The Sum of All Men
Ratings17
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings17
Average rating3.6
Young Prince Gaborn Val Orden of Mystarria is traveling in disguise on a journey to ask for the hand of the lovely Princess Iome of Sylvarresta when he and his warrior bodyguard spot a pair of assassins who have set their sights on the princess's father. The pair races to warn the king of the impending danger and realizes that more than the royal family is at risk--the very fate of the Earth is in jeopardy.
Series
8 primary books9 released booksThe Runelords is a 8-book series with 8 primary works first released in 1998 with contributions by David Farland.
Reviews with the most likes.
An excellent new take on fantasy! Farland doesn't just recycle Tolkien's/Gygax's creatures, but instead comes up with his own. His take on magic is new and interesting as well. The examination of the moral quandary of taking these endowments from people, even willingly, is cause for pause. Even more of note is the examination of the morality of killing dedicates, who often were unwilling, in order to harm your enemy. This isn't unlike the question of bombing factories with slave workers to stop enemy tank production. The writing style isn't quite as good as Tolkien or Martin, and I couldn't help but imagine cartoon characters in my mind as I read the book. That, of course, might be because it's hard to imagine people more beautiful than beautiful, or running at 100 miles per hour. While I like Lord of the Rings better and suspect there are other series I'll like better, I fully plan on continuing to read the series! While it doesn't feel quite as epic in scope as some other series, I'm just getting started! The map at the front of the book left plenty of space unfilled! I fully recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new fantasy series!
