Lords of Grass and Thunder

by Curt Benjamin

Overview

As Prince Tayy prepares to assume the leadership of the Qubal clans, treacherous enemies threaten his ascension with dark magic-and only the apprentice shaman destined to be Tayy's bride can save him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101097984
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	04/04/2006
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	576
Sales rank:	1,013,343
File size:	826 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Curt Benjamin is the author of the Seven Brothers trilogy. He has a degree in art from Antioch University. In his spare time, he is a designer and children’s illustrator.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Set in Curt Benjamin's Seven Brothers universe (The Prince of Shadow, The Prince of Dreams, and The Gates of Heaven), Lords of Grass and Thunder reinvents the Mongol culture in a fantastical tale about a nomadic dynasty torn apart from within.

The warriors of the Qubal clans are finally returning to their families after a long and bloody battle against supernatural foes. But although the war is over, the homecoming doesn't bring peace to the mighty clan. Mergen, khan of the Qubal people, has named his nephew Tayyichiut as heir. And although the heroic Tayy is universally beloved among the families, there are those few who secretly plot his death. Qutula, Mergen's bastard son, is a jealous and power-hungry man whose lust for the throne is further stoked by his equally greedy mother. When a demonic seductress bewitches Qutula, his ambitions catch fire, and he weaves an elaborate scheme to kill Tayy and eventually rule over the Qubal people.

Meanwhile, an apprentice shaman named Eluneke begins experiencing strange visions about Tayy: specifically, his untimely death. Can she save Tayy before the demon-possessed Qutula kills him and in the process destroys the clan?

In the words of Eluneke's teacher: "An evil wind sighs through the grass. Soon, it will howl…" Set in a majestic and richly described realm eerily reminiscent of 13th-century central Asia, Lords of Grass and Thunder is surprisingly fast-paced for such an expansive story. It's a story that cries out for a sequel, which readers will eagerly await. Paul Goat Allen

bn.com

In this well-told fantasy set in the same Mongolia-like world as Benjamin's Seven Brothers trilogy (The Prince of Shadow, etc.), the brave yet modest Prince Tayyichiut returns home a hero from a terrible war between the gods and demons. Tayy's uncle, Mergen-Khan, ruler of the nomadic Qubal people, has declared the prince his heir, his bastard sons being ineligible to inherit the khanate. The ensuing intrigues and tussles for the throne go on a tad too long, while some readers may find a last-minute rescue and revival of the protagonist less than credible. Still, the story boasts some memorable shape-shifting characters, including a venomous villain, who's a green serpent woman, and an endearing heroine, Eluneke, who remains lovable even when she turns into a toad. A trip Eluneke makes to the home of the gods, where she struggles to regain her human form, is a high point. As in the Seven Brothers books, Benjamin makes fine use of Mongol culture as background for the Qubal clans, with their love of riddles and their colorful costumes. Agent, JET Literary Associates. (Apr. 5) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Prince Tayyichiut returns home to his Qubal clan from a war against the demons of the world to find his parents dead and his uncle ruling as khan until Prince Tayy is ready to assume his position as Qubal-khan. To reach his goal, however, the prince must first survive those who would like to see him dead-forces of demons and dark magic. His most likely ally, a young shaman named Eluneke who is gifted with prophecy, must also overcome the obstacles set in her path in order to preserve the life of the next khan. Set in the same world as his "Seven Brothers" trilogy, Benjamin's latest novel makes good use of an exotic culture resembling the nomadic Mongols to tell a story of a young couple's trial by firePons. For most fantasy collections. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal