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Title: Medalon: Book One of the Hythrun Chronicles by Jennifer Fallon ISBN: 0-7653-0986-6 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Nice world-building and well written
Comment: R'shiel, trainee in the Sisterhood of the Blade, hates her ambitious mother--but even she doesn't suspect that her mother will overthrow the legal leader and take on that role herself. when R'shiel and her brother, Tarja are forced to flee, they have to question all that they've been taught--and all that the sisterhood has stood for. Because the sisterhood exists to stomp out beliefs in the demons and gods of the world--and R'shiel just may be the long-expected child of demons--a part of the race of beings that stands between the gods and humans.
The officially atheistic nation of Medalon is surrounded by potential enemies. To the North, the Karien follow the 'overlord.' The overlord hates the atheists of Medalon, but he hates the demons of Hythria worse and has made peace with Medalon for centuries based on the promise to keep paganism under control. But peasant beliefs are hard to contain and Karien just may invade at any time--especially if they learn that the demon child is in Medalon--and has been bred by the gods specifically to kill their god. To the south, the Hythria worship the gods and demons that Medalon threw out--and that many of the poor and farmers still follow. When civil war threatens Medalon, the nation becomes a tinderbox.
Author Jennifer Fallon designs an intriguing world where gods are real and play a surprisingly personal role. The half-Harshini Brak is a surprisingly complex and interesting secondary character--one who deserves more book than he gets in MEDALON. Expect to see more of him in the sequels. I found Tarja a bit too heroic, Joyhinia too evil, and R'shiel too caught up in petty anger with her mother to make them fully sympathetic, as well as a bit lacking in story goal, but Fallon's strong world-building and strong prose style kept me glued to the pages.
Rating: 5
Summary: Brilliant Fantasy
Comment: I'd heard great things about this author from an Australian friend and was not disappointed. The characters in Medalon are fresh and original, the world beautifully detailed, the plot is unpredictable, the politics and religious issues thought-provoking and intelligent. I couldn't put it down. It is written with a sense of humor rare in fantasy and obviously doesn't take itself too seriously. I'll be hanging out for every book this author releases and can't wait for the next volume!
Rating: 3
Summary: Just wasn't as good as I had hoped
Comment: First of all, a great thing about this novel (and likely this series)is that the author avoids some of the typical pitfalls of the genre by not letting plot points stay overly predictable. Instead of black and white issues, there are refreshing greys, which I think many of us have become especially thirsty for with GRRM's great series.
However, the author's writing style *barely* kept me interested, in part because the plot would lurch from major milestones a bit too quickly and superficially. This was one of those books that I skimmed the last quarter because I wanted to see if there was a payoff, but knew I wouldn't miss much by skipping details. Also, I found the "mystery" of the elvish-type race that has disappeared really uninvolving, which does not bode well for future books in this series where they are likely to play a larger part.
Although I had fairly high expectations for this novel coming in, I am sad to say I will not take the time to read the sequels -- its just not good enough when there are so many other books that at least hint at more promise.
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Title: The Lion of Senet (The Second Sons Trilogy, Book 1) by Jennifer Fallon ISBN: 0553586688 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Eye of the Labyrinth by Jennifer Fallon ISBN: 0553586696 Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Lord of the Shadows by Jennifer Fallon ISBN: 055358670X Publisher: Spectra Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold ISBN: 0765302608 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: Alta by Mercedes Lackey ISBN: 0756402166 Publisher: Daw Books Pub. Date: 02 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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