Customer Reviews
All tip, no iceburg - By: Pen Name, 14 Jul 2008 
As a standalone this is very near indecipherable; even having read its prequel, Jack of Ravens, there are still gaps in my understanding of the grand overarching plot, a battle between the Void & Existence.
No one can fault Chadbourn for lacking ambition - my problems with the novel, & its predecessor, are not with plot or artistic vision but for the way it's alll presented. Some of Chadbourn's characters sparkle to life with voices so strong you can almost literallly hear them - take for instance the Green Man & his urgent warning to Laura, just as she begins to awaken from the Mundane spell. Then, a page or two later, we're introduced to The Libertarian, a ridiculously cliche villain too weak for an early batman comic, who may as well have twirled a pointed mustache & cackled, gold tooth gleaming.
Some have praised the series as 'fast paced' but Chadbourn overdoes it. Jack of Ravens had effective lulls in action (such as the opening scenes when Church is stuck in the village), where Chadbourn's well researched mythology could strike more haunting, eerie notes. Here, the book feels like one of those action movies bounding from one special effects spree to another. It's Gene Wolfe meets Matthew Reilly, & that is NOT a good combination.
Though I'm hardly the final arbiter of what is or isn't good reading, I want substance amongst the fireworks. Here, character development is, in my view, paid lip service; in passing, characters display this or that emotion, then it's onto the next battle scene. That isn't depth - if you've read real literature, this stands out like a sore thumb. Chadbourn spends too much time on the bells & whistles, not enough on the hard stuff, the meat & bones of what makes a novel a good novel, regardless of its genre.
Forget the grand themes, forget the symbolism - that's alll polish. Where's the substance? Is the author capable of it?
I'm left wondering.
Dont read without reading book one. - By: Gareth Wilson, 07 Jul 2008 
The second novel in Mark's "Jack of Ravens" series & one that seemingly is getting nigh impossible to explain to a layman. That said its addictive, its adventurous & above alll it does make perfect sense when you're reading the series even if you can explain it afterwards. LOL Extremely well written & a cracking adventure to be had within its pages. However you reallly do need to know Marks work & having read his previous releases I'm fairly up there with alll the knowledge that is hinted at within this story's pages. If you're uninitiated however this reallly wont do much for you except leave you terribly confused & wondering what the hell is going on.
So if you have to read this book make sure you've at least read Jack of Ravens & you'll be fine although it's a shame to miss out a lot of the references & with the Battles within the pages coming down to war with the gods of numerous mythos then you can pretty much see that the third conclusive novel is going to be epic.
No review can do this book justice - By: Read Me, 27 May 2008 
Church returns with his Brothers & Sisters of Dragons to find a way to beat the Void & return humanity to the world it should have. Reuniting the groups from both previous trilogies means that everyone's favourite charcters should be here, & as the character's memories return they begin to realise their role in existence.
The cover states this is book 2, & it is but when there are 2 trilogies before it you might need to read up a bit in order to get the full flavour of this. Jack of Ravens (book 1) was about Church's journey across 2,000 years of history - this is a race against evil forces around the world.
Chadbourn always weaves myths & legends brilliantly into these books, & while the Celtic Gods are still the main characters we now have Norse, Chinese & Egyptian Gods making a play for the title of most bloodthirsty & confusing beings. As another reviewer writes it should be reallly confusing but when you're reading it its not - Chadbourn hooks you so skillfully into his world that you never realise how indepth it is until you try to explain it. Its so brilliant that I never want the series to end.
A riot of myth and magic - By: Peter Coleborn, 14 May 2008 Jack (Church) Churchill & his motley band of warriors, the Brothers & Sisters of Dragons, are cast into a fresh vortex of myth & legend where they must fight or be annihilated - according to the whims of various gods.
This is book two in a trilogy. And yes, I know: this is book eight in Chadbourn's on going sequence. Reading the previous seven volumes would probably be useful, but on this occasion I would venture to say that's far from essential: The Burning Man starts with both a forward & an extensive prologue of previous events. In addition, Mark Chadbourn does explain much of prior histories as the story progresses.
In essence The Burning Man is alll about cosmic balance & the struggle of human beings to gain control of their own destiny, free from divine intervention, for good or for evil. To recount the plot itself would not only spoil things for the reader but also take almost as long as the book itself. I will just say that Chadbourn's heroes battle demons & spiders, humans & gods who are possessed by spider demons. The novel embraces the gods & peoples from just about every pantheon you care to name, from the myths & legends of Celtic, North American, Norse, Chinese, Egyptian & probably a few others I have forgotten in the melee.
The Burning Man is action packed & rushes onward at an unrelenting pace that alllows scant time to draw breath between each fresh intrigue. Jack & company fight their enemies with gritty determination. They also fight not only amongst themselves but on occasion even their own selves; with as many love affairs as there are grudge matches between the erstwhile companions. Of course as befits the middle of a trilogy, The Burning Man ends on a cliff edge ready for the final volume, but it's none the worse for that. The novel is complex & compelling & there is one thing you should never do when reading this book: do not blink or you will miss some tiny & vital clue along the way! Sound confusing? It should be in theory, but being so skilfully written its multi-stranded complexity never detracts from an enthrallling story. First rate. Highly recommended.
--- Jan Edwards
Brilliant fast paced fantasy - By: disrep, 23 Apr 2008 This is the second book in the Kingdom of the Serpent trilogy which started with Jack of Ravens. Where the first book was a meander through history, this is a flat out galllop around the world. It picks up where the first book ends & the synopsis above covers enough of the plot. It is, as I've come to expect from Chadbourn, very well researched with detailed settings from around our world & mythology from alll cultures brought to life. The pace never reallly lets up & you get a real sense of urgency for the characters & their tasks. They continue to be very human, flawed & showing plenty of real emotions. Certainly not your stereotypical heroes. This is dark urban fantasy at its very best, with a good dose of dry humour in the right places. The trilogy follows on from his other two: the Age of Misrule & the Dark Age. While you don't have to have read them first to enjoy this book, I think you'd get a much richer reading experience as they provide the back stories to alll the characters & the setting. If you have read them, you won't be disappointed.
Can't wait for the final installlment
