The High King of Montival (Emberverse Book 7)

Great series. Excellent character development. Very good protagonists and antagonists. Can't wait for the next book! One of the best post apocalypse series I've read. Stirling at the top of his game.

Seventh in the Emberverse overall series and fourth in The Change subseries of this apocalyptic science fiction series revolving around Rudi Artos Mackenzie. It's Change Year 24 and our year 2023.

My Take
The main characters in The High King of Montival are Changelings, the children born after that EMP took out the world's technologies. They have never experienced that tech and look upon the stories their "elders" tell as fairy tales. They can't tell the difference between those tales and those of dragons and Rings of Power.

Stirling does take some grandiose liberties with that sword. I'm not objecting as I enjoyed the challenges it presented Rudi, as well as the benefits it wrought. Still, it was "amazingly" miraculous, especially when Rudi held it to the High Seeker's forehead. That poor boy. It helps Rudi remember absolutely everyone, to see over the land, to know all languages, to free the possessed, and to view the past or future.

This is a brilliant trip in so many ways and a great experience for Rudi, for he learns much of how others govern, the good and the bad. He'll take these lessons home along with valuable allies. It also gives him time to learn about the sword. Some of it terrible, terrible and great, and some of it a blessing.

The Catholic priests in this are very able to twist events to suit their doctrine. It's all in the hands of God, and it will be a Catholic God. I do prefer Rudi's Old Religion with its incredible tolerance for the beliefs of others.

It's a hard slog, convincing potential allies why they want to join with the Mackenzies and the PPA, and it provides Stirling with the opportunity to explain how the concept of Montival will work, how it will benefit everyone.

Lol, Bjarni adds an incentive to the Bjorning council meeting to hurry up the decisionmaking. Very clever. Mathilda lets us know the Bjornings have kept that Maine accent, lol. Later in the story, seeing the numbers that central America can field, Bjarni wonders why they bothered to come, but it'll be an eye-opening trip for him.

This is a difficult time for Graber, a time for thought, of how to atone, how to rescue his family.

There's a fascinating side trip up inside a highrise in Toronto where the Changelings get a glimpse of what their elders miss. I like that it makes them think of the future. Their own future in which they too will do grand things, their own grand things. It's a trip that sets Bjarni to thinking about the future of his people.

Oh, thank god. I was so worried about the widowed Cecile Thurston. Seems she has an idea of the truth, and Astrid plans to do something about it with Eilir.

It's an interesting combination: the men-conserving yet ambitious Martin Thurston and the Prophet who cares nothing for the lives of his people. Not like Rudi who will make Mark his uncle's aide in an attempt to keep him safe.

Oh, you smokers will love the Richlanders. They grow tobacco and no one cares about the old days when they said smoking was bad for you.

I am in favor of the death penalty, and Rudi sums it up for me: "very odd, to make honest folk pay to support the wicked [in prison]."

The Story
The quest has lost a month and the town on Nantucket Island, but Rudi has gained what they sought: the sword of the Lady. A sword that is the only hope the Mackenzies and their allies have of defeating a force that is more than twice their size. A sword that leaves Major Graber with a life-changing decision.

At least Rudi's possession of the sword means that the enemy's hoodoo no longer works.

But all is not well in Norrheim, for the Bekwa are crossing into Maine, ready for war.

The Characters
Rudi Artos Mackenzie is of the Old Religion and the High King, the Ard Rí, acclaimed by all in his party. Epona is the horse he's had since he was a boy. Mathilda Arminger, a devout Catholic, is the crown princess to the PPA, and betrothed to Rudi, her best friend since childhood. Father Ignatius of the Order of the Shield of St. Benedict is a Catholic warrior-priest whom Rudi will ask to be his Chancellor of the Realm. Edain Aylward Mackenzie, a.k.a., Aylward the Archer, is Rudi's best friend and right-hand man. Garbh is Edain's mastiff bitch. Mary and Ritva are his half-sisters; they have a shared father, the deceased Mike Havel. Ingolf Voegler is Mary's husband. Frederick Thurston is the younger son of the murdered General Lawrence Thurston and married to the bloodthirsty Virginia Kane. The Southside Freedom Fighters are part of a tribe Rudi picked up outside Iowa in The Sword of the Lady , 6, and includes Tuk, Samul, and Rattlebones.

The Mackenzies and Their Allies
The Mackenzies are…
…followers of the Old Religion, and Juniper Mackenzie, Rudi's mother, is the Chief of the Clan, their Witch-Queen, and Goddess-on-Earth. Sir Nigel Loring is her husband. Fiorbhinn is one of their daughters and a dab hand at songwriting. Maude is another daughter and both will be furious over missing the ceremonies. Sam Aylward is Edain's father and the original Aylward the Archer. Dickie is his son, Edain's younger brother.

Eithne is handfasted, to Edain's relief, to Artan Jackson, a leatherworker.

The Bearkillers are…
…a.k.a., the Outfit, a military group assembled by Mike Havel right after the Change. It's now led by Mike's widow, Signe Havel. Mike Jr. is seventeen now, and an initiated Bearkiller. He likes Rudi a lot more than his still-jealous mother. The one-handed Eric Larsson is Signe's twin and the Bearkillers' war-commander.

The Dúnedain Rangers are…
…a group of young women and men who act as scouts and guards. They have a fascination with the Lord of the Rings — they refer to them as the Histories — and they all speak Sindarin. Aunt Astrid is married to Alleyne Loring, and she leads the Dúnedain. She's also Signe and Eric's sister. They have three children: Diorn, Hinluin, and Fimalen. Eilir is Juniper's deaf daughter and a co-leader with Astrid. She's married to Little John Hordle, Alleyne's childhood friend. Hírvegil and Imlos are some of the Rangers.

CORA, the Central Oregon Ranchers Association is…
…a loose coalition of ranchers allied to the Mackenzies and Bearkillers. Rancher John Brown is one of its leaders.

Mount Angel is…
…a Benedictine monastery of warrior monks led by Abbot-Bishop Dmwoski. Their brothers are trained in a wide variety of skills with missions sent out all over the land.

The Seven Free Cities of the Yakima are…
…new come to the alliance. Zillah is one of the cities.

The Portland Protective Association (PPA) is…
…Matti's inheritance, but her mother, Sandra Arminger, is the current regent, a cold killer who loves her daughter. Castle Todenangst is the government center and the primary home of the Armingers.
"…some says she's a sociopath. Some say psychopath. Sandra says her chosen phrase would be 'very focused'."
Sir Joscelin is a Wereton of Laurelwood. Lady Jenhane Jones is Lord Jabar, the Count of Molalla's, youngest. She is confidential secretary to Lady Sandra. Baroness Tiphaine d'Ath is the Grand Constable and supreme commander for the PPA armies. Lady Delia is still with Tiphaine and chatelaine of the castle.

The Sioux, Lakota, and Olgalla
John Red Leaf is the representative the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota send to negotiate with the Mackenzies and the PPA. Rick Three Bears is his son. Fox Woman is John's wife. (We met them in The Scourge of God , 5.) Their land covers half the Dakotas; chunks of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado; and a bit of Nebraska.

Idahoans are…
…fed up with the CUT and Boise. Sheriff Robert Woburn leads them and still feels a debt to Mike Havel and his Bearkillers over events in Dies the Fire , 1. His son Tom died battling the Corwinites. Eddie Running Horse is hoping to catch up on events in their lives.

Nantucket Island
There are three groups on the island: Rudi and his friends, the corsairs, and The CUT. The tribe Ingolf had met on his trip east three years ago includes Dove — and Ingolf's young son. Kills Orca is Dove's father and the chief of the Sea-Landers.

Hrolf "Blood Ax" Homersson, Ulfhild Swift-Sword, and Asgerd Karlsdottir are some of the Norrheimers who'd volunteered to come on this trip. Karl was Asgerd's father, and he'd been a policeman in New Hampshire before the Change. Grettir, Hauk, Erik, Brynhildr, and Tóra are her siblings. Sigurd was her betrothed before he was murdered by the CUT. Now she and Edain have hooked up.

The Bjornings in Norrheim, Maine
Eriksgarth is…
…the steading of Godhi Bjarni Eriksson in what was Aroostook County; he's also chief of the Bjornings and will become Bjarni Ironrede, Bjarni of the Iron Counsel. Lady Harberga Janetsdottir is Bjarni's wife, and she's had her baby, Erik Bjarnisson. Gudrun Eriksdottir is his sister. Erland Johnsson is birdmann, a guard in Bjarni's service. Halfdan Finnurrson, Uncle Ranulf will end up staying behind, and Ingmar are some of the Bjornings who go to battle.

Kalksthorpe is…
…the steading that had been attacked by the Cutters and corsairs in what had been Robbinston, Washington County. Kalk the Shipwright is its leader. Karl is the fourteen-year-old door guard. Heidhveig is the Norrheimers' seeress. Thorleif is her son. Gundridh Thorvinsdottir is her great-granddaughter.

Hrossings are led by…
…Syfrid Jerrysson and Bjarni's rival. He had been Erik's friend and right-hand man who thought he should have become chief of the Bjornings and not Bjarni. Halldor is his fifteen-year-old son. Other steadings include the Wulflings, Verdfolings, and the Hundings who are led by Inglief.

Readstown in the Richland territory is…
…where Ingolf's people are. Doc Pham is their doctor. Ingolf's brother, Ed, is the sheriff there and is married to Wanda. Their son Mark is anxious to go off to war — he's Ensign Mark Vogeler, First Richland Volunteer Cavalry now, and there is nothing Ed or Wanda can do about it but consign him to Ingolf's care. The rest of their children include baby Jenny, young Ingolf, Dave, and Melly. Wilma. Samantha is a Wiccan and the Voegler's housekeeper. Major Will Kohler, the local drill instructor and teacher of martial arts, is the temporary commander of the Readstown contingent. Colonel Ingolf will have to take command due to Will's status.

Otter was Jake sunna Jake's wife, and she grieves his loss. She'll follow Rudi back to Montival. Rudi and company have to impart the news of Pierre Walks Quiet's death which devastates his wife.

Sheriff Bill Clements is the high sheriff over all of them. Events in Iowa have them all up in arms, and the towns all around are gathering up contingents to send with Rudi. They include Dan Rassmusen in Fargo, Greg Johanson in Marshall, Carl Mayer in Nebraska, Andy Hickock in Kirksville, and McIvery in Concordia. There's no more tolerance for Cutters here anymore.

The Provisional Republic of Iowa is…
…now led by the Regent, Lady Catherine Heasleroad, on behalf of her son, Thomas Heasleroad, heir to the Bossmanship (their story is primarily in The Scourge of God , 5 and The Sword of the Lady , 6). Abel Heuisink is a landed gentleman, a Farmer, and he's the Chancellor helping Kate rule. Captain Dietrick is the commander of the State Patrol.

Canada
Dickie is a young man they meet outside Toronto and provides a thoughtful lesson for Bjarni.

Inspector James Rollins is the Canadian commander, soon to be made general. Premier Szakacs and Premier Wuthrich lead the territories of Moose Jaw and Minnedosa, but I'm not sure which.

The Dominion of Drumheller covers…
…the province of Alberta. Constable Ian Kovalevsky is with the Force (modeled on the Mounties) and perform the same sort of tasks as the Rangers. Led by Corporal Dudley, he and his fellow constables are charged with getting Ritva through to Montival. Premier Mah is the leader of the Dominion.

The Anchor Bar Seven Ranch is…
…within the Drumheller Dominion and run by Avery McGillvery, a captain in the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment, a Justice of the Peace, and a member of the Legislative Assembly. His father, Keith, was the ranch manager when the Change hit. It's also an outpost protecting the Drumheller border. Naomi is Avery's wife; Dirk and Amy are their children. Doctor Padmi Nirasha was part of a gang who raided the ranch years ago. Annie is one of the young girls on the ranch, and she fires a mean crossbow.

The Cutters are…
…followers of the Church Universal and Triumphant, which is led by the psychopathic Prophet Sethaz. The High Seeker in charge of the troop chasing Rudi is demon-possessed and turns out to be Bobby Dalan from Scrabbledown Ranch, now a five-year-old boy in the body of an adult. The man who had torn Mary's eye out. Major Graber commanded the troop that has been hunting Rudi since The Scourge of God , 5.

The United States of Boise…
…joined with the Cutters once the current president, Martin Thurston, killed his father.

The Bekwa are…
…an Indian tribe stirred up by the Cutters, and they hate the Norrheimers.

The corsairs had…
…been on parole for their actions in The Scourge of God , 5, but their aid leads Rudi to change his decision. Abdou al-Naari is their leader. Ahmed ibn Abdou is is son. Jawara, captain of the Gisandu, had been Abdou's friend.

Montival consists of "what the old world had called Oregon and Washington and parts of British Columbia. William the Great is the king of England and a friend of Sir Nigel's. He's also looking at the east coast of America.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a faded out landscape with a pale, pale blue sky, a mountain range in the background, and a withered grassy plain with a wrecked plane behind Rudi. Artos is in his combination leather and armor and what appears to be black combat boots, side-on to us, and holding the sword up in a ready position.

The title is what Rudi is acclaimed, The High King of Montival.

Some background. I was in a major retail store, and found it in the bargain bin (I am cheap) and bought it, new, for about a 5th the cost of the store. I am familiar with Sterling and love his work, so for the price I read it.

I was at a bit of disadvantage. I was not familiar with "The Change" series so I dove right in. A little confused at the beginning, but soon got into it. In reality, he refers to previous volumes so you are brought up to speed quickly. (I will buy the previous editions..I like the series). I enjoyed it and the characters.

The major drawbacks to this Novel is as you are about two thirds of the way through, it's obvious that the conclusion it's building to is in the next volume. It's a "build up" novel. The other is many of the sequences are very repetitive and drawn out, very much like some of the novels Poul Anderson did, (drove me nuts). To much time is taken at how they are eating, dining, and such.

The positives are the characters and the way he builds them. There are MANY major characters, and after a while, you know them. He continually reinforces their development. This is done even as he continually builds the decription of the landscapes he describes, the Americas and Canada "Post Change". It reminded me of Biographical or Historical novels. Also his descriptions of the armies involved, their weapons, and to some extent, tactics. A little like "Jerry Pournelle" lite.

Overall, a good read, and required reading for the following novel, (which now I got to get also). If you are a follower of this series, you will not be disappointed.

Many other readers have complained about the lack of new developments in this novel. Certainly it seems pretty "plot-light," as if it is just getting the story from point C to point D in the story arc. I get the feeling Stirling had outlined the overall arc of the plot after he wrote the first novel and the basic task in this novel was to get Rudi/Artos home from Nantucket and well set-up to be the great High King of the newly federated realm of Montival. Given that overarching task, Stirling obviously wasn't interested in taking risks with his hero or any of the other major characters, so the trip back from East Coast to West does seem pretty uneventful, compared to earlier novels in the series.

If you hate all the pagan jazz and the endless descriptions of meals, clothing, and battle gear in the earlier novels, you'll hate them here, too -- no more, no less. If you love to gorge on the battle descriptions, you may be disappointed, as they are fewer in this volume. If you like seeing how different parts of the world have reverted to different strands of lost cultural tradition, you'll see a fair amount of that. What's really missing is any element of real tension or risk; partly that's because the Sword lets Artos see what's ahead, and blinds the supernatural vision of the Seekers who are after him, and partly it's because this is the volume that had to get Rudi and his merry band home safely.

However, if you look at this volume in the context of the general architecture of the master plot, you can see that this is the King-making part of the story, and a fair amount gets accomplished. Artos is getting a feel for what it means to be a High King, and he is adding new confederates to his realm, which will stretch across North America by the time he defeats the CUT. (If you recognize this series as re-telling the Arthurian legends -- a Return of Arthur -- you'll see that this was bound to happen.) The Norrheimers and Southsiders are part of that new confederation, as are the bunch from Wisconsin, Iowa, etc., including the Injuns from the Dakotas, and the Canadians are brought in as allies. At the end of the novel, Rudi & Matti finally get hitched, which effectively cements the united dynasty of the two main cultural players, the Mackenzies and the PPA, and guarantees (I hope) that future volumes will not bore us too much with their rather boring romance. Some of the other key characters get paired off, too, so that all the young'uns who had set out for Nantucket a couple of books back are now bona fide adults (expect some babies before the end of the series), and those who were young adults in the first volume are now certified geezers.

I'm guessing that the next volume will more than make up for the stately pace of this one, which is essentially the calm before the storm.

This is the 10th novel about the Change, a series that began with ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME trilogy, and featuring characters whose stories began with DIES THE FIRE. To fully appreciate THE HIGH KING OF MONTIVAL the preceding books should be read in order, although the first trilogy ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME, AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS and ON THE OCEANS OF ETERNITY are not strictly necessary, the stories from DIES THE FIRE on are very much a continuous narrative.

Rudi Mackenzie has lead a band of companions on a dangerous quest from the Pacific Coast of what had been Oregon to the Island of Nantucket. There he has obtained the Sword of the Lady and now are on their way back home. While they have been gone the Church Universal and Triumphant - now known as CUT - has been attempting to take over the various territories in the Northwest that have emerged since the Change, the groups that Rudi hopes to unite into the Kingdom of Montival. The question is will they return in time to save their homes?

DIES THE FIRE is one of those books that stay with a reader forever. The whole idea of seeing a flash of light and then having everything that makes our society function cease - no electricity, not even batteries, no gunpowder, no steam power - watching society first collapse and then slowly rebuild into new forms. This book and the earlier ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME deserve to become classics. Unfortunately as the series has continued the books have become somewhat repetitious, a necessary evil in any long series that has a strong overall story arc to be sure but this series does seem to carry this to an extreme. Besides the recaps of the former novels Stirling insists on relating in great detail every meal eaten, every piece of armor worn and at times it seems every tree that is passed along the way. This is a good story, and a necessary part of a marvelous series but it is at least three times as long as it needs to be. Anyone who has begun reading this series will want to get this one, skim through the parts that get tedious, to get ready for the story of their return home and (hopefully) the final battle with CUT.

Briefly, what began as a compelling epic of survival, intrigue, and magic, has devolved into a medieval fashion magazine travelogue. Were it not for the flowery description of characters' dress, armor or the color of their eyes, this novel would have take up 50 very predictable pages. And that would have been an improvement. In the interest of full disclosure,this novel should be printed in magazine form on glossy paper with lots of pictures.
Had I not loved the previous novels, I wouldn't care that this series is heading for disaster. But I did, and I do. And because of that love, I am holding out hope that the author S.M. Stirling can gather himself, return to his roots and finish this series with a hint of former greatness, and not another pile of renaissance boutique fluff.

Please Mr Stirling, come home. It's not to late. All can be forgiven...

Finally, the audio version of this book only adds insult to injury with nearly 15 minutes of repeated phrases on two separate occasions. Is this novel so bad that not even the audio engineers would listen to it prior to shipping?

The High King Of Montival by S. M. Stirling
This book is set in a post Apocalyptic world where technology has been truncated by some unknown source. This story focuses on the children of the initial survivors featured in the Dies the Fire, the first three books. This book is the 4th of seven in the second series set in this world. Rudi and Mathilda are the featured characters in this volume.
Rudi and Mathilda, the heirs to the Mackenzie lands and the Association territory are returning from Nantucket in this book. They pick up allies on the way and face more of the treacherous "Cutters". The idiosyncrasies established in the preceding books continue. One of the ways they author keep each volume readable as a stand alone is how he has the characters fill in the back story when they acquire new allies.
An interesting factor is the demonstration of fracturing society into schismatic ethnic and fantasy groups. Fiction and religious tracts seem to carry the same weight with resulting societal implications. Stirling does an admirable job creating likeable characters with believable foibles.

Having made it to Nantucket and obtained (and become) the Sword of the Lady, Rudi (who now goes by Artos) and his band of questers now have to figure out how to get home as quickly as possible to deal with the menace of the Cutters. To his credit, Stirling figures out a (slightly unbelievable) way of expediting this, and we also don't get detailed descriptions of every scene along the way. We get to see characters introduced in the previous volumes (Kate Heaselroad has come a long way), a shout-out to some characters in the first trilogy and a welcome view of what's going on back in Montival. My favorite scene actually took place on the trip back, when the group visits a pre-Change artifact.

The book wasn't without its flaws, namely:

- The edits made the story a bit choppy.
- As another reviewer pointed out, I thought the method for speeding up the trip was somewhat unbelievable
- The action seemed a bit thin. A few battles, some meetings (lots of meetings), Rudi figuring out how to cope with the Sword
- The ending was quite derivative.

The largest flaw, from my perspective, is that the Sword has made Rudi more irritatingly perfect than ever. He was already gorgeous, which Stirling rhapsodizes about in every book; a tremendous swordsman, oozing with charisma, politicaly savvy (though not as savvy as Mathilda), wise beyond his years, and so on. Now, he has a magical sword and, yes, has to struggle to learn how to use it, but it makes him pretty much super-human and invincible - and boring, sad to say. In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit, I never really liked him all that much, but now I found myself skimming over his scenes to get back to something more interesting. One of the things Stirling did, with Mike Havel in particular, but, also, with Lady Sandra, Conrad and Tiphaine, was to make heroes and villians alike flawed and believable. Rudi just isn't.

I'll keep reading the series, but I hope future volumes cut to the chase a bit more - and a bit more from the supporting characters and/or a human Rudi would be great.

The latest installment of this enjoyable series set in an unusual post-apocalyptic North America. Stirling has ingeniously combined a post-apocalypse story with fantasy-quest elements. I suspect this series has been more successful than Stirling or his publisher expected and has been drawn out somewhat. This story continues the hero's quest with the story of his return across North America to his native Pacific Northwest. There is the usual complement of adventures and some imaginative presentation of the societies of this alternate history. The quality of writing is competent, and in parts, above average for Stirling. The primary pleasures are his imaginative development of this alternative history and his ability to recycle bits and pieces of popular literature.

My ex-husband introduced me to the Emberverse Series -- as a holiday gift -- and he absolutely knows my literary tastes. Now my spouse, my 13 year old son and I are fanatics of this series, and have been anxiously awaiting the High King of Montival.

If you are interested in religion, Mr. Stirling does an unprecedented job in portraying corrupted Christians who open their hearts to the Devil, moral and brave Christians, Wiccans, Aseratu, and adherants of Odin....he is unique and exemplary in his accuracy in portraying these various paths to deity.

And let us not forget the Senate and the People of Rome..whoops..the Faculty Senate in Corvallis, Oregon who become the rulers there...and the United State of Boise where an African American west point graduate seeks to re-create the USA....and the tribes of (mostly) Native Americans dedicated to ensuring that genocide shall not be repeated.

Of course, he appeals to the engineers, military historians, and analysts of community living among us. What happens when the world changes abruptly and traumatically...when the engines stop...how will we survive and who will survive....there is tremendous detailed information about how we get food, how we create relationships and community....etc. etc..

I personally love the historical comparisons of the 100 years war..the English with their longbows under Henry V, and the Norman French with their crossbows...not to mention the Stan Rogers lyrics

Okay, in the High King of Montival, Mr. Stirling continues the wonderful characters, their interrelationships, the stirring and thoughtful portrayal of battles, the Cutters who are possessed by the Devil, because they invite evil into their hearts...

Something else has come into the world -- the Sword of the Lady, wielded by Rudi McKenzie, pagan son of Juniper McKenzie, the beloved handfasted man of Mathilda Arminger (daughter of Norman and Sandra..evil despots of the Portland Protective Association)..
he himself also called the Sword of the Lady..

The Sword demonstrates another element I am enamored of in this series..the ability of the most evil individual to transform her or himself if s/he wish...(okay I must reference Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows where Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort refuses to take the opportunity for change and transformation.)

Run, do not walk, start with Dies the Fire and I wish you a wonderful and memorable journey....

In another installment of The Novels of the Change, Stirling again ushers readers into an alternate history of post-apocalyptic adventure and epic intrigue.

Rudi Mackenzie has claimed the Sword of the Lady, and with it, the trials and pitfalls of becoming a leader and a symbol of hope. Now, he must journey back to Montival in order to rescue his homeland and defeat the Church Universal and Triumphant. But, in order to do so, he'll have to make it across three thousand treacherous miles.

As readers follow Rudi on his quest, they will find a world eerily familiar, yet horrifically changed, as things once taken for granted and commonplace have found new meaning. New York Times bestselling author, S.M. Stirling, proves without question in this latest addition to the series that speculative fiction carries all of the depth and weight of literary fiction, while still delivering on promises of grand-scale fun.

Reviewed by J.S. Chancellor, author of "Son of Ereubus" with Suspense Magazine
[...]

Presently [Oct 2010], this is the most recent installment in the Emberverse Series. This is my favorite book series. It is basically a modern "real world" fantasy set in an alternate universe.

Although the cause had not yet been revealed, all electricity, gun powder, and advanced technology have ceased to function. Several books in to the narrative, a handful of heroes are still trying to rebuild civilization [in a way that perhaps more closely resembles fairytales than actual history]. These characters are very cool.

Aside from all the action-adventure, political ideas and spirituality are explored from many angles and with minimal judgement. There is no graphic sex here, (that is saved for the detailed violence) but gender identity is approached in a way that can only happen in a world populated by people that no longer remember old traditions and social mores.

I couldn't have written better myself.

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

I, like others, hoped that this book would be the conclusion to this series. Needless to say, I was disappointed, as only one thing of note happens in this book, and that in the very last chapter.

Like all of Stirling's books, this book is very well written. It has wonderful descriptions of the landscape, arms and armor, people's clothes, and, of course, the food. Unfortunately, that is pretty much all that is has.

Rudi's journey from the east coast to the west coast should not have taken an entire book to describe. Given the complete lack of anything of import happening in this book, I don't even think that it would merit a whole chapter in most books. The vast majority of this book is given over to fluff and filler.

The only reason that I can think of for this book to even exist is that the author had two more books on contract after the last one, but only enough story left for one.

I will read the next book, but I will either buy a used copy of the paperback, or pick it up from the library.

The High King of Montival (2010) is the seventh SF novel in the Change series, following The Sword of the Lady. The first work in this series is Dies the Fire, but this series is also related to the Island in Time sequence.

In the previous volume, the Cutters pursued Rudi and his companions. Rudi killed many Cutters and their allies along the way. In Norrheim, Rudi gained replacements for his losses, but then Odard was lost in a battle. Then he reached Nantucket and obtained the sword.

In this novel, Rudi Mackenzie is the son of Juniper Mackenzie by Mike Havel. He is tanist -- heir -- of the Mackenzie Clan and the Lady's Sword.

Mathilda Arminger is the Crown Princess of the Portland Protective Association. Matti is Rudi's anamchara and accompanies him on his quest.

Edain Aylward Mackenzie is the son of Sam Aylward. He is Rudi's best friend.

Mary and Ritva Havel are Rudi's half-sisters. They are daughters of Mike Havel and Signe Larson. Mary and Ritva are also Dunedain Rangers. Mary is Ingolf's wife.

Ingolf Vogeler is a warrior from the Republic of Richland. He and his salvagers had traveled to Nantucket, but only Ingolf returned. He had brought word of the Sword across the continent to the Mackenzies. Now he is married to Mary.

Knight-Brother Ignatius is a warrior-monk of the Order of Saint Benedict and of the Commonwealth of the Lady of Angels. He has seen a vision of the Virgin Mary while on the quest.

Frederick Thurston is the younger son of the former President-General of Boise. He is accompanied by some Boise troopers that rallied around him after the betrayal. Now Fred is going with Rudi to Nantucket, but he will return. He is handfasted to Virginia.

Virginia Kane was the daughter of a prominent rancher in the Powder River country, until the Church Universal and Triumphant killed him. She had been saved by Rudi and his companions. Now she is handfasted to Fred.

Graber is a Major in the Sword of the Prophet. He is the military commander of the CUT forces chasing Rudi.

In this story, a month has passed while Rudi, Matti and Ignatius are elsewhere talking to the those from the future. The others left behind have been aware of time passing by only for a little while, but wounds have healed and the town has vanished. One Moor ship is left in the harbor, but the other disappeared along with the dock.

Rudi raises the Sword and a great spiritual light spreads westward. It is like a great sound heard only by psychics. Rudi's mother hears it during the Imbolc ritual.

Rudi's group awoke before the Moors and Cutters and are guarding them. His companions urge Rudi to kill the CUT High Seeker. But Rudi only touches him between the eyes with the crystal pommel of the Sword and he changes.

All memories of the Church United and Triumphant are removed from his brain. The mind of the High Seeker becomes that of Bobby, a five year old boy. His only remaining memories concern his life with his mother, but now he is living in a grown man's body.

Rudi gives the responsibility for Bobby to Major Graber. He offers the other CUT troopers the chance to live with the Indians on Nantucket and they leave with the island natives. Graber and Bobby go with Rudi back to Kalksthrope.

Rudi is now Artos, High King of Montival. He joins the war against the Bekwa invaders. Then he manipulates the Norrheim to accept Bjarni as their king. When he leaves the Norrheim lands, a small army goes with him. On his way back west, Artos gains more allies in the war against Corwin.

Meanwhile, the new kingdom of Montival finds that the CUT High Seekers now cannot make people betray their fellows from afar. Indeed, Juniper defeats a High Seeker with a Boise battalion and puts the soldiers to sleep. But Montival is still outnumbered by the CUT and their allies.

This tale describes the journey home of Artos and his companions. He now has a fairly large force following him back west. But he has a much larger group of allies in the east. Now they will try to catch the CUT army between them.

Although Rudi has conversed with representatives from the future, his memories are vague and fading. Yet the Sword is showing more powers as he travels. He is afraid that he will drown in the flood of information available through the Sword.

Artos is depending on his friends -- especially Matti -- to keep him human. He is also assigning responsiblities to his companions within the new kingdom of Montival. The next installment in this series is The Tears of the Sun.

Highly recommended for Stirling fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of very advanced science, political intrigues, and young kings. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

Have convinced me to stop reading this series. I never finished Jordan's Wheel of Time series for many of the same reasons people have given this book bad reviews. After thelast book I was looking to something DEFINITIVE happening in the story. I'm REALLY disappointed to read these reviews that say nothing does.

Have convinced me to stop reading this series. I never finished Jordan's Wheel of Time series for many of the same reasons people have given this book bad reviews. After thelast book I was looking to something DEFINITIVE happening in the story. I'm REALLY disappointed to read these reviews that say nothing does.

By the seventh book in a series, most authors are calling it in. S M Stirling provided a fast-paced an exciting conclusion to the second triology set in his Emberverse. Artos/Rudi travelss home with the sword he was destined to receive that he might redeem Monteval from its enemies, gathering new allies for the final battle along the way. The book ends with a marriage faithful readers have been anticipating for at least four books.
The Emberverse may be dangerous and hostile, but good can and will win out. It's good to see the right win in fiction, without ambivalence.

With book #7 of the colloquially known "Emberverse" history of SM Stirling, we reach the end of the second set.

In Sunrise Lands (#1 or 4), Rudi McKenzie learned of the Sword of the Lady and set out with Ingolf the wanderer, his best friend, Edain, his half twin sisters, Mary and Ritva, and Mathilda, heiress to the Portland Protective Association, and her hanger-on, Baron Odard, and the Priest, Brother Ignatius. They got as far as Boise, Idaho and caught up in President Thurston's attempt to resurrect the United States of America.

Scourge of God (#2 or 5) followed them across the continental USA, harried by the CUT all the way. A brief stop in Des Moines, Iowa turns out to be much longer wait as Rudi is sent on ahead. And finally, in Sword of the Lady (#3 or 6) Rudi manages to achieve the island of Nantucket and the Sword of the Lady.

Time presses now. CUT has made inroads all over the world and Rudi is desperate to get back. But the CUT is also desperate to stop him. In action packed pages Rudi flames across the US, wielding the Sword of the Lady, helping allies and founding alliances. Behind his back, but not out of his knowledge, Lady Sandra has been working the other end of the rope, twisting and tying allies and treaties. In his train are new people, Asgerd of the Bjarni, the men of Jake sunna Jake who will found Dun Jake back in the Willamette, and a few are missing, notably Baron Odard and the same Jake Sunna Jake have met the grim reaper. Also, not so much unwilling as resigned, the CUT major, Graber and his former Seeker, Billy Dalan travel with them.

They help the Bjarnis defeat a CUT induced threat, and use a technology developed by Father Ignatius and masterminded by Fred Thurston to speed their rate of progress. The rails of old America pave the way for the fellowship and all their allies to race north, through the old land of Canada towards the Dominion and through passes to arrive at Montival at last.

The way is not, however so swift and easy as we see the travel on the rails today, and CUT is desperately fighting to stop them. Two major battles take place on the physical realm; and one more subtle for the soul of Major Graber takes place through the long journey... till he makes his final choice before Rudi and company come to the Montival.

And in Montival, what awaits them? More of the same... natch! (And then some.)

I have faithfully followed the entire series and have felt that many of the books were stuffed with so much description that the meat of the book is overwhelmed. This last book in the series is the worst of all for this. So little happens--we certainly know in great detail costumes, foods, etc...not that some detail and description isn't interesting, but when 80 percent or more of a book is taken with frivolous detail, it gets boring. Stirling has a brilliant idea, but I wonder if he is either: 1. Not sure what to do so he does very little with the plot or 2. (the more disturbing) He is trying to draw out the series to maximize on profit. Next book I'm waiting for the used paperback.

Good: story moves along. Bad: not much new or unpredictable. Also, the spirit of wanting to discover the origins of the Change, undo it and punish those responsible, displayed by heroes of the original heroes is gone in their children. The next generation seems far more limited and weak willed. I guess that's feudalism for you.

As the great Willie Nelson said:
"On the road again -
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is making music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again -
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends.
Insisting that the world keep turning our way

And our way
is on the road again.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends

Insisting that the world keep turning our way

And our way
is on the road again.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
And I can't wait to get on the road again."

You would think Sterling is getting paid by the word, and I suppose he is by prolonging the conclusion of this aspect of the Change series. Every description of budding cherry trees now drives me nuts. Get on with it!

The first three books of this series were jaw-droppingly original and fun to read. The last three were long, tedious, overly complicated, and rather depressing.

"The High King of Montival" returns to the spirit of the original. It is fun, fast paced, and finally takes the time to build characters to the point that I am as interested in Rudi, Matti and Edain as I was in Juniper, Mike, and Norman.

Three books to get to Nantucket, one book to get back home... savvy? I felt Rudi and his band should have reached Nantucket in "The Sunrise Lands", and I was very dissapointed that book ended with them only in Idaho. After reading the next two books, "The Scourge of God" and then "The Sword Of The Lady", I was about ready to give up on this series that started so well with "Dies The Fire".

Now I am chomping at the bit for the next two books. The descriptions of what they are wearing, how they live, what their notions of "normal" and "everyday" are as fascinating to me as the battle scenes (which are, as always, very well done). I always felt that the way the original, "pre-change" characters viewed the world vs. the way their children, the "changelings" viewed the world, was terribly original and fun. Stirling gets back to this juxtaposition very well in this novel.

5 Stars if you are a lover of this series (these, none of them, are superior or classic fiction). Awaiting the rest!

I definitely enjoyed this book, the latest book in the series. It takes place twenty-five years after a mysterious event Changed the laws of physics on Earth so explosives no longer explode and electricity no longer flows through solids. The book starts with Rudi Mackenzie and company on Nantucket, the source of the Change, just after they had retrieved the mysterious Sword of the Lady. Now they must make their way to Rudi's home in Montival and prepare for war with a group of people called the Cutters, traveling by ship and rail and assembling an army along the way.

The book was loaded with description of the world, both of cities long abandoned and thriving human settlements and the different customs of different people from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast. And of course, there is the action of swords, bows, and catapults. We even meet characters who had first appeared in Stirling's earlier work Dies the Fire and had not appeared since then. While the book touches on past events, it does not take up whole pages just to explain what had happened from the Change until then, a temptation some authors writing serial fiction succumb to.