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This Forsaken Earth (Sea Beggars) | 
| Author: Paul Kearney
Publisher: Bantam Press
Category: Book
List Price: £11.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 331205
Media: Paperback
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 059304777X
EAN: 9780593047774
ASIN: 059304777X
Publication Date: July 3, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent, but an indefinite wait for Book 3... May 16, 2008
This Forsaken Earth is the second novel in Paul Kearney's Sea Beggars sequence, a planned four-volume nautical fantasy that was unfortunately cut short by Bantam's inexplicable decision to drop the series. Whilst Paul Kearney has said the series will eventually be completed - the third book, Storm of the Dead, was well on the way to completion - that will have to wait until the rights revert to him from Bantam. This is a shame as this is an excellent series and the second volume does end on something of a cliffhanger.
Rol Cortishane is now a seasoned brigand, his ship - the Revenant - and its crew delighting in destroying vessels belonging to the nation of Bionar. However, Bionar is divided in a bitter civil war between Rol's half-sister and the incumbent king. When his sister calls upon Rol's aid, Rol reluctantly agrees to help her and embarks on a dangerous journey into the heart of a war-torn country.
This Forsaken Earth is notable for being a nautical epic fantasy where a good 90% of the action takes place on dry land (the source of much criticism for this novel). Well, yep, that's a shame for those expecting some Patrick O'Brien-with-wizardry antics, but on the plus side we still get a damn good story to make up for it. Kearney has lost none of his formidable skills for depicting large-scale warfare or bloody sieges, and his desperately flawed protagonists (Rol is not a very nice person at all) almost literally act like fishes out of water as they deal with the challenge of land-based combat. At the same time Rol's shadowy origins are becoming clearer and we get some hefty clues towards the end of the novel that Kearney was headed somewhere truly apocalyptic with this series.
I think that will probably be the deciding factor for many people whether they wish to read this book and its immediate predecessor, The Mark of Ran. This is an excellent book, not quite Kearney's best but still very solid, filled with action, some great plot twists and some decidedly twisted character development. But it is clearly the second act of a much bigger story, and we have an indefinite period of time to wait for the next part of the story. If you don't mind waiting, definitely check out these two books ASAP. Kearney has a new book set in a new world, The Ten Thousand, out in September.
 This Forsaken Earth (Sea Beggars) July 18, 2007
There are very few books in the fantasy genre that are as well written and as absorbing as the sea beggars series.
Some have likened this with the pirates of the Caribbean film but this book is far more graphically violent. Be warned but buy yourself a copy.
Outstanding sequel.... June 11, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I cannnot praise this book enough, I finished this book in record time for me, I just couldn't put it down. Rol is a great character and his adventure just gets better.
The plot starts to cobweb out in this book and we find ourselves meeting some old characters from the first book that have a devastating effect on Rol Cortishane including Canker, King of thieves from Ascari and Rowen Bar Hethrun, his half sister and rightful heir to the throne of Bionar - I wont give anymore away as it would spoil the enjoyment!
I can see some comparisons with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in these books, although the depth of storytelling by Paul Kearney is just far better and just magnificent!
I just hope Paul is not too long in writing book 3, i'm so desperate now to find out what happens to Rol and his companions on the Revenant!
Kearny quality August 27, 2006
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
A long awaited second novel in the Sea Beggars series. High sea action that will keep the reader glued right to the last page and continues to demonstrate the skills and talents of Keaney. As a reader of many a novel within the genre, this one was pure pleasure, it kept you going even in the darkest moments and was something that entertained the reader throughout the whole novel. Not many can claim that honour. Other than that though you have to have read the first novel to get the full reading pleasure from this book as you the reader deserve.
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