it cos I have with all the rest. And you know, sometimes that is good enough.

Right so shit is going DOWN. Bad peeps from across the seas are coming and they are mad. And honestly, I sometimes say that oh you can read this series without reading that series that come before but with her books...eh, nah, just read all in order.

Right, so Kiara have to go and take control of her father's kingdom when he is murdered.
Tris has to save the world as a dark summoner is coming.
Oh and the baddie is coming for their baby!

Jonmarc is doing stuff, you know I never d that guy even if the author sure loves him.

More peeps are fighting baddies.

i really the POV with the ghost whore....right where was I, Baby S woke and now it has been a day since I started this...
Yes, the ghost whore should have had her own book.

This review makes no sense, honestly, I can not say anything without spoilers....

For me, light and enjoyable. Nothing special, nothing bad. For others, maybe not so light, I mean peeps die, but whatevs.fantasy2 s Ranting Dragon404 234

http://www.rantingdragon.com/review-o...


The Dread by Gail Z. Martin, sequel to The Sworn, is the second book in The Fallen Kings Cycle and another example of the recent rise in duologies over trilogies. This cycle tells the continuing story of King Tris Drayke after The Chronicles of the Necromancer series as he struggles to protect his burgeoning kingdom from a threat from across the northern sea.

A fantastic transition from young adult to adult fantasy
I’ve felt all along, while reading Gail Z. Martin, that she seemed torn between the desire to write relatively simple young adult fantasy and more mature adult fantasy. As I read more of her work, I’m becoming more inclined to think that she’s doing this on purpose and, in so doing, filling a niche that could really use some more depth.

Her characters are interesting and well developed, though they still lack the truly deep internal awareness and gradual development of those of, say, Guy Gavriel Kay. Instead we see some occasionally jarring shifts in attitude. That said, they do still push deeper than true YA fantasy tends to, providing a segue that will encourage teen readers to broaden their horizons.

A compelling world with a unique magic system
The main characteristics of Martin’s world are the substantial presence of ghosts in the world and the power of necromancy. The spirits of the departed are something everybody in this world is aware of and generally okay with. Family ancestors hang around to watch over the later generations, sites of major battles or massacres are rife with the angry dead, and the intercession of necromancers to help those who wish to pass on makes for a fascinating culture.

Hero and ancestor worship is a common trend in our history and mythology, but when you can go to a place where the spirits of the kings of old are just hanging around for a chat when necessary, it provides a lot of great chances for plot and world development. Martin capitalizes on this wonderfully. Add in the attendant power of necromancy as a form of magic, and then give that same power to the villain of the series as well as the hero, and you set yourself up for a battlefield where the dead fight alongside the living, making the stakes even higher.

Vampires! But not the crappy sparkly kind!
Another great piece of Martin’s world design is the presence of the vayash moru, Martin’s version of vampires. They have a lot of the more traditional standard vampire characteristics: they drink blood, can’t be out in sunlight, are preternaturally strong and fast, and, of course, are tolerated (at best) by humanity at large. They form a lot of the socio-political plot in Martin’s books. They almost universally live off animals and not humans, and have an uneasy peace, but serve as the scapegoat for anything serious that goes wrong. Drought? Missing children? Mysterious murder? Blame the vayash moru.

This really allows Martin to make some great statements about society and intolerance, showing the hypocrisy inherent in happily accepting someone’s help when it is convenient, then spurning them at the first sign of trouble, which is a very important part of developing your young adult reader into an adult reader. This vehicle for encouraging some critical thinking and analysis is almost as positive as the fact that they don’t brood or sparkle in sunlight.

Why should you read this book?
You should read this book because Gail Z. Martin is a solid writer. She has a firm grasp of pacing, suspense, character development, and plot. While I might say she isn’t doing anything particularly unique or groundbreaking, that isn’t always called for. Sometimes you just want to see an exemplar of the genre, and Martin provides that in spades.

If you’re in the market for a traditional fantasy story, excellently told with relatable characters, compelling action, and a solid plot, then The Fallen Kings Cycle is for you.dan2 s Allen WernerAuthor 24 books21

What I d : Top-notch writing. The author has a great style that was vivid and exciting. Immense world building. Plenty of complex characters and knotty story lines.
What I did not : The magic and supernatural elements were overwhelming. I felt as though anyone who didn't have any magical qualities should have been removed simply by the process of evolution. Ordinary mortals had no real purpose but to be carnage for the magicians, vampires, shape-shifters, ghost blades, the Dread, warring corpses, and other creatures. It was very smothering at times.
I love Kiara Sharsequin. She is a strong, determined heroine making bold and heady decision, having just given birth and now pregnant with another. She knows she must ride forth and save the kingdom with the blood in her veins or there will be no future for her children. The creation of a 'nenkah' to preserve her claim until she arrives was unique - and creepy.
At one point, Tris or Drayke, King of Margolan, performs a litany of heroic deeds and tasks to save his son Cwynn's soul from the goddess Konost that reminded me of Hercules with a touch of Dante's hell.
Aidane's ghost whore character is a special additional to the tale especially her surprising interaction with the ghost blades.
All in all, it's a really good book - and even better considering I have not yet read the first. I believe anyone who enjoys epic stories with plenty of magic, devils and death, with powerful characters fighting great odds for survival, will enjoy this book.1 Susan1566472 1 follower

An excellent read. Lots of action, interesting characters, tense story, different magic. Everything works well.1 MissM354 20

I really the world created in this series. This volume is mainly war; multiple fronts of the same war. So it reads pretty fast despite being a large book. This is also apparently the last of this portion of the story - the "Fallen Kings Cycle" - and the next book will be part of the next cycle of the series.

There is some frustration with overlapping events occurring but the characters being apart from each other so they can't combine efforts, but it's not enough to fully detract from the story. And, in some ways, the way the separate events are played off each other actually work well.

Since it's war there are some deaths and some characters don't make it, though not so much as to take away from the main core.

A very enjoyable series though and this book is no exception. As always, I look forward to the next.nook read-20121 Mandy125

I loved these. All of the books in both of the related series. Loved them. Quick reads that walked a fine balance between joyful happy endings and sorrowful loss that avoided the candied feeling of a fairy tale without getting lost in the grim over-reality of the 'Game of Thrones' books I just finished.

I'll definitely be looking for her new series once it's available.1 Mark Jordan7

All in all this book was really well thought out, the storyline had more twists and turns than a coiled snake. Thats exactly what some of the characters in the story were also(a slippery snake). Nathan272 5

Pretty good conclusion to the series. Mimi551 5

Excellent book. Excellent conclusion to the Fallen Kings Cycle. Hannah46 3

3.752021 a-fun-jaunt Darin406

Pretty good. is there supposed to be a third book?sci-fi_fantasy Eloise KindredAuthor 1 book3

Compared to Gail Martin's first series, the Fallen Kings Cycle just didn't do it for me. The Dread continues when The Sworn finished as war comes to the Winter Kingdoms and the armies of Margolan, Isencroft and Principality are forced to face their enemy from across the seas but, although there are more action sequences in this book, I felt I was reading the same battle scenes over and over again. There is still too much dialogue and little in the way of plot. The characters that I loved as outlaws in the first series (Tris, Kiara, Jonmarc etc.) are now all kings, queens, lords and ladies that I find it impossible to relate to. Other characters (Carroway, Harrtuck, Carina, Gabriel) are almost completely omitted. Instead of being in the thick of danger they were before, they now sit and watch the battle unfold from afar and spend more time discussing with their advisers. The finale was rushed and anti-climactic. In short, I do not think this was a story that needed telling. I'm happy that Ms Martin wanted to write more about the Winter Kingdoms and the characters in it, but I think she could have done better. Austin69

Having read the other books leading into this one, it helped having that background to finish this series out. Even though the book says #2, it is a continuation of the original Summoner Books, thus should be read in that order. The story itself was written the classic way the others were. I felt there wasn't as much diversity in the battle scenes/monsters involved in the fighting, merely most of the species of things were mentioned, but the only things that had some tangible parts were the "shape-shifters" which is always vague. I also felt the final battles between the main characters/villains were rushed. Alot of hype and build-up, but the actual battle ended in about 2-3 pages. I still recommend this whole series to people who classical fantasy with a band of characters with some magic thrown in.fantasy Scott159

This is a very good read. The best in the bunch.

But yes, it gets tiring when we see repeated characters and their history is explained again and again throughout all of the books in the series.

I d the introduction of a new story line, and the ending is excellent. But I think some of the characters should have culled a little more. I think it would have made the story a little more interesting.

I am curios, while everything is tied up nicely at the end, it would be kind of cool to see where Ms. Martin would take these characters at this time frame and where the world would go. Whether she continues to build it up, or she tears it down a little.

An entertaining series, especially since all of the books are written and you won't have to wait for the next one in the series to come out.

Give it a try, it's not that bad, but it is also not on Sanderson's scale either.

Audrey Terry255 40

This was another solid read for me. As always Martin delivers not only on the battlefield, but in her descriptions of the magic used throughout the story. I loved reading about the Dread and Tris's journey to the Nether. I also found new characters to fall in love with in this installment. I'e always had a soft spot for Kiara and Tris's relationship, but I think that Aidane and Kolin's story is really sweet as well. But not sickly, just really 'aww' worthy (even if she's kind of an emotional dunderhead/ convenient badass) I really wish the next book was out. That's all I'm gonna say. This one didn't end with a cliff hanger, but the story laid out was enough to have me anxious to see how the new leader's lives pan out. adventure fantasy fiction ...more Liana688 33

A nice blend of magic and THE DEAAAADDDDD...! Pretty good stuff.

Kiara’s role as a new queen is very interesting. She’s such a strong and dependable woman now, who really shines in this story! Tris’s role has gotten a lot more interesting too, and some of the choices he made made me doubt whether it was a good idea, and hoped everything would turn out for the best. Page 551 was certainly a real shock, when Tris told Soterius to stab him in the heart... That whole scene was INTENSE! I was worried if Tris’s strategy would pull through or not, and if the preservation spell on his body would fail. That was definitely my most favorite scene out of the whole book.

Check out this series sometime, if you don’t mind a crazy long story. 8)adult high-fantasy magic ...more Suzanne96 2

Overall, the story was ... okay. That's it. Not great. Not terrible. There were a *lot* of battle scenes, many of which seemed repetitive. The romance was incredibly sappy. However, I'm not a big fan of schmoop in my books - it's rare that I will read anything schmoopy unless the plot and/or character development that surrounds all that sap is well-done - so take that comment with a grain of salt. Much was predictable. Much was unexplained. And the battle between Tris and Scaith was anticlimactic. Benjamin Babeshkin9 1 follower

This book is the last of the "Chronicles of the Necromancer" series. It ends the Fallen Kings Cycle storyline. It ties up some loose ends, and opens up the possibility of future books dealing with the children of the main characters. I particularly enjoyed the Aidane and Kolin storyline. Would recommend these series to anyone that enjoys character driven epic fantasy. It also has a lot to offer to Vampire lovers. Lisa50 2

I enjoyed this series, although I think it was a little rushed. There was a lot going on, with a lot of characters in different places; which I think woul dhave benefitted from a longer series - perhaps 3 books instead of two.

It seems that the ending was left open for another series as well, and I'm sure I'll read it when it's published. Gene415 1 follower

Another excellent entry to the series. really enjoyed the continued story of the regular characters, and the addition of the new characters. However, that said, I really feel the bad guys in htis story were not very well fleshed out. They were basically boogey men, only known by name, until the final battle.fantasy Shannon Jones3 2

Meh. The book was ok. It seemed to drag on a bit and the end was a bit anticlimactic. I think better character development would have been more interesting rather than sheer volume of characters; so many in fact that in the back of the book there is a glossary of characters to help the reader keep track. Overall, didn't seem to be well thought out. Soteris 58 3

Gail Z. Martin concludes the story that she started with the Sworn in a spectacular finale in the Dread.
If you're a fan of Gail's work, you wont be disappointed. If you love fantasy, you will not be disappointed.
Meredith Kaupp486 7

This has become one of my favorite fantasy series. I love all of the characters, and I love that the focus stays on them rather than spending too time on what the villains are thinking. I hope there will be more books set in this world. Jackson31

A good wrap up of the story of the current generation of protagonists. Left it wide open to start a new series about their kids. The typical "here comes the bad guy, we better find some new skills/artifacts to deal with it," but still well written and enjoyable. Andrea12

As much as I enjoyed the other books in this series this one did fall alittle flat. I love the characters but it seems as though too much was going on and then climaxed very quickly!

Not my favourite from the set but worth a read to finish off and tie up some ends. Don McDonald37 9

I have enjoyed the books in this world and plan the read future works from the author. The characters are good and enjoyable but there are times when the books seem to wind down very quickly at the end of the story.audible fantasy Charley30

I thought the book was great. I enjoyed how the story can continue with the children of the characters. While I understand why they had smaller parts, or were entirely missing, I did miss some of the characters. Overall a good readfiction Craig65 1 follower

Well done Gail Martin. While the book ended a little to fast for me, I still loved it. I gave it 5 stars because I couldn't put it down. No spoilers here, but it could easily have been made into a trilogy. Patrice1,384 10

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