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fastasashark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
raebooknerd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy novel. Poitier, the very likable narrator, works to solve a mystery that threatens the kingdom. The book falls well within the standard range of fantasy (a range I enjoy), yet is by no means generic. It is intelligent and at times decidedly gruesome. The plot twists and turns most satisfyingly. I anticipated but appreciated some of the twists; others surprised me but strengthened the tale. I picked this book out as my first choice to read on vacation, and it was exactly what I had wanted.
mamap's review against another edition
2.0
torn ... i like the way carol berg thinks, but i hate to read about torture and cruelty and she seems to have a lot of that in her books. some things seemed too obvious and others didn't seem to make sense. our characters do learn and grow and have to live with the consequences of their actions, but all the death .. makes me leery.
stilladyj's review against another edition
5.0
Complex, intriguing, magical, heartfelt. The mystery really drew me in. The narrator is genuinely intelligent, which is often not the case in mysteries. Apart from the intellectual mystery, there's lots of drama and action to move things along. The characters are great. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a while.
calamity_mary's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve decided to read this book after reading a few good critics praising the freshness and the marvellous world built by Carol Berg where magic and science were pitied against each other. Indeed it seemed like a refreshing topic, a universe where both fields exist in a flimsy balance.
The book starts with Portier Savin-Duplais, a failed student of sorcery and reserved librarian being asked by his distant cousin Phillipe (who also happens to be the King of Sabria) to investigate a strange murder attempt on his life. To do this, the king lends him Illario, the queen’s knight and brother (also know for being one of the biggest fools in the realm) and since the murder attempt was of a magic nature, Portier recruits also Dante, a rogue master mage with powers no other sorcerer in the land can match and a short temper to go with it.
Despite having a good premise I cannot give this book more than 2.5 stars.
I did like the story on the whole but was left with the feeling this book could be so much more than what it actually gives us. First of all the writing was stuffy and meandering. The author seemed to want to show how well she could use her writing skills. This is the first book by Berg that I’ve read and people do say it’s not her best (which I tend to believe), but after braving chapter after chapter of intricate descriptions and paragraphs that only seem to be there just to show us her prowess with a dictionary, I really don’t feel like reading anything else by her. This was written in a very roundabout fashion, which mainly hinted at mysteries and answers and seemed to never give you a straight answer about the simplest of plot points.
Then, I didn’t like most of the characters. Portier was too self pitying, Illario was so big of a fool that I couldn’t help to feel from the start that it was all for show. And I was right. Dante was just too disagreeable, Maura was half a character, Michel de Vernasse was a too obvious villain and in the end not even the mystery of “who dunnit” worked that well, mainly because after 400 pages we still don’t know who did it…not for sure. The only thing that still intrigues me is what the hell is wrong with Dante, but since that question was left unanswered in this first book I think I’ll never know as I’m left with no energy to finish this trilogy.
The stars I give this book are mainly because I acknowledge that Berg does have a way with words and it was a good effort to create a mystery novel with interesting characters. Alas, for me it failed short.
The book starts with Portier Savin-Duplais, a failed student of sorcery and reserved librarian being asked by his distant cousin Phillipe (who also happens to be the King of Sabria) to investigate a strange murder attempt on his life. To do this, the king lends him Illario, the queen’s knight and brother (also know for being one of the biggest fools in the realm) and since the murder attempt was of a magic nature, Portier recruits also Dante, a rogue master mage with powers no other sorcerer in the land can match and a short temper to go with it.
Despite having a good premise I cannot give this book more than 2.5 stars.
I did like the story on the whole but was left with the feeling this book could be so much more than what it actually gives us. First of all the writing was stuffy and meandering. The author seemed to want to show how well she could use her writing skills. This is the first book by Berg that I’ve read and people do say it’s not her best (which I tend to believe), but after braving chapter after chapter of intricate descriptions and paragraphs that only seem to be there just to show us her prowess with a dictionary, I really don’t feel like reading anything else by her. This was written in a very roundabout fashion, which mainly hinted at mysteries and answers and seemed to never give you a straight answer about the simplest of plot points.
Then, I didn’t like most of the characters. Portier was too self pitying, Illario was so big of a fool that I couldn’t help to feel from the start that it was all for show. And I was right. Dante was just too disagreeable, Maura was half a character, Michel de Vernasse was a too obvious villain and in the end not even the mystery of “who dunnit” worked that well, mainly because after 400 pages we still don’t know who did it…not for sure. The only thing that still intrigues me is what the hell is wrong with Dante, but since that question was left unanswered in this first book I think I’ll never know as I’m left with no energy to finish this trilogy.
The stars I give this book are mainly because I acknowledge that Berg does have a way with words and it was a good effort to create a mystery novel with interesting characters. Alas, for me it failed short.
hpstrangelove's review against another edition
5.0
(Audio book review) Male narrator, although not as good as the narrator of Berg's newest book, Dust and Light, still did a decent job. I didn't care for his reading of Dante, however. He does it with a deep, gravely voice, making Dante seem far, far older than just twenty six years. I had to try and keep in mind how young Dante really is, but other than that, I enjoyed the performance.
The story itself grabbed me from the start, pulled me in, and never let go. I'm writing this after I finished book 2 because as soon as I finished this book, I immediately had to start the next.
I don't know why I've waited so long to read these other books by this author. I loved the Lighthouse series and Dust and Light, so while I wait for the sequel to Dust and Light, I decided to try one of Berg's other books. Boy, I feel so stupid for missing out on these!
Oh - and the cover art! So beautiful.
The story itself grabbed me from the start, pulled me in, and never let go. I'm writing this after I finished book 2 because as soon as I finished this book, I immediately had to start the next.
I don't know why I've waited so long to read these other books by this author. I loved the Lighthouse series and Dust and Light, so while I wait for the sequel to Dust and Light, I decided to try one of Berg's other books. Boy, I feel so stupid for missing out on these!
Oh - and the cover art! So beautiful.
mferrante83's review against another edition
4.0
In the Renaissance like kingdom of Sabria failed magician turned librarian and cousin to King Phillipe, Portier de Savin-Duplais is tasked by his royal brethren to root out the traitors who have attempted to take his life. What follows is a solid mystery tale within a beautifully realized world fraught with tension between science and magic. With The Spirit Lens Berg has created a fantastic new setting and kicked off what looks to be an entertaining and original series.
The real strength of The Spirit Lens is its trifecta of male leads: Portier, the mage Dante, and the knight Ilario. In each Berg has crafted a complex and realistic character that add something unique and vital to the proceedings. In a world where magic is typically carried in the blood of the nobility Portier is something of a failure having been unable, despite his lineage and basic understanding of magic, to cast the simplest of spells. The Camarilla Magica, the school of magic attended by those who wish to learn magic, teaches a form of magic that uses precise formula to create the desired effect and is, in this way, not dissimilar to science. When Portier meets Dante, the virulent and mercurial wild master mage, he is confronted with a man who has delved into magic as a natural force; a man who had learned his art outside the prescribed teaching of the Camarilla. Thus the two have, to start, something of an antagonistic relationship with Dante looking down on Portier for his Camarilla infused habits and Portier afraid of Dante’s near heretical beliefs. Their relationship is perhaps one of, if not the most, interested ones in the novel. The constant shifting between the roles of master and student, comradely, and rivalry plays an integral role in the plot. Lord Ilario is portrayed as something of a fop, a good natured if foolish man wholly dedicated to proving his sister the Queen’s innocence in the attempt of Phillipe’s life. He serves, somewhat as comic relief, and the brusque straight forward nature of Dante’s personality plays wonderfully the cultured mannerisms of Ilario’s courtly life. Ilario also serves a great purpose in one of the novels most exciting passages, but saying more then that verges too far into spoiler territory.
In The Spirit Lens Berg spends very little time exploring the world outside the confines of the plot. At around 480 pages this lends the novel a rather brisk pace while allowing Berg some room to explore the history and culture of Sabria. Again all that exploring is done in service to the plot. I can remember no instance in the novel where something we learn in the novel isn’t tied somehow to the mystery Portier has been tasked to uncover. This leaves the world beyond the boundaries of this story a mere shadow that lingers at the edge of the reader’s vision. This isn’t a bad thing, but extreme focus reminds me more of a straight up mystery or thriller rather then a fantasy novel. The mystery itself is tied closely to the history of Sabria so Berg manages to work some subtle world-building into the course of the novel and the whole thing is gloriously free of any lengthy info dumps.
With the exception towards the middle of the novel The Spirit Lens is light on action. Portier is an academic, more Holmes then Hammer, and his sleuthing is done via stealth and intrigue. This could have been a bit dry if done poorly but the menace and magic behind the threat that Portier uncovers lends a certain thrill to the narrative and given his lack of magical skills heightens the sense of danger. This danger is made all the more palpable as the reader learns about the banned method of bleeding royal (i.e. magical) blood to empower spells; a threat especially potent for people like Portier who, despite royal blood, have no magic of their own.
As the novel progresses magic plays an increasingly important role in the plot and Berg does a masterful job at obscuring the true threat and clouding the motivations of everyone we meet. Indeed the weight of the threats revealed towards the end of the novel, and Berg’s impressive characterization skills, lent an emotional weight to final pages that was wholly unexpected and decidedly welcome. I am left eager for the next volume and impatient to see where the story goes from here. Both fans of mystery and fantasy lovers would do well to check out The Spirit Lens and join in the agonizingly long wait for the next volume (The Soul Mirror, 2011).
The real strength of The Spirit Lens is its trifecta of male leads: Portier, the mage Dante, and the knight Ilario. In each Berg has crafted a complex and realistic character that add something unique and vital to the proceedings. In a world where magic is typically carried in the blood of the nobility Portier is something of a failure having been unable, despite his lineage and basic understanding of magic, to cast the simplest of spells. The Camarilla Magica, the school of magic attended by those who wish to learn magic, teaches a form of magic that uses precise formula to create the desired effect and is, in this way, not dissimilar to science. When Portier meets Dante, the virulent and mercurial wild master mage, he is confronted with a man who has delved into magic as a natural force; a man who had learned his art outside the prescribed teaching of the Camarilla. Thus the two have, to start, something of an antagonistic relationship with Dante looking down on Portier for his Camarilla infused habits and Portier afraid of Dante’s near heretical beliefs. Their relationship is perhaps one of, if not the most, interested ones in the novel. The constant shifting between the roles of master and student, comradely, and rivalry plays an integral role in the plot. Lord Ilario is portrayed as something of a fop, a good natured if foolish man wholly dedicated to proving his sister the Queen’s innocence in the attempt of Phillipe’s life. He serves, somewhat as comic relief, and the brusque straight forward nature of Dante’s personality plays wonderfully the cultured mannerisms of Ilario’s courtly life. Ilario also serves a great purpose in one of the novels most exciting passages, but saying more then that verges too far into spoiler territory.
In The Spirit Lens Berg spends very little time exploring the world outside the confines of the plot. At around 480 pages this lends the novel a rather brisk pace while allowing Berg some room to explore the history and culture of Sabria. Again all that exploring is done in service to the plot. I can remember no instance in the novel where something we learn in the novel isn’t tied somehow to the mystery Portier has been tasked to uncover. This leaves the world beyond the boundaries of this story a mere shadow that lingers at the edge of the reader’s vision. This isn’t a bad thing, but extreme focus reminds me more of a straight up mystery or thriller rather then a fantasy novel. The mystery itself is tied closely to the history of Sabria so Berg manages to work some subtle world-building into the course of the novel and the whole thing is gloriously free of any lengthy info dumps.
With the exception towards the middle of the novel The Spirit Lens is light on action. Portier is an academic, more Holmes then Hammer, and his sleuthing is done via stealth and intrigue. This could have been a bit dry if done poorly but the menace and magic behind the threat that Portier uncovers lends a certain thrill to the narrative and given his lack of magical skills heightens the sense of danger. This danger is made all the more palpable as the reader learns about the banned method of bleeding royal (i.e. magical) blood to empower spells; a threat especially potent for people like Portier who, despite royal blood, have no magic of their own.
As the novel progresses magic plays an increasingly important role in the plot and Berg does a masterful job at obscuring the true threat and clouding the motivations of everyone we meet. Indeed the weight of the threats revealed towards the end of the novel, and Berg’s impressive characterization skills, lent an emotional weight to final pages that was wholly unexpected and decidedly welcome. I am left eager for the next volume and impatient to see where the story goes from here. Both fans of mystery and fantasy lovers would do well to check out The Spirit Lens and join in the agonizingly long wait for the next volume (The Soul Mirror, 2011).