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jjb21's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
A fine fantasy novel. With a really strong final quarter that brough so much drama! But not enough magic use for me for most of the book (I love that side of things most). Not sure I got as much personality as I wanted from most characters, or indeed from different regions or races either. Love that it’s a bit more female-led, though
rgyger's review against another edition
2.0
I could not finish this book. When I first picked it up, the opening sentence captured my attention. However the rest of the chapter and the next chapters soon became long winded information dump with little actual story. Like I said, I didn't finish, so perhaps the story gets better, but I can't get passed Cadvan's telling of everything that has happened in the entire history of the Bards while they walk through a valley, nor the over dramatic way that Maerad describes things. Or the amount of telling how she feels instead of showing.
bluerae's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorites from childhood and it still holds up! I love the characterization of Maerad, her strength, and her interactions with all of the other characters. The world and her adventures through it were engaging and unique. Happy to go back and read about Maerad and Cadavan's adventures.
beckysee's review against another edition
3.0
The world-building is some of the best I've read in a while, but the story was really slow and I didn't care much about any of the characters.
ihlonial's review against another edition
4.0
This series gets many comparisons to the likes of "The Lord of the Rings" and I totally recognize the similarities that make people see that, things like barrow wights, dead marshes, immortal beings similar to the Valar, there's a deep relationship to language within the story that is reminiscent of the same languages Tolkien studied. Cadven feels like a typification of Aragorn. The majority of this book is mostly about the harrowing travels throughout the land of Annar - reminiscent of the sweeping, generously descriptive travelling sequences in Tolkien's work. However, I would say that "The Naming" was still able to hold itself up as its own book and compel me to continue reading into this series.
However, there is a major complaint that I have with this book that absolutely cannot be brushed over. Our main character, Maerad, is sixteen years old, but the author has written her to be more at the maturity level of a much more mature, young adult woman. Maerad seems to be associating with people who are all adults with authority, and on multiple occasions her relationship with men much older than her was put into question and she was placed in many unnecessarily uncomfortable situations. I don't think the age of this book really has an excuse to write a grown adult man kissing a minor because he's a talented bard with deep feelings. Thank goodness it was nothing more than that, but genuinely, I have to ask why this felt necessary? Please, to anyone wanting to write stories, either make your characters adults or stop putting them in these positions.
Beyond that, I actually really quite enjoyed this story. I'm very invested in many of the characters and the plot is really pulling me in. It's just the kind of adventure story that I can easily fall in love with due to its lyrical writing, it's comprehensive worldbuilding and the quest for light to conquer dark.
CW: slavery, violence, mention of rape, death,
However, there is a major complaint that I have with this book that absolutely cannot be brushed over. Our main character, Maerad, is sixteen years old, but the author has written her to be more at the maturity level of a much more mature, young adult woman. Maerad seems to be associating with people who are all adults with authority, and on multiple occasions her relationship with men much older than her was put into question and she was placed in many unnecessarily uncomfortable situations. I don't think the age of this book really has an excuse to write a grown adult man kissing a minor because he's a talented bard with deep feelings. Thank goodness it was nothing more than that, but genuinely, I have to ask why this felt necessary? Please, to anyone wanting to write stories, either make your characters adults or stop putting them in these positions.
Beyond that, I actually really quite enjoyed this story. I'm very invested in many of the characters and the plot is really pulling me in. It's just the kind of adventure story that I can easily fall in love with due to its lyrical writing, it's comprehensive worldbuilding and the quest for light to conquer dark.
CW: slavery, violence, mention of rape, death,
alesdaer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Very much in the spirit of Tolkien with extensive world-building and poetic descriptions. I felt that the author borrowed a little too heavily from LOTR at times, but I still very much enjoyed it.
graveyardbook's review against another edition
1.0
Where to begin the slow part or the slow part? Because that's all I came across in The Gift.
The events are so predictable and silly. Plus, the world is full of nothing-but-good people and nothing-but-bad people.
I think The Gift rightfully deserves a single star, perhaps not even that considering the amount of travelling and 6-page-long descriptions of flora and fauna that you would never expect a slave cooped up in a castle to know about.
The events are so predictable and silly. Plus, the world is full of nothing-but-good people and nothing-but-bad people.
I think The Gift rightfully deserves a single star, perhaps not even that considering the amount of travelling and 6-page-long descriptions of flora and fauna that you would never expect a slave cooped up in a castle to know about.
smyth21's review against another edition
5.0
One of my all time favourite franchises! I stumbled across this in my local library years ago and thought it sounded good, I read it in a week, ordered the rest and it’s by far one of the best fantasy series’ out there. I would recommend this to anyone who is or isn’t a fantasy lover as a must read.
magicalmysmalin's review against another edition
4.0
The pacing was occasionally a little slow for me personally, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this.
neglet's review against another edition
Although this has some lovely writing and very detailed world building, I’ve read so many other high fantasies that use the same tropes (dark vs light, corrupt magicians, orphaned chosen one, hidden powers that burst forth under pressure) that I won’t be seeking out the sequels.