Master and Fool

Master and Fool is the conclusion to J.V. Jones' Book of Words trilogy. The trilogy starts off slow, but ends with a bang in this third book. I never expected some of the stuff that occurred, which is something I always look for in my fantasy books and made this series enjoyable. Jack is finally away from Rovas, Magra, and Tarissa physically but not mentally, and is taken up by a sorcerer, who is the opposite of Baralis. He helps Jack learn to control his powers after what happened in A Man Betrayed, but Jack now distrusts everyone. Once he feels he is being lied to he leaves and heads towards Bren. In Bren he finally meets up with Tawl, and the start of their journey to oppose Baralis and Kylock begins. Melli and Tawl, over the corse of Melli's engagement to the Duke of Bren, have fallen in love. They are now in hiding after the Duke of Bren's murder and the blame is being laid on Tawl by Baralis. The marriage was supposedly never completed, so Melli has no claim on the realm of Bren. Tawl is still dealing with his past, but finally discovers the root of it all and takes action. The claim for Bren is given to Catherine, but it isn't long before Kylock takes over that title, unexpectedly. Larn is giving more and more help to Baralis, and needs to be eliminated or else Kylock will conquer both the north and the south easily. The book comes to a stunning conclusion with most of the loose ends tied up, and enough mystery left to create another series with the characters. The only problem I found with this book was that I never got any explanation as to why some of the characters were included, like the archbishop of Rorn and the prostitute, Megan. I thought their importance would be explained in the end, but they never were. Otherwise I enjoyed Master and Fool and the Book of Words trilogy, and look forward to reading more from J.V. Jones.

J.V. Jones is a brilliant writer!! Her marvelous contrivance of both character and plot make her triology an irresistible read indeed. I was lured into her saga by the endearing Jack, loyal Tawl, and headstrong Melliandra. Readers come to know and love them, almost as if they were real. Jones' potency of plot is equally unforgettable; from the truly sinister Baralis and his incessant scheming, to the inward torments of the more benign characters, never is there a dull moment. Her Master and Fool ended the trilology with stark power, and readers are left to impatiently await the arrival of a new, equally abosorbing series. All I can say is BRAVO, Miss Jones, BRAVO!

I thought the ending to this fabulous trilogy was one of the best I've yet to read. It wasn't predictable, that's for sure. Most people expect that princess and mate happy ending, this one goes around and around and at the ending it's quite a shocker what happens. Better than the first 2 books in the trilogy, in my opinion!

The Book of Words (series) is on par with Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Series. I only wish that Ms. Jones could have continued the series it was so good. Starting with the Baker's boy, Ms. Jones moves from character to character letting us into their thoughts. Unlike so many science ficiton/fantasy books, the heroes of her stories suffer real trials and do not magically make it past every crisis. Her writing is "simple" which makes for a good read. Whoever reads this book will enjoy the battle between good and evil and will understand where there is one, there will always be another. I highly recommend buying the complete series, you may read them all in one week.

I am fourteen years old and have just finished the first two books in the "Book of Words" trilogy. J.V. Jones is a superb author. All of her characters have a life of their own, from haunted Jack, to proud Melli and the hilarious conversations of Bodger and Grift. I am currently halfway through with "Master and Fool." To anyone who feels daunted by any of the comments above, do not let them stop you from running to the nearest bookstore. You will find a rare treasure in this series.