The Sword of Telemon

The Sword of Telemon by Murray Lee Eiland Jr is an epic tale that brilliantly opens the exciting The Orfeo Saga series, a tale that will allow readers to travel to a time often read alone in Greek methodology and a far, far away land of heroes. Just before the eruption of Thera around 1600, a shepherd boy left his little hamlet on a mission to search and bring back an older kinsman captured during a raid of his little hamlet, a brother who is destined to lead his people. He is teamed with a small group of warriors, but this isn’t just another simple mission for a small boy, not as simple as leading a herd of cattle back to shelter. It’s a story of trial that will allow the young man to mature as he faces dangerous enemies and himself.

Those who have read The Bart Northcote Series know Lee Eiland to be a gifted writer, highly imaginative and innovative in his style, but they will be surprised at how he brings to life heroes from a distant-past, a forgotten era. In The Sword of Telemon, the author introduces readers to insanely compelling characters — Telemon, the fearless warrior; Clarice, queen of disguises; Orfeo, a young boy forced to grow up by circumstances; Zurga an old wanderer, and many others. It is interesting to watch these characters as they create friendships, and as they evolve in times of conflict, but it is most interesting to watch the protagonist in his growth process, from a simple village boy to a responsible warrior, ready to lead his people.

Lee Eiland’s prose is seductively beautiful, evoking images and action that create a world readers will want to escape to. The plot moves very fast, the drama is powerful, and the conflict mounts pretty fast. The Sword of Telemon is a book that readers will undoubtedly discover to be an absorbing tale of bravery, love, and self-conquest, one to take a prominent place beside the tales of heroic characters.