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Griffin Mage #1-3
The Griffin Mage Trilogy
The Griffin Mage trilogy, now complete in one volume, tells the story of the war between men and griffins -- and the young girl, torn between two worlds, who will decide the fate of all.
Little ever happens in the quiet villages of peaceful Feierabiand. The course of Kes' life seems she'll grow up to be an herb-woman and healer for the village of Minas Ford, never quite fitting in but always more or less accepted. And she's content with that path -- or she thinks she is.
Until the day the griffins come down from the mountains, bringing with them the fiery wind of their desert and a desperate need for a healer. But what the griffins need is a healer who is not quite human. . . or a healer who can be made into something not quite human.
This omnibus edition contains the complete Griffin Mage Lord of the Changing Wind, Land of the Burning Sands and Law of the Broken Earth.
Little ever happens in the quiet villages of peaceful Feierabiand. The course of Kes' life seems she'll grow up to be an herb-woman and healer for the village of Minas Ford, never quite fitting in but always more or less accepted. And she's content with that path -- or she thinks she is.
Until the day the griffins come down from the mountains, bringing with them the fiery wind of their desert and a desperate need for a healer. But what the griffins need is a healer who is not quite human. . . or a healer who can be made into something not quite human.
This omnibus edition contains the complete Griffin Mage Lord of the Changing Wind, Land of the Burning Sands and Law of the Broken Earth.
1013 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
74 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Neumeier
56 books576 followersRachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.
She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.
She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 27, 2012
I wanted to buy the first novel separately, but Barnes & Noble only had the last two in stock, or the omnibus. So I went out on a limb and bought three books when I wasn't even sure I was going to like the first one.
I'm on the second book right now and OMG, it's so much better than the first, i.e. THERE IS ACTUAL DIALOGUE/I have some idea what's going on. There is a plot, I can pronounce names, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I kept going through the first one. I'm not as patient a book-finisher as I once was, so it kind of means something. The griffins seem cool, and the descriptions are kind of pretty.
The desert, however, made me roll my eyes SO HARD. I have lived in a desert. They are not all that, especially when your body is 70+ per cent water. For Kes, I guess that isn't an issue.
Anyway, so far my complaints about the 1st book are essentially:
1)Can't pronounce any of the names, and I study language. I'm not exactly sure which languages they're supposed to be based from. Japanese? French? Greek? German? SO MANY VOWELS. If I can't figure it out by the third time it's mentioned, I stop caring.
2) There are no character relationships. Like, yeah, there are preexisting filial bonds between Kes & her sister, Bertaud & the king. But outside of that? Kes & Opailikiita? Arbitrary. Kes & Jos? Barren. Like, I get it, Kes has no emotions now, whatever, but apparently Jos doesn't either? Bertaud is not even a real person (round character), in his slavish devotion to the king. I get it, he raised you. You contemplate his sternness and flaws but that just makes you love him more EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE JEALOUS OF HIS WIFE?
3)Meandering plot.
To be continued when I finish the next one.
Ok, finished all three. The next two books are so very differently written than the first. Being all up in Kes' headspace is very disconcerting when you flip to the second book and all a sudden you're following a completely different kind of character. Gereint is older, from a different country, and a slave. But he's a lot easier to get to know, and a lot more likeable than Kes.
The third book is also easier to slip into for the same reason. They're both good, solid reads.
My only complaints (of course I have some) are that the relation ships between Bertaud and... anyone? Tehre? are so lightly dealt with that the reader can only rely on conjecture about what he really felt. Mienthe mentions he seems disappointed, and based on the way Neumeier writes by this point you assume it's his separation from the griffins that is his major disappointment, not that he'd loved and lost someone. I couldn't even tell you if Mienthe is in love with anyone by the end, because she sort of goes out of her way to say she isn't, but could be. GAHHH. Implications.
Normally readers complain about being told things point blank, but I think in this case I would have preferred that to being at sea about all of it.
I'm on the second book right now and OMG, it's so much better than the first, i.e. THERE IS ACTUAL DIALOGUE/I have some idea what's going on. There is a plot, I can pronounce names, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I kept going through the first one. I'm not as patient a book-finisher as I once was, so it kind of means something. The griffins seem cool, and the descriptions are kind of pretty.
The desert, however, made me roll my eyes SO HARD. I have lived in a desert. They are not all that, especially when your body is 70+ per cent water. For Kes, I guess that isn't an issue.
Anyway, so far my complaints about the 1st book are essentially:
1)Can't pronounce any of the names, and I study language. I'm not exactly sure which languages they're supposed to be based from. Japanese? French? Greek? German? SO MANY VOWELS. If I can't figure it out by the third time it's mentioned, I stop caring.
2) There are no character relationships. Like, yeah, there are preexisting filial bonds between Kes & her sister, Bertaud & the king. But outside of that? Kes & Opailikiita? Arbitrary. Kes & Jos? Barren. Like, I get it, Kes has no emotions now, whatever, but apparently Jos doesn't either? Bertaud is not even a real person (round character), in his slavish devotion to the king. I get it, he raised you. You contemplate his sternness and flaws but that just makes you love him more EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE JEALOUS OF HIS WIFE?
3)Meandering plot.
To be continued when I finish the next one.
Ok, finished all three. The next two books are so very differently written than the first. Being all up in Kes' headspace is very disconcerting when you flip to the second book and all a sudden you're following a completely different kind of character. Gereint is older, from a different country, and a slave. But he's a lot easier to get to know, and a lot more likeable than Kes.
The third book is also easier to slip into for the same reason. They're both good, solid reads.
My only complaints (of course I have some) are that the relation ships between Bertaud and... anyone? Tehre? are so lightly dealt with that the reader can only rely on conjecture about what he really felt. Mienthe mentions he seems disappointed, and based on the way Neumeier writes by this point you assume it's his separation from the griffins that is his major disappointment, not that he'd loved and lost someone. I couldn't even tell you if Mienthe is in love with anyone by the end, because she sort of goes out of her way to say she isn't, but could be. GAHHH. Implications.
Normally readers complain about being told things point blank, but I think in this case I would have preferred that to being at sea about all of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2017
I'm putting my review in this edition, because this was the format I read it in, and because although each book focusses on different characters, there is one continuous narrative arc that runs through all three books.
First I want to say that I really enjoy Rachel Neumeier's work, and appreciate the fact that these are in the tradition of classic fantasy, without pandering to any of the current YA tropes or fads. In fact, it could be argued that these are not YA at all, which is fine by me. Nor do they suffer from the current fads in adult fantasy, such as a "need" for extreme violence or sexual abuse. These are in the tradition of Patricia McKillip and Robin McKinley at her best. I love the characters and I love that they are allowed to be mature, thoughtful, and sensible people. These are books that I enjoy being immersed in and regret finishing.
That said, I'm aware that the first of these was Neumeier's first published novel. I don't know how soon the others were published afterwards, if in fact all three were her first three novels. I think that the pacing and to some extent the plotting suffer a bit from some inexperience. There's a lot of travelling back and forth - interesting landscapes and some development of relationship between the characters, but not really advancing the plot in any important way. It feels very convenient that in each book the very featured characters turn out to be the "one" who will somehow save the world, almost by accident. This worked best in the arc connected to Kes, one of the main characters in the first novel, but seemed almost coincidental in the second and third.
I liked something best about each of them - the first set up the world and the conflict really well. Kes is an interesting character, and the Griffin Mage himself is fascinating. I wish we'd seen even more of him throughout the three books. I loved Gereint and Tehre, and Gereint's story, with its issues of control and slavery, is very involving. I loved the relationship between Mienthe and Tan in the third book. I did feel that the books suffered a bit from over-ambition in terms of character development - too many characters to keep track of and a feeling of not enough time with each of them. But that is not a serious complaint. I guess this feels like epic fantasy squeezed into a format or scale that is almost too small for itself.
I've had this book on my shelf for some time and had in the meantime read several of Neumeier's other books. When I spotted it, I thought "Oh, my, I bet this will be good" and it was. Neumeier has now been added to my list of "reliable" authors. I have so far enjoyed everything of hers I've read, and I look forward to reading more.
First I want to say that I really enjoy Rachel Neumeier's work, and appreciate the fact that these are in the tradition of classic fantasy, without pandering to any of the current YA tropes or fads. In fact, it could be argued that these are not YA at all, which is fine by me. Nor do they suffer from the current fads in adult fantasy, such as a "need" for extreme violence or sexual abuse. These are in the tradition of Patricia McKillip and Robin McKinley at her best. I love the characters and I love that they are allowed to be mature, thoughtful, and sensible people. These are books that I enjoy being immersed in and regret finishing.
That said, I'm aware that the first of these was Neumeier's first published novel. I don't know how soon the others were published afterwards, if in fact all three were her first three novels. I think that the pacing and to some extent the plotting suffer a bit from some inexperience. There's a lot of travelling back and forth - interesting landscapes and some development of relationship between the characters, but not really advancing the plot in any important way. It feels very convenient that in each book the very featured characters turn out to be the "one" who will somehow save the world, almost by accident. This worked best in the arc connected to Kes, one of the main characters in the first novel, but seemed almost coincidental in the second and third.
I liked something best about each of them - the first set up the world and the conflict really well. Kes is an interesting character, and the Griffin Mage himself is fascinating. I wish we'd seen even more of him throughout the three books. I loved Gereint and Tehre, and Gereint's story, with its issues of control and slavery, is very involving. I loved the relationship between Mienthe and Tan in the third book. I did feel that the books suffered a bit from over-ambition in terms of character development - too many characters to keep track of and a feeling of not enough time with each of them. But that is not a serious complaint. I guess this feels like epic fantasy squeezed into a format or scale that is almost too small for itself.
I've had this book on my shelf for some time and had in the meantime read several of Neumeier's other books. When I spotted it, I thought "Oh, my, I bet this will be good" and it was. Neumeier has now been added to my list of "reliable" authors. I have so far enjoyed everything of hers I've read, and I look forward to reading more.
November 23, 2011
Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers
Comprising three books, this series tells the story of three different kingdoms in the country of man - Feierabiand, Casmantium, and Linularium - and the struggle that unfolds when the careful balance between man and Wild Magic is broken. In Lord of the Changing Winds , Griffins, magic creatures of sand and fire, appear in the sleepy Feierabiand town of Minas Ford, seeking a gifted healer. Kes, a fifteen year old girl who believed her life would follow the same pattern as every other girl of Minas Ford before her, discovers her own latent powers and becomes a mage of fire. The act of the Griffins leaving their desert to the north and crossing into the country of man, however, terrifies and threatens the King of Feierabiand, who sends his troops and trusted friend and advisor Bertaud to investigate.
When the Arobern, King Brechen of the neighboring country of Casmantium, attempts to use the Griffins as an opportunity to take land from Feierabiand, his plan crumbles and the war is lost. The Griffins call up their burning wind and scorch the land, extending their impossible desert and laying waste to any other life in their path. In Land of the Burning Sands, Casmantian slave Gereint Enseichen uses the devastation as a chance to escape from the geas - the magical bond of servitude to his master that forces him to physically do everything as he is ordered. Gereint barely survives the desert, thanks to a chance encounter with Amnachudran, a theoretical healer magician. After earning each others' trust, Amnachudran finds a way to remove the brand that marks Gereint's face (identifying him as a geas bound slave to all that would claim him and use the magical bond for their own), and sends Gereint - a type of mage known as a "maker" - to aid his daughter, Tehre, in her applications of magic. Things become complicated when Gereint finds himself in the service of the Arobern's last Cold Mage, Beguchren Teshrichten, and Tehre takes her particular skill of making (and understanding of unmaking) to the north, following Bertraud of Feierabiand to help with the creation of a formidable wall...
In Law of the Broken Earth, we meet Mienthe, a young girl that has just inherited a great deal of land and power with the death of her father and the absence of any other heirs. Sent to live with her conniving Uncle, Mienthe's future looks bleak until her long lost cousin Bertraud returns and assumes his role as Lord of the Delta - and takes Mienthe as his ward. As the years pass and Mienthe grows into a young woman, Bertraud's old friend, the griffin mage Kairaithin sweeps back into his life bringing ill tidings; Tehre's wall is breaking, and the griffins will call up the winds to bury all the countries of man under the burning sands. The task of righting the balance between Wild Magic, between man and griffin, now falls into the hands of Mienthe - who must discover her own latent powers - and the unlikely spymaster Tan, who has discovered grave information from Linularium.
This trilogy is unexpected, to say the least. While there is an overarching story - that of the griffins and different kingdoms, struggling to find balance and avoid annihilation - each of the books in the trilogy follows different characters and could, conceivably, be read alone. The first entry, Lord of the Changing Winds is surprisingly the most griffin-centric novel in the series - it is in this book that we learn about these dangerous, powerful creatures and understand how different they are from the humans to the south. In contrast, the second and third books are more focused on politics and human characters, some more memorable than others. I absolutely loved the main characters in all three books, from the shockingly unsympathetic Kes in the first novel, to the moving stories of Gereint and Tehre, and finally Mienthe (oh how I LOVED Mienthe!) in the second and third books. Each novel does have the shared greater conflict of impending war, the loss of balance, and magic, and each book does push that overarching theme towards a resolution - and I truly loved the way things played out by the conclusion of the last book.
Beyond the characters, the most impressive thing about this series is the magical and political balance that Ms. Neumeier has created. I loved the balance of different mages, which include not only the power of fire and ice, but also earth, healing, making and unmaking, speech with animals, amongst other abilities. The balance of the different kingdoms and their opportunistic tendencies also plays out strongly in the series, and I love that we do get to see each different country from varied perspectives.
The only criticisms I have for the trilogy are twofold - first, if you don't know that the books are only loosely related and expect a more linear, straightforward trilogy that follows a core group of familiar characters, you'll probably be confused by the second and third novels (I know I was). To be fair, that's not so much a criticism as it is an unsolicited expectation - and when I did adjust to the different characters and focus, I found myself easily immersed in each separate book. The other actual criticism is to do with pacing - while the first book is evenly paced and moves along smoothly, the second and third books start strong but tend towards some protractedness by mid-novel. There's some mundane detail, a few ineffectual detours and interactions, but this is a minor nitpick in what is otherwise a fantastic trilogy.
Absolutely recommended, especially for those fans looking for a traditional style fantasy trilogy in which to immerse themselves (without the torture of waiting indeterminable lengths between books).
Overall Series Rating: 7 - Very Good
Comprising three books, this series tells the story of three different kingdoms in the country of man - Feierabiand, Casmantium, and Linularium - and the struggle that unfolds when the careful balance between man and Wild Magic is broken. In Lord of the Changing Winds , Griffins, magic creatures of sand and fire, appear in the sleepy Feierabiand town of Minas Ford, seeking a gifted healer. Kes, a fifteen year old girl who believed her life would follow the same pattern as every other girl of Minas Ford before her, discovers her own latent powers and becomes a mage of fire. The act of the Griffins leaving their desert to the north and crossing into the country of man, however, terrifies and threatens the King of Feierabiand, who sends his troops and trusted friend and advisor Bertaud to investigate.
When the Arobern, King Brechen of the neighboring country of Casmantium, attempts to use the Griffins as an opportunity to take land from Feierabiand, his plan crumbles and the war is lost. The Griffins call up their burning wind and scorch the land, extending their impossible desert and laying waste to any other life in their path. In Land of the Burning Sands, Casmantian slave Gereint Enseichen uses the devastation as a chance to escape from the geas - the magical bond of servitude to his master that forces him to physically do everything as he is ordered. Gereint barely survives the desert, thanks to a chance encounter with Amnachudran, a theoretical healer magician. After earning each others' trust, Amnachudran finds a way to remove the brand that marks Gereint's face (identifying him as a geas bound slave to all that would claim him and use the magical bond for their own), and sends Gereint - a type of mage known as a "maker" - to aid his daughter, Tehre, in her applications of magic. Things become complicated when Gereint finds himself in the service of the Arobern's last Cold Mage, Beguchren Teshrichten, and Tehre takes her particular skill of making (and understanding of unmaking) to the north, following Bertraud of Feierabiand to help with the creation of a formidable wall...
In Law of the Broken Earth, we meet Mienthe, a young girl that has just inherited a great deal of land and power with the death of her father and the absence of any other heirs. Sent to live with her conniving Uncle, Mienthe's future looks bleak until her long lost cousin Bertraud returns and assumes his role as Lord of the Delta - and takes Mienthe as his ward. As the years pass and Mienthe grows into a young woman, Bertraud's old friend, the griffin mage Kairaithin sweeps back into his life bringing ill tidings; Tehre's wall is breaking, and the griffins will call up the winds to bury all the countries of man under the burning sands. The task of righting the balance between Wild Magic, between man and griffin, now falls into the hands of Mienthe - who must discover her own latent powers - and the unlikely spymaster Tan, who has discovered grave information from Linularium.
This trilogy is unexpected, to say the least. While there is an overarching story - that of the griffins and different kingdoms, struggling to find balance and avoid annihilation - each of the books in the trilogy follows different characters and could, conceivably, be read alone. The first entry, Lord of the Changing Winds is surprisingly the most griffin-centric novel in the series - it is in this book that we learn about these dangerous, powerful creatures and understand how different they are from the humans to the south. In contrast, the second and third books are more focused on politics and human characters, some more memorable than others. I absolutely loved the main characters in all three books, from the shockingly unsympathetic Kes in the first novel, to the moving stories of Gereint and Tehre, and finally Mienthe (oh how I LOVED Mienthe!) in the second and third books. Each novel does have the shared greater conflict of impending war, the loss of balance, and magic, and each book does push that overarching theme towards a resolution - and I truly loved the way things played out by the conclusion of the last book.
Beyond the characters, the most impressive thing about this series is the magical and political balance that Ms. Neumeier has created. I loved the balance of different mages, which include not only the power of fire and ice, but also earth, healing, making and unmaking, speech with animals, amongst other abilities. The balance of the different kingdoms and their opportunistic tendencies also plays out strongly in the series, and I love that we do get to see each different country from varied perspectives.
The only criticisms I have for the trilogy are twofold - first, if you don't know that the books are only loosely related and expect a more linear, straightforward trilogy that follows a core group of familiar characters, you'll probably be confused by the second and third novels (I know I was). To be fair, that's not so much a criticism as it is an unsolicited expectation - and when I did adjust to the different characters and focus, I found myself easily immersed in each separate book. The other actual criticism is to do with pacing - while the first book is evenly paced and moves along smoothly, the second and third books start strong but tend towards some protractedness by mid-novel. There's some mundane detail, a few ineffectual detours and interactions, but this is a minor nitpick in what is otherwise a fantastic trilogy.
Absolutely recommended, especially for those fans looking for a traditional style fantasy trilogy in which to immerse themselves (without the torture of waiting indeterminable lengths between books).
Overall Series Rating: 7 - Very Good
August 7, 2018
Review to come :)
September 5, 2013
This book held promise. However, only a third of the way through, the descriptions began to feel repetitive (eyes of fire, shadows with fiery eyes, griffin mages that don't seem quite human--okay, we get it). The characterization fell flat, too, with little development; though Kes, a main character, experienced drastic changes--wrenched from her family, instilled with power, and responsible for mediation between griffins and men--her dialogue remained as stilted as it was before these changes occurred. Even worse, characters lacked depth, and we saw very little of what was going on in their heads. As a result, there was little reason to care about what was happening in the story.
August 12, 2013
Beautifully written. Completely unique and original Heros and heroines. Book 2 is my favorite. This isn't for someone who likes cookie cutter fantasy novels. This has way more art to its style. U do not have to be a fantasy book "type" to appreciate these. And the last page ending of each novel is so conclusive and finished- I just loved it. Recommend to anyone. Boy or girl. Young or old. No language, or anything u might be embarrassed to read aloud to your own mother. ;) probably my favorite series I have read this year!
October 22, 2014
These books are like air: sharp and intelligent. The dangers are more complicated than "good vs evil"; the solutions rely on brain and heart instead of brawn. Language, world and characters are intricate and intelligent. This author is delight for the intellectual fantasy afficianado. The series provides a darker side to griffens than I've seen from other fantasy writers, an it is a very refreshing perspective!!! I loved Rachel's writing style and the uniqueness of the world she's created in this series. This trilogy is essential reading for anyone that enjoys fantasy!
May 21, 2013
I read all three books together. Overall, a well done series with believable, like able, yet imperfect characters that I became very fond of. Each book builds on the previous one but features a different pair of central characters. Continuing characters give a sense of continuity. The griffins are especially well done. It isn't easy to create intelligent non-human characters that are not just people in a different form.
February 25, 2016
It reads like an epic fantasy novel. All flowery prose and vast descriptions that inevitably lull me to sleep. And that is The Griffin Mage Trilogy's greatest strength. Neumeier's writing itself is mildly engaging and entertaining. But the sad truth is, I think that's the only reason I kept reading.
Lord of the Changing Winds
Behold the first book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy, in which we meet Kes, the main character. Kes is a shy, introverted fifteen year old with social anxiety problems that often leaves her totally mute . . . except, you know, when griffins are being too pompous to telepath the lowly humans and Kes volunteers to play translator . . . or something. Follow her as she is subsequently kidnapped and then discovers fire healing (like seriously out of the blue) and then . . . gets kidnapped and does more healing. Rinse. Repeat. Seriously, does this girl do anything else? I dare say the only redeeming thing about Kes is her name. It's pronounceable.
Okay, never mind. Meet the real main character, Bertaud (which is a horrible, horrible name that always leads me to envisioning purple beets for some reason), adviser to the Firebrand king (actually its Feierabiand king, but don't ask me to puzzle that one out) and kinda ruler of the Delta region, but you know, daddy issues, so he just ignores that part of the world in favor of hero worshiping his king. Bertaud is charged with finding a diplomatic solution to the griffin invasion and seems to be the only character in the book with any depth. Except maybe Tesme, Kes's sister, who only appears in the first and last chapters. Sad really.
Lord of the Changing Winds had a lot of problems with it. Most of its characters were either flat or stereotyped or flatly stereotyped. Neumeier has this thing against emotions apparently. Everyone, griffin and human alike, were ridiculously prim and proper. I don't think anyone even threw a believable tantrum in the entire book. Even the Casmantium solders were all like: "How do you do, miss?" "Let me draw up your bathwater, miss." "Shush you! No bawdy jokes around the young miss!"
And before I go any further, can I talk about the names? Where the heck am I supposed to put Anasakuse Sipiike Kairaithin in my head??? And why must such a ridiculously long name be shoved into my face again and again and again and again and again. Yes. Names are important to griffins. But for goodness sakes, can't Kes give them nicknames? I certainly had to. Had a whole list in fact: Kai, Opal, Eclair, Estel, Eskimo, Antioch, Big I, Firebrand, Lindland . . . I mean really!
But the hardest thing to overcome in this book was the Mary Sues *cough*griffins*cough*. When I saw "griffins" in the title, I thought: Griffins! What could possibly go wrong? Apparently everything. Allow me to introduce you to the most perfect race that ever existed -- Tolkien's elves got nothing on these bird-like leos. Neumeier goes to great lengths to expound upon the majesty of these incredible creatures. Which is to say, every time a griffin stepped into the scene, cue descriptive paragraph on plumage and wingspan and glossy fur and smoldering eyes, even if we had previously met aforementioned griffin before! Every single time! I got into the habit of skipping those paragraphs after the first introduction of the griffin king. But to put this in perspective, Kes (the supposed main character) didn't get a descriptive paragraph until about 100 pages into the book, by which point I had already decided she was a brunette with a tan complexion and roughly 16-17 years old -- not a blonde, waif-like 15 year old that looks 12.
Now, an author being enamored with her own fictional race isn't cause to cry: Mary Sue! But stay with me. Aside from being gorgeous and majestic, griffins are this all-powerful race (that doesn't teach fire healing to its fire mages for "reasons," hence the inclusion of Kes) that was cruelly attacked and driven from their homeland after centuries of peace. So they invade another country, kidnap a young girl, terraform verdant pastures into magic desert complete with spiring red rock structures, slaughter soldiers that come to parley, invade the palace, withhold vital information because of pride . . . I mean, really, need I go on? The griffins can terraform their own desert! They speak via telepathy, can shapeshift, fly, freakin' teleport, bleed garnets and rubies, cast boundary spells and all sorts of other magic. They are also immune to consequences. Kidnap Kes? No problem, she'll just go along with it. Invade a country? Don't even bother sending a parley to the king because, hey! We are awesome and can kick their collective butts without bending a single feather out of place! And good manners? Yeah, those are for lowly humans. We'll just snub folks right and left. But don't worry! For some inexplicable reason, people still fall in love with us (except those nasty earth mages for, again, "reasons!")
Let's face it. The best part of the book was when Bertaud discovered his .
Surprisingly, I kept reading. I even enjoyed myself. Mostly I was laughing at the Mary Sue-ness of the griffins, but there were times that I appreciated Neumeier's writing or times that I was cheering Bertaud on. So with that in mind, I'll give this first book of the series a 3 star rating.
Land of the Burning Sands
“Shh. Don’t frighten [the brigands] away.”
I honestly expected to write another scathing review once I got around to finishing the second book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy. So no one is more surprised than I am as I sit down today to do otherwise. Land of the Burning Sands showed me exactly what Neumeier is capable of, and it is something extraordinary.
Unlike most sequels that deal with the same characters from previous books, this story follows the lives of new people in a new land that is currently suffering from the effects of the previous book’s climax — which was probably the only redeemable course Neumeier had left before her. But I digress. Meet Gereint, the main character, a forty-something geas bound slave left behind to die in the encroaching desert . . . or something like that. I don’t think the situation was ever fully explained, but whatever. Follow Gereint as he strives to escape the geas, yet falls again and again into the hands of unwitting masters, some kind and some not.
And then he meets Tehre, our secondary main character, who is just a freakin’ ball of awesomeness that seriously needed more screen time. A lot more screen time. Not that I had anything against Gereint’s stoic and ruthlessly calculating presence, but it’s Tehre. She could have, and should have, resolved the final conflict on her own — again, no offense meant to Gereint — without having her part mitigated by others’ “help.” Like seriously, she didn’t need it.
Land of the Burning Sands fixed a lot of problems I had with its predecessor. The various characters had depth and emotion and panic attacks and whiny tantrums — even the characters from the previous book that started visiting halfway through the story. Heck, I thought Kes sounded utterly amazing in her brief cameo and I had previously hated the girl! Also, Neumeier eased up on the unpronounceable names, although not as much as I would have liked. But I at least had a shot at figuring out 50% of them (the towns killed me though, and it amused me greatly to rename one of Gereint’s cousins Gesundheit).
It wasn’t, however, perfect. Oh I loved the first 60% of the book, right up until Gereint started traveling, and then things started to drag. I think Neumeier was trying to build up a relationship between Gereint and another character that frankly had no business trying to be built, and in the end all I got left with was excessive descriptions of the passing scenery and Gereint sounding like a broken record — both aloud and in his own head for several chapters. *rolls eyes* On top of all that, I felt the inclusion of the griffins into the story proper (instead of as a background element) ripped the previous focus of Gereint's trials and tribulations — which was a very human story that tugged at all the right heartstrings — to that of his approaching messiah-hood. Which was ridiculous. And unnecessary. And Tehre could have taken care of the whole thing anyway, so what was the point? For that matter, most of the climax was utter rubbish. The strategist inside me was cringing horribly. Battle tactics? Not Neumeier’s strong suit. Frankly, the whole lot of them should have been slaughtered where they stood.
Disappointing climax aside, this is a book I feel comfortable recommending. It had heart, it had hope, and it wasn’t afraid to explore the nastier elements of the human experience without going too far into grit and gore territory. The griffins were still utter pompous fools immune to consequences, but as they didn’t really show up until the last bit, I can try to overlook it. All-in-all, I am actually looking forward to starting the final book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy, although I will dearly miss Gereint and Tehre. 4 stars.
Law of the Broken Earth
So that’s why it’s called The Griffin Mage Trilogy. Everything begins and ends with Kai. Huh. Okay, I can dig that.
Law of the Broken Earth takes place six years after the events of Land of the Burning Sands with the introduction of yet another cast of main characters. Sort of. *scratches head* Well, technically anyway. First off, there’s good old Bertaud, who has decided that griffins are too much of a hassle and finally moves to the Delta region to take up his lordship responsibilities — that he hasn’t yet been usurped for negligence of duties is astonishing — and subsequently rescues a young cousin from the life of an impending child marriage to yet another cousin. Yeah, shudder worthy that. Which leads us to the introduction of Main Character #2: Mienthe (and no, I haven’t the foggiest notion as to how to pronounce that . . . at least, not without the poor girl’s name coming out like “methane”).
I found Mienthe to be a disappointment after the awesomeness that was Gereint and Tehre in the previous book. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t a flat character . . . just awfully naive and trusting. I repeatedly skipped her inner monologues. However, Mienthe’s magic was by far the best thing in the book — in all three books, in my opinion!
Then there’s Main Character #3: Tan. I liked Tan. I liked Tan a lot. And I sorely wished there was more Tan. Tan is a spy for Firebrand (. . . don’t ask me to remember what the actual countries are called) who escaped from Lindland with documents pertaining to other Firebrand informants, Lindland informants in Firebrand, possible bribery and blackmail opportunities, and so forth and so on. But he steals something he didn’t mean to and has no memory of doing so nor any idea as to what it might be. And boy does it get fun after that!
And we can’t forget Main Character #4 and #5 (yeah, it’s a little long winded): Jos and Burger-chan (don’t shoot me! It’s just the name reminded me of “burgermeister,” but there’s a “chen” at the end and I’ve already lent my book to someone else so I don’t have it with me to look up the proper, unpronounceable name! . . . suppose I could Google it. Eh.). So I actually liked finding out what happened to Jos, but I think I would have been happier staying in Bertaud’s head instead of jumping around, because Jos is a bit like a kicked puppy. Sweet, but sad. As for Burger-chan . . . *sighs* I never liked him. Nothing personal, I just don’t like him. However, because he was around, we also got to check in with Gereint and Tehre which was nice.
Law of the Broken Earth was, you guessed it, too character heavy. As much as I liked seeing old characters and finding out what they’ve been up to, I also felt cheated out of getting to know the new ones. Indeed, it seemed to me that the story started halfway through and I had missed all of Tan’s adventures in Lindland and Mienthe’s grooming to be eventual Lady of the Delta and was expected to cheer for characters that were being pushed out of the spotlight by other more developed characters from previous books.
Travel time was also nonexistent, barring a single chapter for Mienthe and Tan, which threw me off and gave the impression that events were happening much quicker than they actually were. Didn’t help that half the characters were teleporting all over the place, but even when they weren’t it still felt like they were. Names remained unpronounceable, and I laughed maniacally at the possibility of the griffins’ comeuppance ().
But with all that said, Law of the Broken Earth had an amazing climax. Even if I didn’t fully understand why the climax solved everything or why Lindland instigated the problem in the first place or what it even resolved, the build up and execution was exciting and beautiful. It is, without question, my favorite scene of all three books (). I give Law of the Broken Earth a 3.5 star rating.
So with that, I step away from The Griffin Mage Trilogy. It was a fun ride, and I’ve already recommended and lent my book out as I write this. It will never be a favorite, but a fond memory on a shelf? Yes, it will be that.
Lord of the Changing Winds
Behold the first book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy, in which we meet Kes, the main character. Kes is a shy, introverted fifteen year old with social anxiety problems that often leaves her totally mute . . . except, you know, when griffins are being too pompous to telepath the lowly humans and Kes volunteers to play translator . . . or something. Follow her as she is subsequently kidnapped and then discovers fire healing (like seriously out of the blue) and then . . . gets kidnapped and does more healing. Rinse. Repeat. Seriously, does this girl do anything else? I dare say the only redeeming thing about Kes is her name. It's pronounceable.
Okay, never mind. Meet the real main character, Bertaud (which is a horrible, horrible name that always leads me to envisioning purple beets for some reason), adviser to the Firebrand king (actually its Feierabiand king, but don't ask me to puzzle that one out) and kinda ruler of the Delta region, but you know, daddy issues, so he just ignores that part of the world in favor of hero worshiping his king. Bertaud is charged with finding a diplomatic solution to the griffin invasion and seems to be the only character in the book with any depth. Except maybe Tesme, Kes's sister, who only appears in the first and last chapters. Sad really.
Lord of the Changing Winds had a lot of problems with it. Most of its characters were either flat or stereotyped or flatly stereotyped. Neumeier has this thing against emotions apparently. Everyone, griffin and human alike, were ridiculously prim and proper. I don't think anyone even threw a believable tantrum in the entire book. Even the Casmantium solders were all like: "How do you do, miss?" "Let me draw up your bathwater, miss." "Shush you! No bawdy jokes around the young miss!"
And before I go any further, can I talk about the names? Where the heck am I supposed to put Anasakuse Sipiike Kairaithin in my head??? And why must such a ridiculously long name be shoved into my face again and again and again and again and again. Yes. Names are important to griffins. But for goodness sakes, can't Kes give them nicknames? I certainly had to. Had a whole list in fact: Kai, Opal, Eclair, Estel, Eskimo, Antioch, Big I, Firebrand, Lindland . . . I mean really!
But the hardest thing to overcome in this book was the Mary Sues *cough*griffins*cough*. When I saw "griffins" in the title, I thought: Griffins! What could possibly go wrong? Apparently everything. Allow me to introduce you to the most perfect race that ever existed -- Tolkien's elves got nothing on these bird-like leos. Neumeier goes to great lengths to expound upon the majesty of these incredible creatures. Which is to say, every time a griffin stepped into the scene, cue descriptive paragraph on plumage and wingspan and glossy fur and smoldering eyes, even if we had previously met aforementioned griffin before! Every single time! I got into the habit of skipping those paragraphs after the first introduction of the griffin king. But to put this in perspective, Kes (the supposed main character) didn't get a descriptive paragraph until about 100 pages into the book, by which point I had already decided she was a brunette with a tan complexion and roughly 16-17 years old -- not a blonde, waif-like 15 year old that looks 12.
Now, an author being enamored with her own fictional race isn't cause to cry: Mary Sue! But stay with me. Aside from being gorgeous and majestic, griffins are this all-powerful race (that doesn't teach fire healing to its fire mages for "reasons," hence the inclusion of Kes) that was cruelly attacked and driven from their homeland after centuries of peace. So they invade another country, kidnap a young girl, terraform verdant pastures into magic desert complete with spiring red rock structures, slaughter soldiers that come to parley, invade the palace, withhold vital information because of pride . . . I mean, really, need I go on? The griffins can terraform their own desert! They speak via telepathy, can shapeshift, fly, freakin' teleport, bleed garnets and rubies, cast boundary spells and all sorts of other magic. They are also immune to consequences. Kidnap Kes? No problem, she'll just go along with it. Invade a country? Don't even bother sending a parley to the king because, hey! We are awesome and can kick their collective butts without bending a single feather out of place! And good manners? Yeah, those are for lowly humans. We'll just snub folks right and left. But don't worry! For some inexplicable reason, people still fall in love with us (except those nasty earth mages for, again, "reasons!")
Let's face it. The best part of the book was when Bertaud discovered his .
Surprisingly, I kept reading. I even enjoyed myself. Mostly I was laughing at the Mary Sue-ness of the griffins, but there were times that I appreciated Neumeier's writing or times that I was cheering Bertaud on. So with that in mind, I'll give this first book of the series a 3 star rating.
Land of the Burning Sands
“Shh. Don’t frighten [the brigands] away.”
I honestly expected to write another scathing review once I got around to finishing the second book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy. So no one is more surprised than I am as I sit down today to do otherwise. Land of the Burning Sands showed me exactly what Neumeier is capable of, and it is something extraordinary.
Unlike most sequels that deal with the same characters from previous books, this story follows the lives of new people in a new land that is currently suffering from the effects of the previous book’s climax — which was probably the only redeemable course Neumeier had left before her. But I digress. Meet Gereint, the main character, a forty-something geas bound slave left behind to die in the encroaching desert . . . or something like that. I don’t think the situation was ever fully explained, but whatever. Follow Gereint as he strives to escape the geas, yet falls again and again into the hands of unwitting masters, some kind and some not.
And then he meets Tehre, our secondary main character, who is just a freakin’ ball of awesomeness that seriously needed more screen time. A lot more screen time. Not that I had anything against Gereint’s stoic and ruthlessly calculating presence, but it’s Tehre. She could have, and should have, resolved the final conflict on her own — again, no offense meant to Gereint — without having her part mitigated by others’ “help.” Like seriously, she didn’t need it.
Land of the Burning Sands fixed a lot of problems I had with its predecessor. The various characters had depth and emotion and panic attacks and whiny tantrums — even the characters from the previous book that started visiting halfway through the story. Heck, I thought Kes sounded utterly amazing in her brief cameo and I had previously hated the girl! Also, Neumeier eased up on the unpronounceable names, although not as much as I would have liked. But I at least had a shot at figuring out 50% of them (the towns killed me though, and it amused me greatly to rename one of Gereint’s cousins Gesundheit).
It wasn’t, however, perfect. Oh I loved the first 60% of the book, right up until Gereint started traveling, and then things started to drag. I think Neumeier was trying to build up a relationship between Gereint and another character that frankly had no business trying to be built, and in the end all I got left with was excessive descriptions of the passing scenery and Gereint sounding like a broken record — both aloud and in his own head for several chapters. *rolls eyes* On top of all that, I felt the inclusion of the griffins into the story proper (instead of as a background element) ripped the previous focus of Gereint's trials and tribulations — which was a very human story that tugged at all the right heartstrings — to that of his approaching messiah-hood. Which was ridiculous. And unnecessary. And Tehre could have taken care of the whole thing anyway, so what was the point? For that matter, most of the climax was utter rubbish. The strategist inside me was cringing horribly. Battle tactics? Not Neumeier’s strong suit. Frankly, the whole lot of them should have been slaughtered where they stood.
Disappointing climax aside, this is a book I feel comfortable recommending. It had heart, it had hope, and it wasn’t afraid to explore the nastier elements of the human experience without going too far into grit and gore territory. The griffins were still utter pompous fools immune to consequences, but as they didn’t really show up until the last bit, I can try to overlook it. All-in-all, I am actually looking forward to starting the final book in The Griffin Mage Trilogy, although I will dearly miss Gereint and Tehre. 4 stars.
Law of the Broken Earth
So that’s why it’s called The Griffin Mage Trilogy. Everything begins and ends with Kai. Huh. Okay, I can dig that.
Law of the Broken Earth takes place six years after the events of Land of the Burning Sands with the introduction of yet another cast of main characters. Sort of. *scratches head* Well, technically anyway. First off, there’s good old Bertaud, who has decided that griffins are too much of a hassle and finally moves to the Delta region to take up his lordship responsibilities — that he hasn’t yet been usurped for negligence of duties is astonishing — and subsequently rescues a young cousin from the life of an impending child marriage to yet another cousin. Yeah, shudder worthy that. Which leads us to the introduction of Main Character #2: Mienthe (and no, I haven’t the foggiest notion as to how to pronounce that . . . at least, not without the poor girl’s name coming out like “methane”).
I found Mienthe to be a disappointment after the awesomeness that was Gereint and Tehre in the previous book. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t a flat character . . . just awfully naive and trusting. I repeatedly skipped her inner monologues. However, Mienthe’s magic was by far the best thing in the book — in all three books, in my opinion!
Then there’s Main Character #3: Tan. I liked Tan. I liked Tan a lot. And I sorely wished there was more Tan. Tan is a spy for Firebrand (. . . don’t ask me to remember what the actual countries are called) who escaped from Lindland with documents pertaining to other Firebrand informants, Lindland informants in Firebrand, possible bribery and blackmail opportunities, and so forth and so on. But he steals something he didn’t mean to and has no memory of doing so nor any idea as to what it might be. And boy does it get fun after that!
And we can’t forget Main Character #4 and #5 (yeah, it’s a little long winded): Jos and Burger-chan (don’t shoot me! It’s just the name reminded me of “burgermeister,” but there’s a “chen” at the end and I’ve already lent my book to someone else so I don’t have it with me to look up the proper, unpronounceable name! . . . suppose I could Google it. Eh.). So I actually liked finding out what happened to Jos, but I think I would have been happier staying in Bertaud’s head instead of jumping around, because Jos is a bit like a kicked puppy. Sweet, but sad. As for Burger-chan . . . *sighs* I never liked him. Nothing personal, I just don’t like him. However, because he was around, we also got to check in with Gereint and Tehre which was nice.
Law of the Broken Earth was, you guessed it, too character heavy. As much as I liked seeing old characters and finding out what they’ve been up to, I also felt cheated out of getting to know the new ones. Indeed, it seemed to me that the story started halfway through and I had missed all of Tan’s adventures in Lindland and Mienthe’s grooming to be eventual Lady of the Delta and was expected to cheer for characters that were being pushed out of the spotlight by other more developed characters from previous books.
Travel time was also nonexistent, barring a single chapter for Mienthe and Tan, which threw me off and gave the impression that events were happening much quicker than they actually were. Didn’t help that half the characters were teleporting all over the place, but even when they weren’t it still felt like they were. Names remained unpronounceable, and I laughed maniacally at the possibility of the griffins’ comeuppance ().
But with all that said, Law of the Broken Earth had an amazing climax. Even if I didn’t fully understand why the climax solved everything or why Lindland instigated the problem in the first place or what it even resolved, the build up and execution was exciting and beautiful. It is, without question, my favorite scene of all three books (). I give Law of the Broken Earth a 3.5 star rating.
So with that, I step away from The Griffin Mage Trilogy. It was a fun ride, and I’ve already recommended and lent my book out as I write this. It will never be a favorite, but a fond memory on a shelf? Yes, it will be that.
Read
December 26, 2020Overall, I found this series lyrical, intelligent, and compelling. The books take place one after another, and many characters repeat, but the main characters of each book are different. My favorite part of the series is even when you dislike a character, you get the sense that if the story were told from their perspective, your feelings would be reversed--and indeed, in other books in the omnibus, that is often the case.
Lord of the Changing Winds
I think the blurb does not do a very good job of introducing this book. Here's my version:
Kes, a farm girl living on the border of Feieraband, and Bertaud, Lord of the Delta, are about to meet in the most unexpected of circumstances. Griffins have invaded Feieraband, and the majestic creatures will bring forth powers in both of youths that they never dreamed of. But the griffins are a precursor to a much a greater danger to the people Kes and Bertaud love...Can they save their country without losing themselves?
Now, knowing the main characters are a youths of opposite genders, you might immediately think, "love story," but this is not. It is a an adventure novel of politics and magic, and it does raise questions about human nature, but not of that kind. It is written lyrically and beautifully, with a minimally , but intricately wrought, system of magic dependent on the elements. The characters are strong, interesting, and often surprised me. It reminded me a little of Tolkien, but more compellingly written. (I don't mean to criticize Tolkien there, I just mean his books are not as tense as most modern novels strive to be. These are, but Neumeier also has a lot of the stateliness of his writing and rich descriptions.) I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel and was eager to read the next.
Land of the Burning Sands
Gereint was enslaved through a geas to pay for his crime, but he has managed to free himself from that harsh burden. Tehre is a brillant philosopher and engineer, so distracted by the equations in her mind that she has trouble focusing on the mundane. When the griffins try to destroy Casmantium, they must push the limits of their abilities to save their country.
Kes is only seen from a distance in this novel (as are the griffins), but Bertaud ends up being Tehre's traveling companion for a good portion of the novel. People have commented this books could stand alone, but I have to stay that having read the first book and knowing Bertaud's character and background makes this book far richer. The academic Tehre was a really fun character for me, and having fair bit of background with material science from my family, I found myself interested and amused by her ramblings on the subject--but I could easily see people being bored by her bookish tone and the fact you often don't quite get what she is saying. I would say I enjoyed this better than the first book, but only if I suspended my disbelief regarding the love story between Gereint and Tehre--I could not quite believe that her family would happily accept a man who committed a double murder, no matter that is was a crime of passion or that it happened 19 years ago. Also, Tehre forces him to do something using his geas that I think was a REALLY big deal, that Gereint would have been really upset by, but it is pretty much waved off as justified. Also, while this book ends with the two characters essentially pledging eternity to each other, it is definitely not a love story either.
Law of the Broken Earth
This book broke the pattern of the first two books quite a bit and it bothered me. We have Mienthe's perspective throughout, Tan's in the first half, and Jos in the second half. It felt like poor planning. Everything from earlier books is resolved, and this is indeed the culmination of the series. However, again, it felt like it had not been planned properly to me. The first two books read like adventure novels and this one was high fantasy, save-the-world-and-all-that. Still, I did enjoy the writing and the characters. Once again, there are two love stories embedded in the overall plot that did not seem believable to me. I was not convinced that these characters were actually in love with each other--it's like Neumeier skips the part where they fall in love and just busts out full-blown devotion when the moment is right. I feel the book would be better without the love stories because the characters are strong and fun...and having them full in love so superficially does them injustice.
Even though I didn't enjoy the last book as much, the the first two are winners for me.
Lord of the Changing Winds
I think the blurb does not do a very good job of introducing this book. Here's my version:
Kes, a farm girl living on the border of Feieraband, and Bertaud, Lord of the Delta, are about to meet in the most unexpected of circumstances. Griffins have invaded Feieraband, and the majestic creatures will bring forth powers in both of youths that they never dreamed of. But the griffins are a precursor to a much a greater danger to the people Kes and Bertaud love...Can they save their country without losing themselves?
Now, knowing the main characters are a youths of opposite genders, you might immediately think, "love story," but this is not. It is a an adventure novel of politics and magic, and it does raise questions about human nature, but not of that kind. It is written lyrically and beautifully, with a minimally , but intricately wrought, system of magic dependent on the elements. The characters are strong, interesting, and often surprised me. It reminded me a little of Tolkien, but more compellingly written. (I don't mean to criticize Tolkien there, I just mean his books are not as tense as most modern novels strive to be. These are, but Neumeier also has a lot of the stateliness of his writing and rich descriptions.) I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel and was eager to read the next.
Land of the Burning Sands
Gereint was enslaved through a geas to pay for his crime, but he has managed to free himself from that harsh burden. Tehre is a brillant philosopher and engineer, so distracted by the equations in her mind that she has trouble focusing on the mundane. When the griffins try to destroy Casmantium, they must push the limits of their abilities to save their country.
Kes is only seen from a distance in this novel (as are the griffins), but Bertaud ends up being Tehre's traveling companion for a good portion of the novel. People have commented this books could stand alone, but I have to stay that having read the first book and knowing Bertaud's character and background makes this book far richer. The academic Tehre was a really fun character for me, and having fair bit of background with material science from my family, I found myself interested and amused by her ramblings on the subject--but I could easily see people being bored by her bookish tone and the fact you often don't quite get what she is saying. I would say I enjoyed this better than the first book, but only if I suspended my disbelief regarding the love story between Gereint and Tehre--I could not quite believe that her family would happily accept a man who committed a double murder, no matter that is was a crime of passion or that it happened 19 years ago. Also, Tehre forces him to do something using his geas that I think was a REALLY big deal, that Gereint would have been really upset by, but it is pretty much waved off as justified. Also, while this book ends with the two characters essentially pledging eternity to each other, it is definitely not a love story either.
Law of the Broken Earth
This book broke the pattern of the first two books quite a bit and it bothered me. We have Mienthe's perspective throughout, Tan's in the first half, and Jos in the second half. It felt like poor planning. Everything from earlier books is resolved, and this is indeed the culmination of the series. However, again, it felt like it had not been planned properly to me. The first two books read like adventure novels and this one was high fantasy, save-the-world-and-all-that. Still, I did enjoy the writing and the characters. Once again, there are two love stories embedded in the overall plot that did not seem believable to me. I was not convinced that these characters were actually in love with each other--it's like Neumeier skips the part where they fall in love and just busts out full-blown devotion when the moment is right. I feel the book would be better without the love stories because the characters are strong and fun...and having them full in love so superficially does them injustice.
Even though I didn't enjoy the last book as much, the the first two are winners for me.
December 19, 2021
Told in orotund epic-fantasy periods, with sentences that include not only semicolons, but colons, quite frequently at their centres (especially early on). Very serious, too, without much in the way of humour or lightheartedness - which is fine, but I note it because I enjoy some of that in a book. The griffins' names are multisyllabic, multivoweled, utterly unpronounceable and impossible to remember. All of this (plus the excessively repetitive making of the point that the griffins are not like humans, and the slow pace) put me off the first book when I attempted it in 2012, and I decided not to persevere with it based on the sample. I must have become more accepting of some of these elements in the nine years since, because this time I bought and finished the trilogy.
Despite the epic-fantasy-prose feel, the vocabulary is not especially high-flown and is used correctly, though it's sometimes repetitive, especially in the first book. The characters are reserved, and not given to angst or demonstrative feelings, and I think that leads some readers to have difficulty relating to them; it didn't bother me. There are female characters in both of the first two books who come across as neuro-atypical, who have difficulty understanding or caring about social conventions, though they're otherwise very different: an awkward rural 15-year-old and an absent-minded scholar in her (I think) 30s. The female lead in the third book is a little out of the ordinary too, but less markedly so. Unfortunately, the third book, while reintroducing the woman from book 1 as a significant character, makes almost no use of the woman from book 2; I felt this was a waste of potential.
There are a few dangling modifiers here and there, and the odd misplaced apostrophe for a plural possessive in the first book. In the second book, there are more errors, including apostrophes in a couple of words that are plural but not possessive, and that lost the whole trilogy the "well-edited" tag that I initially applied to it. The editing standard of the third book is the best of the three, with few if any issues.
In the second book, there are a couple of big convenient coincidences to help the plot along, which I consider a fault. Two people happen to be in a waiting room at the same time, and team up as a consequence. Someone needs a particular kind of assistant, and the perfect candidate just happens to present himself through an unlikely and unpredictable series of events. But the coincidences are "so the story can happen" coincidences rather than "rescue the plot from its own complications" coincidences, which is more forgivable, and the other two books don't have this reliance on coincidence.
Other reviewers have remarked on the worldbuilding and logistics, which aren't especially convincing or real-world-accurate sometimes, and the fact that the magic doesn't always make a lot of sense. I don't think it's intended to be the kind of magic that makes sense to a scientific way of thinking, though, so that part didn't bother me so much.
Overall, it's a little patchy, but at its best, I found it competently written, compelling, dramatic and enjoyable. I'll be looking out for other work from the author, who shows potential here, and has had some time and a few more books to build her abilities since these books were written.
Despite the epic-fantasy-prose feel, the vocabulary is not especially high-flown and is used correctly, though it's sometimes repetitive, especially in the first book. The characters are reserved, and not given to angst or demonstrative feelings, and I think that leads some readers to have difficulty relating to them; it didn't bother me. There are female characters in both of the first two books who come across as neuro-atypical, who have difficulty understanding or caring about social conventions, though they're otherwise very different: an awkward rural 15-year-old and an absent-minded scholar in her (I think) 30s. The female lead in the third book is a little out of the ordinary too, but less markedly so. Unfortunately, the third book, while reintroducing the woman from book 1 as a significant character, makes almost no use of the woman from book 2; I felt this was a waste of potential.
There are a few dangling modifiers here and there, and the odd misplaced apostrophe for a plural possessive in the first book. In the second book, there are more errors, including apostrophes in a couple of words that are plural but not possessive, and that lost the whole trilogy the "well-edited" tag that I initially applied to it. The editing standard of the third book is the best of the three, with few if any issues.
In the second book, there are a couple of big convenient coincidences to help the plot along, which I consider a fault. Two people happen to be in a waiting room at the same time, and team up as a consequence. Someone needs a particular kind of assistant, and the perfect candidate just happens to present himself through an unlikely and unpredictable series of events. But the coincidences are "so the story can happen" coincidences rather than "rescue the plot from its own complications" coincidences, which is more forgivable, and the other two books don't have this reliance on coincidence.
Other reviewers have remarked on the worldbuilding and logistics, which aren't especially convincing or real-world-accurate sometimes, and the fact that the magic doesn't always make a lot of sense. I don't think it's intended to be the kind of magic that makes sense to a scientific way of thinking, though, so that part didn't bother me so much.
Overall, it's a little patchy, but at its best, I found it competently written, compelling, dramatic and enjoyable. I'll be looking out for other work from the author, who shows potential here, and has had some time and a few more books to build her abilities since these books were written.
January 11, 2018
This is a magnificent trilogy - thoroughly absorbing and addictive. Although I started before Christmas I managed to tear myself away to pack and leave for the vacation. I then returned and read all three in as many days (I get like that!).
There is a clever development of characters and motivations throughout this work. I particularly enjoyed the development human fire-mage. It is unusual (for me at least) in that the character I presumed to be the lead character - based on the cover and the blurb - isn't followed throughout all three books, although her influence is clear in all (this is the fire-mage whose developing character is mainly depicted through the eyes of others).
Each of the three stories seems to focus on the three countries of the region with three different griffin problems to address, although the final of the three joins all three countries in the final stand as it were. A very clever uncovering of reasons for and resolving of the age long struggles between the griffins and the human countries.
I loved the descriptions of the griffins. I could just see them, and sensed their power from the incorporation of the metals, the light and the fire that form them. I would love to find more creations like this, or read more about them.
There is a clever development of characters and motivations throughout this work. I particularly enjoyed the development human fire-mage. It is unusual (for me at least) in that the character I presumed to be the lead character - based on the cover and the blurb - isn't followed throughout all three books, although her influence is clear in all (this is the fire-mage whose developing character is mainly depicted through the eyes of others).
Each of the three stories seems to focus on the three countries of the region with three different griffin problems to address, although the final of the three joins all three countries in the final stand as it were. A very clever uncovering of reasons for and resolving of the age long struggles between the griffins and the human countries.
I loved the descriptions of the griffins. I could just see them, and sensed their power from the incorporation of the metals, the light and the fire that form them. I would love to find more creations like this, or read more about them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2019
A thoroughly enjoyable trilogy with an interesting world, original magic system and memorable POV characters. I liked how each book was apparently self-contained, yet the story arch nicely extended across all three. And it was fun to read a book where the magical creatures of note were griffins.
Although I had enjoyed these books, looking back I'm surprised by how much memory of the trilogy is dominated by my dislike for Kes, the main character from book 1 - a human girl who becomes a fire mage. She changes from being being motivated by fairness and goodness to being capricious and selfish and then back again, but without any clear triggering events. (Don't tell me it's her fire nature - Kairaithin never goes through these personality flip-flops.) As this drives a good deal of the plot, it's down-right annoying.
Also, Neumeier always sets up a subtle romantic element. On the one hand it's nice that it doesn't dominate other relationships, but as I like character-driven novels, I wish she would lean into a bit more so that it either pushes the action or the character development forward.
Although I had enjoyed these books, looking back I'm surprised by how much memory of the trilogy is dominated by my dislike for Kes, the main character from book 1 - a human girl who becomes a fire mage. She changes from being being motivated by fairness and goodness to being capricious and selfish and then back again, but without any clear triggering events. (Don't tell me it's her fire nature - Kairaithin never goes through these personality flip-flops.) As this drives a good deal of the plot, it's down-right annoying.
Also, Neumeier always sets up a subtle romantic element. On the one hand it's nice that it doesn't dominate other relationships, but as I like character-driven novels, I wish she would lean into a bit more so that it either pushes the action or the character development forward.
September 18, 2020
I really wish I had enjoyed this book as I'm fantasy trash, but this series just didn't strike any chords with me other than having a neurodivergent protagonist, which was cool, but it's also the only positive thing I could draw from this.
I can't stand how heavy and dull thiis compendium is, often dumping tons of description on the reader that goes on and on only to repeat said information way too often. It also doesn't help that the books have decided to give the griffins overly long and complicated names that can't be deciphered by anyone but the author.
There's something interesting in here, but I can't find the value of digging through this book to find it. Now, from what I understand this includes the author's first attempt at writing a novel, which is admirable and clear. I hope to enjoy something she has written in the future, but this sadly missed the mark.
I can't stand how heavy and dull thiis compendium is, often dumping tons of description on the reader that goes on and on only to repeat said information way too often. It also doesn't help that the books have decided to give the griffins overly long and complicated names that can't be deciphered by anyone but the author.
There's something interesting in here, but I can't find the value of digging through this book to find it. Now, from what I understand this includes the author's first attempt at writing a novel, which is admirable and clear. I hope to enjoy something she has written in the future, but this sadly missed the mark.
March 19, 2018
First off, I am convinced that in the omnibus is the only way to read this trilogy without losing your mind. The first two, two-and-a-half books you don't even really see the overarching story of the trilogy; it just seems like books in the same world, with a couple of the same characters. It's not until the very end that everything comes together. In my opinion, that pays off, though. And I mean, the books on their own merits are fantastic. Although I'm still upset about the spelling. Griffin is a man's name. The mythological creatures are GRYPHONS. But that's just me.
December 24, 2018
Woven so masterly
I was lucky enough to read all three books at the same time in sequence. Otherwise I would have been frustrated waiting for the next book. I love the way that the author has woven all the characters together and answered all the questions by the end of the the end of the last book. With one exception all the bad guys turn out to be good guys and girls are admirable and so convincing and likeable. I'm sorry that the series has come to an end and I shall read anything else by this author I can find . Her writing is excellent
I was lucky enough to read all three books at the same time in sequence. Otherwise I would have been frustrated waiting for the next book. I love the way that the author has woven all the characters together and answered all the questions by the end of the the end of the last book. With one exception all the bad guys turn out to be good guys and girls are admirable and so convincing and likeable. I'm sorry that the series has come to an end and I shall read anything else by this author I can find . Her writing is excellent
September 9, 2020
Wonderful and powerfully written
She wrote this and I felt that we were kin. "This one is for my mother, from whom I absorbed a “feel” for grammar—so much easier than actually having to learn the rules!"
The story flows with such irresistible purpose. It is not mangled by misused words or childish grammar or confusing plot twists. There is mystery & passion & magic woven into a colorful world. Each story is fascinating - and yet so enjoyable you are in no hurry for the last page.
Don't read the end first. It is such a delight - and worth the wait.
She wrote this and I felt that we were kin. "This one is for my mother, from whom I absorbed a “feel” for grammar—so much easier than actually having to learn the rules!"
The story flows with such irresistible purpose. It is not mangled by misused words or childish grammar or confusing plot twists. There is mystery & passion & magic woven into a colorful world. Each story is fascinating - and yet so enjoyable you are in no hurry for the last page.
Don't read the end first. It is such a delight - and worth the wait.
abandoned
October 31, 2024Why I didn't finish this: This started off interesting enough, especially once she goes with the griffin mage, but I just realized I don't actually want to read this, which probably explains why I haven't picked it up in the 13 years I've owned this book. There's also something about the tone that kept throwing me for a loop and why keep banging my head against it? I still have other books by this author I'm interested in, so this was probably just a bad match.
June 21, 2023
Excellent Trilogy
Very enjoyable fantasy with likeable characters and a strong plot. The griffins are driven out of their home, and wherever they go the desert forms. Human mages hate them, as they struggle to keep the cooler lands safe. A I few people realise the world would be poorer without griffons, but necessity can mean cruel choices.
Very enjoyable fantasy with likeable characters and a strong plot. The griffins are driven out of their home, and wherever they go the desert forms. Human mages hate them, as they struggle to keep the cooler lands safe. A I few people realise the world would be poorer without griffons, but necessity can mean cruel choices.
April 15, 2024
Really wanted to like this but just couldn't quite get through it. The magic system, such as it is, makes no sense, with the magic seemingly being more dependent on geography than on anything else. It also seems like the story is a vehicle for the author to display her creativity in coming up with names rather than actual characters.
November 18, 2024
Dnf'ed
I don't think this is a bad book, it's just too fantasy heavy for me. I found it hard to get into from the start, and that was all because of the names and language. I'm still getting back into fantasy so maybe I'll try it once I'm a little more seasoned, but for now, I couldn't trudge through it.
I don't think this is a bad book, it's just too fantasy heavy for me. I found it hard to get into from the start, and that was all because of the names and language. I'm still getting back into fantasy so maybe I'll try it once I'm a little more seasoned, but for now, I couldn't trudge through it.
February 8, 2021
Kind of slow start to each book, but they all picked up. They also seemed to start basically new stories but again all tied together. I wish the magic system was stricter/stronger....I like magic with more exacting rules.
deals
April 28, 202027 April 2020: $1.99 on Kindle
December 28, 2020
The first book was great (4 stars) but the rest were subpar
November 11, 2023
This is a good book
I always appreciate getting the trilogy because the books complete each other. I thought for a while that Kis would wind up being a Villian .
I always appreciate getting the trilogy because the books complete each other. I thought for a while that Kis would wind up being a Villian .
February 25, 2017
Please don't judge me for taking a really long time to finish this, it's actually three books.
February 6, 2015
I have a pile of books waiting to be read that could reach my ceiling, but I decided since this came from a personal recommendation I could squeeze one more in. Indeed, I thoroughly enjoyed the tale of griffins made of fire, and earth mages that burn with chilly fingers. I loved how each book centered around a different character and felt pulled in more each time I moved on to the next chapter.
The trilogy is an ongoing tale and should be read as one entire book. Characters from the first book come back in the second and third. You may loathe a character in book one and then find come book two they are not as bad as you thought. The way Neumeier shows us all the sides of many of her characters was in my opinion masterful. The good, the bad, and the ugly come out. But in the end you love them all because just like normal people they have many layers.
The magic system was unique and original and I enjoyed seeing how she twisted it. I cried with Mienthe, worried over Gereint, and even struggled with my love/hate of Kes.
My only gripe is where is the map? Epic fantasy needs a map and my edition did not have one, which was disappointing. I like to trace the journey and know exactly to which country a character is traveling to. In addition, in the first couple books the romance is very subtle to a point it almost feels like an afterthought. There was not much steam before the fire, and fire is not really what happened either. Therefore, I could have used more feelings expressed between the characters.
Other than those two issues, I have nothing but praise for this story. I would enjoy reading more from this author in the future and hope to stumble on more of her work.
Reviewed on https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com
The trilogy is an ongoing tale and should be read as one entire book. Characters from the first book come back in the second and third. You may loathe a character in book one and then find come book two they are not as bad as you thought. The way Neumeier shows us all the sides of many of her characters was in my opinion masterful. The good, the bad, and the ugly come out. But in the end you love them all because just like normal people they have many layers.
The magic system was unique and original and I enjoyed seeing how she twisted it. I cried with Mienthe, worried over Gereint, and even struggled with my love/hate of Kes.
My only gripe is where is the map? Epic fantasy needs a map and my edition did not have one, which was disappointing. I like to trace the journey and know exactly to which country a character is traveling to. In addition, in the first couple books the romance is very subtle to a point it almost feels like an afterthought. There was not much steam before the fire, and fire is not really what happened either. Therefore, I could have used more feelings expressed between the characters.
Other than those two issues, I have nothing but praise for this story. I would enjoy reading more from this author in the future and hope to stumble on more of her work.
Reviewed on https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com
August 6, 2014
this trilogy cought me right in.
the first book talks about Kes, a shy girl hat will become a creature of fire, amazing story telling, you will fall in love with Kes and the Griffins.
the second book is centered on Gereint, a gifted maker that is also geas bound, left to die after the events in the first book. a little slow at the beginning but really worth reading it. he will free himself and find kindness again after years of being a slave.
the third takes us back to a character that was really in the wrong place in the wrong moment in the first book( or the right place and right moment :D ) poor Bertaud after the events of first and second book, he will find himself raising his little cousin Mienthe, a young lady that will be a very big foundamental part of this third book. courageous lady Mienthe and Bertaud + a whole lot of new and old characters, will surprise you and make you want this magical world to be real.
I also had amazing dreams thanks to this brilliantly made story
the first book talks about Kes, a shy girl hat will become a creature of fire, amazing story telling, you will fall in love with Kes and the Griffins.
the second book is centered on Gereint, a gifted maker that is also geas bound, left to die after the events in the first book. a little slow at the beginning but really worth reading it. he will free himself and find kindness again after years of being a slave.
the third takes us back to a character that was really in the wrong place in the wrong moment in the first book( or the right place and right moment :D ) poor Bertaud after the events of first and second book, he will find himself raising his little cousin Mienthe, a young lady that will be a very big foundamental part of this third book. courageous lady Mienthe and Bertaud + a whole lot of new and old characters, will surprise you and make you want this magical world to be real.
I also had amazing dreams thanks to this brilliantly made story
October 15, 2014
Ok, I seem to have been confused: Rachel Aaron/Bach are one person, but Rachel Neumeier is somebody else. All three of them (well, both of them) write super-fun stuff. This series has a wonderful spin on different kinds of magic and its use, and several unique and well-written female characters. These books (because it turns out I got an omnibus version of a trilogy: Lord of the Changing Winds, Land of the Burning Sands, and Law of the Broken Earth, which is why it took me so long to finish — multiple re-downloads from the library and all of that).
July 18, 2012
When Griffins are pushed out of their parcel of land they move and with them they take their magic. Kes, a young healer, is taken by the Griffons to help heal their people but this changes her life forever. The second story, Land of the Burning Sands is about Gereint Enseichen, an indentured servant who is trying to escape servitude and become a more useful member of society. Law of the Broken Earth is about Mienthe, a young member of the aristocracy caught up in a war that could change the world forever.
The stories are interesting, as they come from different parts of the world with different attitudes and responses to what is going on and what to do about the changes. I did like them and look forward to more by this author.
The stories are interesting, as they come from different parts of the world with different attitudes and responses to what is going on and what to do about the changes. I did like them and look forward to more by this author.
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