The Crimson Sword: Book One of the Legend of Asahiel

by Eldon Thompson

Book Overview

The Age of Man has begun. The undesirable creatures of legend have been driven from their lands, magic has been forsaken, the old gods reduced to myth.Now humans will rule the kingdoms of the island continent of Pentania. But they are not alone.

Alson's king has been assassinated, its capital besieged by a malevolent wizard. The chaos and terror now sweeping the land have come to the remote village of Diln -- sending young Jarom far from...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060741511
• ISBN13: 9780060741518
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Length: 720 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

All you have to do is read the first page.

The first page of The Crimson Sword, book one of a new epic trilogy, sinks its teeth deep into your imagination and doesn't ever let go. If you're expecting a typical opening to an epic fantasy trilogy you'll be happily disappointed. The plot takes the unexpected turn every chance it can in the first third. And don't expect the characters to follow along with a well-worn script as well, nor live as long as you would expect them to. Its true The Crimson Sword engages many of the story tropes we've come to love from good fantasy, but in many cases Thompson has turned them on their heads or at least lovingly made fun of them. Jarom/Torin is a prime example. He's the reluctant, coming of age hero to the extreme, to the point you're begging for him to take up his charge and lead his followers to victory. And when Jarom/Torin finally does the moment is simply sweet candy for the reader. The emotional pay off is well worth the wait. If you love epic fantasy, then this new legend is a must on your next-to-read list. You'll love the villains and find yourself rooting for them only to relish in their failures. And this new world will be one you'll miss upon coming to the book's end and one you'll look forward to exploring further in book two. But most of all, Thompson has created the ultimate talisman. The crimson sword is the coolest thing since Tolkien's Rings. Where do I get one of these things. And what I love about Thompson's set up for this trilogy is that we and the characters have yet to fully understand the full power and ability of the sword--which drives us readers to anticipate learning more in the following books. A home run for Thompson with his first at bat. I can't wait to see what he'll do the next time he steps up to the plate.

Awesome start to series and career

I'll admit that I was hesitant to dig into this book. A friend recommended it strongly enough that I ended up buying it, but some of the reviews led me to believe it couldn't possibly be as good as he said. So it took awhile before I finally ended up reading it. Boy was I wrong to wait. This book has a little bit of everything that makes the fantasy genre so great. Adventure, romance, creatures, mystery, epic battles, backstabbing intrigues, and a great big world just waiting to be explored. At times, it seemed to be the same thing I've read a hundred times before (orphaned king, evil wizard, elves, dark queen, etc etc), but without fail, Thompson managed to take these familiar elements and do something different with them. For example, is the orphaned king really deserving of the throne, or does the evil wizard have a rightful claim? With the elves, I'm thinking kindly fairy folk who sit around singing to the trees and braiding one another's hair, so what I got instead was completely unexpected. Even the dark queen to me was a sympathetic character, since her only real desire was to find a place for herself in a world to which she didn't belong. I also liked the writing style, though I can see where others might not. It's very descriptive, so if you're one of those who like to rip through books in a hurry, you might be disappointed. But it reminded me of Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, Terry Brooks, all those early greats who provided a full sensory feast. Too many authors these days tear through their stories as if they can't wait to finish and get started on the next book. With Thompson's writing, I feel like I got my money's worth. The same is true of his characters' internal struggles. Some reviewers say they bog down the story, but I think that in a large way, they *are* the story. It's nice to have a sense that these are real people, with actual emotional responses to all the crazy crap going on around them. Because of this, I found it much easier to relate to them. Storywise, there were a couple of things that confused me in the early going, particularly with all of the creatures that seemed to be running around in random fashion. But all of that was eventually explained, and made perfect sense to me. In fact, one of the great things about this story, as some have said, is that it stands alone quite well. With the exception of a few teasers at the end, everything resolves itself. I do have one big question concerning something that happened in the climax, but the characters have the same question, so I'm assuming it'll be answered somewhere down the road. In fact, my only real gripe is that since this is a new author, I now have to wait god knows how long before the next book is released. According to Thompson's website, the second book should be out in May of next year, which I guess is typical of most writers. But I've been burned too many times by approximate release dates to trust them. Oh, and I have to say that Kylac has to be o

One of the finest...

As a reader of this accomplished book, I would just like to note the breathtaking splendor, the astounding story, and well invented characters of the First of the Series of Asahiel. Eldon Thompson wastes no time in putting his remarkable talents to good use. I would advise any with a sense of adventure, even if purely fictional, should not only read, but purchase this book, so as to be able to enjoy the magic of it again and again. I simply was enthrilled by it, and will waste no time in purchasing Eldon Thompson's next book, which he currently is finishing.

one of the best!!!

i just finished the crimson sword , i read lots of fantasy and subscribe to locus to keep up with it ,and have to say this is now one of my favorite books i ever read-just faboulous story,wonderful characters,i really cared for and what a story, this is his first book ,i cant believe it! its just perfect,now ,i have to wait for more,that's sad

Well Done

If you are looking for a book with interesting characters and an exciting plot to get imaginatively lost in, one you can read for hours while hoping to be uninterrupted, and then wish there were more at the end.... this is the read for you. And the best part is there will indeed be a sequel!! I expect to spend many years to come reading innovative fantasy spinoffs from this new author of excellent caliber.