The Jaguar Knights (A Chronicle of the King's Blades: Book 3)

A Fantasy Series Book Review

By Dave Duncan

Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Heroes, Adult
ISBN: 0060555122
Publisher: Eos (August 30, 2005)
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Excerpt

Publisher's Blurb:

The realm's most feared swordsman, Sir Wolf has earned his name, the "King's Killer," well. Unlike many of his brother Blades, however, Wolf detests his sworn duty to do the bloody bidding of a liege he can never respect. But when an impregnable fortress is breached and a former royal mistress is abducted by brazen assailants, Wolf must leap into the fray.

Burdened with the company of his disgraced brother, Sir Lynx—the only Blade ever to lose his ward and live—and shadowed by a mysterious Inquisitor with a secret agenda, Wolf must make his way across a landscape of nightmares vivid and terrible enough to chill any fearless heart. For somewhere in this dark, unfamiliar world, the fate of all Chivial hangs in the balance—and it is the destiny of one reluctant Blade to tip the scales to salvation . . . or doom.

Sir Wolf is the answer to what happens when a good Blade is bound to a bad master. Labeled the "King's Killer" Wolf is reviled by almost all of the Blades, Guard and Court but no one hates him more then he hates himself. However, Wolf is bound to the King and must do his bidding so when the former consort of King Athelgar is kidnapped by mysterious furred and feathered warriors, Wolf, along with a White Sister are put on their trail. The journey will take them across oceans and into unknown dangers, to lands where men are sacrificed in the hundreds to fuel powerful sorcery. Everyone has an agenda, Wolf wants to rescue his brother who has gone in search of his kidnapped ward, White Sister Dolores wants Wolf...and the secrets of a new magic and the King wants to know if his country is under threat of invasion. First Dolores and Wolf must survive a land where warriors are more animal then human.

Sadly, not my favorite. The magic, which was just starting to annoy me in the last book, seriously annoyed me in this one. It is still an interesting story; Dave Duncan's version of warriors of Montezuma was unique. Wolf started to look interesting, a Blade who is forced to kill other Blades when their masters commit treason, until Dolores got a hold of him. Actually I did not feel like any of the characters lived up to their potential.

As with the rest, this is a true standalone. I would not recommend picking up these three without reading the first trilogy, simply because you might get confused about the binding ceremony, traditions, and magic system involved. The story itself however, does not depend on any of the others. The epilogue is the best part of this book. It actually ties up a loose end left over from a much earlier story, much to my delight.

Content was much darker then previous stories. There was the underlying thread of human sacrifice, and the main story ends on a tragic note. Sex and violence are common, though rarely graphic. While not as good as the previous five books, I still think it was worth the read, if only to round out the series. Sword and sorcery, romance and heartbreak, loyalty and betrayal, these books have something for almost any fantasy fan.

Series Summary
Other books in the series
Ratings, Reviews, Similar Reads, Buy Books

Shelfari Rating 4+/5 Librarything Rating 3.55/5 Amazon Rating 4 out of 5 stars (20 Customer Reviews) What Should I Read Next?

Kindle: Jaguar Knights, The Ebook: Ebooks.com Buy Book: B&N - Powells Amazon: US Canada UK