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The Chanters of Tremaris #1
Hymnernes hersker
Fra gammel tid har der huseret 9 mystiske kræfter, der har behersket naturen og mennesket.
Kræfterne beherskes kun af få sangere, der er bandlyst over det meste af Tremaris. Et forbud der bunder i en angst for de ting, sangen faktisk kan forårsage. En simpel tone kan flytte mennesker, sten eller både. En sang kan danne en mur af is eller et hav af ild. Og alle kræfterne kan sammen slavebinde et helt folk.
Calwyn har evnen til at synge is frem. Hun bor langt oppe i bjergene bag en kæmpe mur af is, med andre novicer, der venter på at blive fuldgyldige præstinder i det lille fællesskab. Muren er umulig at forcere, og præstinder og novicer er trygge fra omverdens uvidenhed. Men en dag finder de en forslået fremmed inden for muren, og snart erfarer Calwyn, at en sindssyg mand forsøger at beherske alle 9 kræfter, koste hvad det vil.
Kræfterne beherskes kun af få sangere, der er bandlyst over det meste af Tremaris. Et forbud der bunder i en angst for de ting, sangen faktisk kan forårsage. En simpel tone kan flytte mennesker, sten eller både. En sang kan danne en mur af is eller et hav af ild. Og alle kræfterne kan sammen slavebinde et helt folk.
Calwyn har evnen til at synge is frem. Hun bor langt oppe i bjergene bag en kæmpe mur af is, med andre novicer, der venter på at blive fuldgyldige præstinder i det lille fællesskab. Muren er umulig at forcere, og præstinder og novicer er trygge fra omverdens uvidenhed. Men en dag finder de en forslået fremmed inden for muren, og snart erfarer Calwyn, at en sindssyg mand forsøger at beherske alle 9 kræfter, koste hvad det vil.
277 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
61 people are currently reading
10461 people want to read
About the author
Kate Constable
24 books282 followersKate Constable was born in Sangringham, Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). When she was six-years-old, her family moved to Papua New Guinea where her father worked as a pilot.
Constable got her Arts/Law degree at Melborne University, then got a job at Warner Music. She started writing during these years.
She wrote several short-stories before becoming an author and after her first attempt at writing a novel she fell in love with the man that is now her husband. They have a daughter.
Constable's first official novel was The Singer of All Songs, in a trilogy called The Chanters of Tremaris. It was published in 2002, a few weeks after Constable's daughter was born.
Constable got her Arts/Law degree at Melborne University, then got a job at Warner Music. She started writing during these years.
She wrote several short-stories before becoming an author and after her first attempt at writing a novel she fell in love with the man that is now her husband. They have a daughter.
Constable's first official novel was The Singer of All Songs, in a trilogy called The Chanters of Tremaris. It was published in 2002, a few weeks after Constable's daughter was born.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
May 4, 2008
this book was spellbinding for me.
not only was the content gripping, enchanting and original- with singers as weavers of magic. but also, it was the writing style of the author that, coupled together with the plot, made reading the book magic itself!
from the start with the seemingly impenetrable ice walls of Antaris which was fine description, and the vivid portrayal of feelings of main character, to the new friends met along the way, and the noble quest set out for, it was simply beautifully written and very engaging.
the feeling of waiting for the next book in this trilogy to come out was terrible, by far the worst wait of my life...
not only was the content gripping, enchanting and original- with singers as weavers of magic. but also, it was the writing style of the author that, coupled together with the plot, made reading the book magic itself!
from the start with the seemingly impenetrable ice walls of Antaris which was fine description, and the vivid portrayal of feelings of main character, to the new friends met along the way, and the noble quest set out for, it was simply beautifully written and very engaging.
the feeling of waiting for the next book in this trilogy to come out was terrible, by far the worst wait of my life...
July 18, 2009
If you get the strange feeling that you've already read Kate Constable's first installment of the Tremaris trilogy, it's probably because you've read Garth Nix's Lirael. There is very little original or imaginative in Calwyn's episodic journey to destroy yet another one-dimensional Basic Evil Guy: this novel is not novel.
Calwyn, a cloistered novice who has spent her first seventeen years behind a magically maintained ice-wall, plays the gawking spectator on what is basically a tour of Constable's made-up world. But because not enough time was spent establishing Calwyn's world-view, and because most of us have read any number of books set in magical fantasy worlds, we are not surprised when Calwyn is surprised, not filled with wonder along with her. We're left out. For example, very early-on in the book Calwyn finds a Sorceror on the wrong side of the wall. This causes much consternation inside the book, but not out here in the real world because we were not given to understand that it was not widely known inside the wall that men, or even anyone outside the wall, could work magic. That kind of sloppiness permeates the entire book.
If it's available, and you're one of those people who just needs to be reading, don't hesitate to pick it up. It's not as bad as a withdrawal headache. Just don't bother seeking it out. There are other books much more worth the effort.
Calwyn, a cloistered novice who has spent her first seventeen years behind a magically maintained ice-wall, plays the gawking spectator on what is basically a tour of Constable's made-up world. But because not enough time was spent establishing Calwyn's world-view, and because most of us have read any number of books set in magical fantasy worlds, we are not surprised when Calwyn is surprised, not filled with wonder along with her. We're left out. For example, very early-on in the book Calwyn finds a Sorceror on the wrong side of the wall. This causes much consternation inside the book, but not out here in the real world because we were not given to understand that it was not widely known inside the wall that men, or even anyone outside the wall, could work magic. That kind of sloppiness permeates the entire book.
If it's available, and you're one of those people who just needs to be reading, don't hesitate to pick it up. It's not as bad as a withdrawal headache. Just don't bother seeking it out. There are other books much more worth the effort.
August 29, 2007
This is the first book in a young adult fantasy triology by Kate Constable. I read the first two last year before I realized the third book hadn't been written. (Why I usually wait for ALL the books in a series--there are starting to be more exceptions to my usual rule these days.)The third book is now available. It's a story of chanters. Calwyn is an ice chanter and the main character. There are nine power of chantment--the power of tongue, beasts, seeming, winds, iron, becoming, fire, ice, and the Great Power. I read so much nonfiction that it's nice to drop into some other invented world once in a while. I also like stories that show strong female characters.
December 7, 2015
Second Review - read in December 2015
Almost two years separate the two times I've read this book. Over such a long period of time, people's tastes change - mine certainly have - and so I was a little bit apprehensive about starting this one again. I remembered quite a bit of the storyline, and I remembered how much I loved the author's writing style, but I wasn't entirely sure if it was as good as I had remembered it to be. I was a little afraid I was looking at it with rose-tinted glasses.
For the first, at least 40, possibly 50%, this was true. I found the characters incredibly annoying and while the writing was beautiful, the world was a bit unoriginal and cliché. Calwyn, the main character, was a whiny, immature little brat. I honestly despised her - she constantly blamed others for everything and kept getting them into trouble, all the while denying that she ever did anything wrong! She was absolutely infuriating. The other characters weren't much better: Darrow was too cold and distant for me to ever get fond of him, and none of the other characters are well-developed enough for me to judge them. Samis, I thought, was a very one-dimensional, tropey character - the ubiquitous evil, dark sorcerer who appears in every second-rate fantasy book. I read a ton of fantasy and I'm not content with one-dimensional villains anymore. They need to (a) be interesting, (b) develop just like the protagonists, and (c) genuinely make me scared - because that's the point of a villain, right? Sadly, Samis wasn't any of those things.
I also thought that the world needed something. It was fairly interesting, and I liked the idea of the nine chantments and the walled city of Antaris, but at times it seemed too cliché and unoriginal. I know said in my original mini-review that I thought the setting was really interesting, but I'd changed my mind the second time around.
Added to that, the storyline was quite dull - it suffers from that ever-present syndrome in fantasy, The Endless Walking. The characters were just walking from one country to another, not really doing anything, and there's nothing more fascinating than watching two characters wander up and down, up and down, with nothing to do but bicker. *sarcasm*
All in all, I wasn't particularly enthused. Around this point I considered putting it down and reading something else, but I decided against it - and I'm very glad I did.
The second half of the book picks up considerably. I'm not entirely sure why, because the pace doesn't really change, and there's still a fair amount of travelling, but the whole book just felt slicker, better, more intriguing. I loved the character of Mica and the writing was just stunning. Hands down, Kate Constable's writing is the best part of the book.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. Does it have its flaws? Yes, definitely. If the writing is the book's main strength, the characters are its weakness - they were all pretty annoying and one-sided, and I was disappointed to see how little Calwyn changed by the end of the book. I also found her romance-infatuation-thing with Darrow disappointing - first of all, they barely knew each other, and he wasn't exactly very pleasant to her - most of the time he's downright unkind and careless. But aside from that, I didn't really like the age difference - she was what, barely sixteen (?) and he was nearly thirty. It might just be me, but that didn't sit well.
Despite all that, I still enjoyed it, and I'm keeping my original rating and placing on my favourites shelf. I'm less keen on reading the sequels, because to be honest, it doesn't seem to me like it needs to be a trilogy. I say this a lot, but really three books sounds unnecessary - tack on another fifty pages to this one just to wind things up, and it would be fine, because . It's a pretty short book anyway, so an extra fifty pages would have been manageable.
But again, that's just me.
4 out of 5 stars
***
Original Review - read in January/February 2014
I actually loved this one. I really liked the original and beautiful fantasy setting, the chanters, and Constable's writing style is lovely. The characters could do with a bit more development: Calwyn was quite whiny and childish and I hated Darrow's 'mysterious' attitude, but it's still one of my favourites and I really want the sequels.
Almost two years separate the two times I've read this book. Over such a long period of time, people's tastes change - mine certainly have - and so I was a little bit apprehensive about starting this one again. I remembered quite a bit of the storyline, and I remembered how much I loved the author's writing style, but I wasn't entirely sure if it was as good as I had remembered it to be. I was a little afraid I was looking at it with rose-tinted glasses.
For the first, at least 40, possibly 50%, this was true. I found the characters incredibly annoying and while the writing was beautiful, the world was a bit unoriginal and cliché. Calwyn, the main character, was a whiny, immature little brat. I honestly despised her - she constantly blamed others for everything and kept getting them into trouble, all the while denying that she ever did anything wrong! She was absolutely infuriating. The other characters weren't much better: Darrow was too cold and distant for me to ever get fond of him, and none of the other characters are well-developed enough for me to judge them. Samis, I thought, was a very one-dimensional, tropey character - the ubiquitous evil, dark sorcerer who appears in every second-rate fantasy book. I read a ton of fantasy and I'm not content with one-dimensional villains anymore. They need to (a) be interesting, (b) develop just like the protagonists, and (c) genuinely make me scared - because that's the point of a villain, right? Sadly, Samis wasn't any of those things.
I also thought that the world needed something. It was fairly interesting, and I liked the idea of the nine chantments and the walled city of Antaris, but at times it seemed too cliché and unoriginal. I know said in my original mini-review that I thought the setting was really interesting, but I'd changed my mind the second time around.
Added to that, the storyline was quite dull - it suffers from that ever-present syndrome in fantasy, The Endless Walking. The characters were just walking from one country to another, not really doing anything, and there's nothing more fascinating than watching two characters wander up and down, up and down, with nothing to do but bicker. *sarcasm*
All in all, I wasn't particularly enthused. Around this point I considered putting it down and reading something else, but I decided against it - and I'm very glad I did.
The second half of the book picks up considerably. I'm not entirely sure why, because the pace doesn't really change, and there's still a fair amount of travelling, but the whole book just felt slicker, better, more intriguing. I loved the character of Mica and the writing was just stunning. Hands down, Kate Constable's writing is the best part of the book.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. Does it have its flaws? Yes, definitely. If the writing is the book's main strength, the characters are its weakness - they were all pretty annoying and one-sided, and I was disappointed to see how little Calwyn changed by the end of the book. I also found her romance-infatuation-thing with Darrow disappointing - first of all, they barely knew each other, and he wasn't exactly very pleasant to her - most of the time he's downright unkind and careless. But aside from that, I didn't really like the age difference - she was what, barely sixteen (?) and he was nearly thirty. It might just be me, but that didn't sit well.
Despite all that, I still enjoyed it, and I'm keeping my original rating and placing on my favourites shelf. I'm less keen on reading the sequels, because to be honest, it doesn't seem to me like it needs to be a trilogy. I say this a lot, but really three books sounds unnecessary - tack on another fifty pages to this one just to wind things up, and it would be fine, because . It's a pretty short book anyway, so an extra fifty pages would have been manageable.
But again, that's just me.
4 out of 5 stars
***
Original Review - read in January/February 2014
I actually loved this one. I really liked the original and beautiful fantasy setting, the chanters, and Constable's writing style is lovely. The characters could do with a bit more development: Calwyn was quite whiny and childish and I hated Darrow's 'mysterious' attitude, but it's still one of my favourites and I really want the sequels.
March 3, 2008
I loved the poetic way that Constable wrote this book. It's beautful!!! And it's mysterious and exciting and interesting and fresh and amazing...
June 20, 2011
I really wanted to love this one, I did.
I think that some things were just awkwardly placed and then, later on, even more awkwardly explained. The writing style was pretty but had its ups and downs~ I did skip over some paragraphs were the details got particularly elaborate.
The dialogue was stilted a bit like when something bad was happening once of them would go faint and yell "No!" A few eye-rolling moments, but nothing too bad.
Calwyn was pretty good and Trout was really funny~ Darrow was sulker, mates. The romance had so much potential but I think more of that is being saved for later books. Calwyn and Darrow had a couple "awww..." moments but spend most of the time dodging each other.
The worlds that they traveled around to were really interesting.
I was quite distracted while reading this book and this review isn't giving you much insight into the characters, plot, etc. It was just kinda "meh" for me, maybe I should try some of Kate Constable's contemporary books?
Anyway, sorry for the musings that I have substituted for a review. I just wanted to say something about this book...I think you should try reading it if you just have an uneventful afternoon to spare or something...
But anyway.
It wasn't bad.
2.5 stars.
I think that some things were just awkwardly placed and then, later on, even more awkwardly explained. The writing style was pretty but had its ups and downs~ I did skip over some paragraphs were the details got particularly elaborate.
The dialogue was stilted a bit like when something bad was happening once of them would go faint and yell "No!" A few eye-rolling moments, but nothing too bad.
Calwyn was pretty good and Trout was really funny~ Darrow was sulker, mates. The romance had so much potential but I think more of that is being saved for later books. Calwyn and Darrow had a couple "awww..." moments but spend most of the time dodging each other.
The worlds that they traveled around to were really interesting.
I was quite distracted while reading this book and this review isn't giving you much insight into the characters, plot, etc. It was just kinda "meh" for me, maybe I should try some of Kate Constable's contemporary books?
Anyway, sorry for the musings that I have substituted for a review. I just wanted to say something about this book...I think you should try reading it if you just have an uneventful afternoon to spare or something...
But anyway.
It wasn't bad.
2.5 stars.
December 27, 2018
Ahoy there mateys! I don’t remember who convinced me to give this series a chance but I do know that it was the discussion of music that led to it. I was warned that the series was read when much younger and so she didn’t know if it would hold up. I listened to this one on audiobook with narration by Karen Ziemba. They actually excluded samples of the chanting which was cool. They unfortunately used the exact same versions of the chanting for the entire book. Not so cool. I ended up thinking that this was just an okay read. I did like the magic system and the main protagonist. But the plot was not good for me at all. Serious problems with it. At least enough time has passed that I threw whole sections out of me noggin. So won’t be readin’ any others in this series. I am glad I read it and satisfied the curiosity I always had for the series. I do think that if I was in middle school, I would have liked this series a lot more.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
June 24, 2018
What if you could sing magic into being? High, pure notes for ice or coldness; gravelly low tones for metal; whistling alto songs for wind; and the silent music of dance for healing. The Singer of All Songs takes the idea of song-based magic and weaves it into a mythic-toned young adult fantasy novel reminiscent of Alison Croggon's The Books of Pellinor.
I don't quite remember how I came across The Singer of All Songs, but I'm glad I borrowed a copy despite my ultimately mixed feelings on it. I've been struggling with fatigue lately (work during the summer is exhausting in a children's library, y'all, no matter how fulfilling it is), so its short length and nostalgic (to me) tone let me plow through it. Plus, this title had a few things going for it that helped me enjoy it:
I mentioned above that sometimes, the cast felt like fantasy archetype characters. Trout, for instance, felt mostly one-note as the bookish, reluctant tagalong. Darrow was the terse and mysterious mentor figure. Mica and Tonno, luckily, developed past their first impressions, especially through the found family they seem to be building with each other. Like, this wasn't terrible or anything, but I do look for well-fleshed-out characters when reading fiction, and this book fell just a bit short for me in that regard.
The hints at a romance between Darrow and Calwyn were another thing that I was on the fence about. For one thing, Darrow's personality felt as lively as a blank stone wall . I'm glad he showed some liveliness in the beginning of the book, because I would've really had to push myself to care about him otherwise. There's also the fact that Darrow is the first man that Calwyn ever met. Maybe I'm just growing grouchier and grouchier about stuff like this as I read more, but I don't really love it when a girl or woman is written to fall in love with the first man she has ever laid eyes on. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't written as instalove; the romance was also pretty subtle, at least by YA standards. But I was still simultaneously predicting the romance, hoping I was wrong, and rolling my eyes when the hints started cropping up more persistently.
Oh, and the villain was pretty...stock-fantasy-villain-y. I didn't find him compelling at all, so I hope any villains in the next two books have more interesting motivations.
I don't want to end on a negative note, so here's another thing I did enjoy: Halasaa! I really hope there's more of him in the next books. He was one of my favorite characters, and he was only introduced near the end.
If you don't hate journey fantasy books (I know a lot of people do), and you think the premise sounds appealing, I'd say to give this one a shot. I mean, Garth Nix blurbed it, and apparently Tamora Peirce rated it 5 stars on here, so maybe I'm an odd duck and you, the potential reader, would enjoy it even more than I did.
I don't quite remember how I came across The Singer of All Songs, but I'm glad I borrowed a copy despite my ultimately mixed feelings on it. I've been struggling with fatigue lately (work during the summer is exhausting in a children's library, y'all, no matter how fulfilling it is), so its short length and nostalgic (to me) tone let me plow through it. Plus, this title had a few things going for it that helped me enjoy it:
➼ A musical magic system. I may have mentioned in other reviews that I don't really mind if a magic system is codified in an almost scientific way (ala Brandon Sanderson), but I've always found magic systems that are somehow tied to music or language really appealing. The world of Tremaris and its various types of music-based magic disciplines was beautiful; the descriptions of how they all interact with each other and what they sound like when sung were done well.Now I want to talk about some things that I wasn't as fond of.
➼ An interesting, flawed protagonist and a varied supporting cast. I don't think all readers with like Calwyn, the protagonist, at least not at first blush. She starts off relatively secure but a bit mischievous, and her restless nature almost borders on whiny. To me, that's fine - she's 16, and based on her upbringing, it makes sense that her outlook on the world is sheltered. There's also such a thing as character development, and Calwyn certainly does learn and grow over the course of the novel. I wasn't as fond of Darrow; Calwyn mentions not getting a good read on him, so to speak, and I agree with her assessment. He holds himself apart from the group, and this book never really resolves why (other than just saying he's aloof, which just seemed to kind of hand-wave it away). Luckily, the other side characters are more fleshed-out and likeable, though I do hope they develop more past being fantasy archetypes in future books. I think Mica, the brash windworker, is my favorite at the moment.
➼ The descriptive prose. This is another thing that will really vary from reader to reader - I think others might find the prose too far on the purple side - but I liked it. It painted the people and landscapes of Tremaris in vivid colors to me.
I mentioned above that sometimes, the cast felt like fantasy archetype characters. Trout, for instance, felt mostly one-note as the bookish, reluctant tagalong. Darrow was the terse and mysterious mentor figure. Mica and Tonno, luckily, developed past their first impressions, especially through the found family they seem to be building with each other. Like, this wasn't terrible or anything, but I do look for well-fleshed-out characters when reading fiction, and this book fell just a bit short for me in that regard.
The hints at a romance between Darrow and Calwyn were another thing that I was on the fence about. For one thing, Darrow's personality felt as lively as a blank stone wall . I'm glad he showed some liveliness in the beginning of the book, because I would've really had to push myself to care about him otherwise. There's also the fact that Darrow is the first man that Calwyn ever met. Maybe I'm just growing grouchier and grouchier about stuff like this as I read more, but I don't really love it when a girl or woman is written to fall in love with the first man she has ever laid eyes on. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't written as instalove; the romance was also pretty subtle, at least by YA standards. But I was still simultaneously predicting the romance, hoping I was wrong, and rolling my eyes when the hints started cropping up more persistently.
Oh, and the villain was pretty...stock-fantasy-villain-y. I didn't find him compelling at all, so I hope any villains in the next two books have more interesting motivations.
I don't want to end on a negative note, so here's another thing I did enjoy: Halasaa! I really hope there's more of him in the next books. He was one of my favorite characters, and he was only introduced near the end.
If you don't hate journey fantasy books (I know a lot of people do), and you think the premise sounds appealing, I'd say to give this one a shot. I mean, Garth Nix blurbed it, and apparently Tamora Peirce rated it 5 stars on here, so maybe I'm an odd duck and you, the potential reader, would enjoy it even more than I did.
December 15, 2024
Revisiting this old favourite was on whim, but a very good whim. I most certainly don't regret it. I also really enjoyed rereading this somewhat hidden gem. It's classic in its style of story - quest, mysterious stranger, naive girl, bad guy, and new friends along the way. But it's a nice classic in the sense that Calwyn is a fresh breath of air, Darrow is not an asshole but he's also got the hard edges of a worldly person, and the side characters are supportive in their own unique way. Constable's The Singer of All Songs fits seamlessly into an era of stories where there was a definite bad guy and your heroine is definitely not an anti-hero. She's a hero all round. Naive, but heroic.
A more comprehensive review coming soon!
A more comprehensive review coming soon!
August 13, 2022
I love picking up older fantasy series and seeing if they live up to my expectations.
This book was not bad. I couldn’t remember much from reading it as a teenager, but it definitely has a unique magic system and the world and lore is really interesting.
I got so excited to see disabled rep in an older fantasy. I completely forgot about Darrow’s injury and him using a cane to get around. But of course that was ruined because magic ended up fixing his leg completely 🙄 Though we did end up finding out that Trout is deaf and can’t hear the Power of Seeming because it’s too high of a pitch. But I’m still upset that Darrow’s disability was easily cured because of the Power of Becoming.
I feel like the book ends off at a good spot. The story feels like it’s come to a conclusion, so I don’t know if I will pick up the next book right away. That being said, the different nations and islands and their magic systems are so interesting and make me want to see more of the world. I definitely read this book faster than I was expecting because of this.
I’m still a little confused whether Samis (our main villain) was a poc or not. It was kind of vague, but considering where he’s from it sounds like he should have been and having him as the villain was a little :/
Overall, not bad. Doesn’t quite live up to my expectations but I think that’s just a given with older fantasy
This book was not bad. I couldn’t remember much from reading it as a teenager, but it definitely has a unique magic system and the world and lore is really interesting.
I got so excited to see disabled rep in an older fantasy. I completely forgot about Darrow’s injury and him using a cane to get around. But of course that was ruined because magic ended up fixing his leg completely 🙄 Though we did end up finding out that Trout is deaf and can’t hear the Power of Seeming because it’s too high of a pitch. But I’m still upset that Darrow’s disability was easily cured because of the Power of Becoming.
I feel like the book ends off at a good spot. The story feels like it’s come to a conclusion, so I don’t know if I will pick up the next book right away. That being said, the different nations and islands and their magic systems are so interesting and make me want to see more of the world. I definitely read this book faster than I was expecting because of this.
I’m still a little confused whether Samis (our main villain) was a poc or not. It was kind of vague, but considering where he’s from it sounds like he should have been and having him as the villain was a little :/
Overall, not bad. Doesn’t quite live up to my expectations but I think that’s just a given with older fantasy
March 4, 2011
I was looking at the ratings and it seems that the younger the reviewer, the more stars they gave it. Perhaps it is because I have read A LOT of fantasy, but this was just ok for me. I liked the world the author created. It was innovative, but not really fresh. I felt like the places where we wanted a deeper understanding of the world, Constable skipped over what could have been interesting. The societies she created were very two dimensional, as were her characters and their struggles, but for a debut novel, it was ok. I will probably read the other books in the series, but only if I have nothing else in my TBR pile. this would be fine for kids 10+ to read.
March 16, 2018
3.5 stars. I have … slightly complicated feelings about this book. I read it when I was younger, then bought a copy at a used book sale on a whim and reread it. I still enjoyed it, but now that I'm older, I noticed a couple things that I didn't like about it. Some spoilers.
GOOD STUFF:
•I really like the world-building! The idea of magic through song is a really interesting and unique one. The scenes where Calwyn and other characters are using chantment are well-described: it really does feel like a combination of magic and musical talent.
•It's also nice that each type of chantment is clearly described (fire, ice, illusions, etc.) and have distinct limitations, since I've read a lot of fantasy novels where the magic systems were very loosely defined and just did whatever the plot demanded it.
•My greatest weakness is ragtags bands of misfits, and the crew of the Fledgewing fits right into that category. Mica and Trout were my favorite side characters.
•Although we don't see much of Samis, he's a pretty good villain. His motivation to unite Tremaris is understandable, but also selfish since he wants to make himself emperor. He can also be genuinely creepy in the scenes where he uses the Power of Seeming. I also always find villains more interesting when they have a personal connection to the characters, and his former friendship with Darrow definitely qualifies as that.
•Minimal romance. Some books I like romance, some I don't. I don't really think it was necessary in this book–it's more about Calwyn making friends and seeing the wider world–so I'm glad there wasn't much.
•The ending is satisfying and wraps up a lot of stuff and just some questions and conflicts to be explored in future novels. I dunno, it sometimes bothers me when books end with a blatant sequel hook.
SOME LESS GREAT STUFF
•Potential romance weirdness. Calwyn is sixteen; Darrow's exact age isn't given except that he's closer to thirty than twenty, meaning he's at least nine or ten years older than she is. I'm reserving judgement because the actual romance doesn't happen in this book. Still. Teenage girl + grown man = not my thing.
•Disability stuff. I'm not disabled and therefore can't speak for the disabled community, but there were two things that bothered me:
1. The first is that Halasaa's people are all mute, and even use a different kind of chantment that works through dance instead of words. However, they can easily communicate telepathically to anyone they want to, meaning all conversations with them are exactly like regular speaking but in italics. Again, I'm not disabled, but this still felt slightly off to me.
2. Darrow goes throughout the novel with a badly broken foot that didn't heal entirely right, causing him pain and leading him to sometimes walk with a cane. He dislikes that it sometimes impedes his ability to travel, but seems to mostly accept it after a while. However, Halasaa demonstrates his ability to heal through chantment by completely healing Darrow's foot so it's like it was never injured. I don't claim to be an expert on disability representation in fantasy, but for those unfamiliar with why magically healing disabilities isn't good, you can look up articles like the one posted on Disability in Kidlit, called (Not) Engaging with Disability: Convenient Approaches in SFF.
End verdict on the novel: enjoyable, and I would like to reread the sequels, but has some stuff I found problematic. Also, please feel free to tell me if you think anything in this review is incorrect or offensive. I want to be a good ally, and I understand that means growing, changing, and listening to the opinions of others who know more about certain topics.
GOOD STUFF:
•I really like the world-building! The idea of magic through song is a really interesting and unique one. The scenes where Calwyn and other characters are using chantment are well-described: it really does feel like a combination of magic and musical talent.
•It's also nice that each type of chantment is clearly described (fire, ice, illusions, etc.) and have distinct limitations, since I've read a lot of fantasy novels where the magic systems were very loosely defined and just did whatever the plot demanded it.
•My greatest weakness is ragtags bands of misfits, and the crew of the Fledgewing fits right into that category. Mica and Trout were my favorite side characters.
•Although we don't see much of Samis, he's a pretty good villain. His motivation to unite Tremaris is understandable, but also selfish since he wants to make himself emperor. He can also be genuinely creepy in the scenes where he uses the Power of Seeming. I also always find villains more interesting when they have a personal connection to the characters, and his former friendship with Darrow definitely qualifies as that.
•Minimal romance. Some books I like romance, some I don't. I don't really think it was necessary in this book–it's more about Calwyn making friends and seeing the wider world–so I'm glad there wasn't much.
•The ending is satisfying and wraps up a lot of stuff and just some questions and conflicts to be explored in future novels. I dunno, it sometimes bothers me when books end with a blatant sequel hook.
SOME LESS GREAT STUFF
•Potential romance weirdness. Calwyn is sixteen; Darrow's exact age isn't given except that he's closer to thirty than twenty, meaning he's at least nine or ten years older than she is. I'm reserving judgement because the actual romance doesn't happen in this book. Still. Teenage girl + grown man = not my thing.
•Disability stuff. I'm not disabled and therefore can't speak for the disabled community, but there were two things that bothered me:
1. The first is that Halasaa's people are all mute, and even use a different kind of chantment that works through dance instead of words. However, they can easily communicate telepathically to anyone they want to, meaning all conversations with them are exactly like regular speaking but in italics. Again, I'm not disabled, but this still felt slightly off to me.
2. Darrow goes throughout the novel with a badly broken foot that didn't heal entirely right, causing him pain and leading him to sometimes walk with a cane. He dislikes that it sometimes impedes his ability to travel, but seems to mostly accept it after a while. However, Halasaa demonstrates his ability to heal through chantment by completely healing Darrow's foot so it's like it was never injured. I don't claim to be an expert on disability representation in fantasy, but for those unfamiliar with why magically healing disabilities isn't good, you can look up articles like the one posted on Disability in Kidlit, called (Not) Engaging with Disability: Convenient Approaches in SFF.
End verdict on the novel: enjoyable, and I would like to reread the sequels, but has some stuff I found problematic. Also, please feel free to tell me if you think anything in this review is incorrect or offensive. I want to be a good ally, and I understand that means growing, changing, and listening to the opinions of others who know more about certain topics.
December 8, 2025
The Singer of All Songs probably would have been something I really liked as a young person. But reading it now as an adult it felt deeply naive and implausible. The idea of chantments is good, but the style is very much /young/ adult. The characters are not interesting and are all transparent and frankly not intelligent. I generally don’t like when a book consists of a single journey, and that was the case here.
I’ve decided on three stars, with the idea that it might be compelling for a young reader. But I would not recommend to an adult.
I’ve decided on three stars, with the idea that it might be compelling for a young reader. But I would not recommend to an adult.
May 21, 2019
Hold op, hvor var den bog lang. Jeg læste den for min datter, og den kedede mig virkelig. Plottet kunne have været godt, men der var for mange unødvendige handlingsspor. Og så den måde, replikkerne var skrevet på. At markere direkte tale med en tankestreg kan være ok, men så skal der også være linjeskift. Måske var det, fordi jeg læste den højt, det irriterede mig så meget. Det ved jeg ikke, men irritere mig gjorde det.
July 15, 2018
Ehh, It was mainly uneventful.
January 14, 2021
A fascinating fantasy world.
January 14, 2024
Ægte barndomsminder
August 30, 2021
Really fun middle grade fantasy adventure! I recommend the audiobook, the magic in this world works through singing and the audio has singing in it as well as other sound effects.
July 15, 2014
There seems to be a fad in YA fantasy these past years for magic to involve music and the rescued heroines to be the ones to save the world (unexpectedly, of course). Summarizing it like that makes me think "well, that's not really so new," because it's always the rescued hero(ine) who ends up saving the world, now isn't it? But I swear there's a new popular style thing going on, and The Singer of All Songs lands firmly in it.
It reminds me very strongly of the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon, where Maerad is taken from a distant, secluded place and introduced to the wider world, where it turns out her magical ability isn't as normal as she thought, and she's likely the one meant to save the world from some horrible thing. Calwyn is also taken from a distant, secluded place and introduced to the wider world, where it turns out her magical ability isn't as normal as the thought, and she's likely the one meant to save the world from some horrible thing.
In Tremaris, the world of The Singer of All Songs, the magic is split into types of chantments (note the pun!) that different societies have specialised in for centuries. Calwyn happens to come from the tradition of high-pitched ice chants, but there's also songs of iron, seeming, being, fire, and so on. Calwyn leaves her home when it is threatened by a chanter who has the power of many different kinds of songs, rather than just one - which is the way it usually is. She travels with Darrow, a chanter of iron, who has made it his quest to stop the evil chanter, and who apparently was the one who brought the evil chanter to Antaris in the first place.
Of course, because this is One Of Those Stories, it's obvious that Calwyn has a crush on Darrow and they might could fall in love. The way I see it, he's the first man she's ever met who has the potential to be a romantic interest, so she fixates on him. It's totally awkward and weird, especially because (as near as I could tell), Calwyn is supposed to be about sixteen years old and Darrow is twice her age. Luckily, others join their traveling party and the reader isn't subjected to the weird UST all the time.
Despite the clichés and "haven't I read this before?" feeling of the book, I did like it a lot. Kate Constable seems to have given careful thought to the politics of the different factions as well as the way her type of magic would affect the characters and environment. It's always neat when that happens. Furthermore, the writing itself is engaging and the story never lost my interest.
Though this is the first book in a trilogy, it works as a stand-alone. There's no real threads left hanging at the end to require the reader to continue to the second in the series, but it's set up so that the plot could easily carry into a second book.
It reminds me very strongly of the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon, where Maerad is taken from a distant, secluded place and introduced to the wider world, where it turns out her magical ability isn't as normal as she thought, and she's likely the one meant to save the world from some horrible thing. Calwyn is also taken from a distant, secluded place and introduced to the wider world, where it turns out her magical ability isn't as normal as the thought, and she's likely the one meant to save the world from some horrible thing.
In Tremaris, the world of The Singer of All Songs, the magic is split into types of chantments (note the pun!) that different societies have specialised in for centuries. Calwyn happens to come from the tradition of high-pitched ice chants, but there's also songs of iron, seeming, being, fire, and so on. Calwyn leaves her home when it is threatened by a chanter who has the power of many different kinds of songs, rather than just one - which is the way it usually is. She travels with Darrow, a chanter of iron, who has made it his quest to stop the evil chanter, and who apparently was the one who brought the evil chanter to Antaris in the first place.
Of course, because this is One Of Those Stories, it's obvious that Calwyn has a crush on Darrow and they might could fall in love. The way I see it, he's the first man she's ever met who has the potential to be a romantic interest, so she fixates on him. It's totally awkward and weird, especially because (as near as I could tell), Calwyn is supposed to be about sixteen years old and Darrow is twice her age. Luckily, others join their traveling party and the reader isn't subjected to the weird UST all the time.
Despite the clichés and "haven't I read this before?" feeling of the book, I did like it a lot. Kate Constable seems to have given careful thought to the politics of the different factions as well as the way her type of magic would affect the characters and environment. It's always neat when that happens. Furthermore, the writing itself is engaging and the story never lost my interest.
Though this is the first book in a trilogy, it works as a stand-alone. There's no real threads left hanging at the end to require the reader to continue to the second in the series, but it's set up so that the plot could easily carry into a second book.
August 25, 2020
I remember loving this book when I was in school! I was glad to see it held up under a reread many years later. I love the richness of the world and the idea of singing as magical. Thoroughly enjoyed!
April 16, 2019
Wow. I had relatively decent hopes for this book that were all crushed about halfway/two thirds of the way through this book. The writing isn't bad, but the world-building was severely lacking. The world lacks structured parameters within which it operates. We need more information on their society, the different towns within, how it's structured, and more history and backstory for each of the powers/songs. Calwyn studying at the convent would have been a perfect opportunity to set up the world that she then leaves the convent for.
On that note, Calwyn has little to no character motivation to leave the convent. I was not invested in any of the characters in this story, and they had limited character development in this book. The book starts with Calwyn finding a stranger within the convent walls, rather than introducing the world through the convent with history and magic lessons (which would have been a much nicer, more thorough introduction to the world and to Calwyn as a character).
My final major complaint about this book lies with the story itself. The stakes of this little crew not succeeding in their self-determined mission was not high enough for me. I wasn't invested while I was reading the climax of this book, which should be the part I'm most invested in. My lack of investment in the story hit me after the halfway mark, so I powered through and finished. I really didn't care whether or not they succeeded at the end, which is the opposite of what should happen at the climax of the book. This might be the first time that has happened to me (getting less invested in the story right at the climax) - normally if I'm not the most invested in a story, I become somewhat more intrigued as the story progresses. I'm really blown away by the lackluster climax of this book, and I will not be reading the rest of the series because I was barely intrigued enough to finish this one.
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On that note, Calwyn has little to no character motivation to leave the convent. I was not invested in any of the characters in this story, and they had limited character development in this book. The book starts with Calwyn finding a stranger within the convent walls, rather than introducing the world through the convent with history and magic lessons (which would have been a much nicer, more thorough introduction to the world and to Calwyn as a character).
My final major complaint about this book lies with the story itself. The stakes of this little crew not succeeding in their self-determined mission was not high enough for me. I wasn't invested while I was reading the climax of this book, which should be the part I'm most invested in. My lack of investment in the story hit me after the halfway mark, so I powered through and finished. I really didn't care whether or not they succeeded at the end, which is the opposite of what should happen at the climax of the book. This might be the first time that has happened to me (getting less invested in the story right at the climax) - normally if I'm not the most invested in a story, I become somewhat more intrigued as the story progresses. I'm really blown away by the lackluster climax of this book, and I will not be reading the rest of the series because I was barely intrigued enough to finish this one.
September 4, 2010
This book is more like 4 and a half star, but there was something that bothered in the end. Here goes the riview.
I had high hopes for this series. The author is Austrailian and it was a first for me. (it might be odd to be intrigued by a nationality but, come on! it is quite amazing!)
It wasn't about vampire, warewolf or any kind magic I've heard of before. It's about people with gifts, chanting the words like a song to bring out the power that they were learned to do from a very young age. I have this image in my head where people will sing beautiful tunes in order to save the world. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Because I believe that a song, when sang with a soul, is more powerful than spoken words itself.
When reading this book, author often writes sentences like "even now she wouldn't forget the scream from that night" (not her exact words) but those phrases made me feel like I was reading some sort of a fairy tale or a folk lore.
Also, I was amazed how much excitment was stuffedd into such a small book without the stories being underdevelopped.
It was very fast paced and sometimes time flew by with a blink of an eye. But it was more or less very reasonable.
The heroine was, strange at times for me. Needless to say she was my least favorite character. But rest assure, there are plenty of interesting characters that you want to engage in.
At the end of the book, there was a part where I got confused of who the speaker was. I felt like it got side tracked for few pages. And the ending was.. well, not surprising.
But all in all, it was a great book. Filled with fellowship, love, magic and a bit of sorrow. I'm very glad to have stumbled onto this book and can't wait for the second and the third book to be delivered !!
I had high hopes for this series. The author is Austrailian and it was a first for me. (it might be odd to be intrigued by a nationality but, come on! it is quite amazing!)
It wasn't about vampire, warewolf or any kind magic I've heard of before. It's about people with gifts, chanting the words like a song to bring out the power that they were learned to do from a very young age. I have this image in my head where people will sing beautiful tunes in order to save the world. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Because I believe that a song, when sang with a soul, is more powerful than spoken words itself.
When reading this book, author often writes sentences like "even now she wouldn't forget the scream from that night" (not her exact words) but those phrases made me feel like I was reading some sort of a fairy tale or a folk lore.
Also, I was amazed how much excitment was stuffedd into such a small book without the stories being underdevelopped.
It was very fast paced and sometimes time flew by with a blink of an eye. But it was more or less very reasonable.
The heroine was, strange at times for me. Needless to say she was my least favorite character. But rest assure, there are plenty of interesting characters that you want to engage in.
At the end of the book, there was a part where I got confused of who the speaker was. I felt like it got side tracked for few pages. And the ending was.. well, not surprising.
But all in all, it was a great book. Filled with fellowship, love, magic and a bit of sorrow. I'm very glad to have stumbled onto this book and can't wait for the second and the third book to be delivered !!
September 8, 2020
Reader thoughts: The way Kate Constable has put Tremaris together is very creative and remarkable. The idea of singing magic is hard to forget, and these books are written so beautifully. The audiobook for the first one has background singing too. For some reason, the second book has little background singing, and the third has almost none. Sad.
After rereading these books years later, I realize that the characters themselves are not my favorite. There's nothing special about them, except all the magic that Calwyn has. She's not particularly clever or memorable except for how good she is at chantment. She wants to leave the convent that raised her. Hmm. Sounds a bit like Rapunzel and Ana and Ariel.
Darrow, too, isn't very interesting or unique except that he does seem to battle some depression and is protective of Calwyn (like EVERY other male hero ever). He's actually rather gloomy and acts so old (although I'm now older than he is, ha).
Writer thoughts: The bees Calwyn tends make her more interesting than anything she did. The bees end up holding secret chantments (in a way), and they remind me of the book Chalice, since the MC in that book is a lady beekeeper. As much as I hate bees, fantasy beekeeper stories fascinate me. Now I want to find if there are more.
After rereading these books years later, I realize that the characters themselves are not my favorite. There's nothing special about them, except all the magic that Calwyn has. She's not particularly clever or memorable except for how good she is at chantment. She wants to leave the convent that raised her. Hmm. Sounds a bit like Rapunzel and Ana and Ariel.
Darrow, too, isn't very interesting or unique except that he does seem to battle some depression and is protective of Calwyn (like EVERY other male hero ever). He's actually rather gloomy and acts so old (although I'm now older than he is, ha).
Writer thoughts: The bees Calwyn tends make her more interesting than anything she did. The bees end up holding secret chantments (in a way), and they remind me of the book Chalice, since the MC in that book is a lady beekeeper. As much as I hate bees, fantasy beekeeper stories fascinate me. Now I want to find if there are more.
September 29, 2013
I picked up this first novel by Constable because of a cover blurb by Garth Nix. We'll see if I trust HIM again! ;-)
Seriously, maybe Constable will improve with time, but I didn't feel that this book was up to general publishing standards. It really felt like a first effort.
It started out OK, with us meeting the young, talented, but rebellious priestess in her home village... but once she absconds from said village (with an injured sorcerer on the run from his powerful nemesis) it becomes hopeless.
There's no attempt at character generation, and so much happens in so few pages that you could miss entire locations if you blinked... seriously - this page: we're at a college, next page pirates, two pages later, volcano, three pages later, dinosaurs, everything flying by without any time for the reader to FEEL - or even visualize - anything. A character might die - but we don't care, 'cause we never got to know him in the slightest, since he was only ALIVE for 5 pages! (etc.)
The plot is really stereotypical (There are 9 types of magical spellsong, and the bad guy wants to collect them all so he can take over the world) - and while I do feel that a 'classic' plot can be done well, Constable needs to learn to slow down and savor her writing - so that her readers can enjoy the action!
Seriously, maybe Constable will improve with time, but I didn't feel that this book was up to general publishing standards. It really felt like a first effort.
It started out OK, with us meeting the young, talented, but rebellious priestess in her home village... but once she absconds from said village (with an injured sorcerer on the run from his powerful nemesis) it becomes hopeless.
There's no attempt at character generation, and so much happens in so few pages that you could miss entire locations if you blinked... seriously - this page: we're at a college, next page pirates, two pages later, volcano, three pages later, dinosaurs, everything flying by without any time for the reader to FEEL - or even visualize - anything. A character might die - but we don't care, 'cause we never got to know him in the slightest, since he was only ALIVE for 5 pages! (etc.)
The plot is really stereotypical (There are 9 types of magical spellsong, and the bad guy wants to collect them all so he can take over the world) - and while I do feel that a 'classic' plot can be done well, Constable needs to learn to slow down and savor her writing - so that her readers can enjoy the action!
May 3, 2014
Setting/World Building: 5/5
Main Character: 4/5
Other Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Triggering/Issues: 5/5 (None!)
AVERAGED TOTAL: 4.5 out of 5, rounded to 4.
This was a delightful quick read. The sort of YA fantasy I've always loved, with an enjoyable female main character, and a fun, interesting sort of magic. In this world, magic comes in the form of "chantments" (it's singing/chanted enchantments, thus chantments). There are nine varieties of it, and it is all done through singing, from high range to low range depending on the magic. The magic and the world was touched upon just enough in this book to make me curious for more, but given that it's part of a series, I'm sure we'll get more information about it all.
I liked the MC, I liked how curious she was, how loyal and brave she was. I also liked the "romance", in that it was pleasant but mostly in the background; it didn't steal the focus of the story like romances sometimes can. The villain was a bit... Evil Bad Guy™, but I sort of enjoyed that, and I get the impression that the point of him wasn't to be an overarching villain, but to be the catalyst that brought them all together.
All in all, it was a good read, though I could have used a little more depth and plot. Looking forward to the next one!
Main Character: 4/5
Other Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Triggering/Issues: 5/5 (None!)
AVERAGED TOTAL: 4.5 out of 5, rounded to 4.
This was a delightful quick read. The sort of YA fantasy I've always loved, with an enjoyable female main character, and a fun, interesting sort of magic. In this world, magic comes in the form of "chantments" (it's singing/chanted enchantments, thus chantments). There are nine varieties of it, and it is all done through singing, from high range to low range depending on the magic. The magic and the world was touched upon just enough in this book to make me curious for more, but given that it's part of a series, I'm sure we'll get more information about it all.
I liked the MC, I liked how curious she was, how loyal and brave she was. I also liked the "romance", in that it was pleasant but mostly in the background; it didn't steal the focus of the story like romances sometimes can. The villain was a bit... Evil Bad Guy™, but I sort of enjoyed that, and I get the impression that the point of him wasn't to be an overarching villain, but to be the catalyst that brought them all together.
All in all, it was a good read, though I could have used a little more depth and plot. Looking forward to the next one!
September 13, 2012
I enjoyed reading this book. I feel that Kate Constable made a very creative and interesting world. I like the characters, the locations, and the cultures. I thought it was interesting how the different people of the Tremaris felt towards the chanters and their magic. The magic itself was interesting. Maybe I'm just not wise in the world of fantasy, but I thought it was really cool and unique that the magic was produced by singing different enchantments. Their voice had power, which is just a really cool thought.
However, I felt that the book was a little too fast-paced for me. Maybe because I just came from reading the Song of Ice and Fire books, which are amazing detailed and thought-out, that this book seemed a little rushed. I feel that maybe the author could have spent a little more time on the details. I'm not saying the writing was bad, just that there wasn't enough of it. It felt more like I was skimming the story than actually reading it.
My only other complaint was that at times, I felt that the point-of-view wasn't very clear, which wasn't a problem, just a little strange.
All-in-all, I definitely liked the book and hope to get my hands on the sequels.
However, I felt that the book was a little too fast-paced for me. Maybe because I just came from reading the Song of Ice and Fire books, which are amazing detailed and thought-out, that this book seemed a little rushed. I feel that maybe the author could have spent a little more time on the details. I'm not saying the writing was bad, just that there wasn't enough of it. It felt more like I was skimming the story than actually reading it.
My only other complaint was that at times, I felt that the point-of-view wasn't very clear, which wasn't a problem, just a little strange.
All-in-all, I definitely liked the book and hope to get my hands on the sequels.
April 27, 2018
I loved many parts of this - the heroine, for one, and the magic as well. I also loved that it was about a group of friends, it's something that I'm increasingly looking for in my reading. Happy to say I enjoyed it enough to continue on with the series - at last!
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Reread this in 2016 to see if I wanted to continue with the series and I don't. The friendship at the heart of this is decently built and the magic is very interesting but I thought the writing was really weak and I couldn't relate to any of the characters who aren't as developed as I would have liked. A shame :(
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Original review in 2014 :
Aw that was so good and heartwarming for some reason. The book is divided into two parts - the heroine's life as a priestess, which called to mind The Mists of Avalon, and her adventure tracking a man trying to control all of the elements. I liked that it ended up being a friendship story where Calwyn is very much part of a group in which everyone has a role to play. Her special gifts were also absolutely lovely to read about. What a hidden gem this book was, I can only hope the rest of the trilogy is as enchanting.
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Reread this in 2016 to see if I wanted to continue with the series and I don't. The friendship at the heart of this is decently built and the magic is very interesting but I thought the writing was really weak and I couldn't relate to any of the characters who aren't as developed as I would have liked. A shame :(
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Original review in 2014 :
Aw that was so good and heartwarming for some reason. The book is divided into two parts - the heroine's life as a priestess, which called to mind The Mists of Avalon, and her adventure tracking a man trying to control all of the elements. I liked that it ended up being a friendship story where Calwyn is very much part of a group in which everyone has a role to play. Her special gifts were also absolutely lovely to read about. What a hidden gem this book was, I can only hope the rest of the trilogy is as enchanting.
September 22, 2017
I listened to the audio version. It was different. As a book that contains music and centered around it, it makes sense why they included chants (that's what they sounded like to me) throughout the book. Most of the time it was a distraction because the narrator continued reading through the chanting. I had to tune out the background music/chanting so I could concentrate on the words. The male chanting was not at all pleasing either. It sounded like someone mumbling. Overall, my experience with this audio version wasn't a very good one.
The story itself was interesting. I liked Calwyn. She had some spunk. I liked all the other characters except for Darrow. I can't help but think he's got something up his sleeve. Throughout the whole book, I couldn't bring myself to trust him. Oh, and Calwyn's feelings towards him kind of grosses me out. She's 16. Darrow sounds like he could be 40. Gross much? I understand, different times, different world, different views on these things but it's still disgusting to me.
I already know I won't be continuing on with the rest of the trilogy. I'm not interested in seeing more of this world. I like that the book did not end with a cliff hanger.
The story itself was interesting. I liked Calwyn. She had some spunk. I liked all the other characters except for Darrow. I can't help but think he's got something up his sleeve. Throughout the whole book, I couldn't bring myself to trust him. Oh, and Calwyn's feelings towards him kind of grosses me out. She's 16. Darrow sounds like he could be 40. Gross much? I understand, different times, different world, different views on these things but it's still disgusting to me.
I already know I won't be continuing on with the rest of the trilogy. I'm not interested in seeing more of this world. I like that the book did not end with a cliff hanger.
April 20, 2012
I have experienced another case of "supporting characters steal the show". I did enjoy the main character, especially later in the book. The world-building and introduction played out like many a fantasy story, it seemed, which is to say I didn't mind it at all but wasn't "zomgz shocked!!" by anything revealed. I adored the writing style: very poetic and descriptive. I fall head-over for elemental/craft magic and for songs, so the combination was lovely. I enjoyed the way the romance built with a bit of subtlety--weaving threads into the plot but not Taking Over the way it so often does and without smacking me in the face with a frying pan. I was not overly fond of the main male character (involved in the romance); I found him a bit too angsty and aloof and unpredictable for my tastes, although I did appreciate the odd cute scene here and there.
But again, for me, it was all about these supporting characters that I came to love. I'm a Mica fangirl. The others, too.
But again, for me, it was all about these supporting characters that I came to love. I'm a Mica fangirl. The others, too.
July 18, 2012
Three stars for interesting and original.
But I felt like the ending lacked a lot, like... a lot. And honestly, the romance was slight and I felt I could have cared less about Darrow, and wasn't he like, ten years older or something? Early twenties I can understand, but in the beginning of the book it says he's closer to thirty, and that just made him go from 'okay' to 'creepy older man.' And I didn't like Trout, either- he was way too whiny. I also didn't like Tonno, who was annoying. There was too much bickerring throughout the but, but I did, however, like Mica's character, and Xanni's,
But I felt like the ending lacked a lot, like... a lot. And honestly, the romance was slight and I felt I could have cared less about Darrow, and wasn't he like, ten years older or something? Early twenties I can understand, but in the beginning of the book it says he's closer to thirty, and that just made him go from 'okay' to 'creepy older man.' And I didn't like Trout, either- he was way too whiny. I also didn't like Tonno, who was annoying. There was too much bickerring throughout the but, but I did, however, like Mica's character, and Xanni's,
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