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Fortress #1
Fortress in the Eye of Time
Deep in an abandoned, shattered castle, an old man of the Old Magic muttered almost forgotten words. His purpose -- to create out of the insubstance of the air, from a shimmering of light and a fluttering of shadows. that most wonderous of spells, a Shaping . A Shaping in the form of a young man who will be sent east on the road the old was to old to travel. To right the wrongs of a long-forgotten wizard war, and call new wars into being. Here is the long-awaited major new novel from one of the brightest stars in the fantasy and science fiction firmament. C.J.Cherryh's haunting story of the wizard Mauryl, kingmaker for a thousand years of Men, and Tristen, fated to sow distrust between a prince and his father being. A tale as deep as legend and as intimate as love, it tells of a battle beyond Time, in which all Destiny turns on the wheel of an old man's ambition, a young man's innocence, and the unkept promised of a king to come.
Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
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About the author
C.J. Cherryh
292 books3,545 followersCurrently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
October 24, 2010
Although I love many books, there are few books I can read and reread and never, ever grow tired of them. This is one. It is unique, as exceptionally detailed and "alive" as any other Cherryh book, but it has a special place in my heart although I own each and everyone of her works I can find.
For those who love historical fantasy of a type, epic fantasy, this is spectacular but not in an explosive way, but in the way where you love each and every character presented, good or evil, because they are so well-thought out and realized. You can see them vividly in your imagination.
For me also, this is a beautiful example of what I tried to imbue my own writing with: examples of relationships between a man and another man where they truly love each other for who they are, without it having to be sexual or erotic. Tristan, the character you will meet if you begin in this book and continue in the series, is one who is ultimately terrifying for his power even though you love him as an example of what is the best in a pure soul which is honest and true.
An outstanding series in every way for those of us who love fantasy on a grand and world building scale.
For the full reviews and notes on the series, please visit my review/interview site Flying With Red Haircrow.
For those who love historical fantasy of a type, epic fantasy, this is spectacular but not in an explosive way, but in the way where you love each and every character presented, good or evil, because they are so well-thought out and realized. You can see them vividly in your imagination.
For me also, this is a beautiful example of what I tried to imbue my own writing with: examples of relationships between a man and another man where they truly love each other for who they are, without it having to be sexual or erotic. Tristan, the character you will meet if you begin in this book and continue in the series, is one who is ultimately terrifying for his power even though you love him as an example of what is the best in a pure soul which is honest and true.
An outstanding series in every way for those of us who love fantasy on a grand and world building scale.
For the full reviews and notes on the series, please visit my review/interview site Flying With Red Haircrow.
August 10, 2011
This is my first venture into C.J. Cherryh's fantasy, and it's been a very happy occurrence, indeed.
I was warned that the beginning takes a while to get into, but I didn't find it that way at all. We are introduced to two main characters primarily through their thought processes. While nothing is explained, everything is laid out with such intriguing hints of what's going on that I couldn't stop reading. Beautifully written, almost totally original (at least to my limited knowledge of fantasy), we are drawn into the world of Tristen, an innocent, born of a 'shaping' by the wizard Mauryl. The world as seen through Tristen's eyes is a marvelous place. Cherryh had to practically make herself born again to write this, I would think. The action never drags, things unfold, Tristen is forced to leave the tower where he was 'shaped' and venture into the world where he finds a kingdom in peril, a prince who becomes his friend, and gradually, he finds himself.
While the book comes to a gratifying ending, I have to immediately start the next.
First sentence: "It's name had been Galasien once, a city of broad streets and thriving markets, of docks crowded with bright-sailed river craft."
Last sentence: "...but he thought that he would sit down on the rocks near the road, and wait, and see what the world of Men was about to be."
I was warned that the beginning takes a while to get into, but I didn't find it that way at all. We are introduced to two main characters primarily through their thought processes. While nothing is explained, everything is laid out with such intriguing hints of what's going on that I couldn't stop reading. Beautifully written, almost totally original (at least to my limited knowledge of fantasy), we are drawn into the world of Tristen, an innocent, born of a 'shaping' by the wizard Mauryl. The world as seen through Tristen's eyes is a marvelous place. Cherryh had to practically make herself born again to write this, I would think. The action never drags, things unfold, Tristen is forced to leave the tower where he was 'shaped' and venture into the world where he finds a kingdom in peril, a prince who becomes his friend, and gradually, he finds himself.
While the book comes to a gratifying ending, I have to immediately start the next.
First sentence: "It's name had been Galasien once, a city of broad streets and thriving markets, of docks crowded with bright-sailed river craft."
Last sentence: "...but he thought that he would sit down on the rocks near the road, and wait, and see what the world of Men was about to be."
June 2, 2020
This book has been on my TBR since I joined Goodreads. It's taken me five years to get to it, because Downbelow Station shoved its way to the front of the line and the rest of the Alliance/Union books followed. Frankly... I haven't read much in the way of medieval fantasy since high school, perpetually disappointed as I was with poor attempts to recreate Tolkien, etc. But eventually I told myself I'd have to read this or ignore it forever, and it turns out it's one of those perfect-timing books.
It opens with a Shaping. The wizard Mauryl Gestaurian has seen ages rise and fall, and now he stretches forth his hand once again, calling into existence a young man who he names "Tristen." Tristen comes into being fully formed, but naive, completely innocent of all things, and already bearing the weight of destiny on his future.
You yawning yet? Bear with me. From these slow and not-atypical beginnings, Cherryh spins and weaves a novel much larger than the simple Hero's tale I was assuming. For starters, Tristen is not the only protagonist. There's also Cefwyn, crown prince of Ylesuin, who's struggling to keep local tensions from boiling over while also preventing war with the kingdom next door. So there's politics, and magic, and no shortage of wit. (Cefwyn is hilarious, if you enjoy dry humor.) There's something almost Shakespearean about the whole thing, and once I was into it I couldn't help but read more, and more, and then some more after that (it's not a short book).
For the writing itself: like the plot, it starts slowly, with ornamental prose describing seemingly-trivial details and not much in the way of context to latch on to. And yet... and yet...
In all the details, in all the deliberately-aged prose, I found myself enchanted. Transported a world away from where I sat, spun along by a story that held my complete attention. I fell in love with the characters and their qualities: Tristen's wide-eyed innocence; Cefwyn's wit; Idrys' suspicion and skepticism; Uwen's practical loyalty... these are characters that breathe, and their world is as lively as they.
Also, Cherryh very obviously knows things about horses, and armor, and medieval combat, and supply lines, and all of that just enriches the book more.
This, friends, is the Good Stuff™ of high/medieval fantasy, and something I sorely missed. 5*
...now and forever remember: you are flesh as well as wishes, body as well as spirit, and whenever you let one fly without the other, then look to suffer for it.
It opens with a Shaping. The wizard Mauryl Gestaurian has seen ages rise and fall, and now he stretches forth his hand once again, calling into existence a young man who he names "Tristen." Tristen comes into being fully formed, but naive, completely innocent of all things, and already bearing the weight of destiny on his future.
You yawning yet? Bear with me. From these slow and not-atypical beginnings, Cherryh spins and weaves a novel much larger than the simple Hero's tale I was assuming. For starters, Tristen is not the only protagonist. There's also Cefwyn, crown prince of Ylesuin, who's struggling to keep local tensions from boiling over while also preventing war with the kingdom next door. So there's politics, and magic, and no shortage of wit. (Cefwyn is hilarious, if you enjoy dry humor.) There's something almost Shakespearean about the whole thing, and once I was into it I couldn't help but read more, and more, and then some more after that (it's not a short book).
For the writing itself: like the plot, it starts slowly, with ornamental prose describing seemingly-trivial details and not much in the way of context to latch on to. And yet... and yet...
In all the details, in all the deliberately-aged prose, I found myself enchanted. Transported a world away from where I sat, spun along by a story that held my complete attention. I fell in love with the characters and their qualities: Tristen's wide-eyed innocence; Cefwyn's wit; Idrys' suspicion and skepticism; Uwen's practical loyalty... these are characters that breathe, and their world is as lively as they.
Also, Cherryh very obviously knows things about horses, and armor, and medieval combat, and supply lines, and all of that just enriches the book more.
This, friends, is the Good Stuff™ of high/medieval fantasy, and something I sorely missed. 5*
October 12, 2023
While Cherryh is largely known for her space operas, some of her first books were fantasy and she returned to that genre with Fortress in the Eye of Time in 1996; the first book in an epic fantasy series. Like most of Cherryh's work, do not expect an action-packed adventure here, but rather an immersion into deep politics, character nuance, and creative world building building to a rather explosive climax.
Our lead, one Tristen, is called a 'shaping'. The world where this takes place once had mighty wizards which lead vast empires but those days are long gone. When the story starts, there is only one powerful wizard left, Mauryl, and he is ancient, having lived through the times of yore. Something, however, has been challenging him and it is growing stronger. We learn later that it is the spirit of a former student, also a powerful wizard, but one that took the dark side. In any case, Mauryl 'summoned' Tristen-- basically brought another soul back from the dead into a new body.
Tristen starts the book innocent as a newborn babe, having no knowledge of his 'past' soul. He seems to have skills he discovers, like the ability to read and write, and other skills come to him as the book progresses, but still, he has no life experience. Mauryl acts something like a tutor for some time, but Tristen would rather play with the birds and mice at the top of the tower in the ancient keep they reside in, or watch butterflies. Mauryl keeps warning him to stay inside when it gets dark and 'shadows' and unnatural winds beset the keep. One day, something (e.g., Mauryl's former student in spirit form) finally breaches the keep's magical defenses and Tristen just barely escapes.
Not knowing what to do, Tristen sets off on the ancient road that leads from the keep. Eventually, he comes to a city on the road, which happens to be the capital of the region. Long story short, he manages to gain an audience with the prince there, a prince whose father rules the latest human empire of the region. The prince, Cefwyn, does not know what to make of Tristen, but his advisor, one Emuin, was also a student at one tome of Mauryl, and suspects Tristen to be a Shaping. But a shaping of who? Who did Mauryl bring back and why? So many mysteries!
Fortress unfolds nicely as we follow Tristen's path of self discovery. Cherryh builds, as usual, an amazing world here, albeit one fairly 'standard' for the high fantasy genre. Rival empires, deep political intrigue, lost magics bubbling to the surface and Tristen, the naïve waif, stuck right in the middle. At close to 600 pages of small font in my hardcover edition, this is a doorstop for sure. Yet, Cherryh paces the novel well as the mysteries slowly unfold and Tristen gradually discovers more and more about himself. Nice stuff from Cherryh here, and if you have never read her fantasy works, this would be a good place to start. 4 stars!!
Our lead, one Tristen, is called a 'shaping'. The world where this takes place once had mighty wizards which lead vast empires but those days are long gone. When the story starts, there is only one powerful wizard left, Mauryl, and he is ancient, having lived through the times of yore. Something, however, has been challenging him and it is growing stronger. We learn later that it is the spirit of a former student, also a powerful wizard, but one that took the dark side. In any case, Mauryl 'summoned' Tristen-- basically brought another soul back from the dead into a new body.
Tristen starts the book innocent as a newborn babe, having no knowledge of his 'past' soul. He seems to have skills he discovers, like the ability to read and write, and other skills come to him as the book progresses, but still, he has no life experience. Mauryl acts something like a tutor for some time, but Tristen would rather play with the birds and mice at the top of the tower in the ancient keep they reside in, or watch butterflies. Mauryl keeps warning him to stay inside when it gets dark and 'shadows' and unnatural winds beset the keep. One day, something (e.g., Mauryl's former student in spirit form) finally breaches the keep's magical defenses and Tristen just barely escapes.
Not knowing what to do, Tristen sets off on the ancient road that leads from the keep. Eventually, he comes to a city on the road, which happens to be the capital of the region. Long story short, he manages to gain an audience with the prince there, a prince whose father rules the latest human empire of the region. The prince, Cefwyn, does not know what to make of Tristen, but his advisor, one Emuin, was also a student at one tome of Mauryl, and suspects Tristen to be a Shaping. But a shaping of who? Who did Mauryl bring back and why? So many mysteries!
Fortress unfolds nicely as we follow Tristen's path of self discovery. Cherryh builds, as usual, an amazing world here, albeit one fairly 'standard' for the high fantasy genre. Rival empires, deep political intrigue, lost magics bubbling to the surface and Tristen, the naïve waif, stuck right in the middle. At close to 600 pages of small font in my hardcover edition, this is a doorstop for sure. Yet, Cherryh paces the novel well as the mysteries slowly unfold and Tristen gradually discovers more and more about himself. Nice stuff from Cherryh here, and if you have never read her fantasy works, this would be a good place to start. 4 stars!!
January 17, 2023
In the nearly ruined citadel of Ynefel, the wizard Mauryl performs a great Shaping as his last great work. That Shaping results in a young man, Tristen, an innocent without the lifetime of memories and power that Mauryl intended. After a time spent learning at Ynefel, Tristen is forced to depart when Mauryl's shadowy enemy comes to the citadel and defeats him.
The border province of Amefel is hosting the crown prince Cefwyn Marhanen who struggles against a never-ending tide of assassins and an inadequate allocation of his own Guelen troops. The Duke of Amefel is a dangerously cunning man who's acting against Cefwyn, but the prince struggles to prove it, particularly in relation to his father the king because their relationship is strained. In the middle of this political intrigue arrives Tristen, clearly something more than human and perhaps the returned king of sihhe, a people who Cefwyn's grandfather wiped out.
The contrast of the innocent Tristen with the worldly Cefwyn works brilliantly, particularly as they evolve throughout the book. Tristen as he regains skills and echoes of his former life, and as he grows in wisdom and power due to his repeated clashes with Mauryl's enemy. Cefwyn as he comes to trust in Tristen and his innocent wisdom, and as his political situation evolves through the treachery of the Duke of Amefel and the worldly influence of Mauryl's enemy. But neither are simple characters, and Cefwyn's calculated political steps are contrasted with his impulsive attraction to the heir of a neighbouring kingdom. But this is a huge book, and all of that barely scratches the surface of the detailed world and politics that Cherryh has built here.
This is a reread for me, but it's a reread after over 20 years, so I was ready for it not to hold up as well as when I was a less critical reader. If anything, I think I liked it better on the reread. Cherryh's background with horses comes through wonderfully, and here research into medieval soldiery and fortifications is all on the page.
Still highly recommended.
The border province of Amefel is hosting the crown prince Cefwyn Marhanen who struggles against a never-ending tide of assassins and an inadequate allocation of his own Guelen troops. The Duke of Amefel is a dangerously cunning man who's acting against Cefwyn, but the prince struggles to prove it, particularly in relation to his father the king because their relationship is strained. In the middle of this political intrigue arrives Tristen, clearly something more than human and perhaps the returned king of sihhe, a people who Cefwyn's grandfather wiped out.
The contrast of the innocent Tristen with the worldly Cefwyn works brilliantly, particularly as they evolve throughout the book. Tristen as he regains skills and echoes of his former life, and as he grows in wisdom and power due to his repeated clashes with Mauryl's enemy. Cefwyn as he comes to trust in Tristen and his innocent wisdom, and as his political situation evolves through the treachery of the Duke of Amefel and the worldly influence of Mauryl's enemy. But neither are simple characters, and Cefwyn's calculated political steps are contrasted with his impulsive attraction to the heir of a neighbouring kingdom. But this is a huge book, and all of that barely scratches the surface of the detailed world and politics that Cherryh has built here.
This is a reread for me, but it's a reread after over 20 years, so I was ready for it not to hold up as well as when I was a less critical reader. If anything, I think I liked it better on the reread. Cherryh's background with horses comes through wonderfully, and here research into medieval soldiery and fortifications is all on the page.
Still highly recommended.
January 14, 2019
This was a tough one. Incoherent opening (only partly appropriate to what was going on), but once Cherryh got his gait, the story flowed.
The focus is on a Shaping (you'll have to read the book to learn what a shaping is . . . maybe), named Tristen, in a world reminiscent of Middle Earth. As Tristen discovers who and why he is, everything about him staggers to ruin. And he may be part of why. Or he may be the way out of impending chaos.
There are limits to Knowing, to Courage, even to Duty but apparently not to Love.
Map quibble: What kind of publisher goes to all the trouble and expense of including a map which does not identify the location of the principals sites of the story? (The same kind who limits how many times a library can check out e-books.)
The focus is on a Shaping (you'll have to read the book to learn what a shaping is . . . maybe), named Tristen, in a world reminiscent of Middle Earth. As Tristen discovers who and why he is, everything about him staggers to ruin. And he may be part of why. Or he may be the way out of impending chaos.
There are limits to Knowing, to Courage, even to Duty but apparently not to Love.
Map quibble: What kind of publisher goes to all the trouble and expense of including a map which does not identify the location of the principals sites of the story? (The same kind who limits how many times a library can check out e-books.)
March 8, 2018
Note: the version I was predominantly reading was 909 pages on the Kobo. It's a behemoth. I do have the paperback version, but it's falling apart.
There were parts of this book that dragged so much. Then there were parts where I thought it was brilliant and was hooked. By the time I got close to finishing it, I just wanted it to be over. I'm pretty sure I used Kobo points on the sequel, so it's not like I spent money on it. I received the third and fourth books as a gift and I'll probably donate them.
I'm curious about what happens to Tristen, but I can't endure another book in that series unless it's shorter and more concise.
Also, how can you be a female author and have a female with so little agency...or another who's a living trope? So irritating.
There were parts of this book that dragged so much. Then there were parts where I thought it was brilliant and was hooked. By the time I got close to finishing it, I just wanted it to be over. I'm pretty sure I used Kobo points on the sequel, so it's not like I spent money on it. I received the third and fourth books as a gift and I'll probably donate them.
I'm curious about what happens to Tristen, but I can't endure another book in that series unless it's shorter and more concise.
Also, how can you be a female author and have a female with so little agency...or another who's a living trope? So irritating.
September 25, 2012
This is the first of a four-book series (not including a fifth, which I gather is set in a different time frame), and after having read only the first, I can't even guess what Cherryh might have in mind for the rest of this series. That's a good thing!
I have a fondness for characters who live both within and obliquely to ordinary life, so the human-yet-otherworldly Tristen was my favorite. I like his innocence and rock-solid loyalty, and how "normal" adults in the story respond to him, and his fears about what he might be, and even the loneliness and melancholy his alienness sometimes brings to him.
Have you ever had a time when you met someone, and knew right away that you'd be fast friends? Tristen and Prince Cefwyn have this kind of relationship, and at times it had a whiff of romance to it--for reasons that are too long to talk about here--though with the late-game introduction of Ninévrisë it was apparent the story won't head in that direction. There was a time I might have been disappointed about that, but I loved their interaction as is.
Of course, there's a larger story surrounding these two young men, with half a dozen provinces in various states of truce or impending war, a mystical or haunted forest, cooked accounting books, powers from beyond the grave, magical writing, a disgruntled second prince, executions, ancient ruins, wizards, at least three different religions, a shadowy villain, a treaty, war preparations, battles, a thwarted and vindictive seductress, and much more.
So...there are an awful lot of details to this story. I'm torn about that. At times they add to an intimate feeling of day-to-day life, even during war; at others they bog the story down. They can even manage to do both at once.
For me, this book veered wildly between fascinating, suspenseful, dramatic, moving, and molasses-slow. I was sorely tempted to skim the slower parts of it--the maunderings on horse behavior or war materiel or cataloging of faceless attendants--once 500 pages had gone by of this hardcover. However, I resisted. In the end I was rewarded with a climax which brought many of the more important threads, some from the very first pages of the book, together in a satisfying way. I'm looking forward to seeing where Cherryh takes Tristen and Cefwyn in future volumes.
I have a fondness for characters who live both within and obliquely to ordinary life, so the human-yet-otherworldly Tristen was my favorite. I like his innocence and rock-solid loyalty, and how "normal" adults in the story respond to him, and his fears about what he might be, and even the loneliness and melancholy his alienness sometimes brings to him.
Have you ever had a time when you met someone, and knew right away that you'd be fast friends? Tristen and Prince Cefwyn have this kind of relationship, and at times it had a whiff of romance to it--for reasons that are too long to talk about here--though with the late-game introduction of Ninévrisë it was apparent the story won't head in that direction. There was a time I might have been disappointed about that, but I loved their interaction as is.
Of course, there's a larger story surrounding these two young men, with half a dozen provinces in various states of truce or impending war, a mystical or haunted forest, cooked accounting books, powers from beyond the grave, magical writing, a disgruntled second prince, executions, ancient ruins, wizards, at least three different religions, a shadowy villain, a treaty, war preparations, battles, a thwarted and vindictive seductress, and much more.
So...there are an awful lot of details to this story. I'm torn about that. At times they add to an intimate feeling of day-to-day life, even during war; at others they bog the story down. They can even manage to do both at once.
For me, this book veered wildly between fascinating, suspenseful, dramatic, moving, and molasses-slow. I was sorely tempted to skim the slower parts of it--the maunderings on horse behavior or war materiel or cataloging of faceless attendants--once 500 pages had gone by of this hardcover. However, I resisted. In the end I was rewarded with a climax which brought many of the more important threads, some from the very first pages of the book, together in a satisfying way. I'm looking forward to seeing where Cherryh takes Tristen and Cefwyn in future volumes.
February 20, 2016
Given that CJ Cherryh was announced as an SFWA Grand Master while I was in the middle of this book (well deserved), I feel kind of guilty that I didn't enjoy it more.
The main character, Tristan, was very interesting. He was created by an aging wizard, to carry on the wizard's purpose (which isn't laid out for either us or Tristan) after the wizard is no longer able to do so. But he is created with no memories and no knowledge, and is left on his own far sooner than the wizard intended. So it is up to Tristan to figure out his direction and purpose.
But while Tristan remained interesting, I found the book rather dull, and I had as much trouble figuring out what was going on as Tristan himself did (which was not the author's intention). It was a matter of force of will for me to finish this.
Still, I want to emphasize that while I had issues with this particular book, Cherryh really does deserve to be in the company of greats like Asimov, Clarke, and LeGuin. The other books of hers I've read were wonderful.
The main character, Tristan, was very interesting. He was created by an aging wizard, to carry on the wizard's purpose (which isn't laid out for either us or Tristan) after the wizard is no longer able to do so. But he is created with no memories and no knowledge, and is left on his own far sooner than the wizard intended. So it is up to Tristan to figure out his direction and purpose.
But while Tristan remained interesting, I found the book rather dull, and I had as much trouble figuring out what was going on as Tristan himself did (which was not the author's intention). It was a matter of force of will for me to finish this.
Still, I want to emphasize that while I had issues with this particular book, Cherryh really does deserve to be in the company of greats like Asimov, Clarke, and LeGuin. The other books of hers I've read were wonderful.
December 25, 2010
I "really" liked this book. I suppose that falls just short of I "love" this book so, 4 stars instead of 5. I have the rest of the series on my shelf and am still meaning to get to it.
I'm a fan of fantasy (including Epic, High, Urban, Pulp and most other forms). This would be considered a high fantasy and I think anyone who's a fan will enjoy it. The "magic system" while resembling others is it's own thing using, "wizards", "sorcerers", and what I'd call "users of magic" (to delineate the difference might constitute a spoiler so I won't say more). Tristan a youth with no real memory and no idea of "himself" in some ways, begins his journey, his adventure here.
I read this some time ago and still haven't gotten to the "sequels" or rest of the series, thus adding to my frustration when I consider all the books I have waiting. It's a good book with a lot of promise, good take on magic, good opening story. This is probably my favorite Cherryh book.... so far anyway.
I'm a fan of fantasy (including Epic, High, Urban, Pulp and most other forms). This would be considered a high fantasy and I think anyone who's a fan will enjoy it. The "magic system" while resembling others is it's own thing using, "wizards", "sorcerers", and what I'd call "users of magic" (to delineate the difference might constitute a spoiler so I won't say more). Tristan a youth with no real memory and no idea of "himself" in some ways, begins his journey, his adventure here.
I read this some time ago and still haven't gotten to the "sequels" or rest of the series, thus adding to my frustration when I consider all the books I have waiting. It's a good book with a lot of promise, good take on magic, good opening story. This is probably my favorite Cherryh book.... so far anyway.
February 26, 2023
This book saddened me.
A brief history: I read the first 80-ish pages of this when I was in high school, 20 years ago. I didn't get a chance to keep going, but it stuck with me. I always thought back on it fondly and with interest. So, finally, I found a copy and read it, all 5 million pages.
What I didn't know was that the good aspects from the beginning would end up being why the book sucked in the long run.
The first 100 pages are about Tristen. He is a young man who is created by a wizard fully formed, but with no memories and no knowledge of the world. He lives a simple life alone in a castle tower with the old wizard, feeding mice, cutting wood, and standing naked in the rain because all sensations are new and surprising. This section has very little progress or plot. It is mostly about the almost poetic way in which this man who knows nothing interfaces with basic concepts, like how fire can hurt or how owls hunt food. This could easily be boring, but because of the way the prose is written, it's nice. We live inside this guy's head, which fully prepares us to understand exactly who he is and what he's about. This is slow, beautifully crafted groundwork for when Tristen eventually enters society and we take the view of other characters: when Tristen eventually does something to surprise the people around him, we will know exactly why Tristen did it, because we've lived in his head for 100 pages of his infancy. Some examples of his thoughts:
The problem arises when Tristen actually enters the populated world of kings and servants and priests. Because, this style of aimless, curious, poetic interaction with ideas instead of actions never stops or slows! Whole pages will pass by as a king wonders things. Just wonders! It's like shower thoughts, over and over. Rethinking everything you did in the day, pondering what myriad things might happen next, amusements over how people around you act. I swear, 70% of this book is just the idle thoughts of the characters between actually doing anything. Like, 80% into the book, and he's still thinking thoughts like these:
That's not a bad thought. The issue is that they fill the whole chapter, every chapter, while the character does nothing, and nothing happens around him.
This is all made worse by the extreme fantasy lore.
When Tristen is lost in his head, trying to understand the nature of pigeons and mice, it's okay because we know what pigeons and mice are. It is amusing because we get to see him work out what, to us, is already understandable.
When Prince Cefwyn is lost in his head, trying to understand the cultural movements and alliances between Asneyeddin, Amafel, Althalen, Ylesuin, Guelemara, the Marhannens, Obyrith, Slovag's rebels near Marna, Lanfarnesse borders, his betrothal proposition to Ninevrise, and the people of Elwynor, you tend to get tired and want a nap! (Hey, I made one of those names up! And I left out 50 others!)
The worst part of this lore dumping is that it rarely ever goes anywhere. It's all just stray thoughts. What-ifs and what-has-beens. This all helps build how the characters think, and what they think about. But unlike with Tristen, who is a baby in the world of men, these other characters don't need this sort of attention. Like, check this:
This is actually a selected quote from the book here on Goodreads, meaning it's probably important in some way. But it's not! It's just another stray thought about things. These "good brothers" he's musing about don't play any role in the plot. They are just things that also exist, at least for this moment, and he's thinking about them.
Stranger still, despite the meandering inaction, the actual actions are over so quickly that if you skip a page you'll miss them.
For example, one of the main characters meets a woman and is engaged to marry her within a span of, like, two pages. If you miss those two pages, suddenly a character is nearly married (which he will think about at length). Another example: at one point, there's a threat that Tristen is worrying about chapter after chapter, because only he can see and feel it; but then, a person in power can see the threat for a second, and is immediately convinced and they all move on. Blink and you miss it.
I also can't help but be upset at the mysterious Shadows that are the overarching menace to the story.
Shadows live in the Gray Place: a world of the spirits, it seems, that rests parallel to our own. They are constantly feared by the main character because he can see into the Gray Place and he knows they can be scary. But, they are invisible to everyone else. And they have no effect on people. And no one has any proof they exist. And yet, when Tristen warns them that they need to be worried because a bunch of Shadows are coming, everyone follows him as if the threat were real. What!? For the whole book, these Shadows never do anything to anyone! There's no threat! The only thing that makes us think they are a threat is over-long thoughts about them from a particular character. But again, no actions! Just thoughts!
As I read this book, I went from totally loving it, to liking it, to being a little bored by it, to being frustrated, to actively wishing it would be over. It took me two months to read. I read almost 50 books last year, and this one took me two months.
This is a 1-sttar book for me, but I'll give it an extra because those first 100 pages by themselves are eerie and touching and memorable. But otherwise, I feel sorry for anyone who decides to read the next four books in the series.
A brief history: I read the first 80-ish pages of this when I was in high school, 20 years ago. I didn't get a chance to keep going, but it stuck with me. I always thought back on it fondly and with interest. So, finally, I found a copy and read it, all 5 million pages.
What I didn't know was that the good aspects from the beginning would end up being why the book sucked in the long run.
The first 100 pages are about Tristen. He is a young man who is created by a wizard fully formed, but with no memories and no knowledge of the world. He lives a simple life alone in a castle tower with the old wizard, feeding mice, cutting wood, and standing naked in the rain because all sensations are new and surprising. This section has very little progress or plot. It is mostly about the almost poetic way in which this man who knows nothing interfaces with basic concepts, like how fire can hurt or how owls hunt food. This could easily be boring, but because of the way the prose is written, it's nice. We live inside this guy's head, which fully prepares us to understand exactly who he is and what he's about. This is slow, beautifully crafted groundwork for when Tristen eventually enters society and we take the view of other characters: when Tristen eventually does something to surprise the people around him, we will know exactly why Tristen did it, because we've lived in his head for 100 pages of his infancy. Some examples of his thoughts:
Wound was a Word, a scary one, that occupied his thoughts with dreadful images of red and ruin, and made him sick at his stomach, and made him remember how his elbow hurt.
There were parts of him he couldn’t see, like his face, which was a curious way to arrange things.
The problem arises when Tristen actually enters the populated world of kings and servants and priests. Because, this style of aimless, curious, poetic interaction with ideas instead of actions never stops or slows! Whole pages will pass by as a king wonders things. Just wonders! It's like shower thoughts, over and over. Rethinking everything you did in the day, pondering what myriad things might happen next, amusements over how people around you act. I swear, 70% of this book is just the idle thoughts of the characters between actually doing anything. Like, 80% into the book, and he's still thinking thoughts like these:
It was like the pigeons carried on the storm: they stayed aloft, they flew, but they rode the gusts, not choosing their own path so much as choosing the violence that went where they wished to go.
That's not a bad thought. The issue is that they fill the whole chapter, every chapter, while the character does nothing, and nothing happens around him.
This is all made worse by the extreme fantasy lore.
When Tristen is lost in his head, trying to understand the nature of pigeons and mice, it's okay because we know what pigeons and mice are. It is amusing because we get to see him work out what, to us, is already understandable.
When Prince Cefwyn is lost in his head, trying to understand the cultural movements and alliances between Asneyeddin, Amafel, Althalen, Ylesuin, Guelemara, the Marhannens, Obyrith, Slovag's rebels near Marna, Lanfarnesse borders, his betrothal proposition to Ninevrise, and the people of Elwynor, you tend to get tired and want a nap! (Hey, I made one of those names up! And I left out 50 others!)
The worst part of this lore dumping is that it rarely ever goes anywhere. It's all just stray thoughts. What-ifs and what-has-beens. This all helps build how the characters think, and what they think about. But unlike with Tristen, who is a baby in the world of men, these other characters don't need this sort of attention. Like, check this:
Once he had thought it a refuge, once he had thought it holiness.... But now he began to suspect that the good brothers did not shadow the ether not because they were good, but because they had masked themselves from everything, had carefully erased their stray thoughts, had poured out their human longings, emptied themselves of desires and become so transparent as existence that they had not only ceased to be evil, they had ceased to be good. They had ceased to fight the battles of everyday life, and simply weighed nothing. Not a feather. Not a grain. They had given up everything, until they vanished from the scale of all that mattered, having given away themselves long before any power declared the contest.
This is actually a selected quote from the book here on Goodreads, meaning it's probably important in some way. But it's not! It's just another stray thought about things. These "good brothers" he's musing about don't play any role in the plot. They are just things that also exist, at least for this moment, and he's thinking about them.
Stranger still, despite the meandering inaction, the actual actions are over so quickly that if you skip a page you'll miss them.
For example, one of the main characters meets a woman and is engaged to marry her within a span of, like, two pages. If you miss those two pages, suddenly a character is nearly married (which he will think about at length). Another example: at one point, there's a threat that Tristen is worrying about chapter after chapter, because only he can see and feel it; but then, a person in power can see the threat for a second, and is immediately convinced and they all move on. Blink and you miss it.
I also can't help but be upset at the mysterious Shadows that are the overarching menace to the story.
Shadows live in the Gray Place: a world of the spirits, it seems, that rests parallel to our own. They are constantly feared by the main character because he can see into the Gray Place and he knows they can be scary. But, they are invisible to everyone else. And they have no effect on people. And no one has any proof they exist. And yet, when Tristen warns them that they need to be worried because a bunch of Shadows are coming, everyone follows him as if the threat were real. What!? For the whole book, these Shadows never do anything to anyone! There's no threat! The only thing that makes us think they are a threat is over-long thoughts about them from a particular character. But again, no actions! Just thoughts!
As I read this book, I went from totally loving it, to liking it, to being a little bored by it, to being frustrated, to actively wishing it would be over. It took me two months to read. I read almost 50 books last year, and this one took me two months.
This is a 1-sttar book for me, but I'll give it an extra because those first 100 pages by themselves are eerie and touching and memorable. But otherwise, I feel sorry for anyone who decides to read the next four books in the series.
July 24, 2016
Ambitious beginning to a series, with lots of complex world building and a main character who knows nothing - less even than Jon Snow.
I thought it was awfully wordy, and would have liked less internal dialog and more action. The story itself was interesting and I can see why so many folks like it. Interesting take on magic and sorcery.
I thought it was awfully wordy, and would have liked less internal dialog and more action. The story itself was interesting and I can see why so many folks like it. Interesting take on magic and sorcery.
July 10, 2025
I made the foolish mistake by judging an author by one book. So long ago I cannot recall when, I had read a different book of hers. (Saying I read it is actually more of a lie. In truth, I skipped huge sections, skimmed what I did read, and can't even recall what it was about). I had bought Fortress in the Eye of Time at a book sale and had not paid attention to who the author was. It wasn't until I got it home when I really looked and was upset with myself. Nevertheless, I placed it on my bookcase.
Throughout the years, I skipped over it in favor of reading something else. It wasn't until one day when I got annoyed at my lack of bookshelf space that I picked up the book with the mindset of throwing it away. It was just taking up space and there was no point in keeping something that its only purpose was to feed my book hoarding fetish
Well, I didn't throw it away. I held it in my hand and stared at the cover with a feeling of guilt. I didn't know why, but I didn't want to throw it away. It was like something was telling me it was too good to get rid of. So I opened it up to a random page to see how the writing style read. I do that often to help me make a decision about reading a book I am hesitant about. I like to read a bit of the dialogue to see how it feels, if the writing catches my particular taste.
The Fortress in the Eye of Time did. At least, the three sentences I read felt natural and alive enough to toss it on my Read-Soon pile.
I am so glad I kept and read it. From page one I was hooked. I love the characters. I love Mauryl. I really love Tristan and Cefwyn. I love the relationships among everyone and I love the story plot. I couldn't believe how Cherryh captured me in this book. It makes me want to go back to the other book and see what I missed and if I was just too stupid to catch on to the amazingness of her story.
I am not a huge fan of epic fantasies because they seem to get too "involved" and I grow weary when reading them, but this one wasn't like that. She had plenty of political aspects that never bored me, she had battles that never grew too long or abundant, she had every detail that made this book epic without the drugdery of going through a political, world-building handbook. I love this book and every page in it. My only complaint was that it ended too soon.
Throughout the years, I skipped over it in favor of reading something else. It wasn't until one day when I got annoyed at my lack of bookshelf space that I picked up the book with the mindset of throwing it away. It was just taking up space and there was no point in keeping something that its only purpose was to feed my book hoarding fetish
Well, I didn't throw it away. I held it in my hand and stared at the cover with a feeling of guilt. I didn't know why, but I didn't want to throw it away. It was like something was telling me it was too good to get rid of. So I opened it up to a random page to see how the writing style read. I do that often to help me make a decision about reading a book I am hesitant about. I like to read a bit of the dialogue to see how it feels, if the writing catches my particular taste.
The Fortress in the Eye of Time did. At least, the three sentences I read felt natural and alive enough to toss it on my Read-Soon pile.
I am so glad I kept and read it. From page one I was hooked. I love the characters. I love Mauryl. I really love Tristan and Cefwyn. I love the relationships among everyone and I love the story plot. I couldn't believe how Cherryh captured me in this book. It makes me want to go back to the other book and see what I missed and if I was just too stupid to catch on to the amazingness of her story.
I am not a huge fan of epic fantasies because they seem to get too "involved" and I grow weary when reading them, but this one wasn't like that. She had plenty of political aspects that never bored me, she had battles that never grew too long or abundant, she had every detail that made this book epic without the drugdery of going through a political, world-building handbook. I love this book and every page in it. My only complaint was that it ended too soon.
April 1, 2013
This is the first book I read by Ms Cherryh.
I think most reviewers miss the point with this book: it is very long and very slow paced. There is not much going on: the plot is thin, there are few characters.
All this looks like a deliberate choice.
The story unfurls taking its time to examine any tiny thread, any detail needed to create a particular atmosphere. And the atmosphere created here is fascinating.
I feel a strong relationship with Tolkien: not that the author does something so vulgar as copying but she seems to have read TLOR thouroughly getting hints and impressions she decided to pass into her story: the tower, the elderly ageless wizard, the lone king, the unsubstantial enemy are among those.
The problems with this work are different and partly outbalance its qualities.
The main one is the writing: Cherryh's turn of phrase is often clumsy, unclear, many paragraphs are not as polished as one would expect from an author so fastidious about pacing and atmosphere. It nearly always lacks any attempt at beauty, again something strange for this kind of book.
This is a tetralogy: I wonder how the author will be able to further her story that long without losing focus.
I think most reviewers miss the point with this book: it is very long and very slow paced. There is not much going on: the plot is thin, there are few characters.
All this looks like a deliberate choice.
The story unfurls taking its time to examine any tiny thread, any detail needed to create a particular atmosphere. And the atmosphere created here is fascinating.
I feel a strong relationship with Tolkien: not that the author does something so vulgar as copying but she seems to have read TLOR thouroughly getting hints and impressions she decided to pass into her story: the tower, the elderly ageless wizard, the lone king, the unsubstantial enemy are among those.
The problems with this work are different and partly outbalance its qualities.
The main one is the writing: Cherryh's turn of phrase is often clumsy, unclear, many paragraphs are not as polished as one would expect from an author so fastidious about pacing and atmosphere. It nearly always lacks any attempt at beauty, again something strange for this kind of book.
This is a tetralogy: I wonder how the author will be able to further her story that long without losing focus.
July 23, 2011
Cherryh's style of writing in this book was, at first, off-putting to me. I found the sentences awkward and deciphering them interrupted the flow of the story. But as the story developed, with more characters interacting and more complexity to the plot, the style seemed more appropriate. And, of course, I became more accustomed to it.
This was my second reading of this book, having first read it in the late 1990's. I confess to recalling only bits and pieces of it and so was able to enjoy the unfolding of the story as it I'd never read it before. Nothing is revealed easily. The characters with the knowledge--Mauryl, Emuin, and Hasufin--are remarkably uninformative and the reader must gain knowledge and understanding as Tristen does regarding his origins, purpose, and power and as Cefwyn does regarding his kingdom, its conflicts and its subjects. The past echoes through the plot and collides with the present. Wizardry, magic, and sorcery are powerful but ill-defined throughout most of the book.
Much to contemplate before I continue to read the rest of the Fortress series.
This was my second reading of this book, having first read it in the late 1990's. I confess to recalling only bits and pieces of it and so was able to enjoy the unfolding of the story as it I'd never read it before. Nothing is revealed easily. The characters with the knowledge--Mauryl, Emuin, and Hasufin--are remarkably uninformative and the reader must gain knowledge and understanding as Tristen does regarding his origins, purpose, and power and as Cefwyn does regarding his kingdom, its conflicts and its subjects. The past echoes through the plot and collides with the present. Wizardry, magic, and sorcery are powerful but ill-defined throughout most of the book.
Much to contemplate before I continue to read the rest of the Fortress series.
May 30, 2012
A slow dull book whose initial freshness drains away like water from a broken fountain, revealing nothing but plain concrete underneath. The book starts with the last and greatest wizard of the realm creating a magic Summoning/Shaping but the work goes wrong and the person (hero?) he creates is somehow insufficient, without knowledge or skills. A start with potential, yes? Then we slooowly learn this wizard isn't really the only one, this hero isn't really the only protagonist, and this hero isn't really without skills but they just magically come to him whenever the plot requires it. Seemingly the wizard took his Mary Sue hero out of the Easy-Bake Oven just a bit early. The only significant digression from the slooow pacing is a super quick and completely unbelievable love-at-first-sight plot, which doesn't improve the book in the least. Surprisingly awkward writing all around from an author of Cherryh's caliber.
January 8, 2019
Hmmm, that was not what I was expecting at all. I want to say "painfully slow", but that seems to be a bit too harsh. Ok, maybe not. I'm not entirely certain I can dive into the next book of the series, though I am not usually a quitter. Perhaps it is just the writing style I'm not liking... hmmm.
The plot was a little bit thin for my own tastes, and Tristan just does not appeal to my inner reader that much I suppose. The slow story telling really did not bond him to me, and left me not really caring what was happening. I had very few instances where I did not want to put down the book, and that says a lot.
I don't regret giving Cherryh's book a try, but will probably hold off on getting more from this series. Perhaps her later books are better. This was a solid ho-hum 2 Star book.
The plot was a little bit thin for my own tastes, and Tristan just does not appeal to my inner reader that much I suppose. The slow story telling really did not bond him to me, and left me not really caring what was happening. I had very few instances where I did not want to put down the book, and that says a lot.
I don't regret giving Cherryh's book a try, but will probably hold off on getting more from this series. Perhaps her later books are better. This was a solid ho-hum 2 Star book.
December 28, 2018
I managed to power through six chapters. It took me nearly 3 weeks to go through 10% of this book.
I don't mind slow starts but this is ridiculous.
Six chapters of the same thing. No change.
Angry old wizard fighting an unseen and unknown evil force while the naive hero is terrified and drinking the world in. Six fucking chapters of the same thing. Maybe it is leading somewhere but this just isn't for me.
For such a celebrated author, this is a terrible book. Maybe I should try one of her science fiction books. I may even try this when I'm older and have more patience but i highly doubt it.
This goes into the DNF pile.
I don't mind slow starts but this is ridiculous.
Six chapters of the same thing. No change.
Angry old wizard fighting an unseen and unknown evil force while the naive hero is terrified and drinking the world in. Six fucking chapters of the same thing. Maybe it is leading somewhere but this just isn't for me.
For such a celebrated author, this is a terrible book. Maybe I should try one of her science fiction books. I may even try this when I'm older and have more patience but i highly doubt it.
This goes into the DNF pile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2011
August 2011 is "C.J. Cherryh Month" over at the Beyond Reality group. Earlier this month I read the science fiction selection Foreigner. Now I'm reading this novel as the fantasy selection (follow that link to join in the discussions, including a Q&A thread with the author).
August 5, 2011
One of those books I am a little on the fence on. Lots of great concepts and characters but the story was very dense and sometimes the writing style was a bit impenetrable. Not a fast read and I am not really sure I want to work so hard to read a fantasy book.
March 23, 2018
It's hard for me to articulate the impact this book had on me. The beginning reminded me of an onion in it's layering. I literally couldn't put it down and even remembering it makes me feel so alive. It would be an understatement to say I adore this book.
August 13, 2020
Absolutely awesome book!! Creative storytelling at its very best!!
Second review: Still just as great! Love the world building and slowly building drama and intensity of this story. A MUST read!!!
Second review: Still just as great! Love the world building and slowly building drama and intensity of this story. A MUST read!!!
December 16, 2022
First read this when it originally came out and slowly added the sequels when they were published but this re-read actually had me getting more out of the tale of Tristen. Perhaps it's the couple dozen years spent as part of the SCA (medieval recreation) that gave me a better insight. Anyway -
Cherryl's world-building and character creation is exceptional. Beyond Tristen, there is Cawfyn, the prince and eventual King. Uwen, the loyal guard and servant assigned to Tristen. Idrys, Cefwyn's chief advisor and bodyguard, who is suspicious of Mauryl's 'gift'. Mauryl, the old man/wizard who called Tristen into the world as an attempt to correct a terrible wrong from generations before only Tristen comes not 'fully formed'. But Tristen 'knows things - how to ride a horse, how to fight with a sword in battle. But he is also a bit of an innocent - he's learning as quickly as he can regarding the politics and maneuvering that nobility and the pious can and will do to further their agendas. Even as he's trying to discover his own true former identity.
But it is also Cefwyn that plays an important part - not merely that of friend and liege to Tristen but to dig out the traitors within the region he's been overseeing, convince the southern lords that there is a threat from the neighboring kingdom of Elwynor which is undergoing a civil war that spills over into Ylesuin even as the Regent's daughter agrees to marry Cefwyn. There is diplomacy. Intrigue. Fighting and battles with swords. There is sorcery, witchery and magic for the fantasy literature fans.
2022-277
Cherryl's world-building and character creation is exceptional. Beyond Tristen, there is Cawfyn, the prince and eventual King. Uwen, the loyal guard and servant assigned to Tristen. Idrys, Cefwyn's chief advisor and bodyguard, who is suspicious of Mauryl's 'gift'. Mauryl, the old man/wizard who called Tristen into the world as an attempt to correct a terrible wrong from generations before only Tristen comes not 'fully formed'. But Tristen 'knows things - how to ride a horse, how to fight with a sword in battle. But he is also a bit of an innocent - he's learning as quickly as he can regarding the politics and maneuvering that nobility and the pious can and will do to further their agendas. Even as he's trying to discover his own true former identity.
But it is also Cefwyn that plays an important part - not merely that of friend and liege to Tristen but to dig out the traitors within the region he's been overseeing, convince the southern lords that there is a threat from the neighboring kingdom of Elwynor which is undergoing a civil war that spills over into Ylesuin even as the Regent's daughter agrees to marry Cefwyn. There is diplomacy. Intrigue. Fighting and battles with swords. There is sorcery, witchery and magic for the fantasy literature fans.
2022-277
February 20, 2021
I very much enjoyed this book. The premise of having the main character be unfamiliar with the world has been done before, but the way in which it's done here feels unique. And the way the author communicates to the reader the ways in which the MC learns about the world is brilliant. Wonderful writing there.
Other review talk about how slow the book is. That's not entirely accurate. The author does have a number of characters engage in long tracts of speculation where they consider every angle, every factor, every possible outcome. It's a great way to keep the reader informed of all that is in play at any given point, but I confess after the eighth or tenth time of this (the POV is omniscient, so we get this from various characters), I did start to skim.
As counterbalance, though, the action scenes are genuinely exciting, not least because we never really know the full capabilities of either the MC or the villain. There's always uncertainty, so there's always suspense in every encounter.
In addition, Cherryh's attention to detail is wonderful. Her description of an army getting under way from the regional capital is among the best I've read. Her account of the first meeting of two characters who will eventually marry is genuinely engaging and not contrived. As much as I enjoyed the overall story, I equally looked forward to these smaller set pieces.
All in all, highly recommended.
Other review talk about how slow the book is. That's not entirely accurate. The author does have a number of characters engage in long tracts of speculation where they consider every angle, every factor, every possible outcome. It's a great way to keep the reader informed of all that is in play at any given point, but I confess after the eighth or tenth time of this (the POV is omniscient, so we get this from various characters), I did start to skim.
As counterbalance, though, the action scenes are genuinely exciting, not least because we never really know the full capabilities of either the MC or the villain. There's always uncertainty, so there's always suspense in every encounter.
In addition, Cherryh's attention to detail is wonderful. Her description of an army getting under way from the regional capital is among the best I've read. Her account of the first meeting of two characters who will eventually marry is genuinely engaging and not contrived. As much as I enjoyed the overall story, I equally looked forward to these smaller set pieces.
All in all, highly recommended.
December 13, 2017
This is is the first book in the Fortress series by C.J Cherryh. This is the second time I have read this book, as the first time I wasn't sure if I really liked it or not. Every few months I pick a book that I wasn't sure about and re-read it, to give it a second chance. I did find this one slow going in the beginning, but over all I enjoyed the story. If you decide to read this book, prepare for a slow start-
but persevere because this book does pick up (and the rest of the series is great!).
but persevere because this book does pick up (and the rest of the series is great!).
January 30, 2024
Wow, what a fantasy. I have been a fan of Ms. Cherryh's books for a while, and most are spectacular Science Fiction, but this one was epic Fantasy.
It is the first fantasy book I have read in a long while that I enjoyed and was impressed with as much as the first time I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The tale drew me in and kept m wondering what was going to happen next. It was just an action packed hero tale like so many others. It was more a detailed episode of growth, within a fantasy environment, very familiar, yet different from all others.
A very good read and one I really enjoyed.
It is the first fantasy book I have read in a long while that I enjoyed and was impressed with as much as the first time I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The tale drew me in and kept m wondering what was going to happen next. It was just an action packed hero tale like so many others. It was more a detailed episode of growth, within a fantasy environment, very familiar, yet different from all others.
A very good read and one I really enjoyed.
July 31, 2024
Still love Tristan, but like all CJ Cherryh books, I remember having to be patient with the sometimes slow pace.
October 17, 2019
So let's get two important things out of this way first, 1) I am definitely reading the second book in the series. 2) part of me definintely wants to put this at four, but a stronger part of me wants to put this at two, in the end I settled for a compromise. I also want to point out early on that the beginning is painfully slow, and written in a really awkward way, which is good to keep in mind if you are looking to pick this up. More on that at the end of the review.
I love the two viewpoint characters so far, both of their perspectives are great and I am really interested to see how they and their relationships develop in the rest of the series. One of the viewpoints, Tristen, is not born, but created magically by a wizard, and starts off as witless child in a young man's body. This idea is super interesting and for the most part I love how this portrayed and found it really interesting to wonder about what exactly he is, hope this continues in the next installment.
I enjoyed reading about the world where the story takes place, there were engaging elements of politics, history and religion to the world that sets the stage quite nicely. Though it does feel a lot like the world outside the two realms where the story is taking place is almost non-existant which feels odd.
The magic system in this world seems really, really soft. And so far has been very obscure. In this case I don't mind it too much. Neither the reader, nor the main characters understanding too much about how these things function works well with the atmosphere of the book.
My reasons for wanting to put 2 stars are mostly due to the way the book is written, but also due to the lack of interesting personality in most of the secondary characters. Worth knowing before picking the book up is that first fourth of the book is very slow, and very different from the rest of the book. We only follow the perspective of newly created Tristen who view the world with a child's eyes and we only get to see one single place and one other human being. This is interesting, but painfully slow. This is made even worse by the fact that book in general, and this part in particular, is written in a (to me) very annoying way. It feels like the there was no editor working on the book. Many, many sentences are needlessly long (one of the worst was a whole long paragraph of only one sentence) and there are so, so many commas used everywhere. Kind of like this review. Many sentences, are a mess to read and quite frankly this was really good reading comprehension training, which wasn't what I was looking for. It took me well over half a year to finish the first 300 pages of this novel and I would only reads 20-30 pages every now and then between other books until finally, right after 300 pages it caught hold of me and carried me to the end. It was worth it, but it took a lot of will to get there.
I love the two viewpoint characters so far, both of their perspectives are great and I am really interested to see how they and their relationships develop in the rest of the series. One of the viewpoints, Tristen, is not born, but created magically by a wizard, and starts off as witless child in a young man's body. This idea is super interesting and for the most part I love how this portrayed and found it really interesting to wonder about what exactly he is, hope this continues in the next installment.
I enjoyed reading about the world where the story takes place, there were engaging elements of politics, history and religion to the world that sets the stage quite nicely. Though it does feel a lot like the world outside the two realms where the story is taking place is almost non-existant which feels odd.
The magic system in this world seems really, really soft. And so far has been very obscure. In this case I don't mind it too much. Neither the reader, nor the main characters understanding too much about how these things function works well with the atmosphere of the book.
My reasons for wanting to put 2 stars are mostly due to the way the book is written, but also due to the lack of interesting personality in most of the secondary characters. Worth knowing before picking the book up is that first fourth of the book is very slow, and very different from the rest of the book. We only follow the perspective of newly created Tristen who view the world with a child's eyes and we only get to see one single place and one other human being. This is interesting, but painfully slow. This is made even worse by the fact that book in general, and this part in particular, is written in a (to me) very annoying way. It feels like the there was no editor working on the book. Many, many sentences are needlessly long (one of the worst was a whole long paragraph of only one sentence) and there are so, so many commas used everywhere. Kind of like this review. Many sentences, are a mess to read and quite frankly this was really good reading comprehension training, which wasn't what I was looking for. It took me well over half a year to finish the first 300 pages of this novel and I would only reads 20-30 pages every now and then between other books until finally, right after 300 pages it caught hold of me and carried me to the end. It was worth it, but it took a lot of will to get there.
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October 27, 2016In a desperate act to fix what war has broken, the ancient wizard Mauryl attempts a Shaping—the creation of a human. Out of air and shadows emerges Tristan, a naïve child caught in a man’s body, and thus useless for Mauryl’s machinations.
This same raw and oblivious young man eventually finds himself alone on the road to his destiny he knows nothing about. He befriends Cefwyn, a brooding young prince who is barely holding the country together with his political maneuverings. Supported by his moving but complex friendship with Cefwyn, Tristan must discover who he is and why he exists. Is he the way into ruin, or the way out of chaos?
Here is an epic fantasy that exudes originality. The characters are authentic and exceptionally unique, and their interactions and relationships are beautifully captured. Tristan is an innocent hero who would rather feed the pigeons than go to war, but his endearing loyalty to Cefwyn exceeds the bounds of his peculiar conception.
This tale is made remarkable not because it is explosive but because readers come to love each character as they are presented. This is for those who want a slow-burning fantasy story that is compelling, intelligent, and imbued with rare characters and cataclysms that match no archetypes. -AD
Click here to place a hold on Fortress in the Eye of Time .
Another compelling epic fantasy is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
This same raw and oblivious young man eventually finds himself alone on the road to his destiny he knows nothing about. He befriends Cefwyn, a brooding young prince who is barely holding the country together with his political maneuverings. Supported by his moving but complex friendship with Cefwyn, Tristan must discover who he is and why he exists. Is he the way into ruin, or the way out of chaos?
Here is an epic fantasy that exudes originality. The characters are authentic and exceptionally unique, and their interactions and relationships are beautifully captured. Tristan is an innocent hero who would rather feed the pigeons than go to war, but his endearing loyalty to Cefwyn exceeds the bounds of his peculiar conception.
This tale is made remarkable not because it is explosive but because readers come to love each character as they are presented. This is for those who want a slow-burning fantasy story that is compelling, intelligent, and imbued with rare characters and cataclysms that match no archetypes. -AD
Click here to place a hold on Fortress in the Eye of Time .
Another compelling epic fantasy is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
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