The Sword of the Lady (A Novel of the Change)

S.M. Stirling does an nice job with alternate Earths. Unlike other alternate history sci-fi, this series takes place in the modern day. Also, technology is forced to a lower level because of changes which occurred on Earth when the "Change" occurred.

I don't want to give up the plot line and characters with this review, but if you liked his earlier series based on Nantucket, you will enjoy this even more. In fact, this is an extension of that same Emberverse series. I would suggest you start with the first book, "Dies the Fire".

How the world changes is very well thought out and written but the books slow down at times. The reasons I gave it 5 stars are based upon: depth of characters and the world, general story line, and some unexpected humor. The series is a good read, which is why I recommend you start with the first book.

I enjoyed reading this, though I do have some reservations.

I am starting to get really tired of Rudi. He is all that is good and wonderful; makes allies wherever he goes, has ALL the skills, etc. His impending DOOM does not really make up for his complete lack of flaws; he is rather a deus ex machina all in himself.

That being said, it was still a fun read. I am very much enjoying having some pagan cultures as the surviving ones; generally, in fiction, it's atheists vs. monotheists. I enjoy the polytheology, in that both pagan and catholic visions are true visions. And the action was pretty good, even when unrealistic.

I'm ambivalent about the mysticism at the end; I'll need to see how that plays out in the next book.

Still- it's been a fun read!

I enjoy reading every new book in this great series and this was no exception. However, I am giving it only 4 stars because I felt like it lacked a little something. I know there is another book in the series so I did not expect a spectacular ending tying everything up. What I did expect was some kind of completion within the novel itself. I did not have that feeling after finishing The Sword of the Lady. I felt incomplete and not in the usual cannot wait for the next book way.

Stirling delivers his usual excellent descriptions of battles and geo-political events. Yes his pagan ritual commentary can be a bit over the top, but by now after reading 10+ of his books I am used to it.

I love his characters and plot lines in general but I am starting to have a hard time with his Red Robed CUT supernatural people. I have a sinking feeling the conclusion SM is leading us towards will be a bit far fetched, but I am cautiously optimistic as always and look forward to his final book in this series, The High King of Montival: A Novel of the Change (Change Series).

Sam Hendricks, author Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Baseball for Beginners

Rudi Mackenzie continues his dangerous trek across what was once the United States in his quest to learn more about the Change that crippled the superpower turning the world into literally a darker neo Dark Ages in which electricity ceased. His goal is to go the source in Nantucket. Along the way, he has made friends, several of whom are traveling with him, and many enemies.

He attains his destination only to find a stranger world that makes what he seen before seem normal. Nantucket Island is totally woodland with no more than two hundred confused people who insist they come from other eras, but somehow were transported to the center of the Change. Nothing makes sense to the wary and weary Rudi as Nantucket offers no answers that he can fathom. However, there is one house made of stone still standing. Still searching for clues to what caused the Change over two decades ago; Rudi enters and immediately is drawn to a sword that he picks up as if the weapon was calling him. What he thought he knew will be sliced and diced forever.

The third Change post apocalyptic thriller (see SUNRISE LANDS and THE SCOURGE OF GOD) continues Rudi and company's trek across the battered dying land trying to come back to life two plus decades later. The troupe has reached their destination, but Nantucket is nothing like what they or the audience expected when they set out; for that matter the trip across the country was also filled with inexplicable unexpected happenings as the gods intruded along the way. Although it is imperative to have recently at least read THE SCOURGE OF GOD, fans will enjoy this excellent epic that will stun the reader with the direction S.M. Stirling spins as Rudi has come a long way to grab the sword and apparently has a long way still to go.

Harriet Klausner

"The Sword of the Lady" continues the story of Rudi MacKenzie and his band of questers as they cross what was the United States, heading towards Nantucket, so that Rudi can both find, and be transformed into, the Sword of the Lady. First, they have to extricate themselves from a situation in Iowa, and continue to avoid the Cutters and find allies as they progress toward Nantucket.

Some really good stuff here - Mathilda gets a chance to demonstrate her political acumen, and she IS good, better than anyone else, except, possibly, her mother. Ingolf reconciles with his family, in a totally believable and affectionate fashion. We get to see how the Change impacted yet another insular group, this one in Northern Maine, as well as running into some post-Change antagonists, who aren't the Cutters - with a nice tie-in to one of his short stories. Plus, the Cutters are slightly humanized, at least one of them is. Ignatius gets to demonstrate why he came along. Major progress is made in the Rudi/Mathilda relationship. Edain might even get a girl. Odard reveals hidden depths. We also get just enough "back at the ranch" insight so as not to lose touch with those people, without dragging down the pace too much. Great glimpse of Sandra, especially.

Oh, and some of the best meal descriptions ever. I swear I gained ten pounds just reading this book!

Here's why I didn't give it five stars:

- Rudi is in perilous danger of becoming a male "Mary Sue." He's handsome, charming, a deadly fighter, good at intrigue, in short, a Great Hero and close to perfect in every way. He'd be a lot more likeable with a blind spot or a fault or two.

- We get that he's going to die young. No need to go on (and on and on and on and on) about it.

- WTF is up with Mathilda and Signe suddenly becoming homophobic? Signe was a card-carrying LIBERAL. Liberals who are vegetarians and pacifists don't up and develop full-blown cases of homophobia twenty years later, especially homophobia directed at women - and no one is bugged by male homophobia? Oh, please. Mathilda grew up with Tiphaine/Delia and all of a sudden she finds Ulfhild creepy? Oh, please - times two.

- Edain more or less vanishes for the whole of the story. He gets a cameo when it comes to getting laid or shooting arrows (how Freudian!), but no more

- Constant references to male upper-body strength and what a Big Deal it is for fighters. Clearly, all female martial artists died out at the Change. Obviously, he's never heard of a naginata, or any of the arts that use great strength against the wielder.

- Constant references to how introspective people were pre-Change and how weird it is. The same independent thought occurs to about seven people during the novel. Hammer, beaten over head with. Repeatedly.

- Male leadership is an accepted norm and women appear just THRILLED TO BITS to just run kitchens and tend babies. Yeah, right. Clergywomen vanish. Female leaders, except in Dun Juniper, and except as regents for MALE minor child vanish. Mary, Ritva, and Eilir apparently don't mind stepping aside for their younger, MALE siblings. Mathilda continues to be the token female exception, but even she will be Rudi's consort - Lady Protector, yes, but his High Queen Consort.

- The question of what faith Rudi and Mathilda's eventual child will be raised in is completely ignored. That's a HUGE issue. Will he let the child be raised Christian? Will the child be accepted if pagan? Not addressed at all.

- Virginia/Victoria seems to exist to interject a cranky comment and to be Fred's love interest. Very dull.

- Stirling needs an copy-editor. I found several embarrassing typos.

Overall, a good, engaging read and I'm definitely looking forward to "The High King of Montival." Just wish this story was a bit tighter.

Another enjoyable book from SM Stirling. The continuation of a hybrid post-holocaust/fantasy-quest novel, this book continues the journey of the hero and his companions in search of the numinous sword. Written well with good attention to detail, Stirling does a nice job of laying out a well developed alternative history. As in prior books, the presentation of a diverse but largely feudal North America is very entertaining. The handling of the fantasy-quest is quite good and leavened with some humor. The ending of this particular book contains a bit of murky Manicheanism which detracts from Stirling's ability to give his books a realistic flavor. The stage is set for an interesting next installment.

If you don't dig the wiccan nonsense, endless songs and prayers to whatever you'll need to skip nearly 1/2 the book to actually get to the story.

I think it should be 1/2 price since only 1/2 is readable.

This great book in the Emberverse Series continues to merge this alternate world with that of Stirling's "Nantucket Series." These characters are amazing. This sort of post-America story is not entirely original, but it's never been done better. I hope this series continues for many more volumes.

Michael Travis Jasper, author of the novel "To Be Chosen"

This was my first Stirling book. First, a confession. I didn't read the whole book. I only made it about seventy pages. Bite me if you wish. My review will only provide what I thought about the part I did read, and why I couldn't continue.
One big problem I had with the book was the frequent exposition. I got the feeling the author was trying too hard to explain his constructed world through thinly-disguised lectures, when he should have let the world reveal itself naturally through the workings of the story. I don't need characters saying or thinking mini-lectures on the intricate politics, cultures, and other aspects of Stirling's fictional world every few pages or so. It seemed excessive to me and really bogged down the story.
A related problem was Stirling's tendency to over-describe his characters and his world. Again, I felt Stirling was over-doing it and padding the story when it would have worked just as well with a lot less.
Finally, I just couldn't find enough reason to care about Stirling's characters. They didn't seem real enough to me somehow, and besides that my PC (Political Correctness) sensor gave me warnings when a violent lesbian assassin character showed up. Come on, Stirling! Get real. Few things sour a story for me faster than PC elements. The lesbian assassin was especially annoying because of Stirling's suggestion that she was nearly unbeatable as a warrior. This seems totally implausible to me. Perhaps it would seem more plausible to people who watched a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or other shows like that.
This book is even more disappointing because I liked the premise. Of course, a good premise is no guarantee of a good piece of work. I'm not sure if I want to try another Stirling book or not.

I have read the entire series and was actually mildly distraught when I came to the end of the currently-published books. A great series can become like a friend or companion and I was sad to see this one go. I normally would never even consider re-reading a series (because there are always so many books out there waiting to be read!!) but I am genuinely tempted by this one. I will gladly come back and read any subsequent books the author might add, and will definitely be recommending this series highly to my book worm peers <3