Dark Haven (3) (Chronicles of the Necromancer)

Unfortunately, this book is a total break from everything and anything that was decent about the first two books in the series.

Ms. Martin seems to have thrown this one together with no planning and very little thought. 300 pages of the 600 are dedicated to describing costumes, festivals and trivial conversations between the characters. 100 pages is sheer repitition. (Not only repetition of things the reader has previously read in the series, but repetetive statements of facts and descriptions from within this single volume itself.) Finally 200 pages are plot.

Once she decides to write about the plot, Ms. Martin does her normal admirable job. However, after 600 pages of reading, EVERY plot thread is left unfinished. She does not even attempt to close up ANY of the subplots before the end of the book. This is simply the first half of book 3 which I imagine will be completed with book 4.

At the end of the 600 pages, I was truly just irritated with Ms. Martin and her transparent tactic to sell me a yet to be written book. If she had simply discarded all the pages of garbage from the novel, she would have had plenty of room to complete the subplots started in this book.

Dark Haven is Gail Z. Martin's third book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer series, the first being The Summoner then followed by The Blood King. Dark Haven is a direct continuation of the first two stories and should be read in such order as several events in this book directly correlate to events previously written.

This novel is just like its predecessors, a fast, action and story driven tale made even stronger by in-depth and engaging characters. In this story, the tale starts off approximately three months after the events in The Blood King. King Martris "Tris" Drayke has defeated his brother, Jared the Usurper, and the Blood Mage Arontala, and now is trying to piece the kingdom back together while routing leftover supporters of Jared. Tension is thickening as rumors of a bastard child whose claim on the throne may be legitimate arise from the southern lands, threatening war with the northern kingdoms, which are still suffering from the devastation of Jared's rein and probable starvation as winter hits the land full force.

Tris must coordinate the autumn festival, his wedding with the princess Kiara, and the siege at Lochlanimar against Lord Curane, a Jared supporter rallying the southern lands. At the same time, Jonmarc Vahanian, Tris' friend and self-appointed protector, was given the title of Lord of Dark Haven, a northern stronghold and land holding, after the battle against Jared. He must take charge of the battered keep by restoring it and restoring hope to people of the land. All the while he must make peace with the Blood Council, a cabal of vampires, called Vayash Moru, as the appointed mortal lord of their realm. With a splinter group of vampires who no longer respect the old ways, the old pact between mortals and immortal undead, Jonmarc must prove himself worthy of being their leader.

Martin, again, spins a fabulous tale that is not only interesting and engaging but chock full of scenery and lore. In the previous books we learned about many of the customs throughout the northern lands and some of the rules the world is built on, but in Dark Haven she elaborates more on those rules while introducing us to more cultures. Throughout this book she doesn't bore us with inane details and unnecessary trivia, it all matters and is an enriching experience at the same time. As with The Summoner and The Blood King, I enjoyed returning to the characters and seeing her world come to life.

First, to get past the negative, because it really isn't negative, I will confess one disappointment. The first two books are comprised of one encapsulated story, meaning each book is, in its own right, a logical beginning, middle, and end. With The Summoner and The Blood King, I could read those two and if I so choose never read another word of Martin's work. Those two stories stood by themselves. Dark Haven reads like a continuation of the first two books and does not complete itself. This book reminds me of the middle book of a trilogy where the story just kind of continues as a placeholder for things to come. I'm left feeling like I'm truly missing out on the best part of the whole story. I don't call this cliffhanging; it's more like climbing the mountain and only making it halfway while the rest of the way is set for another time (the next book's release - Dark Lady's Chosen, due in 2010).

That's really my only gripe. I loved the story, I would still gladly pick up this book and read it again - to which I will when the next book is released. I love her writing style; it's very fluid, dynamic, and involving, never lagging or tiring. The world she has created is beautiful and rich in texture, always getting better with each book. The characters are truly three dimensional and enjoyable, my favorite being Jonmarc. But, with all the trials and tribulations the characters are involved in it's easy to get entranced by the events unfolding.

She is definitely making an impact in the fantasy genre as her stories change, evolve, bringing a degree of tension and drama that still maintains the classic fantasy feel. I will certainly be grabbing her books off the shelves as they come out for years to come. Definitely something I'd recommend to fantasy and non-fantasy readers, especially when her next book comes out.

I have really enjoyed this series and can not wait for the next to come out. This is the 3rd to the necromancer chronicles and does not disappoint. Although if you are one to not like cliff hangers, you'll want to wait for the series to be published in its entirety. Martin does not disappoint with this latest installation to the series. It's full of action and uncertainty within each characters lives and leaves you wanting more. If you like fiction, you will like this imaginative tale of Mage's, vampires called vayash moru, healers, warriors, and their trials and tribulations to overcome evil once and for all. Only downside is the waiting for the next book to come out.

Wow! Kudos to Gail Z. Martin for continuing to write such an excellent series! I couldn't put it down. I was a bit frustrated when it ended with all of the characters in different states of peril. I can't wait to see where she takes the fourth book...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH---a whole year of waiting!!!!!

1st was best, second was pretty good, this was good. More romance in this one but there is still a decent bit of action. Still a good read.

The war is not over yet. It has only changed form. King Martris (Tris) Drayke will have to go to war against Lord Curane soon. There are vayash moru (vampire) in Margolan who intent to go with him. That will strain the Truce or break it completely. The Flow is unstable and getting worse. When it is out of balance, the Flow's power favors blood magic, and light magic becomes harder to control. That bodes badly for Tris because his abilities as a Summoner are light magic. The Winter Kingdoms have not recovered from the fight to bring down Jared the Usurper. Tris is beyond exhausted, having to cleanse the palace, Shekerishet, of the spirits Jared's rule violated. Shekerishet must be cleansed before Tris weds Princess Kiara and she lives within it.

Jonmarc Vahanian is the new Lord of Dark Haven. By the Dark Lady's orders a mortal must rule Dark Haven to protect the vayash moru from believing themselves too superior. When Jonmarc appears before the Blood Council as lord for the first time Lord Uri, one of the five members of the Council, violates sanctuary and breaks Council law. Then Uri declares both the truce and the Council to be dissolute. Jonmarc must somehow earn the trust of the vayash moru. Uri does not seem to realize that by going rogue, he has given Malesh, his second, the opportunity he has been waiting for.

Lord Curane employs dark mages and may be forming an alliance with Trevath, Margolan's southern neighbor. Lord Curane also has Jared's newborn son hidden away. Should Tris and Kiara not soon produce an heir or should the unborn heir be destroyed, Curane will have it all.

***** The third installment follows all the previous main characters. Jonmarc's is the most interesting this time around, in my opinion. The story has a major cliff hanger ending. More than one loose thread is left dangling, be warned. If you do not like loose ends, buy each title as it is released and hold them until the series comes to a close. This saga is far too good to simply let it pass by unread. It is full of drama, magic, and amazing battles. I gladly lost a lot of sleep just so I could read "just a few pages more." Brilliant! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This was the 3rd book in the series and I ordered it so could continue the series uninterrupted. It arrived quickly so that I had no space in between the books. The book was in excellent condition. My rating is 5 stars!!!

great read

Loved these books. Fantastic!

Terrible the day after I received the book it fell apart into 4 pieces