Forging the Sword (3) (The Farsala Trilogy)

It was exactly what I asked for

A great end to a great story. I wish it wasn't over, though. It would be nice if she wrote a story about their children or showed us years later.

Forging the sword is a great book with new and inventive concepts. the ending, to me, wrapped up the trilogy nicely. i also like how at the end we learn this was an account from kavi.

The Farsala saga continues gaining more suspense and more action, but the very end was a little dissappointing. Maybe in a movie if done correctly the ending would be good but in a book it was only a few paragraphs between total war between Farsala and the Hrum; and then they are all friends.

This book was fantastic. The whole series is a must read. There were a few typos but nothing serious. You may want to buy the paper back, it had no typos.

Hilari Bell does it again. She is a great author. All three books in her trilogy are fantastic, and she ends it very well. I was satisfied with how the lives of all three main characters turned out.

The third and final book in Hilari Bell's Farsala trilogy brings all her character-arcs and storylines to a satisfying conclusion, but not before sending Jiaan, Soraya and Kavi on one last nail-biting mission to repel the invading Hrum forces that are strengthening their hold over Farsalan cities. Over the course of  Fall of a Kingdom  and  Rise of a Hero , the Hrum Empire (analogous to the Roman Empire) began its conquest of Farsala, yet now their self-imposed time limit to secure the country is reaching its end. According to their laws, the Hrum only fight for a year before seeking out a peace settlement, so as not to waste unnecessary lives. Currently, the city of Mazad is the only stronghold that remains between total Hrum control and Farsala's independence.Our three protagonists are Jiaan, one of the few survivors of the Hrum's first battle against Farsala and who has since then found himself the commander of the country's remaining forces; Soraya, Jiaan's half-sister whose legitimate birth and affluent upbringing was torn from her, leading her to seek refuge among the Suud people of the desert; and Kavi, a young peddler who initially threw in his lot with the Hrum in order to defeat the tyrannical deghans, only to find that his true loyalties lie with the Farsalan people. Since then he's joined forces with Jiaan and Soraya, all acutely aware that his initial betrayal of Farsalan forces lead to their father's death.But avenging their father's death is put aside for now, as all three of them need to concentrate on keeping control of what little land they have left. Each one brings something unique to the table: Jiaan has control of the ever-growing peasant army, Soraya is in close coalition with the desert-people (and has even learnt some of their mystical abilities in manipulating natural elements) and Kavi has an elaborate spy-network that filters back information. On learning that the corrupt Governor Garren is planning to pay for mercenaries among the warlike Kadeshi, a move that would cripple Farsala's forces, the three come up with a daring plan: to steal the gold that would supply the Hrum with the extra manpower.There is of course plenty more happening in the book than just this, and what makes the entire trilogy so enjoyable is that Bell doesn't divide the conflict down simple black-and-white lines. The Hrum may be the invaders, but they also have plenty of advantages to offer the Farsalan people, not least the removal of the corrupt deghan aristocracy. That said, the Farsalans also have the right to fight for their own independence against the Hrum army, even the noble ones. Bell explores themes such as honour and responsibility (for example, should Jiaan care about the peasants of a bordering country that are being roped into fighting against their will, or does his responsibility extend only to his own people?) and tackles moral issues such as betrayal and torture. How far are our trio of heroes willing to go in order to secure a victory? Bell handles these weighty subjects with aplomb, offering no easy answer to the questions she raises whilst still maintaining the integrity of her protagonists. It all results in a surprisingly complex exploration of the ethical dilemmas faced in war.Likewise, Bell elegantly handles her protagonists' character development - Soraya especially as she goes from a haughty and snobbish lady in the first book, to a caring, compassionate girl in the last. Kavi continues his attempt to atone for his betrayal of the deghans in the first book by helping the Farsalan forces, knowing that he's distrusted and despised by both sides. Jiaan's arc is more standard, growing as he does from an unacknowledged illegitimate son to a respected commander, but is made much more interesting by his odd friendship/animosity with Fasal, another deghan's son. Fasal starts out even more spoiled than Soraya, but eventually comes to respect and support his unlikely commander, before making the most significant sacrifice of the entire trilogy.Also clever is the use of the Sorahb, an ancient hero of Farsala. Interspersed throughout the chapters is a brief narrative chronicling the tribulations of Sorahb during the war - of course, the reader recognizes it as a complete fabrication, but amidst all the lies one can recognize the combined efforts of Jiaan, Soraya and Kavi, all working together to achieve their goals and personify the legendary figure. As well as this, it's nice to have a fantasy setting that isn't a standard European medieval landscape; instead Farsala is based on the Middle-East, complete with deserts, swamplands and ancient cities.This was an immensely rewarding trilogy, filled with character development and thought-provoking conflicts. There's thrills and excitement, as well as moments of poignancy and grace. Despite their flaws, Kavi, Soraya and Jiaan are easy to like, as are all the supporting characters. The plot can be a little slow at times, with a lengthy set-up and a hurried resolution, but Bell's writing style is beautiful, maintaining a balance between description, action, exposition and each character's thought process. After reading the trilogy across a number of months, it was sad to finally say goodbye, but it ends on the perfect note of hope and bitter-sweetness.

Zoe YanForging the Sword by Hilari BellHilari Bell's latest book, Forging the Sword, is probably her best book so far. Her previous books were very well written, too. I've been waiting almost a year for the end of the Farsala Trilogy to come out, and I have to say it was no disappointment. Forging the Sword is the conclusion of a fantasy story began in Fall of a Kingdom and Rise of a Hero. It doesn't stand alone very well, so be sure to read the first two books.This book continues the story of how three protagonists, Soraya, Jiaan, and Kavi resist the Hrum invaders who try to conquer their country. The story is set in a fictional land, Farsala, which has marked similarities with ancient Persia. In the first two books, the Hrum defeated the Farsalan military and conquered most parts of the nation. Soraya, a former member of the deghan nobility, starts out as a conceited brat. The duty of responsibility, as well as her father's death, changes her. Jiaan is Soraya's illegitimate half-brother. He is one of the few that has both the skill and the courage to form another Farsalan army. Kavi is a peasant peddler who, after being maimed by an unscrupulous deghan years ago, hates nobility with a passion. The three of them start out as strangers with no commonalities and certainly no lost love among each other (not even among the siblings- remember, Jiaan is a "half-blood"). By the end of the second book, fate somehow manages to throw them together as the leaders of a motley conglomeration of ill-equipped Farsalan rebels. They hope that by keeping hold of several key cities and sabotaging Hrum equipment they'll be able to drive out the Hrum invaders.Forging the Sword starts off at a brisk pace, pulling the reader in a headlong adventure. Unforeseen twists, plot turns, and daring escapades are carried out almost every chapter, and the writing is constantly infused with a steady stream of humor.~The man stared at them."They've seen us," said Jiaan redundantly. "I wonder what they..."The Hrum soldier stuck out his tongue."Is he...? You're kidding me," said Jiaan.Four more Hrum scrambled onto the wall, shouting, "Come and get us! Come and get us, coward boys!""Coward boys?" said Jiaan. "They can't do better than that?"The Hrum proceeded to do better."I can't quite hear him," Jiaan murmured. "I think... my father conceived me in... in...ah. You know, their Faran is pretty good. Anatomical."~Some of our three protagonists' challenges are to hold the walled city of Mazad, to sabotage the Hrum siege towers, and to forge a sword strong enough to withstand Hrum watersteel. This is much harder than it sounds, due to the internal infighting and the increasing pressure put on by the Hrum military. Their biggest challenge is to learn to trust another- and that's harder than all the previous tasks combined.Hilari Bell has once again crafted a masterful world as persuasive as it is creative. Most everything, from the language to the people, is based off of ancient Persian and Roman culture but remains interestingly unique. I especially like how the Persian myth of Rostam and Sohrab was incorporated into the story. The Hrum aren't cardboard cutout conquerors, either. They have their qualities and vices, just as any people have. Character development was fantastic. Soraya, who was my least favorite character in the first two books, is finally showing serious signs of maturing. The only problem I have with this book (and it doesn't bother me all that much) is the language. Certain words are used that might not be appropriate for kids not yet in middle school. Otherwise, Forging the Sword can, and will, appeal to young adults of all ages. Kudos to Ms. Bell!

Fun read. It just came with live insects in the packaging!! Yeeechhhh. I'm sure that was just a fluke though. It was in good condition otherwise, and I just left it in the shade outside for a few days and in a plastic Ziploc bag (just to make sure no other critters decided to hatch) for a week and a half after.