Product Description

From dungeon to cathedral, from brothel to hermit's hut, the gambits of the mighty face the power of seers and stars. In the fortress of Bren, mad King Kylock and the wizard Baralis spread their sadistic terror across the shattered kingdoms. Meanwhile, the fallen knight Tawl and Jack, the baker's boy, meet in a quest to save widowed Melliandra and her unborn child. The conflict that follows will rewrite the meaning of Destiny and unknit the very fabric of Time ...MASTER AND FOOL is the conclusion to the Book of Words - an epic tale of grandeur and magic which has been acclaimed as one of the most brilliant fantasy debuts for many years. For more information on this or any other Orbit book, visit the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25133 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

Review
'J. V. Jones is a striking writer . . . wonderful' Robert Jordan 'J. V. Jones is quite a find . . . a deliciously intricate tale' Katherine Kurtz 'A storyline featuring the kind of political scheming and intrigue that makes for gripping reading' SFX 'J.V. Jones is about to become one of the great fantasy success stories of the 90s.' MYSTERIOUS GALAXY BOOKS 'Satisfying reading.' STARBURST

KATHERINE KURTZ
`J. V. Jones is quite a find . . . a deliciously intricate tale'

SFX
`A storyline featuring the kind of political scheming and intrigue that makes for gripping reading'

Customer Reviews

The wonderful conclusion to a stunning trilogy.
This is the third and final volume of The Book of Words (after The Baker's Boy and A Man Betrayed).

In Bren, the duke has just been murdered on his wedding night. Thanks to Baralis, quickly the rumours spread, claiming that Tawl the duke's champion and former Knight of Valdis, is the assasin. He and Melli, now the duke's widow, have to flee and hide away, along with Maybor and a couple of guards.

About a month later, king Kylock, who is becoming more and more deranged by the day under the effects of Baralis's drugs, kills his bride on discovering she is not pure and will not be able to wash his sins away. What he and Baralis will soon find out is that the first marriage had been in fact consummated. Melli is pregnant and now, if the child turns out to be a boy, with Bren's only rightful heir.

Meanwhile, Jack is in Annis, learning to master his magical powers with the help of Stillfox. One day, on a sudden impulse he leaves the sorcerer's cottage, and on his way he meets with a guild of bakers who will fill him in on the event in Bren. Melli is in danger, he has to go and try to save her.

The Book of Words is a harrowing fantasy. In a land revaged by war, Marod's prophecy slowly unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, as Jack learns more and more about his past. With characters worth caring for, the detailed and sometimes colourful descriptions make it all believable. J.V. Jones is now swelling the ranks of my favourite authors.

The finale
I ploughed through the 688 pages of this book in a matter of days. Read the entire series in under two weeks; just couldn't put it down. J.V. Jones has this dark, violent way of writing fantasy that just gets me. She manages to bring new issues to the genera and still keep the classic theme of fantasy with magic, knights, wizards and kings, and she does it without the use of old clichés. The characters are just the greatest; I recommand this book to any fantasy-lover.