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The Books of Pellinor #4
The Singing
In an increasingly battle-ravaged land, Maerad, Cadvan, and Hem desperately search for one another as they make their separate journeys. The Black Army is advancing north, and even as Maerad faces a mighty confrontation with the Landrost to save Innail, all of the Seven Kingdoms are threatened with bitter and devastating defeat. Yet in Maerad and Hem lives the secret to the mysterious Singing, and legend holds that if they release the music of Elidhu together, they have the power to defeat the Nameless One. Can brother and sister find each other in time to fight this all-powerful enemy, and are they strong enough - even reunited - to defeat him before all is lost?
The climactic volume of the epic quartet follows the Bards of Edil-Amarandh on a vital quest to merge their powers against a nameless evil.
The climactic volume of the epic quartet follows the Bards of Edil-Amarandh on a vital quest to merge their powers against a nameless evil.
489 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2008
About the author
Alison Croggon
54 books1,730 followersAlison Croggon is the award winning author of the acclaimed fantasy series The Books of Pellinor. You can sign up to her monthly newsletter and receive a free Pellinor story at alisoncroggon.com
Her most recent book is Fleshers, the first in a dazzling new SF series co-written with her husband, acclaimed playwright Daniel Keene. Her latest Pellinor book, The Bone Queen, was a 2016 Aurealis Awards Best Young Adult Book finalist. Other fantasy titles include Black Spring (shortlisted for the Young People's Writing Award in the 2014 NSW Premier's Literary Awards) and The River and the Book, winner of the Wilderness Society's prize for Environmental Writing for Children.
She is a prize-winning poet and theatre critic,, and has released seven collections of poems. As a critic she was named Geraldine Pascall Critic of the Year in 2009. She also writes opera libretti, and the opera she co-wrote with Iain Grandage was Vocal/Choral Work of the Year in the 2015 Art Music Awards. Her libretto for Mayakovsky, score by Michael Smetanin, was shortlisted in the Drama Prize for the 2015 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards. She lives in Melbourne..
Her most recent book is Fleshers, the first in a dazzling new SF series co-written with her husband, acclaimed playwright Daniel Keene. Her latest Pellinor book, The Bone Queen, was a 2016 Aurealis Awards Best Young Adult Book finalist. Other fantasy titles include Black Spring (shortlisted for the Young People's Writing Award in the 2014 NSW Premier's Literary Awards) and The River and the Book, winner of the Wilderness Society's prize for Environmental Writing for Children.
She is a prize-winning poet and theatre critic,, and has released seven collections of poems. As a critic she was named Geraldine Pascall Critic of the Year in 2009. She also writes opera libretti, and the opera she co-wrote with Iain Grandage was Vocal/Choral Work of the Year in the 2015 Art Music Awards. Her libretto for Mayakovsky, score by Michael Smetanin, was shortlisted in the Drama Prize for the 2015 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards. She lives in Melbourne..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 600 reviews
May 2, 2010
My first thought is: aw, come on. That's it? But not really. I have to qualify. Allison has a very poetic, lyrical language, and is master of bringing her thoughts to life. Her language is powerful and exciting. The main plot was a satisfying conclusion to the story. HOWEVER....
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!
I simply can't review this book without telling you about my disappointment of the way the sub-plot of Cadvan and Maerad's story ends. It's like she forgot to write the end of the chapter. I even flipped over the last page as I read it making sure that I hadn't missed something or that there had been some sort of misprint. Here I have to read through 1400 pages of painfully detailed landscape and travel description to find out if the two end up together, and then all I get is "there was no need for words, but they spoke much nonetheless"...and I never find out what they speak about. Seriously? Lame. She added a little to what happened to them in her appendix but it was also not satisfying. I wanted to know why Cadvan loved Maerad, and when he started to love her, and why he hadn't said anything before. And what exactly happened to the Nameless One? And why did the Bards still have their powers? All these questions remained unanswered. It was a bit disappointing, I admit.
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!
I simply can't review this book without telling you about my disappointment of the way the sub-plot of Cadvan and Maerad's story ends. It's like she forgot to write the end of the chapter. I even flipped over the last page as I read it making sure that I hadn't missed something or that there had been some sort of misprint. Here I have to read through 1400 pages of painfully detailed landscape and travel description to find out if the two end up together, and then all I get is "there was no need for words, but they spoke much nonetheless"...and I never find out what they speak about. Seriously? Lame. She added a little to what happened to them in her appendix but it was also not satisfying. I wanted to know why Cadvan loved Maerad, and when he started to love her, and why he hadn't said anything before. And what exactly happened to the Nameless One? And why did the Bards still have their powers? All these questions remained unanswered. It was a bit disappointing, I admit.
December 16, 2010
Just finished this whole series, and enjoyed it more than any book I've read in a good long while - one of those series where you wake up early to read it in bed before the alarm clock goes off. Good enough to make me post a review!
I almost didn't read it, because the covers looked like every bland YA fantasy that has been churned out in the past years. Even the first few chapters had me unconvinced, because again, there was a lot there that was like the basis of pretty much every Mary-Sue child-of-destiny story out there. But then a feeling of familiarity began to creep over me, like the scent of apple pie bringing back a memory of your grandmother's kitchen, and I realized that I hadn't had this feeling when reading since I first read Tolkien as a young teen.
This was high fantasy done right. It's been years since I've read a high fantasy that I enjoyed; most of them either go too silly Dungeons-and-Dragon-y, or try too hard to be gritty and real and end up with me loathing most of the characters. Croggon, however, understands the "high" part of high fantasy - the appeal to things finer and better than ourselves - which far too many of the Tolkien imitators fail to grasp.
Oh yes... Tolkien imitators. The influence of Tolkien is extremely obvious here, especially in the first book. As I was first reading, the words "Tolkien ripoff" hovered, but that really isn't accurate. "Ripoff" implies a cheap imitation, and while there is a lot here that is in imitation of Tolkien, it isn't cheap. What Croggan pulls from Tolkien is a lot of what I like best - the description and character, the vivid settings, the homeliness of simple joys in the midst of grander struggles, the sense of good and evil, and especially the use of language - and for that reason I welcomed that influence rather than otherwise.
The characters, too, were very welcome. Maered was a character who could very easily have become a Mary Sue, and it's a testament to Croggan's writing abilities that she was never even close to that. Characters went through realistic struggles, but at the same there was none of that angsty wallowing and moral ambiguity that has ruined too many fantasy series for me. Even when they wandered dark paths, the characters never lost sight of the good they were fighting for, and I really appreciated that. Maybe angst and ambiguity is more realistic, but there's a lot to be said for characters who give you something to aspire to.
Overall, this series provided a breath of fresh air by taking high fantasy right back to its roots. Very enjoyable, and recommended to all who miss what fantasy used to be.
I almost didn't read it, because the covers looked like every bland YA fantasy that has been churned out in the past years. Even the first few chapters had me unconvinced, because again, there was a lot there that was like the basis of pretty much every Mary-Sue child-of-destiny story out there. But then a feeling of familiarity began to creep over me, like the scent of apple pie bringing back a memory of your grandmother's kitchen, and I realized that I hadn't had this feeling when reading since I first read Tolkien as a young teen.
This was high fantasy done right. It's been years since I've read a high fantasy that I enjoyed; most of them either go too silly Dungeons-and-Dragon-y, or try too hard to be gritty and real and end up with me loathing most of the characters. Croggon, however, understands the "high" part of high fantasy - the appeal to things finer and better than ourselves - which far too many of the Tolkien imitators fail to grasp.
Oh yes... Tolkien imitators. The influence of Tolkien is extremely obvious here, especially in the first book. As I was first reading, the words "Tolkien ripoff" hovered, but that really isn't accurate. "Ripoff" implies a cheap imitation, and while there is a lot here that is in imitation of Tolkien, it isn't cheap. What Croggan pulls from Tolkien is a lot of what I like best - the description and character, the vivid settings, the homeliness of simple joys in the midst of grander struggles, the sense of good and evil, and especially the use of language - and for that reason I welcomed that influence rather than otherwise.
The characters, too, were very welcome. Maered was a character who could very easily have become a Mary Sue, and it's a testament to Croggan's writing abilities that she was never even close to that. Characters went through realistic struggles, but at the same there was none of that angsty wallowing and moral ambiguity that has ruined too many fantasy series for me. Even when they wandered dark paths, the characters never lost sight of the good they were fighting for, and I really appreciated that. Maybe angst and ambiguity is more realistic, but there's a lot to be said for characters who give you something to aspire to.
Overall, this series provided a breath of fresh air by taking high fantasy right back to its roots. Very enjoyable, and recommended to all who miss what fantasy used to be.
Read
November 8, 2023So What’s It About?
The Singing follows the separate journeys of Maerad and Cadvan, and Maerad's brother Hem, as they desperately seek each other in an increasingly battle-torn land. The Black Army is moving north and Maerad has a mighty confrontation with the Landrost to save Innail. All the Seven Kingdoms are being threatened with defeat. Yet Maerad and Hem hold the key to the mysterious Singing and only in releasing the music of the Elidhu together may the Nameless One be defeated.
Can brother and sister find each other in time to fight the Nameless One, and are they strong enough to defeat him??
What I Thought
This’ll be a short and sweet review of this finale. The Singing holds up to the quality of the rest of the Books of Pellinor, and I’m so glad that I discovered this series last year. I wrote a joking note in my review doc that these books are 90% aimless travel, 5% Maerad taking baths and 5 % plot developments, but I can’t help but love them and be so thoroughly charmed by them. The writing is lovely, and there is such a sense of Pellinor being a real, ancient, beautiful world. More than anything, what I enjoy is how grounded the books are in kindness and coziness and good living - friendship, love, compassion, simple comforts. As Cadvan says, maybe one of the biggest differences between Maerad and the dark lord Sharma is that Sharma would never be able to sit in the sunlight and enjoy a pear. :)
Speaking of Sharma, I will say that he always feels quite vague and nebulous as a villain; the book’s climax doesn’t even feature him being present in person to be defeated and feels pretty anticlimactic as a result. I also feel obligated to mention that the romance between Maerad and Cadvan does blossom here, to my eternal disappointment - I’ll just never be onboard for the teenage girl x ancient man romances that are so prevalent in YA fantasy. That being said, though, I stand by my overall conviction that these books make up a lovely reading experience that I already look back on fondly.
The Singing follows the separate journeys of Maerad and Cadvan, and Maerad's brother Hem, as they desperately seek each other in an increasingly battle-torn land. The Black Army is moving north and Maerad has a mighty confrontation with the Landrost to save Innail. All the Seven Kingdoms are being threatened with defeat. Yet Maerad and Hem hold the key to the mysterious Singing and only in releasing the music of the Elidhu together may the Nameless One be defeated.
Can brother and sister find each other in time to fight the Nameless One, and are they strong enough to defeat him??
What I Thought
This’ll be a short and sweet review of this finale. The Singing holds up to the quality of the rest of the Books of Pellinor, and I’m so glad that I discovered this series last year. I wrote a joking note in my review doc that these books are 90% aimless travel, 5% Maerad taking baths and 5 % plot developments, but I can’t help but love them and be so thoroughly charmed by them. The writing is lovely, and there is such a sense of Pellinor being a real, ancient, beautiful world. More than anything, what I enjoy is how grounded the books are in kindness and coziness and good living - friendship, love, compassion, simple comforts. As Cadvan says, maybe one of the biggest differences between Maerad and the dark lord Sharma is that Sharma would never be able to sit in the sunlight and enjoy a pear. :)
Speaking of Sharma, I will say that he always feels quite vague and nebulous as a villain; the book’s climax doesn’t even feature him being present in person to be defeated and feels pretty anticlimactic as a result. I also feel obligated to mention that the romance between Maerad and Cadvan does blossom here, to my eternal disappointment - I’ll just never be onboard for the teenage girl x ancient man romances that are so prevalent in YA fantasy. That being said, though, I stand by my overall conviction that these books make up a lovely reading experience that I already look back on fondly.
March 7, 2017
After a significant detour in The Crow, The Singing returns to Maerad, and the story then switches back and forth between Hem and Maerad as they search for each other. I enjoyed the return to Innail, the battle with the Landrost, and the warmer friendship between Maerad and Cadvan. Hem's portions were interesting as well - Saliman, the traveling show, the moving army of the Dark. There is plenty of magic and plenty of danger.
I enjoyed it, but the first two are still my favorites. I can't quite put my finger on why. Mainly, I think my hopes and expectations were too high, but it may also have been the effect of switching back and forth between the two characters, where the previous books were always focused on one.
One of the things hampering my 5-star level enjoyment was that the closer we got to the end, the more remote Maerad became to everyone around her. This is just when I felt like she should be getting closer to others and coming to greater understanding of herself, her magic, and the world around her - as she did in the Riddle, but now it should be in a broader sense than before.
Instead, .
Then it's over and goes straight into the epilogue, which means a distancing from the characters and the story. The epilogue wraps up a lot, but not in the immediate way that the rest of the story is told, and I wasn't ready for that yet.
I will admit that as I read this, I was getting impatient to find out if Maerad and Cadvan were going to have any romance or not. It was exactly what was needed to round the story out (in my fondest hopes). But Croggon stays focused on the quest all the way to the epilogue. Then she finally lets a teeny, tiny little bit of romance in, but it feels distant from the real story instead of part of it. I was disappointed that it didn't get a little more direct attention earlier in the book. The way that Croggon evokes emotion at the fall of a city or the loss of a friend, for example, could have been used more effectively to portray the depth of emotion in love as well. I wanted just a little bit more.
So I suppose my main complaint, other than wishing for a little more romance throughout, is that the story was over too soon - which is not a bad complaint to have. I loved it that much that I wanted it to continue on past the conflict and into peace and happiness. I needed more time to extricate myself from this world without feeling totally lost afterwards. So the epilogue came too soon, and I had the feeling of being distanced from the characters as I watched them carry on into life without me. I am so sad that it's over!
1/6/2013:
I raced to the finish, and now I think I'm going to go back and read more slowly. I don't think I can start something new just yet.
I enjoyed it, but the first two are still my favorites. I can't quite put my finger on why. Mainly, I think my hopes and expectations were too high, but it may also have been the effect of switching back and forth between the two characters, where the previous books were always focused on one.
One of the things hampering my 5-star level enjoyment was that the closer we got to the end, the more remote Maerad became to everyone around her. This is just when I felt like she should be getting closer to others and coming to greater understanding of herself, her magic, and the world around her - as she did in the Riddle, but now it should be in a broader sense than before.
Instead, .
Then it's over and goes straight into the epilogue, which means a distancing from the characters and the story. The epilogue wraps up a lot, but not in the immediate way that the rest of the story is told, and I wasn't ready for that yet.
I will admit that as I read this, I was getting impatient to find out if Maerad and Cadvan were going to have any romance or not. It was exactly what was needed to round the story out (in my fondest hopes). But Croggon stays focused on the quest all the way to the epilogue. Then she finally lets a teeny, tiny little bit of romance in, but it feels distant from the real story instead of part of it. I was disappointed that it didn't get a little more direct attention earlier in the book. The way that Croggon evokes emotion at the fall of a city or the loss of a friend, for example, could have been used more effectively to portray the depth of emotion in love as well. I wanted just a little bit more.
So I suppose my main complaint, other than wishing for a little more romance throughout, is that the story was over too soon - which is not a bad complaint to have. I loved it that much that I wanted it to continue on past the conflict and into peace and happiness. I needed more time to extricate myself from this world without feeling totally lost afterwards. So the epilogue came too soon, and I had the feeling of being distanced from the characters as I watched them carry on into life without me. I am so sad that it's over!
1/6/2013:
I raced to the finish, and now I think I'm going to go back and read more slowly. I don't think I can start something new just yet.
August 4, 2015
Spoilery? Yeah.
For a series that started out with Maerad and her being The One, the sections of this book that focused on her brother were much more interesting, with much more warmth and movement: I don't mind a bit of road trip in my stories.
Croggon still manages to hit all the fantasy tropes without being self-conscious about it: without too much effort Hem saves someone he loves from an incurable disease, Maerad suddenly works out how to defeat the Elemental that held her captive for a good chunk of The Riddle, and then they meet up and save the world. Pretty much as I expected it to go, but I still found myself skimming Maerad's parts in order to get back to Hem and Saliman.
Although it's written as a 'look what historians dug up, we don't know the full story', I want to know what happened to the bad guys who were human? Did they puff off into smoke and ash like The Nameless One? Are the Elementals still there? How did the events of the book affect the other people Maerad met in the second book? Too many un-wrapped up threads.
The worst part, and this is petty, is that there was no payoff on the Maerad/Cadvan story. All the cliches were in place, down to the third party telling Maerad that Cadvan is in love with her (DUH), while she (obviously) freaks out and decides that he's not so bad. And then the end, when she's done saving the world and nearly dies but of course doesn't, THERE IS NO KISS. Well, there's a kiss, told in flashback. There's no acknowledgement of a relationship - there is no conversation between them at all. It's hardly fair to come through four books of fantasy cliche and then the one that I don't really mind doesn't get played out at all.
For a series that started out with Maerad and her being The One, the sections of this book that focused on her brother were much more interesting, with much more warmth and movement: I don't mind a bit of road trip in my stories.
Croggon still manages to hit all the fantasy tropes without being self-conscious about it: without too much effort Hem saves someone he loves from an incurable disease, Maerad suddenly works out how to defeat the Elemental that held her captive for a good chunk of The Riddle, and then they meet up and save the world. Pretty much as I expected it to go, but I still found myself skimming Maerad's parts in order to get back to Hem and Saliman.
Although it's written as a 'look what historians dug up, we don't know the full story', I want to know what happened to the bad guys who were human? Did they puff off into smoke and ash like The Nameless One? Are the Elementals still there? How did the events of the book affect the other people Maerad met in the second book? Too many un-wrapped up threads.
The worst part, and this is petty, is that there was no payoff on the Maerad/Cadvan story. All the cliches were in place, down to the third party telling Maerad that Cadvan is in love with her (DUH), while she (obviously) freaks out and decides that he's not so bad. And then the end, when she's done saving the world and nearly dies but of course doesn't, THERE IS NO KISS. Well, there's a kiss, told in flashback. There's no acknowledgement of a relationship - there is no conversation between them at all. It's hardly fair to come through four books of fantasy cliche and then the one that I don't really mind doesn't get played out at all.
April 21, 2026
{April 2026 Reread}
Aww, yay. I don’t love this series as intensely as I did when I first encountered it, but it’s not hard to see why it inspired such devotion in me back then. These characters still mean a great deal to me, and I’ll be grateful to have their company waiting for me on my bookshelf whenever I next feel like visiting. Mwah!
{March 2020 Reread}
Well, this is a wonderful story and I love it. 💛
{Original March 2019 Review}
I don't think I'll write that much of a review here. I had grand ideas of what I would say after I read it, but now, having finished it, I don't feel like delving into all my really deep feelings about it on this platform. I plan to do a long mega-review of the whole series on my blog at some point, but it'll probably be a few months before that happens.
In the meantime: I love it. I'm so grateful I stumbled upon this story, and I think it will quickly prove to be a favorite, which doesn't happen very often.
It's amazing. It's on par with The Lord of the Rings, though still not quite so spiritually affecting because it doesn't shine with the same subtle, faith-based light. It's flawed, and it's beautiful, and in the brief time I was reading it, these characters became almost like family.
And I love Maerad and Cadvan, especially, with my whole heart. <3
(Also, one thing I didn't like was how the author pulled a Goldman and integrated the idea of this all being an actual, historical thing into her introductions and appendices. Sometimes I really like that tack, but in this instance I did not.
I mean, I didn't really read the appendices, but I did glance at this one and saw some nonsense about how there )
Aww, yay. I don’t love this series as intensely as I did when I first encountered it, but it’s not hard to see why it inspired such devotion in me back then. These characters still mean a great deal to me, and I’ll be grateful to have their company waiting for me on my bookshelf whenever I next feel like visiting. Mwah!
{March 2020 Reread}
Well, this is a wonderful story and I love it. 💛
{Original March 2019 Review}
And the Song never stopped: released at last into its own music, it played on through all the depths and heights and breadths of the wide and vivid world, following its own desires beyond the reaches of the human heart, forever wild, forever whole, forever free.
I don't think I'll write that much of a review here. I had grand ideas of what I would say after I read it, but now, having finished it, I don't feel like delving into all my really deep feelings about it on this platform. I plan to do a long mega-review of the whole series on my blog at some point, but it'll probably be a few months before that happens.
In the meantime: I love it. I'm so grateful I stumbled upon this story, and I think it will quickly prove to be a favorite, which doesn't happen very often.
It's amazing. It's on par with The Lord of the Rings, though still not quite so spiritually affecting because it doesn't shine with the same subtle, faith-based light. It's flawed, and it's beautiful, and in the brief time I was reading it, these characters became almost like family.
And I love Maerad and Cadvan, especially, with my whole heart. <3
(Also, one thing I didn't like was how the author pulled a Goldman and integrated the idea of this all being an actual, historical thing into her introductions and appendices. Sometimes I really like that tack, but in this instance I did not.
I mean, I didn't really read the appendices, but I did glance at this one and saw some nonsense about how there )
Read
July 24, 2011One of the first series in a long time where I can say I was honestly, profoundly sad to see it end. These books are absolutely stellar - the prose throughout them is consistently little short of exquisite, the scope of the story is epic and immersive, and the characters are certainly some of the most unique and realistic I've met. I was completely enthralled throughout the quartet, and The Singing is possibly the best of them all. I read it in three hours this afternoon, completely unable to put it down.
Although I found the way the third book was narrated exclusively from Hem's viewpoint a little bit disappointing, I felt that the alternation between Maerad and Hem worked very well in this installment, and the tidbits from Cadvan and a few of the other characters added even more depth. The story was full of excitement and adventure, love and loss, discovery and rediscovery, emotion, and a host of smaller twists and details that enhanced the realism and helped draw the reader even deeper. The entire series has been completely enthralling. I was entranced by the way Maerad's entire journey was influenced by darkness - nothing works out perfectly: a lot of things go wrong, she makes many bad choices and does harm - sometimes irreparable - to people she cares about, but the story never grows too bleak. The lack of ease with which Maerad comes into her powers, unravels the Treesong, finds her brother, and defeats the Winterking and The Nameless One - and grows from a girl into a woman - weaves the reader's interest inseparably into the story. The times of despair and difficulty make the reader empathize, but hope is never lost. They pull through, in the end, and have enough pure luck along the way to hold the reader's keen interest. And the ever-changing dimensions of Maerad and Cadvan's relationship is one the hinges of my attraction to the books. I must say I really admire Cadvan's patience, but also the way he's imperfect - even when he grows so (rightfully!) angry at Maerad, he never lets it permanently stand in the way of their friendship. These are astonishingly well-developed fictional people. Both Hem and Maerad acquit themselves very believably, identifiably, and endearingly.
The whole tale is epic, a masterpiece of prose (with some pretty decent poetry and interesting history thrown in!), and the Books of Pellinor are some of the best I've ever read. I'm so disappointed there aren't any more!
Although I found the way the third book was narrated exclusively from Hem's viewpoint a little bit disappointing, I felt that the alternation between Maerad and Hem worked very well in this installment, and the tidbits from Cadvan and a few of the other characters added even more depth. The story was full of excitement and adventure, love and loss, discovery and rediscovery, emotion, and a host of smaller twists and details that enhanced the realism and helped draw the reader even deeper. The entire series has been completely enthralling. I was entranced by the way Maerad's entire journey was influenced by darkness - nothing works out perfectly: a lot of things go wrong, she makes many bad choices and does harm - sometimes irreparable - to people she cares about, but the story never grows too bleak. The lack of ease with which Maerad comes into her powers, unravels the Treesong, finds her brother, and defeats the Winterking and The Nameless One - and grows from a girl into a woman - weaves the reader's interest inseparably into the story. The times of despair and difficulty make the reader empathize, but hope is never lost. They pull through, in the end, and have enough pure luck along the way to hold the reader's keen interest. And the ever-changing dimensions of Maerad and Cadvan's relationship is one the hinges of my attraction to the books. I must say I really admire Cadvan's patience, but also the way he's imperfect - even when he grows so (rightfully!) angry at Maerad, he never lets it permanently stand in the way of their friendship. These are astonishingly well-developed fictional people. Both Hem and Maerad acquit themselves very believably, identifiably, and endearingly.
The whole tale is epic, a masterpiece of prose (with some pretty decent poetry and interesting history thrown in!), and the Books of Pellinor are some of the best I've ever read. I'm so disappointed there aren't any more!
February 27, 2022
I can't even remember the last time I read a whole series and gave five stars to every book. But these books are that good. Alison Croggon is a gifted writer, and her prose is beautiful without lacking clarity. The songs/poems are some of my favorite parts. The story is urgent and absorbing. I love the Bards and their cities, and the different landscapes described (except the barren evil places, of course).
This is high fantasy: magical people fighting for the greater good. The books have many themes in common with Tolkien, Star Wars, and even Harry Potter. But I loved the story and the characters and the writing enough that I did not care. Is it even possible to write something entirely new to this world?
Content (for the series): language is clean as far as I can remember; there is violence and darkness but much discussion about consequences of actions; the main character gets her period in the first book and attempted rape is mentioned; there is no sex and hardly any romance until the very end of the series. I would think ages 12 and up would be fine to read these books. I did not find these books offensive and I am pretty sensitive about "adult" content.
2017: Re-read. Liked the series almost as much the second time around.
This is high fantasy: magical people fighting for the greater good. The books have many themes in common with Tolkien, Star Wars, and even Harry Potter. But I loved the story and the characters and the writing enough that I did not care. Is it even possible to write something entirely new to this world?
Content (for the series): language is clean as far as I can remember; there is violence and darkness but much discussion about consequences of actions; the main character gets her period in the first book and attempted rape is mentioned; there is no sex and hardly any romance until the very end of the series. I would think ages 12 and up would be fine to read these books. I did not find these books offensive and I am pretty sensitive about "adult" content.
2017: Re-read. Liked the series almost as much the second time around.
January 18, 2019
Es gibt selten eine Buchreihe die mich so enttäuscht hat wie diese hier. Kurz gesagt, die Handlung ist fast 1:1 aus Herr der Ringe geklaut. Bis auf ein paar Ausnahmen kam mir die Reihe vor wie Herr der Ringe für Jugendliche. Teilweise hat die Autorin so schamlos abgekupfert, dass sogar ganze Sätze oder auch ganze Szenen aus HdR entnommen wurden.
Einen Lichtblick gab es im dritten Band .
Außerdem fand ich auch das ganze Geheimnis um das Baumlied sehr spannend und interessant, leider ist diese Idee am Ende vollkommen im Nichts verpufft.
Fazit: Auf das Wenige was die Autorin selbst kreiert hat, wurde überhaupt nicht näher eingegangen. Die Reihe hatte so viel Potential und ist einfach nur zu einem HdR Abklatsch verkommen.
Nur wer HdR nicht gelesen oder gesehen hat, oder sich einfach nicht dran stört, dass hier alles kopiert wurde, wird seinen Spaß an der Pellinore-Reihe finden.
Einen Lichtblick gab es im dritten Band .
Außerdem fand ich auch das ganze Geheimnis um das Baumlied sehr spannend und interessant, leider ist diese Idee am Ende vollkommen im Nichts verpufft.
Fazit: Auf das Wenige was die Autorin selbst kreiert hat, wurde überhaupt nicht näher eingegangen. Die Reihe hatte so viel Potential und ist einfach nur zu einem HdR Abklatsch verkommen.
Nur wer HdR nicht gelesen oder gesehen hat, oder sich einfach nicht dran stört, dass hier alles kopiert wurde, wird seinen Spaß an der Pellinore-Reihe finden.
March 17, 2025
The last book of a very good series! However, I was somewhat disappointed. There was a lot of descriptions of food, and how wonderful baths are, and how cold and tired everyone was. A lot of the story was really repetitive like that. Then, SPOILER ALERT it just felt like when she finally faced down the bad guy, you really didn't have any interaction with him. And it wasn't that big of a deal to defeat him. And GEEZE, we spent all this time learning how special Maerad was for being part elemental, and then at the end she's not any more. And she and Cadvan realize their love for each other, but don't even get married? Wow, romantic, LOL. That being said, it was pretty good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2025
What can I say ? I loved the whole series.
It may be sometimes slow paced, but the characters are great (no, scratch it, they're wonderful), the story is good if not original (good against evil). I enjoyed the importance of music, of language and the fact that all characters were not automatically 100% as good as they were supposed to be. They were human. Well, mostly human. I loved visiting this world and seeing the different people and cultures that live in it. I liked that people had to pee, had their periods, were dirty during travels (this is something I never thought I'd write), because it felt realistic.
The ending was very satisfying ! And at the same time, I was happy to have read a whole series but sad to leave it behind me. Well, I have the books, I can always re-read them later !
(PS : I'm writing this having had my work computer updated to W10 to W11 - against my will, believe me, that software is a real pain).
It may be sometimes slow paced, but the characters are great (no, scratch it, they're wonderful), the story is good if not original (good against evil). I enjoyed the importance of music, of language and the fact that all characters were not automatically 100% as good as they were supposed to be. They were human. Well, mostly human. I loved visiting this world and seeing the different people and cultures that live in it. I liked that people had to pee, had their periods, were dirty during travels (this is something I never thought I'd write), because it felt realistic.
The ending was very satisfying ! And at the same time, I was happy to have read a whole series but sad to leave it behind me. Well, I have the books, I can always re-read them later !
(PS : I'm writing this having had my work computer updated to W10 to W11 - against my will, believe me, that software is a real pain).
August 27, 2025
In diesem Teil ging mir Maerads Charakterentwicklung zu schnell und sie driftete in sehr magische und jenseitige Gefilde ab. Durch diese „Allmacht“ fand ich sie nicht mehr besonders nahbar – in dieser Hinsicht ging es mir genauso wie Cadvan. Ich verstehe schon, dass das eine bewusste Entscheidung war, um sie möglichst der Realität und den anderen Barden zu entrücken, aber ich fand es mehr anstrengend als atmosphärisch und stimmig.
Das Ende war mir etwas zu abrupt. Wir sehen und erleben Sharma nie in Person, und somit wirkte er nie allzu bedrohlich auf mich. Das Singen des Baumlieds reichte aus, um die große Bedrohung aufzuhalten – einen großen Showdown voller Spannung gibt es also nicht. Da wäre ein etwas epischeres Ende spannender gewesen, das auch Figuren wie Cadvan und Saliman aktiv miteinbezogen hätte. Außerdem gefällt mir das Trope nicht besonders, dass die Protagonistin nach dem Finale ihre großen Kräfte verliert und nach den Geschehnissen wie eine normale Person weiterlebt.
Und trotzdem ist der Rest des Buches sehr lesenswert und trägt viele besondere Momente in sich. Speziell der Epilog ist wie eine warme Kuscheldecke und entlässt uns mit einem wohligen Gefühl aus dieser wirklich besonderen Reihe.
Das Ende war mir etwas zu abrupt. Wir sehen und erleben Sharma nie in Person, und somit wirkte er nie allzu bedrohlich auf mich. Das Singen des Baumlieds reichte aus, um die große Bedrohung aufzuhalten – einen großen Showdown voller Spannung gibt es also nicht. Da wäre ein etwas epischeres Ende spannender gewesen, das auch Figuren wie Cadvan und Saliman aktiv miteinbezogen hätte. Außerdem gefällt mir das Trope nicht besonders, dass die Protagonistin nach dem Finale ihre großen Kräfte verliert und nach den Geschehnissen wie eine normale Person weiterlebt.
Und trotzdem ist der Rest des Buches sehr lesenswert und trägt viele besondere Momente in sich. Speziell der Epilog ist wie eine warme Kuscheldecke und entlässt uns mit einem wohligen Gefühl aus dieser wirklich besonderen Reihe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2011
I must say that this is definitely one of the better series that i have read! i loved all 4 books very dearly and anticipated a lot of different things. When i first saw these books I thought that they wouldn't be very good but I thought that i should give them a try anyway! you have no idea how happy i am that i read them!! i always hoped for the relationship of Maerad and Cadvan! You have no idea how excited I was to read the last part of the book where you read about their romance. I was smiling for a long time after i read that part of the book! This book is filled with many surprises and fun things that i never saw coming! I must give Alison Croggon a pat on the back for the work she did on making this book filled with so many details! I wish that there was one more talking about the romance between the two lovers and about their journey to places that Maerad had always wanted to go and what happened with Hem and also the supposed romance between Sailman and the new girl that had joined their journey along the way!! Overall this is one series that i can honestly say is one that i will someday read again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2009
This book ends the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon. I thought she did a good job at ending the series. She creates a world that is believable and has you questioning whether or not this world did exist here *before* our history started. The bad guys are really, really bad. But the hero and heroine (especially the heroine) are characters who question and doubt their abilities in a believable way.
The outcome for a lot of it is predictable, if you've read tons of fantasy. (and I have) But the book still kept me on the edge of my seat while I was reading it.
She's a very talented author and I hope to find more books from her in the near future. I will definitely recommend that my children read these books - as long as they are interested in fantasy.
The outcome for a lot of it is predictable, if you've read tons of fantasy. (and I have) But the book still kept me on the edge of my seat while I was reading it.
She's a very talented author and I hope to find more books from her in the near future. I will definitely recommend that my children read these books - as long as they are interested in fantasy.
May 10, 2009
I felt like this book was better than the others because it didn't get as bogged down with the details of food and wilderness camping pains. In fact much of the book took place in one of the Schools. I thought the battle with the Landrost was ten times better than the final battle. Though I actually wasn't especially warm to Hem in The Crow The Third Book of Pellinor I actually liked his parts in this book. Sometimes more than Maerad. Mostly because Maerad was just the same thoughts and insecurities over and over and over again until the end battle. I also liked Hekibel, as I did in The Crow.
I just didn't get Maerad and Cadvan getting together. I mean it was sort of there under the surface in the other books. But mostly, I didn't get that Cadvan was madly in love with Maerad. In The Riddle The Second Book of Pellinor Maerad says that he is like a father to her. In my opinion, no matter how close you get to someone, a person who at any point is a father figure is not also a lover. That's just creepy.
Plus, because we don't even read Cadvan and Maerad coming together, we only read the afterthought of it, it makes it seem even further away as a possibility. Making the kissing and winking scenes in the Epilogue feel strange and out of character for both of them.
Now, it is also probably true that because of all they had been through together, no one else could have matched the other. Cadvan had never wanted to be around another person but could have Maerad around him 24/7. Maerad, for all her wildness and then fame, could not likely have found someone who could understand her outside of Cadvan. So I kind of get that. But I think the author could have done more with making this story line apparent before it sucker punches the reader. And I don't mean to distract from her poetic writing and storyline, but there could have been a few more than some subtle hints of "tender gazes."
All in all, I still had the same problems as I always do with Croggon's writing. It's beyond detailed, though beautifully so, and I found that I would occasionally skim or not realize what I had just read and have to re-read.
One really good point about this book, and it almost got it an extra star, is that it moves at a much quicker pace than the others. Perhaps I was just interested in seeing how it ended, or perhaps something had changed a bit in Croggon's writing style. Either way, it was welcome.
I just didn't get Maerad and Cadvan getting together. I mean it was sort of there under the surface in the other books. But mostly, I didn't get that Cadvan was madly in love with Maerad. In The Riddle The Second Book of Pellinor Maerad says that he is like a father to her. In my opinion, no matter how close you get to someone, a person who at any point is a father figure is not also a lover. That's just creepy.
Plus, because we don't even read Cadvan and Maerad coming together, we only read the afterthought of it, it makes it seem even further away as a possibility. Making the kissing and winking scenes in the Epilogue feel strange and out of character for both of them.
Now, it is also probably true that because of all they had been through together, no one else could have matched the other. Cadvan had never wanted to be around another person but could have Maerad around him 24/7. Maerad, for all her wildness and then fame, could not likely have found someone who could understand her outside of Cadvan. So I kind of get that. But I think the author could have done more with making this story line apparent before it sucker punches the reader. And I don't mean to distract from her poetic writing and storyline, but there could have been a few more than some subtle hints of "tender gazes."
All in all, I still had the same problems as I always do with Croggon's writing. It's beyond detailed, though beautifully so, and I found that I would occasionally skim or not realize what I had just read and have to re-read.
One really good point about this book, and it almost got it an extra star, is that it moves at a much quicker pace than the others. Perhaps I was just interested in seeing how it ended, or perhaps something had changed a bit in Croggon's writing style. Either way, it was welcome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2016
I have mixed feelings about The Singing. It is a rather underwhelming conclusion to the series after all that we were promised. There is so much time spent in Maerad's head floating around the "magic space" that it feels like the actual plot is a tiny speck of the content. There isn't nearly enough time spent with Hem although I really enjoyed his parts, as always. The inevitable romance between Maerad and Cadvan p*sses me of to no end, in comparison I love Hekibel and Saliman even though it's only a very minor detail.
The biggest disappointment of all is that we never actually meet The Nameless One. He doesn't even show up for his own death, how freaking rude! Also its very difficult to imagine that Maerad has had any character growth when her internal monologue has been about the exact same things for the past year of her life; she still doesn't feel comfortable in her powers, she only wants to be normal, baths baths baths, foooooood, woe, "still-not-a-murderer". She does not mature emotionally at all, she only gets over Arkan and finally admits she never loved Dernhil (after a very long scene where she tells his empty office that she did) when she decides she likes Cadvan now. She still has a very bratty teenage attitude at times yet we're expected to see her as this amazing, strong woman. Hem on the other hand, has somehow matured massively in our tiny glimpses at him.
It makes me sad that I didn't enjoy this series very much because this was my ultimate fantasy series when I was a teenager, it had everything I wanted without being too intimidating, but now it seems weak in comparison to its rivals.
The biggest disappointment of all is that we never actually meet The Nameless One. He doesn't even show up for his own death, how freaking rude! Also its very difficult to imagine that Maerad has had any character growth when her internal monologue has been about the exact same things for the past year of her life; she still doesn't feel comfortable in her powers, she only wants to be normal, baths baths baths, foooooood, woe, "still-not-a-murderer". She does not mature emotionally at all, she only gets over Arkan and finally admits she never loved Dernhil (after a very long scene where she tells his empty office that she did) when she decides she likes Cadvan now. She still has a very bratty teenage attitude at times yet we're expected to see her as this amazing, strong woman. Hem on the other hand, has somehow matured massively in our tiny glimpses at him.
It makes me sad that I didn't enjoy this series very much because this was my ultimate fantasy series when I was a teenager, it had everything I wanted without being too intimidating, but now it seems weak in comparison to its rivals.
August 13, 2009
I really want to give this book 3.5 stars, but it just doesn't make it to 4. I appreciate the fact that the characterizations were stronger and more clear in this book than in the earlier volumes, but the plot was just... lacking. As an "epic journey" saga, Croggon let large portions of the book be carried merely by the characters traveling from one place to another (which was the case, to some extent, in her earlier books, I admit), and it just got a little boring.
I thought the wrapping up of the Treesong was fascinating and well-done, though as the defeat of the Nameless One it was kind of anti-climatic. Overall, this book was more positive and optimistic than the others, and I think it is a good ending to the series. I especially loved the relationships that grew out of these final weeks of the saga.
My major complaint, however, is the way in which Maerad "comes into" her Elemental powers: I won't pretend to know what the heck Croggon was trying to say, but I don't like how she said it. I think the greatest beauty of fantasy fiction is to highlight the real powers of the heart and mind, and teach us through allegory the value of truth, light, loyalty, and courage. Maerad's experience has nothing to teach me - nothing I want to learn, anyway. It was very discouraging.
I'd still recommend it to those reading through the series or other big fantasy fans. Just don't expect to be inspired by it.
I thought the wrapping up of the Treesong was fascinating and well-done, though as the defeat of the Nameless One it was kind of anti-climatic. Overall, this book was more positive and optimistic than the others, and I think it is a good ending to the series. I especially loved the relationships that grew out of these final weeks of the saga.
My major complaint, however, is the way in which Maerad "comes into" her Elemental powers: I won't pretend to know what the heck Croggon was trying to say, but I don't like how she said it. I think the greatest beauty of fantasy fiction is to highlight the real powers of the heart and mind, and teach us through allegory the value of truth, light, loyalty, and courage. Maerad's experience has nothing to teach me - nothing I want to learn, anyway. It was very discouraging.
I'd still recommend it to those reading through the series or other big fantasy fans. Just don't expect to be inspired by it.
January 16, 2010
This last book was shorter than all the other books, so I devoured it in one day. One of the things that I have loved about this series is that it's like an actor that stays in character from sequel to sequel. There are maps and forewords and appendices that talk of the books' translations from an ancient text. Even a pronunciation guide for the lost language. These careful touches are in all four books of the series and they add so much to the imagination of the world of Edil-Amarandh making it easy to believe that it existed in our world before we got here.
Alison Croggon's powers of description continue to astound me when we finally see Maerad's struggles to unleash the power within her and her hopes that embracing it will not destroy all those she loves.
This was an epic tale that I was glad to finally see the end of only because I waited so long to see the final stand of light against dark, but once it ended, I was sad that there was no more story. The appendices helped a lot to relieve the sadness by providing a piecemeal history of the characters and what became of them.
I highly recommend this series to be read in winter. When you're tucked in a cozy, warm place inside and it's cold and miserable outside, this is the perfect adventure to set foot into.
Alison Croggon's powers of description continue to astound me when we finally see Maerad's struggles to unleash the power within her and her hopes that embracing it will not destroy all those she loves.
This was an epic tale that I was glad to finally see the end of only because I waited so long to see the final stand of light against dark, but once it ended, I was sad that there was no more story. The appendices helped a lot to relieve the sadness by providing a piecemeal history of the characters and what became of them.
I highly recommend this series to be read in winter. When you're tucked in a cozy, warm place inside and it's cold and miserable outside, this is the perfect adventure to set foot into.
July 18, 2022
I wasn't expecting much, and yet I was still disappointed. This author is in love with her world-building, but puts very little thought or time into character development. Every conversation is exposition, and every conflict is either pointless or over in a moment. Most of the action is described after the fact, completely killing any tension or momentum. I think the author is a decent wordsmith, but not a good storyteller. It's a pity, because the concept was fine, and I appreciated the attempt to defy expectations by having the sister be the powerful fighter and the brother be the healer, but it just wasn't enough. None of the relationships grew organically, and the only reason you knew that someone loved someone else was because the author had the character announce it. In that sense, it reminded me of Wheel of Time, another book about world-building and not about people. Oh well, I guess I'm glad it's over.
January 20, 2011
Overall, I thought this was a mostly satisfactory conclusion to the series. There were only two things that really bothered me. Firstly, I felt that the final battle was a little anti-climatic. I mean, it took thousands of pages over four books to build up to it, and then....that was it? Secondly, the resolution of Maerad and Cadvan's relationship left a lot to be desired. I fell in love with them. I watched the evolution of their relationship and waited breathlessly for them to admit their love for each other. And then they don't even kiss? Or rather, they do but it's referred to in passing a number of pages later? Lame. I wanted a little more than just an "Oh yeah, and they got together. The end." But I still loved this book and I love this series and it has an honored place on my keeper shelf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2019
for seasoned reader. add to to read-list - whole series of "The books of Pellinor". I liked this book and others books in series and sure you like it too.
September 9, 2020
I felt like this was a fitting end to the series! I really wish I had read this when I was a teen. This is well done epic Tolkien-esque fantasy, with a solid quest for a cool magical item, and lots of travel over a big world with lots of scenery. Appropriately, Croggon writes in a slightly elevated style throughout the books, and does not spare her readers the formal and vocabulary words. Reading this as an adult, there were slightly too many teen feelings for me here and there, and one or two plot depressions (not full holes, but still), but as a teen this would have made me feel like I was reading adult fiction.
If you have a teen in your life that likes high fantasy, definitely pick this up for them. I'd still recommend it to adults, but I know that my prime enjoyment age would have been 15 to 17 for these.
If you have a teen in your life that likes high fantasy, definitely pick this up for them. I'd still recommend it to adults, but I know that my prime enjoyment age would have been 15 to 17 for these.
July 7, 2021
I don't know...it just wasn't perfect. It was interesting and had a rather strange ending. I did like all the different types of love being displayed--friends, family, lovers, etc. And there were some good action scenes. Myrad's powers were also interesting and I felt really sorry for her having to bear so much. Although, I love traveling in epic fantasy books, I felt that their was a bit too much of that going on. Regarding the ending, I felt that the entire Tree Song should have been written down, not just bits and pieces of it.
December 18, 2019
Leaning 3.5 stars.
July 6, 2023
I've enjoyed this series - donating to the library now in hopes that someone else can enjoy them.
January 10, 2010
If I could split this book in half and devide it into two stories (which is really what it is anyhow) one half would get 5 stars and the other half would get well... what you see above. Now, sense this book's main focus is on the bad half of the book, I'll have to give it the one lonely star you see floating above.
This is the finale of Crogan's Pellinor series. She has very impresive J.R.R. Tolkein like writing skills and incorperates more detail, history, and poetic naration into to her stories than many authors dare to today. I comend her for her efforts and I'm a big fan of her writing style but I aslo had big issues with our protagonist, Mearad, who had been likable up until this point.
Mearad and Cadvan are making the final stretch in their journey to defeat the dark and stop the spreading disease of hate and distruction. Their little pilgrimage doesn't involve much excitement. They end up in the feilds of *blank*, waiting in a nearbye cave while Mearad goes through all these mental trials and eventually excepts all her evilness to gain complete control of her powers (or rather to let her powers take complete control of her)and defeat the evils residing within Pellinor.
This is were my own sense of morality gets involved.
It didn't really seem to me that Mearad was realizing her evils and compensating for them, and admitting to herself "Yeah, that was wrong." It super hard to explian but it really seemed like she was taking advantage of her evilness and using it for the betterment of man kind. This... I don't even know how to direct it. This bit of philospophy seemed all wrong and mixed up to me. Shouldn't you truly be embrasing your good side while admitting your wrong doings and puting them in the past. I look at it from a slightly religious point of veiw and it seems just... wrong. I had trouble believing in Mearad again, her quest, and her sense of perpous.
Now, before I could really appreciate Mearad's plight. Months ago she was a slave unjustly forced into ignorance. She was the daughter of a great house and she'd blocked out the memories of the wrongdoings done toher so she could no longer be hurt by those actions. She was taken by cruelty and forced into and even crueler reality, a reality that was beautiful but was rapidly being consumed by darkness. And it was all up to her to save it. I fealt a deap pit widen in my stomach when she killed a bard back on before this book, but she payed dearly for it and she was able to admit her corruption but it didn't seem like she payed such a great price in the Singing. But then again, I don't even know if she was Mearad when she let both light and dark take over her very being. She was almost in a trance, a tool for the elements to take over. But it still didn't feel right. I don't like reading through a book and feeling guilty about it.
Now, on a less philosophical and perhaps anthropological note.
The rest of the story is brilliantly written except... the romance is a little bit less than satisfying. Frankly, I didn't see the Mearad/Cadvan conection until I read a few reviews and it was pointed out by readers. I didn't find it all that romantic from the start. But once it was there, it was there. It was odd for me scince Cadvan was so much older than her like... 80 years at the least. It was like Twilight except Cadvan looked about 30 years older while Mearad stayed... 16 if I remember corectly? Also, it was one of those deals that really ticks me off where the romance is realized on only the last couple pages.
As for Soliman, that was awesome! I love that guy. He finds someone to be with and he has to fight for her while venturing into wastelands where he has so much to loose. He's a beautiful character and I miss him! I almost cried when I read the apendicies, finding out what happened to him. He's deffinately my favorite.
As for Hem, poor lad, he still gets pushed around a bit as far as dialogue. Croggon has a tendency to insult the inteligence of her younger characters by crooning to them. Hem later proves him self as a passionate bard by... well, I can't tell you. Lets just say Soliman's life is on the line and Hem is perhaps the only one that could save him.
The conclusion wasn't all that climatic and the book as a whole wasn't my favorite, though I would say Croggon is a very seccesful author. This was just a flop and hopefully the next time around she'll be able to show us what she's got.
This is the finale of Crogan's Pellinor series. She has very impresive J.R.R. Tolkein like writing skills and incorperates more detail, history, and poetic naration into to her stories than many authors dare to today. I comend her for her efforts and I'm a big fan of her writing style but I aslo had big issues with our protagonist, Mearad, who had been likable up until this point.
Mearad and Cadvan are making the final stretch in their journey to defeat the dark and stop the spreading disease of hate and distruction. Their little pilgrimage doesn't involve much excitement. They end up in the feilds of *blank*, waiting in a nearbye cave while Mearad goes through all these mental trials and eventually excepts all her evilness to gain complete control of her powers (or rather to let her powers take complete control of her)and defeat the evils residing within Pellinor.
This is were my own sense of morality gets involved.
It didn't really seem to me that Mearad was realizing her evils and compensating for them, and admitting to herself "Yeah, that was wrong." It super hard to explian but it really seemed like she was taking advantage of her evilness and using it for the betterment of man kind. This... I don't even know how to direct it. This bit of philospophy seemed all wrong and mixed up to me. Shouldn't you truly be embrasing your good side while admitting your wrong doings and puting them in the past. I look at it from a slightly religious point of veiw and it seems just... wrong. I had trouble believing in Mearad again, her quest, and her sense of perpous.
Now, before I could really appreciate Mearad's plight. Months ago she was a slave unjustly forced into ignorance. She was the daughter of a great house and she'd blocked out the memories of the wrongdoings done toher so she could no longer be hurt by those actions. She was taken by cruelty and forced into and even crueler reality, a reality that was beautiful but was rapidly being consumed by darkness. And it was all up to her to save it. I fealt a deap pit widen in my stomach when she killed a bard back on before this book, but she payed dearly for it and she was able to admit her corruption but it didn't seem like she payed such a great price in the Singing. But then again, I don't even know if she was Mearad when she let both light and dark take over her very being. She was almost in a trance, a tool for the elements to take over. But it still didn't feel right. I don't like reading through a book and feeling guilty about it.
Now, on a less philosophical and perhaps anthropological note.
The rest of the story is brilliantly written except... the romance is a little bit less than satisfying. Frankly, I didn't see the Mearad/Cadvan conection until I read a few reviews and it was pointed out by readers. I didn't find it all that romantic from the start. But once it was there, it was there. It was odd for me scince Cadvan was so much older than her like... 80 years at the least. It was like Twilight except Cadvan looked about 30 years older while Mearad stayed... 16 if I remember corectly? Also, it was one of those deals that really ticks me off where the romance is realized on only the last couple pages.
As for Soliman, that was awesome! I love that guy. He finds someone to be with and he has to fight for her while venturing into wastelands where he has so much to loose. He's a beautiful character and I miss him! I almost cried when I read the apendicies, finding out what happened to him. He's deffinately my favorite.
As for Hem, poor lad, he still gets pushed around a bit as far as dialogue. Croggon has a tendency to insult the inteligence of her younger characters by crooning to them. Hem later proves him self as a passionate bard by... well, I can't tell you. Lets just say Soliman's life is on the line and Hem is perhaps the only one that could save him.
The conclusion wasn't all that climatic and the book as a whole wasn't my favorite, though I would say Croggon is a very seccesful author. This was just a flop and hopefully the next time around she'll be able to show us what she's got.
May 24, 2020
I liked this series generally, but I was underwhelmed by the ending. There were a lot of loose ends that were never tied and some things that seemed pivotal in the past books were never revisited or explained. What was Maerad's Elidhu name? We will never know despite how focused the last book was on it. Why did she lose her Elidhu powers at the end? Losing her powers that were not Elidhu (or at least were said to be different than normal Elidhu powers as said by Arkan which was also never explained) makes sense, but she has Elidhu blood, so why...? Did all of the Elidhu disappear from the world? Why did releasing the Treesong "kill" Sharma (if he actually died)? Why were Cadvan and Maerad suddenly together at the end, without any discussion or even many hints of it in the past books? It felt like an afterthought, added in after all of the readers demanded that they end up together. I realize that some things are meant to remain a mystery and that's fine, but some of the things that went unexplained were originally treated as pivotal plot points.
There were also many things I expected to happen that did not, though I don't entirely blame the author for that. We never got to see why Cadvan had such a reputation as a powerful Bard, other than a few slightly impressive acts. I was expecting Maerad to actually meet Sharma at some point, but she never did and her internal battle against him during the Singing was not intense enough. Her powers in result seemed a bit pointless at the end - why did she need this great god-like power to defeat the Nameless One if we never even saw her use it against him? Her defeat of the Landrost was much more impressive in comparison.
Those criticisms aside, this author clearly has a talent for world building and it was perhaps the best part of this series. There were some dull bits here and there, but they made the journey feel much more real nonetheless. I also enjoyed the characters, though not the way their relationships were expressed. Many of the characters came off as if they didn't care about each other because none of them seemed to ever show strong emotions of love towards each other. Positive emotions in general were not written in a super believable way, and it made the connections between the characters feel less believable. I didn't believe Hem when he said he wanted to marry Zelika any more than I believed Maerad was in love with Arkan.
All-in-all, I mostly enjoyed the series, but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it enough to re-read it. Maybe I will someday just to see if any of the above things are clearer to me.
There were also many things I expected to happen that did not, though I don't entirely blame the author for that. We never got to see why Cadvan had such a reputation as a powerful Bard, other than a few slightly impressive acts. I was expecting Maerad to actually meet Sharma at some point, but she never did and her internal battle against him during the Singing was not intense enough. Her powers in result seemed a bit pointless at the end - why did she need this great god-like power to defeat the Nameless One if we never even saw her use it against him? Her defeat of the Landrost was much more impressive in comparison.
Those criticisms aside, this author clearly has a talent for world building and it was perhaps the best part of this series. There were some dull bits here and there, but they made the journey feel much more real nonetheless. I also enjoyed the characters, though not the way their relationships were expressed. Many of the characters came off as if they didn't care about each other because none of them seemed to ever show strong emotions of love towards each other. Positive emotions in general were not written in a super believable way, and it made the connections between the characters feel less believable. I didn't believe Hem when he said he wanted to marry Zelika any more than I believed Maerad was in love with Arkan.
All-in-all, I mostly enjoyed the series, but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it enough to re-read it. Maybe I will someday just to see if any of the above things are clearer to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2011
As with the author, I finished (reading, in my case, writing, in hers) the Pellinor tetralogy with mixed feelings. Regret, first of all, because there was a sense of closure on the whole series: any hint of sequels was firmly dispelled by a note at the beginning of the appendices that outlined the subsequent history of Maerad, Hem and their friends, leaving little chance of another epic undertaking by the characters we had grown to know and love. But satisfaction, too, was there: that wrongs had been righted, balances restored and friendships deepened.
At the beginning of The Singing we pick up again the story of Maerad which was abandoned during The Crow. Maerad finds herself back at the bardic town of Innail where she had first been made aware of a life different from her upbringing as a slave, and temporarily finds a respite from her wanderings of close on a year. But she has much still to accomplish--finding her brother and solving the riddle of the Treesong, for example--and so begins the chain of events that lead up to the final confrontation.
I found much to enjoy in this final installment. Themes are re-visited but are never the same: there is a siege, but it is not the kind of siege that Hem experienced in Turbansk; we are re-acquainted with the elemental beings we have met before, the Landrost, the Winterking and Ardina, but the relationships between them and humankind have changed; and all the while the protagonists are growing in maturity, in powers, in insights, no longer the innocents abroad. And, with the pain of growing there come the sacrifices.
For this reader this has been a wonderful journey to shadow over the course of the narrative's year, aided and abetted by the splendid cartography in each volume. I don't agree with critics who feel the conclusion pat: after all, one of the purposes of fantasy, as with fairytales and other traditional stories, is to tease and cajole but ultimately to reach a satisfying resolution. But Croggon has also managed to invest her main characters with the kind of sympathy that we look for in friends, and for that the Pellinor books are raised above the ordinary. As Maerad is reputed to have written, "... the fairest sight | on this dark earth | is the face of the one you love."
At the beginning of The Singing we pick up again the story of Maerad which was abandoned during The Crow. Maerad finds herself back at the bardic town of Innail where she had first been made aware of a life different from her upbringing as a slave, and temporarily finds a respite from her wanderings of close on a year. But she has much still to accomplish--finding her brother and solving the riddle of the Treesong, for example--and so begins the chain of events that lead up to the final confrontation.
I found much to enjoy in this final installment. Themes are re-visited but are never the same: there is a siege, but it is not the kind of siege that Hem experienced in Turbansk; we are re-acquainted with the elemental beings we have met before, the Landrost, the Winterking and Ardina, but the relationships between them and humankind have changed; and all the while the protagonists are growing in maturity, in powers, in insights, no longer the innocents abroad. And, with the pain of growing there come the sacrifices.
For this reader this has been a wonderful journey to shadow over the course of the narrative's year, aided and abetted by the splendid cartography in each volume. I don't agree with critics who feel the conclusion pat: after all, one of the purposes of fantasy, as with fairytales and other traditional stories, is to tease and cajole but ultimately to reach a satisfying resolution. But Croggon has also managed to invest her main characters with the kind of sympathy that we look for in friends, and for that the Pellinor books are raised above the ordinary. As Maerad is reputed to have written, "... the fairest sight | on this dark earth | is the face of the one you love."
April 13, 2009
The Singing is the last book in a beautiful series by Australian writer and poet Alison Croggon. I am notoriously stingy about buying books (a three-read rule, although different than Jasper Fforde's interpretation of that phrase!) but I bought the last three books in this series as soon as they came into the store, knowing that I would love them. I can't count the number of times I've read them since. I read JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in college and was enchanted by the whole world he had created for his characters--as a musician, I even enjoyed the various digressions into song, a big turn-off for lots of readers, I know! I love Alison's series because she has given the same level of commitment to creating her world and characters (and even music and languages) while centering her story on that very rare creature, the teenage fantasy heroine. (Ah, the refreshing yet tasteful honesty of a heroine suffering through her period while on her quest to save the world!) When I describe these books, I do use the terms high or epic fantasy which, to me, honors the craftsmanship of Croggon's world. But I have to follow that description with a qualifier--these books are so easy to fall into--the characterizations are so rich, the adventure high, and the plotting well paced that readers, especially teens, must not be scared by the high or epic label (or the short, well-chosen verses that open each chapter for that matter!) I hope readers of Tamora Pierce (another great teen heroine creator) will embrace this slightly more literary series. It may also appeal to fans of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle--this is the sort of effortless fantasy storytelling I think he aspires to.
April 15, 2010
In “The Singing,” Maerad’s adventures in Edil-Amarandh come to a climax and the saga that began with “The Naming” comes to an end. Maerad and Hem are wandering over the vast expanse of Annar and the Suderain in search of each other, in hopes of uniting and performing the Singing, the reunion of the two halves of the Treesong, before the armies of the Nameless One overwhelm the forces of the Light. Thrown into shadow by Sharma and betrayed by their leader, the Light turn to Maerad and Hem as their last hope in this battle against time and ultimately, the forces of evil.
This book in no way contains a slow start, with the siege of Innail occurring almost immediately. The story then takes a downtempo turn, but exciting, albeit small, events frequently befall the two small parties, triggered by the induction of several Players into Hem’s group, and Maerad’s true powers as they are gradually revealed. Hulls make few appearances here, but enough happens with the Players and Maerad’s powers to keep interesting what would otherwise have been a fairly dull book, as both parties remain isolated for much of the story.
The events of the first three books are frequently mentioned, so much so that I would in no case recommend this book to someone who had not read the rest of the series, but I would not hesitate to recommend the series to anyone who liked “The Lord of the Rings,” by J.R.R. Tolkein, or “The Belgariad,” by David Eddings. I immensely enjoyed this entire series. It was exciting, intriguing, and the final chapters finish off the story nicely after a dramatic and gripping climax.
This book in no way contains a slow start, with the siege of Innail occurring almost immediately. The story then takes a downtempo turn, but exciting, albeit small, events frequently befall the two small parties, triggered by the induction of several Players into Hem’s group, and Maerad’s true powers as they are gradually revealed. Hulls make few appearances here, but enough happens with the Players and Maerad’s powers to keep interesting what would otherwise have been a fairly dull book, as both parties remain isolated for much of the story.
The events of the first three books are frequently mentioned, so much so that I would in no case recommend this book to someone who had not read the rest of the series, but I would not hesitate to recommend the series to anyone who liked “The Lord of the Rings,” by J.R.R. Tolkein, or “The Belgariad,” by David Eddings. I immensely enjoyed this entire series. It was exciting, intriguing, and the final chapters finish off the story nicely after a dramatic and gripping climax.
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