[Mithfânion]

His Talion Revenant book (are there follow-ups) seemed quite good and Dark Glory war as well. Anyone familiar with these stories? If so, some info on style and the sort of characters would be appreciated.

[Shehzad]

I've read Stackpole's Talion: Revenant, Once a Hero, A Hero Born and Eyes of Silver. What would you like to know?

[Rob B]

Well, I would like to know if they are worth reading.

What would you compare each of the books to?

I've been on and off considering trying his work for a while and I will be hitting a used bookstore in the future.

Either way, I'll more likely than not read his Star Wars The New Jedi Order books if for nothing else, to prepare me for Stover's Traitor.

[Loaba]

I liked Talion. The story had a lot of unique plot twists IMO. I would certianly say he's worth a read.

As far as I know Stackpole has not written any other work featuring the Talions or Nolan Ra Sinjara. Every interview I've seen asks if he is planning on writing anything else Talion related and he always says he wants to continue the story...

Loaba

[This message has been edited by Loaba (edited February 05, 2002).]

[Mithfânion]

Isn't "a hero born" related in some way?

Shehzad, as I said in my first post, some info on his characters would be appreciated. Something on his magic, what Talion is like etc.

[Carmichael]

For those who aren't sure about Stackpole, try his website,Stormwolf (http://www.stormwolf.com)There is a short story based in the Talion universe. I haven't read any of his fantasy books, but I have read his Battletech stuff. It is IMO the best of the entire B-Tech series.

Carmichael

[Shehzad]

OK, let me see what I can put together.

Stackpole's books are pretty good. Although not heavyweight, gritty fantasy, he writes some interesing characters and has good plots. In several of his books, he maintains two parallel storylines which initially do not seem interconnected but as the story draws on one of them begins to impact on the other. It is a risky technique but one which he has pulled off well. His books often have interesting plot twists and turns, and as anybody who's read his X-Wing series will testify, he can write action scenes very well. To whom would I compare him? Perhaps a lesser version of Stover, in the sense that his best books have a similar feel, even if they are not as compelling (if I could stretch it that far...)

Talion: Revenant is about Nolan Ra Sinjara, who belongs to an order called the Talion, who are dedicated to keeping law and order in the world. This is my favourite o all his books, and I would certainly recommend it as a good starting point for all those who want to sample his works. The characters are some of my favourite, and the story is full of future possibilities.

Once a Hero is another goodie-- this one is more of a classic fantasy story with a few major twists. The two threads he carries concern Neal Roclawzi the Elfward's struggle to unite the men and elves and try to make them overcome their mutual hatred against an enemy, and the consequences of that struggle 500 years later. A very nice book.

A Hero Born is about Locke, a young man destined to follow in the footsteps of his farther, one of the great heroes of the land, and venture into Chaos. A good story, which seems predictable but turns on its head towards the end.

Eyes of Silver This one has a strange feel to it. The world in which it is set is lovingly detailed, to the point where it seems that he is setting us up for other books in the world. The combination of magic and technology is similar to that in Tyrants and Kings, although with a bit more magic. The story isn't as strong as in his other novels, but the world and the characters are vivid.

I haven't read The Dark Glory War or Fortress Draconis, but I will as soon as I can afford them http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif.

I'd certainly recommend him to anybody looking for a fresh twist on fantasy. He doesn't use the classic Tolkienesque elements, and his works certainly aren't as groundbreaking or atypical as say, Donaldson, Stover or Mieville, but he is certainly very good.

[estranghero]

Hurm, hurm, hurm... lemme see, I first discovered Stackpole while he was writing the Battletech novels and immediately after, I was hooked for his incredible storytelling. Impressive writing for a space opera, for all of that. His Star Wars books seem okay though I only read the first one.

Unlike Shehzad, I haven't read Stackpole's other books but can say that I've read Dark Glory War and can give you my 2 cents.

Hmmm, DGW is a prequel to his major story arc, which book 1 would be Fortress Draconis, and tells the story of these four young guys in yer usual 'coming-of-age' tale in a time of war and blood. However, since this is a prequel, the book is more of setting the background for his future books.

That doesn't detract from a good read, however, as he keeps the story running smoothly and the action dramatic.

All in all, two thumbs up. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Killer Chicken]

Since all of his other books have already been talked about, I'll tell you about his Dragoncrown Series. Having read all of his other fantasy series I would say this will be his breakout into one of the fantasy greats. It is really epic quality. It is written really well. I definately recommend these two books to anyone who likes fantasy.

[Shehzad]

FF-- I was checking up something on Amazon.com (not a good source, but anyway) and people seem to think that Stackpole's New Jedi Order books are his weakest.