Carl is an idiot. I wish he would die. Then we could get the story from a different character, like the dwarf. Sadly, it is obvious that I won't be getting my wish.

This book deals with Carl on his continuing crusade to stamp out slavery, even though we aren't ever sure why slavery is bad, except Carl feels it is bad and goes into mindless rages whenever someone suggests anything otherwise. ( )

What makes this series different is that it's the anti-high fantasy. This is the third book in the series. In the very first, seven role-playing college students are transported to the world of their game as their alter egos. Those who survive stay and bring technology--and a crusade against slavery to their new home. I do often love sword and sorcery but you know what? The historical truth is that medieval societies suck. So hell yeah, I did adore the idea of those college kids from contemporary America messing with that world, trying to make it a better place. And I liked the characters--Karl, Walter, Lou, Ahira, Andrea--and the snarky dragon Ellegon. That makes this fantasy series different, and this book continued to give all the adventure of sword and sorcery while not pretending that kind of world couldn't use some shaking up. ( )

On the edge of a sword: Karl fights to free slaves and to destroy the slave guild. This is a good book especially if you like alot of fighting scenes with pretty graphic descriptions on how people are being killed than this is the book for you!

This series is still consistently good, even in the 3rd book. Karl and his companions continue to try and end slavery, while building a small democracy in their corner of the world. This series is really all about trying to apply our 20th century morals to a fantasy world, with technology and magic and dragons. ( )

(Alistair) And so I continue with the Guardians of the Flame with the third book in the series, The Silver Crown. (The second, The Sword and the Chain, is booklogged here.) Yes, I finally got hold of a copy, and so I can now read the series up through book seven, and then it will be time to look for however many more there are. Three following that, Wikipedia tells me.

(The titles of those last three are rather odd, and not really in the same theme as their predecessors: Not Exactly the Three Musketeers, Not Quite Scaramouche, and Not Really the Prisoner of Zenda. I hope that's not a warning sign of the Brain Eater.)

The plot thickens in this volume, as we see more of the civil administration of Karl Cullinane and the rest of the group's nation, now reaching quite some size and population, it grows large enough to start having foreign relations of its own, the Slaver's Guild stirs up war - into which, naturally, our protagonists are thrust - or rather, thrust themselves - up to the neck, and the inhabitants of the "fantasy" world - including the aforementioned Slaver's Guild - start adapting to and recreating some of the products of the modern knowledge our protagonists introduced...

Much the same metacommentary as last time, though. A quick, enjoyable, gritty, satisfying read. I shall enjoy continuing.

( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/cerebrate/2009/04/the_silver_crown_joel_rosen... ) ( )