The Curse on the Chosen

The Song of the Tears #2

by Ian Irvine

Beset by false friends and the weight of a world's expectations, Nish flees his father, the God-Emperor - always searching for the means to orchestrate his downfall. Nish's reluctant allies are Maelys, who believes he betrayed her family; former scrutator Xervish Flydd, now stripped of power; and Colm, whom Nish owes a favour he can never repay.

If their fragile partnership survives, they may have a chance to save themselves, and their land. The group must find a hidden tower in a barren arctic wilderness, and somehow convince the dread Numinator, who despises all humanity, to come to their aid.

And what of the different futures projected in the Pit of Possibilities? Can they, and should they, trust its portents? They have nothing to lose but their hope - a frail weapon in a war upon a god.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Audiobook

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

I'm an Australian author of 34 novels, mainly fantasy. They include the bestselling Three Worlds epic fantasy sequence, which has sold over a million print copies. It comprises The View from the Mirror quartet, The Well of Echoes quartet and The Song of the Tears trilogy. I’ve just finished The Gates of Good and Evil quartet, the long-awaited sequel to The View from the Mirror. Book 3, The Perilous Tower, was published recently and the final book, The Sapphire Portal, will be published on November 1, 2020.
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WHY I WRITE
Funny thing is, I never wanted to be a writer. From an early age my ambition was to be a scientist. I’m an expert in pollution and I’ve spent my professional life studying it in far-flung places like Mauritius, Sumatra, Mongolia, South Korea, the Philippines, Papua-New Guinea and Western Samoa, as well as all over Australia. Often scuba diving to the bottom of foul, smelly harbours and hammering tubes deep into the polluted mud to collect samples for chemical analysis. Now that’s living!

I was a small, quiet kid who devoured books from the moment I learned to read. When I was naughty, Mum wouldn’t let me read anything for a week – talk about a cruel and unusual punishment.

I discovered fantasy in the early 70’s, with The Lord of the Rings and the Earthsea trilogy, and was immediately hooked. But there wasn’t much fantasy in those days; within a couple of years I’d read everything available. I wanted more and bigger tales, on vaster canvases, but they didn’t exist. That’s why I had to become a writer – to write the kind of stories I wanted to read.

WHAT I WRITE
I’ve never wanted to write about superheroes or huge, reckless warriors who know no fear. I write epic fantasy about underdogs and ordinary people who, in pursuit of their goals, are put to the limit of human endurance. My characters aren’t fantasy stereotypes, they’re real people with believable motivations and unfortunate flaws. I’m well known for strong female characters who have as many adventures as the men, and frequently get them out of trouble (I have five sisters). My characters are often small or clumsy or inexperienced or handicapped in some way, yet they make up for it with cleverness, ingenuity or sheer, low cunning. My antagonists are real, complex people who do bad things for strong and deeply-held reasons – never ‘just because they’re evil’.

Though my characters suffer every kind of torment imaginable, at their lowest point they discover the truest form of courage – they keep fighting because the fate of the people they care for, and the world they love, depends on them never giving up.

SOME RECENT REVIEWS
"Irvine is a veteran storyteller who excels in sustaining complex plots with well-rounded characters. Here, he delivers a compelling tale of vengeance, loyalty, and the search for a place in the world." Starred review, Library Journal (US)

"That Grand Master of the vast epic is with us again! The first gripping volume of what promises to be a vintage Irvine treat. More please!" Crisetta MacLeod, Aurealis Express

"Incredibly exciting. The end will have you eagerly anticipating the next book." Good Reading (Aus)

"He knows how to spin an epic yarn and tell it with real gusto ... ambitious in scope and tirelessly action-stuffed." SFX

Reviews

[Loren Harway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Major disappointment.
Here is my review and some speculations, please tell me if you disagree or have theories.

OK. It's not my place to judge this incredible author but I found this latest book to be strangely lacking in certain places.

Positive:

This was by no means an awful book, I loved the constant references to VFtM. Especially the Nightland. Karan killed everyone? Oh my god.
The return of Rurr-Shyve-no matter how briefly.
Maelys and Nish seem to be warming to one another.
Maelys and Colm virtually despise each other (yay).
Phrune and Vivimord are 'dead'. It's a shame they'll come back and kill Maelys but at least they're not involved in the plot presently.
The return of Yggur, Flangers, Chissmoul and Klarm, even if some of them are traitorous scum.
The Faellem may still be around.
Nish's hero status begins to return, even if it's only because people finally recognise it.
It was good to see Jal-Nish get his face kicked in a little at the beginning.
Numinator related questions are finally answered!
I loved the whole Quartine idea.
But I was dissapointed at how weak the Numinator was. I know it's only Maigraith but-relying on Yggur? I thought she was meant to be a major power? Even as a diminished semi-god (as we are led to believe) I expected her to seem more dominating-rather than an insane emotional blonde (no chauvinism intended). It was great to see Gilhaelith being tied in to the whole Quartine plan.
So Triune are immortal? Would Karan have been if she hadn't killed herself?

Negative:

I mean, the whole business with the escape from Thuntunnimoe went on for too long and there was a lot of justifying random results from the flames. I found it hard to visualise such a vast network of labyrinthine tunnels which we did not know to be there.
Where the hell is Tiaan? She was the main character of WoE and she MUST appear in Destiny of the Dead. Malien would also be appreciated.
I expect a certain standard from fantasy writers: there's logical magic and magicmagic. It was upsetting to see Irvine drifting towards the latter.
The flames got steadily more cringeworthy as their range of abilities grew and 'The Woman In Red' made Flydd justify way too many random decisions.
The Stilkeen? Ugh. That's a horrible idea. The ending looked to be good until that plotline (quite literally) reared its ugly head.
We don't need another 'God' to deal with and the Chthonic flame plotline needs to die-it's too unpredictable
Nish was almost a minor character in this one. Completely separated from the main interest of the book, he sort of wanders around Gendrigore with an almost filler-like air. I wasn't convinced that his presence there was necessary.
Wing-Ray? We don't need more awful names. Loop listener almost killed me.
The Mimemule. An interesting idea. But all we know is that it mimics things. Who needs the antithesis when you can mimic, I don't know, The Tears?!

Hopefully Destiny of the Dead will tie everything together. What are the chances of another trilogy turned quartet you think?

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A definite step up from the first one - characters no longer seemingly struck by minutes long indecision at times when they apparently have 30 seconds in which to act. And a lot fewer curve balls when things are seemingly won. Certainly lots of setbacks and problems encountered, but they don't tend to come from nowhere. I liken it somewhat to a hurdle race - for this book, they are clearing hurdles, but it is clear there are more hurdles to come. For the first book in this series, it seemed more like they had crossed the finish line, then something would come out of nowhere.
The cast of characters increases in this book as well, which is welcome as some of the new ones are entertaining reads, and allows for a bit more variety of interactions too. Overall, a good read, not quite at his best, but certainly closer.

[Scott Belisle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I made the observation with the first book that after waiting for so long to read these, there was almost no way it was going to hold up to my expectations. Action sequences are overlong, repetitive, and characters don't go through much meaningful growth. It seems like characters learn and unlearn and relearn facts and details and mechanics of the world within the span of pages. Plot-lines are revealed and wrapped up and never feel like they make a significant impact.

I'm going to take a break between this and Destiny of the Dead so I don't completely burn out, but this feels like a lot of Irvine's worst impulses amplified. Some of the problems I have here definitely existed within the two previous quartets, but not quite to this level.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it better than the first one of this series. Also like how aspects of the first and second series come into play here. Curious about book 3.

[Mrs Caroline Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in two parts, the middle section gets tiring with all the running. The last chapter was good tho so I am glad I returnedto it eventually. Its very long!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this series on and off for so long that they feel like a part of me. The worry with a a series that encompasses 12 books, this one being the 11th, is that eventually you get bored because of predictabilty (not so here)or the style changes for the worst (not so here). I read this book whilst travelling the world recently and in those moments when bus travellors were lulled into droopy neck sleepiness I snuck out this book for a few precious moments of illicit reading. I loved every darn page of it and Mr Irvine knows a bit about unexpected twists and making his characters suffer for the common good. He is a master at making you believe in his oh so flawed characters/accidental heroes. The concept of a 3 world senario is believable, his characters and use of fantasy mesh well together and I cant wait to read the final installment.

[Mateen Ar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much alike the first book of the series, the adventure is great, I would say that I preferred the character development in the first book better, but overall I approve of the story. There was one major flaw which I encountered in this book and not the last however, and that was that I could not sometimes reach the same conclusions that the characters would reach, conclusions which would seem obvious to them. Lastly, some of the descriptions of the landscape were flawed; as I could not exactly picture what I was reading in my head, or what I would picture in my head would turn out to be totally wrong, as proven by later descriptions in the story.

[Alex Boon · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are infuriating but I'm kind of acclimatised to that by now having read The Well of Echoes quartet first. Thing is, I felt I was missing something having not read the View from the Mirror as well. I'm not sure but I think I missed out on some big reveals because of that. The end of this book was definitely an anticlimax despite the awesomeness if the situation. There's some strong characters and epic world building though and so I'll see it through and perhaps even read the View from the Mirror in retrospect to see what it was I think I've missed.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Begins with the enduring misery of the first novel, but definitely improves as the book progresses. The characters become more integrated and the magic is impressive, as are the battles. Some important questions from the last series are finally answered - thought with less ceremony than I would have expected or desired. The haphazard events are in some ways difficult to follow, but the book is still an enjoyable fantasy read.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book to find out what happens to the characthers in it, however having read this book i sitll dont really know and i think i am going to have to give up on them because the books where not really gripping enough for my attention. Although it was well written, i fear it just cannot compete with game of thrones and other books in its genre.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again to took awhile to get into this book but soon found it a complete page turner though don't think this book is for the faint hearted. Couldn't wait to finish it so I could read the last in the series

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first book of this trilogy, but still loads of hastily explained-away silly moments. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I found it amusing that the only way to get the major plot points across was to have characters give epically long dramatic monologues at weirdly inappropriate moments.

[Swiftsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seeing as how I could put this book down, forget about it and never have the intention to pick up the book again, it is evident that Ian Irvine's writing is just not for me. Ironically, he's a facebook friend... D: Ah, strange.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay. i joined thise series at well of echoes, though reading this book made me wish i had gone back and read the mirror quartet as it transpires some characters from there make their return in "the curse on the chosen' overall pretty good, never brilliant but never dull either!

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ian Irvine is back on form with epic battles of magic and a few old friends.

[Alycia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on the series about a third of the way through this book. I loved the previous series but I can't stand the characters or the plot, I got bored and angry, not a good combination.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting to tire I think. Some patchy editing. Still a decent read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the finale!

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

As miserable as the first one, which makes it hard to like but it finally picks up in the last quarter, which I read in two evenings, compared to the 3 weeks it took me to read the first 3/4 !

[Alec · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might go back to this later, but I got fed up with the deeply implausibility of some of the plot lines.

Nothing spoils a story like breaking the suspension of disbelief.

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

its okay tho wish i had read the origainal series to be more familiar with the revived characters