The Sacred Band: Book Three of the Acacia Trilogy
Praise forThe Sacred Band:"The Acacia trilogy soars.... The knock against heroic fantasy is that much of it devolves into a simplistic story of good vs. evil set against a backdrop of pale reflections of feudal Europe. Butthe best examples, like the grandly sprawling Acacia trilogy by David Anthony Durham, serve as a powerful rebuttal of this criticism. His final volume,The Sacred Band—followingAcacia(2007) andThe Other Lands(2009)—provides adeeply satisfying conclusionto an ethnically diverse series in which Durham has proved just as comfortable exploring the uses of power as conjuring up strange magic.   Acacia is part of the Known World, existing between northern aggressors and southern sorcerers. At the center of a story covering more than a decade stand four heirs to the legacy of murdered Acacian emperor Leodan Akaran.... [Dariel's] many adventures, including exploration of a mysterious abandoned city, evoke the best of classic swords-and-sorcery. Meanwhile, fans of fantasy battles will enjoy following Mena as she heads north with an army to repulse the primary threat to Acacia, the semi- immortal Auldek people. A midair fight between Mena’s bird-dragon and another creature also results in a breathless and riveting scene. QueenCorinn, however, occupies the center ofThe Sacred Band.... Readers may not always like her, but they will never forget her."—Jeff VanderMeer,Washington Post"Durham brings his sci-fi Acacia Trilogy to a satisfying close.Samuel R. Delany meets Cormac McCarthy meets J.R.R. Tolkien as the striking and subtly powerful Corinn Akaran settles into queenship over the Known Worldjust in time to take up arms with the Other Lands....[Durham] takes time to paint scenes in words that other writers might brush away...and [his] pages are full of thrilling action that would do Tolkien proud. A close, yes—but with wiggle room for more Acacian adventures. At any rate, on the strength of this installment, Durham’s many fans will be clamoring for more."—Kirkus Reviews (starred)"Thistriumphant conclusionto the Acacia trilogy vindicates Durham's resurrection of a major character in 2009'sThe Other Lands. Corinn Akaran, queen of Acacia, used her ever-growing magical powers to revive her brother Aliver to aid her defense of her kingdom. But there are no simple resolutions to the challenges facing Corinn and her siblings, and the gap widens between the means she employs and the ends she pursues. Durham provides a graphic and chilling look at how far Corinn is willing to go to advance her cause as she brutally massacres opposing armies, and that's just the beginning.A smooth plot, Corinn's well-developed character, and Durham's stellar prose and rich imagination will have many traditional fantasy fans hoping for future books set in this turbulent world."—Publishers Weekly(starred)"The conclusion of Durham's trilogy...ties the threads of these separate stories unto a satisfying climactic world-changing battle.Strong writing, intriguing characters, and a richly detailed background—along with the possibility for future development of Durham's scenario—make this fantasy epica winner for those who enjoy large-scale fantasy along the lines of George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series.—Library JournalDurham’s sprawling epic fantasy trilogy comes to an end with this final volume. ... Readers who began the Acacia trilogy with the first book, when the Akaran siblings’ father was overthrown by a warlord, will find themselves immersed inthis absorbing, far-reaching conclusionand the many story lines it wraps up."—Booklist"[The Sacred Band] made fora wonderfully fun, often surprising, but never forced reading experiencethat I hope others will see as progressive as well, sinceDurham's voice is one that epic fantasy needs."—Fantasy Matters, http://www.fantasy-matters.com/"The final pages bring full circle the promise of the earlier volumes, makingThe Sacred Bandone of the most satisfying and fulfilling epic fantasy conclusions that I have read in recent years. The Sacred Bandis easily one of the best 2011 epic fantasy releasesand it is one that I highly recommend to readers here."—The OF Blog, http://ofblog.blogspot.com/"There were moments duringThe Sacred Bandwhen...I was transported back tosummer days in the non-air conditioned house of my youth with no diversion beyondthe book in my hands. In that regard,the book and the trilogy proved transcendent to me.... As fantasy epics go, the “Acacia” trilogy is a direct and worthy descendant of Tolkien."—Drew Gallagher,Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star“Provides the best of both worlds:epic world-changing conflict and touching character-centered story. What else could you possibly want?”—Patrick Rothfuss, author ofThe Wise Man’s Fear, a #1New York TimesbestsellerPraise forAcacia:“A truly epic fantasy . . . with a rich world and nuanced characters. Superbly written.”—Fantasy Magazine