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Night-Threads #1
The Calling of the Three
The world of Zelharri, where magic reigns supreme, begins a chaotic existence after the death of the Duke. To usurp the throne and prevent theDukes son, Aletto, from taking his rightful place, the Dukes bother, Jadek, marries his widow and exercises enormous power of Zelharri. Fearingthat all the good in Zelharri will be unraveled, Aletto and his sister, Lialla, summon allies to aid them. In this bewitching fantasy novel, threeCalifornians are recruited into helping Aletto assume his royal position as Duke of Zelharri. The workaholic lawyer Jennifer, her irresponsible sister Robyn, and Robyns flippant son Chris must harness the mighty power of the Night-Threads to combat the sinister Jadek. The only problem is that they have no faith in this awesome power.
232 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 1990
15 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Ru Emerson
53 books52 followersaka Roberta Cray
Ru Emerson was born on December 15th, 1944 in Montana. She and her husband, Doug, live in Oregon with their only child, a silver mackerel tabby cat named Roberta. She likes to lift weights, run, bike, skate in-line, ski, play basketball, tennis, racquetball, garden, play guitar, scuba dive, and fly stunt kites. Her favorite reading material includes Megan Lindholm, science fiction by Larry Niven, murder mysteries by Patricia Cornwell, plus any other good historical non-fiction.
Ru Emerson was born on December 15th, 1944 in Montana. She and her husband, Doug, live in Oregon with their only child, a silver mackerel tabby cat named Roberta. She likes to lift weights, run, bike, skate in-line, ski, play basketball, tennis, racquetball, garden, play guitar, scuba dive, and fly stunt kites. Her favorite reading material includes Megan Lindholm, science fiction by Larry Niven, murder mysteries by Patricia Cornwell, plus any other good historical non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 13, 2017
Interesting. Happily Birdy was actually useful by the end of the book (she was starting to annoy).
June 25, 2019
Fantasy. Three Americans end up in an alternate world that is sort of medieval and where magic exists. That part is cliche, but the magic system is new. I read the first three books more than once, as paperbacks from the library years ago. Just got the ebook edition.
Characterization is good and varied. Having a lawyer as a character that isn't a sleazeball is interesting too.
Worth reading, but the first book is a cliff hanger so on to the second!
Characterization is good and varied. Having a lawyer as a character that isn't a sleazeball is interesting too.
Worth reading, but the first book is a cliff hanger so on to the second!
July 22, 2019
I read this book years ago, and it always stuck with me. At the time I flew through the series, but the last 2 books had not been published and I waited patiently for them. Life has a way of making you forget, and for years I didn't think of the series anymore. Now that I know there is a proper conclusion to the series that I somehow missed, I intend to finish it. First book is absolutely a winner and will pull you in hard and fast.
December 31, 2014
In Rhadaz, the death of a Duke has placed his two children in the keeping of their uncle, a man more concerned with neatly sweeping away the last obstacles to his power than ruling well. Aware of their own precarious situation, Aletto and Lialla escape, but the help they summon is not what either of them expected: three people from Earth. Jennifer, an overworked junior lawyer, her free-spirited sister Robyn, and Robyn's teenage son Chris suddenly find themselves in a strange place where magic exists and has chosen them to join this fight. And it will be a fight just to survive.
One thing this book does extremely well is character. The opening history lesson (on both sides) sets the stage well; after that initial info dump the book dives right into the characters and never lets up. Lialla and Jennifer are both self-motivated, driven women---and they drive each other nuts as much as work together. Robyn's pacifism is somewhat more than skin-deep, but she's not the poster flower child she tries to be. Chris, in a refreshing change of pace, has a lot of care and concern for his mother, as erratic as she is. Aletto's disability could define him, but his stubborn spirit slowly gets a chance to shine.
I liked that the relationship between the two groups, although workable, is quite a rocky road. The personality conflicts drive a lot of tension even when the journey could be dull. And there's still plenty of action, and a fair amount of magic.
On the downside, this clearly is a first book for a series: a little gets wrapped up, but not much, and for a certain character a rather nasty cliffhanger ensues. Hope renewed, the journey presses on---but after all that it would have been nice to get a little more accomplished. Although well written, the book didn't particularly stand out to me, although perhaps continuing in the series would improve the plot. I rate this book Neutral.
One thing this book does extremely well is character. The opening history lesson (on both sides) sets the stage well; after that initial info dump the book dives right into the characters and never lets up. Lialla and Jennifer are both self-motivated, driven women---and they drive each other nuts as much as work together. Robyn's pacifism is somewhat more than skin-deep, but she's not the poster flower child she tries to be. Chris, in a refreshing change of pace, has a lot of care and concern for his mother, as erratic as she is. Aletto's disability could define him, but his stubborn spirit slowly gets a chance to shine.
I liked that the relationship between the two groups, although workable, is quite a rocky road. The personality conflicts drive a lot of tension even when the journey could be dull. And there's still plenty of action, and a fair amount of magic.
On the downside, this clearly is a first book for a series: a little gets wrapped up, but not much, and for a certain character a rather nasty cliffhanger ensues. Hope renewed, the journey presses on---but after all that it would have been nice to get a little more accomplished. Although well written, the book didn't particularly stand out to me, although perhaps continuing in the series would improve the plot. I rate this book Neutral.
September 20, 2014
So I won't lie, this is a book that I've actually read before but more recently got to thinking about. And so I hunted it down as I was trying to recall the title and discovered the names of the first three all over again only to find there were three more books to the series! So I promptly set about learning the cheapest way to obtain all of these books (thank you Amazon) and started down the path of rereading the first three before I decided to dive into books 4, 5, and 6.
And I have to say that there is something very cool about this series. It isn't one that most people have heard of which I think is kind of a pity because it's definitely fun. Without spoiling too much, you have two nobles trying to get back their throne from their evil uncle (cliche) and the magical instructor of the sister calls help for them only for that help to end up being three people from our world. They're straight out of the eighties, these two families collide as they try to set things right.
The characters are unconventional and the story has a few twists that you wouldn't expect which is something that I really appreciate about it. Sure you can see it as typical fantasy, but there's something more to it. Something that I can't quite describe. I could try, but really, I find it hard to think of the words. It's one of those things where you have to read it. And I definitely recommend it. A beautiful blend of epic high fantasy and contemporary adventure, Ru Emerson built a story that I feel is timeless and unique.
And I have to say that there is something very cool about this series. It isn't one that most people have heard of which I think is kind of a pity because it's definitely fun. Without spoiling too much, you have two nobles trying to get back their throne from their evil uncle (cliche) and the magical instructor of the sister calls help for them only for that help to end up being three people from our world. They're straight out of the eighties, these two families collide as they try to set things right.
The characters are unconventional and the story has a few twists that you wouldn't expect which is something that I really appreciate about it. Sure you can see it as typical fantasy, but there's something more to it. Something that I can't quite describe. I could try, but really, I find it hard to think of the words. It's one of those things where you have to read it. And I definitely recommend it. A beautiful blend of epic high fantasy and contemporary adventure, Ru Emerson built a story that I feel is timeless and unique.
September 28, 2020
Loved this. Lost this trilogy years ago & only just found it in Amazon. I binged reading them.
I'd forgotten how engaging the characters are & how well Ru Emerson writes.
The pace of the books is good & the magic is original & different.
Well worth reading
I'd forgotten how engaging the characters are & how well Ru Emerson writes.
The pace of the books is good & the magic is original & different.
Well worth reading
April 25, 2020
It took me a little longer to get into than I expected. And very much written in the 1980s, but I did get very into it. I read this book as a teen in the 80s and it was one of my favorites.
September 3, 2020
Despite some awkward/unrealistic character actions and dialogue, this is a worthy addition to the fantasy genre with a refreshing take on magic.
April 15, 2022
Classic
Fantasy magic parallel world
Fight the usurper and restore the rightful duke. Dump three Americans into the hot mix and let them flounder from lack of knowledge with the single goal of protecting the heir and his sister.
Emerson is a decent writer, and I really liked her "Princess of Flames," which is still not available in ebook form. I own the Night Threads series in paperback, a because I had the great fortune of living nearby, I managed to get the autographed. The series is the usual setup, but what drew me in was the mention three schools of magic, and bit by bit, we learn about Night Thread magic, used by the Duke's sister, mother, and teacher and Jennifer's desperate attempt to learn more because all their lives are on the line.
It's a bit slower paced, and because it was written over 35 years ago and SF fans aside, the idea of parallel worlds was relatively unknown yet.
Storywise, the age of majority for nobles was much older than circumstances warranted; traditional majority was sixteen for boys in some European countries, with others being eighteen. It's possible this much older requirement was added to make the age difference between the heir and Robyn less of an issue; relationships with MILFs were still somewhat shocking in that time period, and an age difference of ten years was easier to accept than twenty. It's still scandalous in rural areas, especially when the male is the younger party, but it's not an issue among urban or city dwellers.
Another story issue was the size of the entire kingdom being on the small side for all the varied terrain of Rhadaz, but that's just me.
But both the book and the series is ultimately rewarding, and there are some surprises. What I did notice right away, however, was the absence of the map the author had made to go with series; it should have been included. There were a few errors in the digital transfer absent in the books, but those were few. Recommended, even without the map.
Fantasy magic parallel world
Fight the usurper and restore the rightful duke. Dump three Americans into the hot mix and let them flounder from lack of knowledge with the single goal of protecting the heir and his sister.
Emerson is a decent writer, and I really liked her "Princess of Flames," which is still not available in ebook form. I own the Night Threads series in paperback, a because I had the great fortune of living nearby, I managed to get the autographed. The series is the usual setup, but what drew me in was the mention three schools of magic, and bit by bit, we learn about Night Thread magic, used by the Duke's sister, mother, and teacher and Jennifer's desperate attempt to learn more because all their lives are on the line.
It's a bit slower paced, and because it was written over 35 years ago and SF fans aside, the idea of parallel worlds was relatively unknown yet.
Storywise, the age of majority for nobles was much older than circumstances warranted; traditional majority was sixteen for boys in some European countries, with others being eighteen. It's possible this much older requirement was added to make the age difference between the heir and Robyn less of an issue; relationships with MILFs were still somewhat shocking in that time period, and an age difference of ten years was easier to accept than twenty. It's still scandalous in rural areas, especially when the male is the younger party, but it's not an issue among urban or city dwellers.
Another story issue was the size of the entire kingdom being on the small side for all the varied terrain of Rhadaz, but that's just me.
But both the book and the series is ultimately rewarding, and there are some surprises. What I did notice right away, however, was the absence of the map the author had made to go with series; it should have been included. There were a few errors in the digital transfer absent in the books, but those were few. Recommended, even without the map.
July 29, 2024
Jennifer is working her butt off to become partner at a law firm. Unfortunately for her career, she goes for a day trip with her hippie sister Robyn and her video-gamer nephew Chris and their car gets transported to another world. Sorry, Jenn.
They've been brought to this world somewhat unintentionally (the Threads chose them to help, but the person who wove the magic didn't), to help the son and daughter of the local duke. Sorry, the former local duke, because he died when the kids were young and his brother Jadek kindly takes over his widow and his duchy. Although Aletto is 3 years past the age when he should have been made duke (25), Jadek has made one excuse after another to keep his power, and Aletto and his sister Lialla run away in order to seek supporters of their father. And hopefully grow some spines. They'd probably be totally doomed, but Jenn turns out to be a magician proficient in Threads (sad that they only work at night!), Robyn helps Aletto control his temper, and Chris likes maps. Ok, I'm sure they'll be useful at some point.
I was drawn in to the plot. I like the concept of the Night-Threads, and of the manmade magic of Hell-Light. The stuff about the duke is kind of like well seen it before but a totally acceptable setting.
I was not hot on the characters. Chris was almost likable, Jenn was ok, and everyone else was annoying. The duke's kids are really pathetic and act like pre-teens, despite being in their late 20s. It was like a coming-of-age but with adults who hadn't grown up yet. The yelling matches between Lialla and Jenn were insufferable. I think I hate the dialog more than the characters themselves.
I gave it a really good shot but I finally realized I was bored to tears. So I skimmed the last third of the book. It seems to have promise I just ... couldn't stand it anymore. (Especially as I realized the first book wasn't going to conclude anything.)
They've been brought to this world somewhat unintentionally (the Threads chose them to help, but the person who wove the magic didn't), to help the son and daughter of the local duke. Sorry, the former local duke, because he died when the kids were young and his brother Jadek kindly takes over his widow and his duchy. Although Aletto is 3 years past the age when he should have been made duke (25), Jadek has made one excuse after another to keep his power, and Aletto and his sister Lialla run away in order to seek supporters of their father. And hopefully grow some spines. They'd probably be totally doomed, but Jenn turns out to be a magician proficient in Threads (sad that they only work at night!), Robyn helps Aletto control his temper, and Chris likes maps. Ok, I'm sure they'll be useful at some point.
I was drawn in to the plot. I like the concept of the Night-Threads, and of the manmade magic of Hell-Light. The stuff about the duke is kind of like well seen it before but a totally acceptable setting.
I was not hot on the characters. Chris was almost likable, Jenn was ok, and everyone else was annoying. The duke's kids are really pathetic and act like pre-teens, despite being in their late 20s. It was like a coming-of-age but with adults who hadn't grown up yet. The yelling matches between Lialla and Jenn were insufferable. I think I hate the dialog more than the characters themselves.
I gave it a really good shot but I finally realized I was bored to tears. So I skimmed the last third of the book. It seems to have promise I just ... couldn't stand it anymore. (Especially as I realized the first book wasn't going to conclude anything.)
April 16, 2019
did not finish - totally dumb. I can't suspend disbelief enough to make this audio book make sense and the narration just made things worse. Nuf said
July 2, 2024
Three modern day heroes enter a world of magic to help a would-be Duke take his rightful throne. Wonderfully written. Great characters and an interesting plot that keeps you reading.
September 21, 2014
I made it about 2/3 through this book and quit. Slow, slow, slow. Three people from modern America are magically pulled into a parallel world--where magic is real, of course. They have serious issues--a workaholic lawyer, her older addict sister and the teenage son of the older sister. They're called to help the son and daughter of a duke who are on the run from their usurping uncle.
Rather than move the plot forward, pages and pages are spent on their fears, arguments, and travel through the desert. At 2/3 of the book, they've made it to the next city and our heroine from America who has great magical talent has leaned to see the magic--that's all that had happened after a couple hundred pages.
I tried to finish, but eventually saw this wasn't a slow intro, it's a slow book. To top it off, they were all pretty whiny characters. I understood why--there was plenty of exposition and backstory--but it still wasn't fun to spend so much time with five whiny people slowly traveling.
Rather than move the plot forward, pages and pages are spent on their fears, arguments, and travel through the desert. At 2/3 of the book, they've made it to the next city and our heroine from America who has great magical talent has leaned to see the magic--that's all that had happened after a couple hundred pages.
I tried to finish, but eventually saw this wasn't a slow intro, it's a slow book. To top it off, they were all pretty whiny characters. I understood why--there was plenty of exposition and backstory--but it still wasn't fun to spend so much time with five whiny people slowly traveling.
May 8, 2011
I read this book back when it first came out and really liked it, but it waspart of a series and I didn't find the sequels until now. I re-read it and liked it just as much. The fantasy of being transported to another world where you have magical abilities appeals to me and the characters are varied and interesting. The voice and perspective of the ain character make it seem like you are discovering the world and the magic with a friend.
March 13, 2025
The first of the Night-threads series, and first in a trilogy. I enjoyed it, as it has this old-school vibe around it, while not trying to be a pure medieval fantasy book. It introduces an interesting magic system that I look forward to learn more about. It succeeds at putting you in the shoes of the protagonists, as it doesn´t give you more information than they have.
March 19, 2008
Hard to find series. Fantasy and time travel involved, but a lovely romance too. Clean and different plot--you won't predict the ending.
December 4, 2014
Good enough
Took a while to get going,but finally the characters started to fill out and I am interested enough to buy the next.
Took a while to get going,but finally the characters started to fill out and I am interested enough to buy the next.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews