Sword-Born

Tiger and Del, Book 5

By: Jennifer Roberson

Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies

Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Swordfighters Tiger and Del return in this all-new swashbuckling adventure-filled with all the dramatic action, danger, magic, and the crackling repartee and verbal fireworks that characterize the national bestselling Sword series.

Sword-Born is the latest book in this continuing tale of a powerful friendship that transforms into something stronger, as two strong, opinionated people from very different societies live and fight alongside each other...even as their views of themselves and the world around them change and grow.

©1998 Jennifer Roberson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Good but different

Definitely different from Jennifer's previous tiger and del books, but I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Tiger's possible past. Some of the new particulars about Skandi were a bit confusing at first, but that cleared up fairly quickly. I did, however, wish that there was maybe a little more depth to this one. Looking forward to continuing the journey with Tiger and Del. Currently wondering if Tiger willed his scars back will he be able to regrow his pinkies....

Good

I love Tiger and Del. The only thing I don’t like about these two is there bickering. It is getting quite old and he would think that at their ages they would have grown out of that by now. Sometimes their bickering is as bad as high school. Now that Tiger and Dell have both been kicked out of the north and the south, they are on their way to see the land that tiger believes that his parents were from. As they’re sailing to this land, their ship gets attacked, and they get taken prisoner. The captain of the pirate ship wants to use tiger to act like he is the long lost heir of this old and rich woman. Not only is Tiger in the role of a slave again pretty much, but he also learns a lot more about the magic that he might possibly have. I did like this book, and I listened to it on audible, and the narrator was the same as in previous books. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Tedious and confusing

The politics and plot in this one feel forced and it takes a long time for little to happen. The last few chapters were really weird and I’m not sure they were necessary to tell a good story. Tiger, Dell, and the world building are what keep me here. I hope the next one has more swordplay and less magic.

The Last Jedi of Tiger & Del

Felt like a guest author from a writing workshop for most of it. Only towards the end did it start to feel like Tiger & Del. Frequently had to pause it because I didn't want to hear what was coming next.

Obnoxious tedium

I want to love this. But it’s difficult. There are some sweet interactions between the title characters, which were long in the making, and therefore satisfying to find here, as each discovers how to live with their new reality, and each accepts more fully, their connection to the other. I enjoy the chance to explore Tiger’s origins. I appreciate an attempt to make realistic characters with their own motivations. But I’m frustrated by how often Tiger is basically sold into slavery in this series. Frustrated with how often an important sword dance is described in the moment as conclusively won, only to be talked about as not being won…. He can break his opponent’s sword and humiliate him, but we still have multiple long discussions over how we can never know now who is better. He disarms Del, but somehow the dance goes on so she can do the same back and we can listen to more repetitive discussion about dances not being conclusive. Yeah. That’s cute. I’ll forgive the never knowing which of those two is best. But not the weird rules of sword dances that let a sword be taken away and the dance continue.
Also… some of the conversations feel like mandatory “fiction” I had to read in undergraduate philosophy. Other conversations get boring with how much they resemble sociology textbooks or reddit posts. Still, there is enough cute, or believable about most dialogue for me to keep listening. If sometimes at triple speed.
After all Tiger has been through, I am loosing patience with the illogical response he continues to have about religion and magic. His character should say skeptical and disrespectful things about it, and complain about it, but he should also be far less surprised now. He should begin to anticipate some things sooner.
There is a lot to like. There are interactions we can only have here because their payoff was set up in the previous novels. The maturing of the two main characters is rewarding. But there is too much dialogue that crosses the line from thoughtful reality, to college children parroting philosophy and ethics. Most people don’t talk like that. When the characters sound less like themselves and more like an author using their voice to teach me something, well, too much of that sort of thing is annoying.
The old lady should go die in a hole! Maybe my strong reaction to her proves she is an effectively written character. Maybe she’s just a…. Insert desert invective. Spending almost an entire novel where the heroes are effectively prisoners “guests” in the home of people I feel almost no sympathy for, disappointed me after the promise of this book’s beginning.
There’s a reason the first few books are free. There’s also a reason that after being bored and out of credits for the second time, I put up with the weird southern sounding accent for the “northern woman” and the northern blasé voice of the “southern man” long enough to get into the story and gladly purchase the next two books. This series has frustrating moments. The reader might have made some less jarring choices for voice, but he’s done a solid job overall. The series is one more folks should take a chance on. But this book is at least as rambly and obnoxious as my late night frustrated review of it. If the next one doesn’t advance the story a bit more with each hour or two listened, I’ll cut my losses and find some other series.

ok

the story line felt unfinished even though it took a long long time to get yo ehat was the finish