Illumination

Eiden Myr #1

by Terry McGarry

The fantasy field has been waiting for this for Terry McGarrys first novel. Formerly the Vice President of the Science Fiction Writers of America, a longtime copyeditor for all the major publishers, and the author of a number of well-received short stories, McGarry is extremely well known throughout the genre. And now, with talent, insight, and skill rarely seen today, McGarry has crafted a fantasy adventure of the first rank; a wonderful, gripping adventure. Liath was proud to have passed her challenge and become a true mage, ready to journey the land and find a Triad to bond with as an Illuminator. But that very night, her light fails she can no longer see the magical illumination guiders, and thus, despite the mages badge upon her breast, can no longer call herself Illuminator. Liath travels to the city and petitions the Ennead, the senior mages of the land, for help and a cure. Before they will help her, they set a task for her to she must find and capture the rogue Dark Mage, and bring him to the Ennead for justice; only then will her light be freed. So goes Liath on the most important journey of her life, for the future of the world rests on her success or failure--but which one?At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Science Fiction

641 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Terry McGarry is the author of the Tor fantasy novels Illumination (one of Library Journal's Five Best Genre Titles of 2001), The Binder's Road, and Triad, and a variety of short fiction; her genre poetry is collected in the award-winning chapbook Imprinting, and her works have been translated into German, Spanish, Finnish, Italian, and Russian. She has been a freelance book copyeditor since 1987, specializing in sf and fantasy, and she worked at The New Yorker for fifteen years, the last six as a Page O.K.'er. She has also been a bartender on Wall Street, an English major at Princeton, a street trader in Ireland; she has trained in Krav Maga and Western martial arts, and plays Irish traditional music at gigs and pub sessions.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was interesting, but it really didn't flow well. It could have been edited to be much shorter. I could hardly care about many of the characters and I found myself confused as to who and where we were in the story. Like I said flow was not well done.

I am actually so happy to be finally finished this book so I can no longer wonder about it. I had originally started reading it in 2015 and I had to soft dnf it due to it going back to the library and well it's 2021, I wanted to give up so many times but I felt I owed to 2015 me to see it through as I was liking it then, clearly in these 6 years I have read much better fantasy and my expectations are higher.

I wanted to like this, I wanted to have a hidden gem that know one knew about but sadly this was not it.

Do I care that this is part of a trilogy? Not really.

Will I read other books by this author? I'm not rushing out to do so but I may some day.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, circa pg 100.

I don't think this is a bad book, per se. The magical system is cool & the plot itself is fine (though really, REALLY slow). But the prose is too...thick...for my tastes. I prefer more straightforward writing with complicated storylines -- Melanie Rawn, Jacqueline Carey, Jennifer Fallon, even George RR Martin -- to dreamy, lit-fic prose in this vein. Add to that an excess of descriptive details & a raft of characters that seem indistinguishable (while those that I was starting to 'know' are dropped when the scenery changes) & that's enough for me. I've got plenty of other fantastical doorstoppers to explore.

Standard DNF 2-stars. YMMV; those with patience for lit-fic epic fantasy would probably enjoy it more.

[Britany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from the bargain rack at Barnes and Noble years ago, and it just sat on my shelf. I guess I judged the cover art too harshly? But I finally picked it up and read it, and I'm glad I did! Illumination is well written, the characters were interesting, and plot lines continued to surprise me until the last page (which is the worst of the whole book lol). I'm surprised more people haven't read/reviewed this book!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had an ARC of this book sitting in the TBR pile since my freshman year of high school. I don't even remember where the hell I would have acquired an ARC at that age. I'm 33 now. I finished the book last night and thought, "Wow, why didn't I get around to reading this sooner?" followed immediately by, "14 year old me probably wouldn't have appreciated this book as much." Like 12 year old Rachel and Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series and GRRM's Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings... Those early volumes read much better now that I'm an adult! On a side note my mother was horrified when she watched the HBO series and realized the kind of content she'd put in the impressionable hands of her adolescent daughter. I turned out okay, so it's all good, Mom!

I'm not really sure to begin with reviewing this book. Part of the fun is reading through it and putting together all the pieces, so I don't want to really say a lot about it. It's an extremely ambitious first novel, but Terry successfully builds a world and a system of magic that's unique and complex without resorting to massive info dumps or boring the reader to tears with history lessons. There's definitely still a sense of mystery and uncertainty about the world of Eiden Myr. We are left knowing only as much as the inhabitants themselves know.

The story went into some dark places at various times. There's no lack of suffering and hardship woven into the plot and some scenes are gruesome. The relationships between many of the characters are also very complex creations. Kudos to McGarry for tackling some of the themes she did with regards to interpersonal relationships. Definitely a book for the older teenager and adult. I appreciated the way the characters acted and thought. There is huge cast and I occasionally had difficulty remembering just who was who, but none of the key players fall flat.

The Triad system was a really nice touch that went hand in hand with Eiden Myr's religious mythology. There are wordsmiths who write the kadri (scripts/pictograms) that set the intent of the magic being worked. Binders who make the vellum and paper, the ink and the pens that are used to scribe the spells, as well as 'binding' the magic together through vocal chants or toning. And the illuminators who are responsible for adding the illuminated kadri and initiating the casting of the working. All magic takes 3 people for a successful working. Magic is the science of this world, and it's used to heal the sick and wounded, turn the weather, mend things that have been broken and encourage healthy crops to grow for the harvest. The materials used during spellcasting lend their own flavor to the outcome of the work. A lamb that is carelessly or sloppily slaughtered for its hide makes a vellum that is imbued with the animal's last emotions and is capable of twisting the working.

The Ennead are the council who oversee the calling, training, and deploying of the land's mages. They live sequestered away while the majority of the mage folk are spread out over the land working their craft daily. Nearly every village has its own Triad. After reading dozens of books with systems of magic that are nearly identical in execution or borrow extensively from western mystery traditions and modern pagan witchcraft, this was truly a much appreciated breath of fresh air.
Not saying anything else, besides that this is a coming of age quest story. It even starts in a tavern, which I'm sure was a tongue in cheek nod toward the genre's most prominent trope. It's definitely head and shoulders above most books of this kind, and I'm sad to see that beyond the occasional short story, Terry McGarry hasn't penned anything beyond this trilogy.

Surprise, surprise; I have the other two sitting in that behemoth TBR pile. I don't intend to wait another 19 years before diving in.

[Nico Luciani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why this book is not as widely read as some of the other modern SFF classics; I will never know. Criminally underrated despite the fact that this book has everything that makes a great fantasy tale. Multi-layered characters, plot lines woven into intricate turns and twists, beautifully rich prose, thought-provoking ideas and themes that are well developed throughout the novel, and a world crafted with an obsessive attention to detail. It even has a blurb from prominent SFF authors, Robert Jordan and Gene Wolfe to name a few.

[Jasmine Fogwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great things about this book. The world that was built was very cool and the story line was great as well. But the writing was a bit confusing at times and it made it hard to always follow.

[Anna Simeone · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great and unique story unfortunately overshadowed by writing which fails to support its ambitious plot. The story itself takes too long to garner any appreciation, mostly due to the confusing and convoluted writing.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this book off a pile of books. It was on top so it got read. It also had a neat cover, promising, I thought.

There were a several times when I was ready to quit the book. I just didn't like it. Maybe it was too bleak for my mood. It's Spring Break and I was ready for something lighthearted. This ain't it!

I was frustrated by the lack of... softness? love? care? It seems like everyone is dissatisfied and angry about it. Even the "loves" in the book aren't about people but about what they can do for/to each other.

I didn't like it.

[Hyann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book few years ago but I wasn't sure... always find a book to read before so I finally start it.

Even if the author is talented, I just didn't like is style. Too many characters in the book, information not needed... the plot is simple basically covering 1 years... for my taste, I didn't like the pace.. you could cut half the book without loosing too much. It start really slow, the wait is long between each story changer. The final is like an avalanche if you compare with the first chapters.

So not bad, Terry NcGarry made an interesting world with a lot of potentiel I wasn't hooked by the way she delivered it.

[Chip Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been meaning to get around to this book for years, and finally found the time. I think it was Patrick Rothfuss' recommendation that initially brought this one to my attention, so I had rather high expectations for Terry McGarry's first novel. What I found was a smart, dense, and carefully-written fantasy that has understandably engendered diverse reactions from readers. This is a challenging read with beautiful, but sometimes confusing prose that a slow and careful reader will appreciate and a fast or impatient reader will be annoyed by. I found myself somewhere in the middle, having to re-read the occasional paragraph and wondering why this 400-something page book was taking so long to read. When I slowed down and made the effort to enjoy the elegance and pacing of the story, I was able to appreciate the artistry of McGarry.

The tale of Liath Illuminator and her torturous journey of discovery is often frustrating. These characters don't make life easy on themselves, can't see the truth staring them in the face, and fail to behave as you know they should. Still, Liath makes for a great character that you'll love, sometimes as stubborn as a bull-dog and sometimes as pitiful as a pup. Her dramatic change through the course of the book and her gradual acceptance of world-shattering truths are drawn out with care and make for a compelling story. Most of the other characters in the book however, with the exception of Heff, fall short of their potentials and barely serve the roles they are meant to.

All in all, I think I will try The Binder's Road, but I'm not completely convinced yet by Terry McGarry.

[astaliegurec · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 out of 5 stars
No Good
August 2, 2009

I'm not impressed with McGarry's "Illumination." Probably my biggest problem with the book is that a lot of the driving behaviors are entirely nonsensical. I can't describe most of them since they'd be spoilers. But, look at the basic impetus of the whole plot (which is described on the book cover). The main character's power mysteriously, and without precedent, stops working. Instead of puzzlement, concern, and suggestions about this world altering situation (it violates everything they know about their magic system), the response in her village is anger at her. When she gets to the seat of magic for the world, she essentially gets "Nobody can see the Great Oz! Not nobody, not no how." It's just silly. The next most serious problem is with the actual writing: a lot of the scenes are so poorly written that I couldn't figure out what had happened for several pages (sometimes chapters) afterward. After those two problems, anything else if fairly inconsequential. But I should also mention that vast swaths of the book reads like a travelogue describing the whole darn country/nation/world. Also, much of the book ends up revolving around a he said/she said situation between to two conflicting camps. None of this is much fun. Thus, the best I can rate this book is a Pretty Bad 2 stars out of 5.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this way back when I was in high school, and it was one of the first few adult ADULT novels I read on my own. It's a bit slow, but I fell in love with the world and the characters. The magic system is deep and complex, though one might find the message a bit preachy, and none to subtle. I might even attribute my love for this book to the Harry Potter love crazy I had at the time (more of the same witches and wizards 'Arry)

A great read if you love fantasy/magic novels about magic and travel.

[Shardis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially, I had a really rough time with this story, and even by the end, I still didn't really care for the main character. The story itself was well plotted and original, but there were big slow spots. I didn't get into the story until after the main character meets Heff, roughly mid-way through the book. Him, I cared about.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book in the public library while browsing.

I was so pleased with Ms. McGarry's writing ability that I bought copies for several friends. I don't know whether I'd rate her as highly as George R. R. Martin, but she knows the writing craft.

The characters, communities, and traditions of her world are engaging, and the Eiden Myr series continues to please me.

[Jennifer Sowle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I have mixed feelings about this book. It is well-written with a unique take on the magic of triads, with some intriguing characters... but it is overly long, way too violent in creepy ways, the ending is very unsatisfying, and I just did not like the protagonist as much as I liked other characters (Heff, mainly).

[Mighty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good, but why did I rate it 4 stars, - simply because for a debut novel in a series there are just too many people to keep track of in order to capture everything in reading. Aside from that the book is very well written, has good realistic characters, although a tad obvious in how events will play out.

[Tanda]

So far, I'm bored. Too many made up words. I can't keep the characters straight, or figure out what the main character is actually worried about. And I find that I don't care what happens to her. Granted, I'm only through the prologue and the first chapter, but usually, I care by now.

[MelMel]

This book started off really slow and I had a hard time getting into it. I almost put it down a couple of times, but it takes a lot for me to abandon a book so I kept reading. It got pretty good about half way through and I ended up enjoying it in the end.

[Megan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, Love this series. It's all sci-fi , but awesome

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow read, used more words than needed. Really liked the characters. Didn't like the ending at all. Wouldn't recommend to my friends.

[T J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a one time read for me. It is an interesting tale of triad mages dark and light on a isle of illusion. It did keep me in suspense about which side was which.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting magic system and a bit of a surprise at the ending. Enjoyed the read.

[Shari]

Absolutely loved this!!!!!