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The Sword of Knowledge #1-3
The Sword of Knowledge
The Empire of Sabis was falling, besieged by the army of a more powerful empire and by hostile wizards. A small group of philosopher-scientists could reverse the tide if they could convince the rulers of Sabis to build the deadly new weapon that they have invented: the cannon. But when the rulers prove too short-sighted and Sabis falls, the scientists flee, disguising their knowledge under the cover of religion. Though centuries will pass and the Sabirn race will be oppressed and persecuted, the powerful knowledge will be preserved in secret by the Order. And the time will come when only one thing stands against destruction by a ruthless and invincible barbarian horde: The Sword of Knowledge.
816 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1995
3 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Cherryh
291 books3,518 followersCurrently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 5, 2023
I found the stories captivating and easily invested in the characters. I appreciate the entire series available from multiple authors in one omnibus. Although, the last book left me wanting to know more: did the Inner and Outer Circles work out and how did they evolve? did the Verdai prosper? did the Suno/Talchai invade the valley? Does anyone know if any of the authors wrote any sequels?
June 15, 2017
Only read because of the CJ Cherryh name on it - definitely not up to her standards.
First two novellas - meh. Third one was ok.
First two novellas - meh. Third one was ok.
October 17, 2023
Really enjoyed this trilogy.
April 9, 2012
A series of three novellas charting a small order of scholars trying to keep a grasp on knowledge during a dark age. The first takes place at the dawn of the dark age, as the scholars try to find a place to safely hide the knowledge. The second takes place a few hundred years later, in the middle of the dark age, and the third several hundred years after that, as society is about to emerge from the dark age.
It has a very Canticle for Leibowitz feel to it, in that sense, although fantasy (with real magic) instead of sci-fi. But while it mimics Leibowitz in a lot of ways, it doesn't feel like a rip off. The conceit is similar, but the stories themselves are quite different.
That said, the stories are decidedly odd at times. The book was a collaboration of 4 writers, and at times it shows. It sometimes feels as though the writers were alternating chapters, so that there isn't as much flow as one would like. Moreover, there are plotlines that just disappear without resolution, and others that reach rushed resolution. It feels less like a well thought through narrative than several authors taking turns - taking the story where they choose from where they picked it up. For example, in the 2nd novella, the opening chapter goes on at length about the tension between two princes one of whom thinks that brawn is the solution to all problems, and the other who prefers brains. But then, this tension entirely disappears after this chapter - one of the princes is never seen again, and the other appears several times, but then is forgotten by the authors as the main plot comes to a head.
There are also some strange scenes - like the page long description of a man making a sandwich. Not a hungry man, or an important sandwich. Just, a really long description of something that is totally irrelevant to anything going on in the story.
In the end, this isn't good enough to tell friends to read it, or bad enough to tell friends not to read it. Mostly, I'd say if you're into this kind of an idea, you should read Canticle for Liebowitz if you haven't done so yet.
It has a very Canticle for Leibowitz feel to it, in that sense, although fantasy (with real magic) instead of sci-fi. But while it mimics Leibowitz in a lot of ways, it doesn't feel like a rip off. The conceit is similar, but the stories themselves are quite different.
That said, the stories are decidedly odd at times. The book was a collaboration of 4 writers, and at times it shows. It sometimes feels as though the writers were alternating chapters, so that there isn't as much flow as one would like. Moreover, there are plotlines that just disappear without resolution, and others that reach rushed resolution. It feels less like a well thought through narrative than several authors taking turns - taking the story where they choose from where they picked it up. For example, in the 2nd novella, the opening chapter goes on at length about the tension between two princes one of whom thinks that brawn is the solution to all problems, and the other who prefers brains. But then, this tension entirely disappears after this chapter - one of the princes is never seen again, and the other appears several times, but then is forgotten by the authors as the main plot comes to a head.
There are also some strange scenes - like the page long description of a man making a sandwich. Not a hungry man, or an important sandwich. Just, a really long description of something that is totally irrelevant to anything going on in the story.
In the end, this isn't good enough to tell friends to read it, or bad enough to tell friends not to read it. Mostly, I'd say if you're into this kind of an idea, you should read Canticle for Liebowitz if you haven't done so yet.
August 10, 2011
Cherryh is such a fine writer, her stories always having a human quality. Here she teams up with 3 other known writers in this trilogy published in one volume. The story is not epic, even the magic users are realistically human with only the ability to ill-wish or bring good luck to enemies or friends. A skill that backfires in one story with Karmic like consequences.
There is no BIG BAD from BEYOND, just the greed, hate and ignorance any Free Thinker encounters in dealing with other humans. So quite refreshing from the monstrous battles and sword wielding heroes that populate most S&S novels.
There is no BIG BAD from BEYOND, just the greed, hate and ignorance any Free Thinker encounters in dealing with other humans. So quite refreshing from the monstrous battles and sword wielding heroes that populate most S&S novels.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews