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Kelven's Riddle #1
The Mountain at the Middle of the World
The Mountain at the Middle of the World is the first book of Kelven's Riddle,the story of a man born into abject slavery. After the taking of his younger sister for the evil purposes of the grim lord of the world, and the subsequent killing of his parents, Aram decides to attempt escaping his bonds for the dangerous wilderness of the western marsh. Before he can put his plan into action, he is conscripted for duty in the east, at the ends of the known world, opening new lands at the edge of civilization. When an opportunity arises, he escapes into the mountainous wilds, desiring only to live as a free man if he can; instead he finds a destiny that he did not seek, and becomes something much more...
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 22, 2020
This review contains very light spoilers.
I am a fan of the standard fantasy formula of the young unknown who struggles to achieve a position of prominence. I also like the traditional story of the impossible battle between good and an overpowering evil. I like reading about a highly moral hero struggling to find a path through a confusing and at times immoral world. Kelven's Riddle #1 has - to some extent - all of these things and more, yet it is not a 5-star read for me because it is lacking that zest and pop that would make it feel unique and special. I was curious about what would happen next as I read it, and there were a few fun and surprising twists that made the journey enjoyable, but the story never really caught fire for me. It didn't stand out as a stunning and singular entry in the genre like, say, the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks did when I read that. I liked Kelven's Riddle #1, but it wasn't a standout.
Our hero, Aram, is a likable and resourceful fellow, and the early part of the book is sort of reminiscent of the movie "Cast Away" in that he fashions an existence almost entirely by himself. It's a testament to the quality of the character that Aram can carry the story essentially on his own. We bond with him because of his very personal and individual struggles. As he makes new and different connections as the book goes on, it's easy to cheer for him. He faces some big challenges and is able to overcome them primarily through the strength and power of his character. My only complaint is the straightforward nature of some of the problems and resolutions that Aram faces. I'd like to have seen a few twists thrown in to make the peril of Aram's situation feel more real and more present. Digging into his creativity and resourcefulness in solving those types of problems would have been welcome, as well.
The only other thing that really ground down my reading speed was the emphasis on fully describing the landscape in terms of everything that could possibly be seen in every conceivable cardinal direction. I thought it might be a one-off experience tied to a specific scene early on in which a description of the surrounding environment was useful and important, but it persisted throughout the book, and I became very weary of the obsession with geography. Even though my image of the customary "map of the realm" at the front of the book was much too small to read on my Kindle, I just could not invest mentally in the description overload that occurred whenever Aram arrived somewhere new. As the book went on, when I ran across these north-south-east-west-northeast-southwest-southeast-northwest sections, I simply glossed over them. They were way too much.
I will definitely read Book 2 in the series because I would like to see how the open questions at the end of the first book are resolved and what new problems may surface. I'm curious, too, to see how the writer's style evolves. Will the conflicts become more complicated? Will the geographic descriptions become less frequent? I am very interested to see what comes next, and I'll report back when I've completed Book 2.
Recommended for lovers of good fantasy yarns.
I am a fan of the standard fantasy formula of the young unknown who struggles to achieve a position of prominence. I also like the traditional story of the impossible battle between good and an overpowering evil. I like reading about a highly moral hero struggling to find a path through a confusing and at times immoral world. Kelven's Riddle #1 has - to some extent - all of these things and more, yet it is not a 5-star read for me because it is lacking that zest and pop that would make it feel unique and special. I was curious about what would happen next as I read it, and there were a few fun and surprising twists that made the journey enjoyable, but the story never really caught fire for me. It didn't stand out as a stunning and singular entry in the genre like, say, the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks did when I read that. I liked Kelven's Riddle #1, but it wasn't a standout.
Our hero, Aram, is a likable and resourceful fellow, and the early part of the book is sort of reminiscent of the movie "Cast Away" in that he fashions an existence almost entirely by himself. It's a testament to the quality of the character that Aram can carry the story essentially on his own. We bond with him because of his very personal and individual struggles. As he makes new and different connections as the book goes on, it's easy to cheer for him. He faces some big challenges and is able to overcome them primarily through the strength and power of his character. My only complaint is the straightforward nature of some of the problems and resolutions that Aram faces. I'd like to have seen a few twists thrown in to make the peril of Aram's situation feel more real and more present. Digging into his creativity and resourcefulness in solving those types of problems would have been welcome, as well.
The only other thing that really ground down my reading speed was the emphasis on fully describing the landscape in terms of everything that could possibly be seen in every conceivable cardinal direction. I thought it might be a one-off experience tied to a specific scene early on in which a description of the surrounding environment was useful and important, but it persisted throughout the book, and I became very weary of the obsession with geography. Even though my image of the customary "map of the realm" at the front of the book was much too small to read on my Kindle, I just could not invest mentally in the description overload that occurred whenever Aram arrived somewhere new. As the book went on, when I ran across these north-south-east-west-northeast-southwest-southeast-northwest sections, I simply glossed over them. They were way too much.
I will definitely read Book 2 in the series because I would like to see how the open questions at the end of the first book are resolved and what new problems may surface. I'm curious, too, to see how the writer's style evolves. Will the conflicts become more complicated? Will the geographic descriptions become less frequent? I am very interested to see what comes next, and I'll report back when I've completed Book 2.
Recommended for lovers of good fantasy yarns.
December 13, 2016
Poor
A very good idea filled with long discourses about various areas that make the story boring. Suspect this was simply to make it longer. The predators shouldn't have been called wolves because there's nothing wolflike in their behavior. Will not be reading any further.
A very good idea filled with long discourses about various areas that make the story boring. Suspect this was simply to make it longer. The predators shouldn't have been called wolves because there's nothing wolflike in their behavior. Will not be reading any further.
July 17, 2017
Okay, but not great.
Two stars because it is readable, but the writing style is a bit insipid, and the main character is ridiculous. If he were female, he'd definitely be a Mary Sue (Marty Sue?), but I don't know what you call a man who can nearly instantly, and without training become an expert in multiple disciplines that each require a lifetime to master.
I'll only be reading the sequels if they come at as cheap a price as the original.
Two stars because it is readable, but the writing style is a bit insipid, and the main character is ridiculous. If he were female, he'd definitely be a Mary Sue (Marty Sue?), but I don't know what you call a man who can nearly instantly, and without training become an expert in multiple disciplines that each require a lifetime to master.
I'll only be reading the sequels if they come at as cheap a price as the original.
August 12, 2018
Should have been a great book. Wonderful story, fun concept, at times riveting, but if feels like Hylton decided to write a long series before he knew what he was going to write about so he takes every opportunity to ruin exciting adventures by filling them full of pablum. So disappointing - I will not be reading any further.
February 14, 2017
An epic read!
I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for entertainment, escape, or just basic enjoyment. The only requirement is time. An imagination is a plus, but the author has enough for everybody. I'm keeping this short so I can start book 2 without delay.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for entertainment, escape, or just basic enjoyment. The only requirement is time. An imagination is a plus, but the author has enough for everybody. I'm keeping this short so I can start book 2 without delay.
July 24, 2017
A unique book about a classic story
I found the book to be very enjoyable, with good action and great characters. It has elements of Tolkien and c.s. Lewis in its authorship. This book is a great start to a wonderful series
I found the book to be very enjoyable, with good action and great characters. It has elements of Tolkien and c.s. Lewis in its authorship. This book is a great start to a wonderful series
October 22, 2018
3rd or 4th time
I can’t believe I haven’t left a review considering I’ve read this series 3 or 4 times now. This series is by far my favorite. It’s also my go to when I don’t know what I want to read.
I can’t believe I haven’t left a review considering I’ve read this series 3 or 4 times now. This series is by far my favorite. It’s also my go to when I don’t know what I want to read.
December 12, 2020
Directions
The storyline is strong. I gave it 3*. There is an awful amount of narrative describing the landscape. I enjoy that if it were describing the layout of a Battleground. But Mr. Hilton needs to go a lot easier on his depiction of every square inch of ground.
The storyline is strong. I gave it 3*. There is an awful amount of narrative describing the landscape. I enjoy that if it were describing the layout of a Battleground. But Mr. Hilton needs to go a lot easier on his depiction of every square inch of ground.
July 19, 2019
I enjoyed it very much. It is very solid as an earnest heroes journey story.
July 5, 2011
This book had a pretty weak beginning - slow plot, vague characters, excessive description, and unnecessary elaborations. But, the plotline was engaging enough to merit continuing. At p.100, the pace, thankfully, picked up a bit; and it began moving nicely by p.170. I was firmly hooked by the epic feel of the plot by p.201; as well as by the gentle yet fierce, savage yet noble, humble yet determined main character.
I started out thinking I'd only be giving it 3 stars; but it redeemed itself a fair amount along the middle in order to deserve a solid 4 stars. And, it MIGHT have received a 5th star, if not for a moderately weak and frustrating ending! It was going along SO well there for awhile...then kinda fizzled. It'll still keep its 4th star - but, IMHO, suffers from blatant "Trilogy Syndrome"...the stretching of a decent story into multiple books of 350-400 pages each. As seen in the beginning, the storyline had too much "padding". But, I really can see how this story SHOULD be a single book!
So, perhaps if more action had been added, and a fair amount of fluff and description were removed, THEN this would have been a better book which would fit nicely into a trilogy! But then, the book also pushed solidly on one of my pet-peeves - the ending just DROPPED out from under the reader! I was merrily approaching the end, but saying to yourself, "OMG, how can this EVER get resolved in only a few dozen more pages?" Yet, I trusted the author to deliver satisfaction...then...WHUMP...a mega-cliffhanger!
It would have been SO easy to rework the last few chapters to have the primary plotline remain self-sustaining - to be its own complete and single story. But, alas, the plot keeps climbing uphill (figuratively AND literally!) until the last page..and stops! If that had been the case, in the 2nd novel, a new storyline could comfortably start, with book 1 as historical reference. But, in the case of this book (as currently written), the ending is does NOT simply serve as a foreshadowing for the next novel/storyline, but as an extention of the denouement that keeps building...only to hang with a teaser of unresolved story action.
Oh, sure - I plan to read the next in the series. I'm just saying, that was a bit abrupt - and unkind to the reader. I do look forward to starting book 2 - but I only hope it doesn't suffer from some of the foibles of book 1.
I started out thinking I'd only be giving it 3 stars; but it redeemed itself a fair amount along the middle in order to deserve a solid 4 stars. And, it MIGHT have received a 5th star, if not for a moderately weak and frustrating ending! It was going along SO well there for awhile...then kinda fizzled. It'll still keep its 4th star - but, IMHO, suffers from blatant "Trilogy Syndrome"...the stretching of a decent story into multiple books of 350-400 pages each. As seen in the beginning, the storyline had too much "padding". But, I really can see how this story SHOULD be a single book!
So, perhaps if more action had been added, and a fair amount of fluff and description were removed, THEN this would have been a better book which would fit nicely into a trilogy! But then, the book also pushed solidly on one of my pet-peeves - the ending just DROPPED out from under the reader! I was merrily approaching the end, but saying to yourself, "OMG, how can this EVER get resolved in only a few dozen more pages?" Yet, I trusted the author to deliver satisfaction...then...WHUMP...a mega-cliffhanger!
It would have been SO easy to rework the last few chapters to have the primary plotline remain self-sustaining - to be its own complete and single story. But, alas, the plot keeps climbing uphill (figuratively AND literally!) until the last page..and stops! If that had been the case, in the 2nd novel, a new storyline could comfortably start, with book 1 as historical reference. But, in the case of this book (as currently written), the ending is does NOT simply serve as a foreshadowing for the next novel/storyline, but as an extention of the denouement that keeps building...only to hang with a teaser of unresolved story action.
Oh, sure - I plan to read the next in the series. I'm just saying, that was a bit abrupt - and unkind to the reader. I do look forward to starting book 2 - but I only hope it doesn't suffer from some of the foibles of book 1.
January 24, 2017
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Excellent story.
A fantasy, gor sure. I was easily drawn into the story. It sort of reminds of "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe", but without children and the wardrobe. ;)
A fantasy, gor sure. I was easily drawn into the story. It sort of reminds of "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe", but without children and the wardrobe. ;)
September 3, 2012
The development of characters is thorough. Love the rise of righteousness as good triumphs over evil and sets things right.
July 20, 2011
So far it's really enjoyable!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews