With The Elemenstor Cycle, Book 3: The Rubion Sword, the eccentric Tycho Brahe takes fantasy literature to what can only be called a new level. Undaunted by what he calls the "artificial establishment" of chronology and logic, he challenges both the conventions of the genre and the mental and physical endurance of the reader. In this light, comparing The Rubion Sword to any other work of literature is nearly impossible. I was left wondering if a literary critic such as myself is at all equipped to analyze a book like this. Perhaps the task should have been assigned to a psychiatrist or

Throughout the book, Brahe demonstrates an uncanny ability to draw the reader into the tedium and despair of his characters. A thirteen-page account of a turkey milling about in the yard, followed by a sixteen-page suffocation scene, is a perfect example of the author in his element. The book also features a generous amount of Brahe's colorful poetry, including a poem called 'The Bravery of the Doomed' which, read in its entirety, is enough to drive anyone into a state of hysteria.

Admittedly, The Rubion Sword leaves a lasting impression. I'll go as far as to call it an unforgettable read. Like so many unwanted memories, The Rubion Sword stays with you forever.