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teri_b's review
5.0
I discovered this book by happenstance as my local library has all three books of this series available as audiobook.
I started listening and then just gobbled this story up. The narrator's voice is the perfect fit for the story told. It is epic fantasy that takes us onto a quest with three main characters that still have got to find out how they fit together and what to make of each other. Each of them comes from a different nation, with a different background, some of which we know, some of which we don't.
Throughout the journey the backstory of this world is revealed and the devastation, the serpent has recently dealt out. I loved the world building and also how the concept of yin and yang was introduced into it. And then there is magic and magical moments as well as moments of utter despair. There are demons and sages, and different kind of beings, and there is the blackbird too. Not all is yet revealed though, after all, this is book one.
The language is simple and yet, each word is so precisely set as you rarely find in novels that have been written since the computer age came upon us. Can only recommend.
I started listening and then just gobbled this story up. The narrator's voice is the perfect fit for the story told. It is epic fantasy that takes us onto a quest with three main characters that still have got to find out how they fit together and what to make of each other. Each of them comes from a different nation, with a different background, some of which we know, some of which we don't.
Throughout the journey the backstory of this world is revealed and the devastation, the serpent has recently dealt out. I loved the world building and also how the concept of yin and yang was introduced into it. And then there is magic and magical moments as well as moments of utter despair. There are demons and sages, and different kind of beings, and there is the blackbird too. Not all is yet revealed though, after all, this is book one.
The language is simple and yet, each word is so precisely set as you rarely find in novels that have been written since the computer age came upon us. Can only recommend.
sfian's review
3.0
It's worth noting, without giving anything away, that the majority of the contents of this book exist because somebody didn't give the protagonists clear instructions at the beginning...
I read this book some time around it's original release date and it, along with three other volumes in the series, have sat on my various bookshelves since, so I must have remembered enjoying it, or at least thought I would re-read it, at some point. Having done so, as part of the new "the Covid crisis means I have more spare time" era, I wonder what my approximately twenty-year-old self actually thought of it.
It's not a bad book. Maybe it's just that fantasy writing has evolved since it was first published. There are hints of Age of Aquarius mysticism, with flat planes, populated by immortal beings, intersecting the novel's "Earth", and mentions of great cosmic forces. Some off the dialogue could come from a Regency novel, at least in style, and there is a possibility that it is meant to come across as "olde worlde", just to reinforce the setting.
But the characters and the world they inhabit are interesting, even if, unlike other quest fantasies, the protagonists are whisked all over the place rather than having to endure the hardships of travel - there's very little in the way of seeking out inns or suitable spots to camp for the night.
I will endure with the rest of the series, but it's likely that these books will, eventually, make way for newer volumes on my shelves.
I read this book some time around it's original release date and it, along with three other volumes in the series, have sat on my various bookshelves since, so I must have remembered enjoying it, or at least thought I would re-read it, at some point. Having done so, as part of the new "the Covid crisis means I have more spare time" era, I wonder what my approximately twenty-year-old self actually thought of it.
It's not a bad book. Maybe it's just that fantasy writing has evolved since it was first published. There are hints of Age of Aquarius mysticism, with flat planes, populated by immortal beings, intersecting the novel's "Earth", and mentions of great cosmic forces. Some off the dialogue could come from a Regency novel, at least in style, and there is a possibility that it is meant to come across as "olde worlde", just to reinforce the setting.
But the characters and the world they inhabit are interesting, even if, unlike other quest fantasies, the protagonists are whisked all over the place rather than having to endure the hardships of travel - there's very little in the way of seeking out inns or suitable spots to camp for the night.
I will endure with the rest of the series, but it's likely that these books will, eventually, make way for newer volumes on my shelves.
helensbookshelf's review
4.0
Three mismatched companions start out on a quest to find a way to kill the great serpent M'gulfn that is trying to destroy the Earth. The serpent is slowly spreading despair and anguish, causing wars and laying countries to waste so nothing can grow or survive there.
I first read this book about 20 years ago, and it's survived 4 house moves, my years and university and many, many book clear outs.
It's rare that I remember much that happens in books I've read before, and I don't remember how it ends or how it started, but what I do remember is the feeling I got reading this series.
That's stopped me getting rid of the books many times over the years. I always meant to re-read it, but in a few months I'm going to a convention where Freda Warrington will be appearing so I thought I should read it again before I take it to get it signed.
The way it's written reminds me of how Ursula Le Guin or Tanith Lee writes. It's quite simplistic in style, almost in the way a children's book would be, though the content is very adult and the characters find themselves in some dark situations.
The three companions that set out on the quest have rich and detailed backstories and don't instantly bond.
Ashurek's story is very detailed and he is a very complex character. he's been through a lot and done some very bad things but even though he realises this, he also knows it's M'gulfn's influence that sent him on this path. He wants to make amends but he's not consumed by guilt.
Medrian I remembered from the first time I read the book, the cold, pale, dark haired woman that won't explain her reason for joining the quest, I also remembered what her secret is. That's probably affected my re-read, I'm not getting the sense of mystery or confusion over her behaviour that I probably should be. But she is still my favourite character in the story, quiet and withdrawn and acts almost like she is in constant pain, but she still comes alive when in danger or in a fight. We see rare smiles, glimpses of what she would be like if she weren't carrying these dark secrets.
Though the basic story elements are standard fantasy fare it's taken in a different direction. It has strong, unique characters that carry the story and I found myself engrossed in their stories.
Things get very dark, with some almost horror elements finding their way in, demons, torture and dead soldiers raised to fight for the enemy. There's a hopeless, desperate feel that permeates the book.
There's also a bit of sci-fi mixed in, but I won't go into that because I don't want to spoil the plot!
These things make it stand out from the norm, it's something a bit different if you read a lot of fantasy books.
It's a hard one for me to rate, I would normally say 3 stars, but I still think about this book 20 years after reading it and that has to lift it to a 4.
I first read this book about 20 years ago, and it's survived 4 house moves, my years and university and many, many book clear outs.
It's rare that I remember much that happens in books I've read before, and I don't remember how it ends or how it started, but what I do remember is the feeling I got reading this series.
That's stopped me getting rid of the books many times over the years. I always meant to re-read it, but in a few months I'm going to a convention where Freda Warrington will be appearing so I thought I should read it again before I take it to get it signed.
The way it's written reminds me of how Ursula Le Guin or Tanith Lee writes. It's quite simplistic in style, almost in the way a children's book would be, though the content is very adult and the characters find themselves in some dark situations.
The three companions that set out on the quest have rich and detailed backstories and don't instantly bond.
Ashurek's story is very detailed and he is a very complex character. he's been through a lot and done some very bad things but even though he realises this, he also knows it's M'gulfn's influence that sent him on this path. He wants to make amends but he's not consumed by guilt.
Medrian I remembered from the first time I read the book, the cold, pale, dark haired woman that won't explain her reason for joining the quest, I also remembered what her secret is. That's probably affected my re-read, I'm not getting the sense of mystery or confusion over her behaviour that I probably should be. But she is still my favourite character in the story, quiet and withdrawn and acts almost like she is in constant pain, but she still comes alive when in danger or in a fight. We see rare smiles, glimpses of what she would be like if she weren't carrying these dark secrets.
Though the basic story elements are standard fantasy fare it's taken in a different direction. It has strong, unique characters that carry the story and I found myself engrossed in their stories.
Things get very dark, with some almost horror elements finding their way in, demons, torture and dead soldiers raised to fight for the enemy. There's a hopeless, desperate feel that permeates the book.
There's also a bit of sci-fi mixed in, but I won't go into that because I don't want to spoil the plot!
These things make it stand out from the norm, it's something a bit different if you read a lot of fantasy books.
It's a hard one for me to rate, I would normally say 3 stars, but I still think about this book 20 years after reading it and that has to lift it to a 4.
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