Scan barcode
Reviews
The Ossard Series, Books 1-3: The Fall of Ossard, Ossard's Hope, and Ossard's Shadow. by Colin Taber
janeymacd's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book, the characters were likeable and three dimensional.
The main thing that annoyed me was the use of 'it'. Seems like a small issue, I'll explain... Example: the door closed, it dark and wooden. She brushed her hair, it long and soft. I don't know why but this just made my teeth grind!
Other than my obsessive compulsiveness, this was an entertaining and addictive read. Colin taber is an author to watch, the world he created was vivid and convincing. I'll definitely be purchasing the sequel!
The main thing that annoyed me was the use of 'it'. Seems like a small issue, I'll explain... Example: the door closed, it dark and wooden. She brushed her hair, it long and soft. I don't know why but this just made my teeth grind!
Other than my obsessive compulsiveness, this was an entertaining and addictive read. Colin taber is an author to watch, the world he created was vivid and convincing. I'll definitely be purchasing the sequel!
lyrrael's review against another edition
3.0
I'll admit that I was first interested in this book by Facebook advertising. I'm a little embarrassed by that, but it got me. So be it. I read the first chapter and I was hooked.
Absolutely rich, very dark, story-driven, could-not-put-it-down because I HAD TO KNOW what happened next..... True, not the most rich character design or world building I've ever seen, but absolutely story-driven with an epic grandeur that I truly enjoyed. And the author did a magnificent job, if not with the original character design, but with the growth of the characters themselves, which a lot of authors fall flat with.
I'm reminded a lot of Robin Hobb (if the reviewer below will forgive me, but I see the comparisons), Sara Douglass or Carol Berg. Give it a shot, either way. My only complaint is that I hate cliffhangers, and I'm starting to get to the point, as a reader, where I'd rather wait for the series to be out in its entirety before dealing with the wait for the next bit of an incomplete story. ;)
Absolutely rich, very dark, story-driven, could-not-put-it-down because I HAD TO KNOW what happened next..... True, not the most rich character design or world building I've ever seen, but absolutely story-driven with an epic grandeur that I truly enjoyed. And the author did a magnificent job, if not with the original character design, but with the growth of the characters themselves, which a lot of authors fall flat with.
I'm reminded a lot of Robin Hobb (if the reviewer below will forgive me, but I see the comparisons), Sara Douglass or Carol Berg. Give it a shot, either way. My only complaint is that I hate cliffhangers, and I'm starting to get to the point, as a reader, where I'd rather wait for the series to be out in its entirety before dealing with the wait for the next bit of an incomplete story. ;)
yazerk's review against another edition
5.0
(This review previously appeared on my blog: http://betweentwobooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/fall-of-ossard-by-colin-taber.html)
In The Fall Of Ossard, Colin Taber tells the story of Juvela Van Leuwin, granddaughter of a woman burnt at the stake for being a witch, by the Inquisitor Anton, member of the Church of Baimiopia’s Expeditia Puritanica. The burning was 20 twenty years ago and it was a milestone in Ossard’s history. Since then, Ossard has grown wealthy by its merchant princes. However now the city is troubled by another problem: Child abductions... The children simply vanish without a trace and without any witnesses... And it’s just the beginning...
I didn’t know Colin Taber before I decided to read The Fall Of Ossard. Now I’m glad that I gave it a try. The three adjectives on its cover capture the spirit of the book pretty well: “Bold... Innovative... Brave...” The book is easy to read and captivating. The very beginning of the story, the burning of Juvela’s grandmother, promises a fast-paced book. And it keeps its word. With the introduction of Juvela, the story slows down but to gather momentum with each turning page.
Colin Taber’s style in his book reminded me of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name Of The Wind, partly because the story was told in a first-person narrative mode. And the fact that Ossard is the main setting of the story and the world’s connection with its deities reminded me of Brendon Sanderson’s Elantris.
In The Fall Of Ossard, the author paints the picture of a world where the boundary between humanity and divinity is very thin and flexible. It is a world where gods can choose to answer the prayers with their blessings. It is a world where gods can be mean and vicious; they can have their own agenda and use their followers in a multitude ways. This book is a window opened to a world forged by the goddess Life and her husband Death. Yet now they’re waging a divine war, a war that promises doom for all.
The magic system that the author uses has a satisfying complexity. Even though we don’t explicitly get explained all the nitty-gritty details of spellcasting, we know that there are three different branches of magic that exist according to the power source of the caster: Mind (forbidden Sisterhood), Soul (priesthoods of the faiths) and Heart (Cabals of Mages). I’m guessing that we will discover more about magic in the following books.
One of the aspects of the book that I loved is the existence of the world’s mythology. The reader is introduced to some of the deities along the way. However the mention of a few other names, such as the Gorgoyle God of Gorloth promises more to come. Furthermore, there are some places mentioned that aren’t part of the story yet. For example, I wonder if we’ll ever know more about Bar-Mor, the mountain city of the giants.
If you’re a fan of maps in fantasy books, you’ll be satisfied to know that Colin Taber did a good job with the maps too. They include Ossard and the world around the city.
All in all, it's an amazing book. Colin Taber raises the bar very high in his debut novel, The Fall Of Ossard, which is the first of a trilogy. The second book promises a lot to come in many aspects. It will probably be published towards the end of the year. The author said that the remaining books were pretty much complete, so hopefully, there shouldn’t be any delays. I, for one, am looking forward to reading them. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the story...
In The Fall Of Ossard, Colin Taber tells the story of Juvela Van Leuwin, granddaughter of a woman burnt at the stake for being a witch, by the Inquisitor Anton, member of the Church of Baimiopia’s Expeditia Puritanica. The burning was 20 twenty years ago and it was a milestone in Ossard’s history. Since then, Ossard has grown wealthy by its merchant princes. However now the city is troubled by another problem: Child abductions... The children simply vanish without a trace and without any witnesses... And it’s just the beginning...
I didn’t know Colin Taber before I decided to read The Fall Of Ossard. Now I’m glad that I gave it a try. The three adjectives on its cover capture the spirit of the book pretty well: “Bold... Innovative... Brave...” The book is easy to read and captivating. The very beginning of the story, the burning of Juvela’s grandmother, promises a fast-paced book. And it keeps its word. With the introduction of Juvela, the story slows down but to gather momentum with each turning page.
Colin Taber’s style in his book reminded me of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name Of The Wind, partly because the story was told in a first-person narrative mode. And the fact that Ossard is the main setting of the story and the world’s connection with its deities reminded me of Brendon Sanderson’s Elantris.
In The Fall Of Ossard, the author paints the picture of a world where the boundary between humanity and divinity is very thin and flexible. It is a world where gods can choose to answer the prayers with their blessings. It is a world where gods can be mean and vicious; they can have their own agenda and use their followers in a multitude ways. This book is a window opened to a world forged by the goddess Life and her husband Death. Yet now they’re waging a divine war, a war that promises doom for all.
The magic system that the author uses has a satisfying complexity. Even though we don’t explicitly get explained all the nitty-gritty details of spellcasting, we know that there are three different branches of magic that exist according to the power source of the caster: Mind (forbidden Sisterhood), Soul (priesthoods of the faiths) and Heart (Cabals of Mages). I’m guessing that we will discover more about magic in the following books.
One of the aspects of the book that I loved is the existence of the world’s mythology. The reader is introduced to some of the deities along the way. However the mention of a few other names, such as the Gorgoyle God of Gorloth promises more to come. Furthermore, there are some places mentioned that aren’t part of the story yet. For example, I wonder if we’ll ever know more about Bar-Mor, the mountain city of the giants.
If you’re a fan of maps in fantasy books, you’ll be satisfied to know that Colin Taber did a good job with the maps too. They include Ossard and the world around the city.
All in all, it's an amazing book. Colin Taber raises the bar very high in his debut novel, The Fall Of Ossard, which is the first of a trilogy. The second book promises a lot to come in many aspects. It will probably be published towards the end of the year. The author said that the remaining books were pretty much complete, so hopefully, there shouldn’t be any delays. I, for one, am looking forward to reading them. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the story...
More...