∎ [PDF] Impossible Odds A Chronicle of the King Blades Tale of the King Blades Dave Duncan 9780060094454 Books

Impossible Odds A Chronicle of the King Blades Tale of the King Blades Dave Duncan 9780060094454 Books

Download As PDF : Impossible Odds A Chronicle of the King Blades Tale of the King Blades Dave Duncan 9780060094454 Books

Impossible Odds A Chronicle of the King Blades Tale of the King Blades Dave Duncan 9780060094454 Books

Impossible Odds by Dave Duncan is the fifth book in the King's Blades saga. This book tells the tale of Blades Sir Ringwood and Sir Ranter and the journey they under take with their ward. This book has all the classic elements of a Duncan story, sword fights, plot twists, intrigue, and solid characters.

The plot is what truly drives this book. There are multiple twists and turns. The plot follows the Blade's ward though the journey of acquiring the Blades and then going back to the ward's country to fight an usurper. The plot also has a side story of a Blade in training who happens to not be able to make it through the training for a certain reason and what the Blade order does to him. Duncan also throws in the presence of a White Sister to keep things interesting. As fans of Duncan know White Sisters and Blades rarely get along. Overall, the plot is tight and succinct and many fantasy fans will enjoy this novel.

The characters in Duncan's books are traditionally strong and not two dimensional cut-outs riddled with clich?s. The characters in this book are written very well and each one certainly has their own personality. One thing I have always enjoyed with Duncan's books is that each character has unique ways of talking. I know that is a minor thing, but it adds considerable depth to the character if they are not like everyone else in a book. I also like how Duncan almost makes it a point to have his characters not be all powerful, they have flaws and they make mistakes. It's just another element that makes the characters, and therefore the story, more real and the reader has an easier time relating to the characters.

With all that said, I don't think this is the best book I have read by Duncan. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't live up to what I had been expecting. This could be a case of Duncan having to much success with his first books and just simply not being able to write a great book every time. Don't take that as meaning this is a bad book, it's not, it just simply doesn't live up to the other four thus far in the saga.

I would still not hesitate to recommend this book to any fantasy fan, although I would give the caveat that the reader should start with Gilded Chain simply because reading them in order adds so much more meaning to some of the events in this book. A fun read and one I recommend without hesitation.


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Impossible Odds A Chronicle of the King Blades Tale of the King Blades Dave Duncan 9780060094454 Books Reviews

Not the best of his works. Still a wonderful story and i cant wait till the next one
Enjoyable part of series. Jumps around a little too much, going back to cover a "back story", but, with some concentration, you can keep up.
Great book. Great series. Great author. Stop reading this review and get everything this man has ever written. Are you still reading this?
I bought this book as a gift for my brother and he liked it. Based on that I give it a rating of 4.
This book was fanastic. The plot twisted and turned n such delicious ways that the reader was constantly reassessing. Surprising and fulfilling ending. A must read!!!
Odds are that every fantasy reader will find something to like about this chronicle set int the world of the King's Blades. It stands by itself and is a good book to try out before going on an tackling other books in this series.

At least four of the characters in this unusually strong ensemble of characters could have been promoted to hero or heroine Bellman the failed Blade who must leave Ironhall without graduating due to his damaged vision, Ringwood, too young and lacking self-confidence but who becomes a made blade and leader to his ward, and his ward either a Duke or a Duchess depending, and the delightful, straight-talking Sister Gertrude.

These four strong characters are both a delight and a distraction as their fortunes unfold in characteristic page-turning, plot-twisting fashion. If the author had made any one of them the central character, odds are the book would have gotten 5 stars, but it might not have been as much fun. The ending is the weakest part of the plot, requiring one of the characters to wear a magic amulet for the rest of his life. But up until that point, the story is flawless.
I am a huge fan of Dave Duncan's work, most particularly the King's Blades series. Refreshingly, Duncan writes stand alone/series fantasy that doesn't fall into the ubiquitous trilogy trap, or the endless on and on and on trap. He just writes interesting plots peopled with fascinating characters and liberally seasons the adventures with wit, stylish prose and a keen eye for human foibles. It's a major acheivement that I was emotionally affected by the fate of one particular character, given I loathed him almost from his introduction.
There's a lot of fantasy fiction in the world, and a lot of it is pretty poorly written. This is why I love Duncan's work -- he writes well. He loves words, and he uses them to paint fabulous images and create memorable moments. This is a wonderful series, and I want to see more and more and more of it. So Dave, get back to that computer console, you hear me?
Impossible Odds by Dave Duncan is the fifth book in the King's Blades saga. This book tells the tale of Blades Sir Ringwood and Sir Ranter and the journey they under take with their ward. This book has all the classic elements of a Duncan story, sword fights, plot twists, intrigue, and solid characters.

The plot is what truly drives this book. There are multiple twists and turns. The plot follows the Blade's ward though the journey of acquiring the Blades and then going back to the ward's country to fight an usurper. The plot also has a side story of a Blade in training who happens to not be able to make it through the training for a certain reason and what the Blade order does to him. Duncan also throws in the presence of a White Sister to keep things interesting. As fans of Duncan know White Sisters and Blades rarely get along. Overall, the plot is tight and succinct and many fantasy fans will enjoy this novel.

The characters in Duncan's books are traditionally strong and not two dimensional cut-outs riddled with clich?s. The characters in this book are written very well and each one certainly has their own personality. One thing I have always enjoyed with Duncan's books is that each character has unique ways of talking. I know that is a minor thing, but it adds considerable depth to the character if they are not like everyone else in a book. I also like how Duncan almost makes it a point to have his characters not be all powerful, they have flaws and they make mistakes. It's just another element that makes the characters, and therefore the story, more real and the reader has an easier time relating to the characters.

With all that said, I don't think this is the best book I have read by Duncan. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't live up to what I had been expecting. This could be a case of Duncan having to much success with his first books and just simply not being able to write a great book every time. Don't take that as meaning this is a bad book, it's not, it just simply doesn't live up to the other four thus far in the saga.

I would still not hesitate to recommend this book to any fantasy fan, although I would give the caveat that the reader should start with Gilded Chain simply because reading them in order adds so much more meaning to some of the events in this book. A fun read and one I recommend without hesitation.