Melvaig's Vision

by Richard Ford

HIGH ON A HILL, BEHIND THE TWISTED TRUNK OF AN ANCIENT OAK, STOOD MELVAIG...

A whirlwind of slaughter and brutal abduction descended from nowhere: the life of the peaceful hamlet of Ruann was ended forever on the day Xtlan's warriors found it. And for Melvaig, whose wife Morven had been stolen from him, capture and enslavement lay in store.

But Melvaig was luckier than most of the doomed helots of Xtlan. In his possession was the mysterious Book from Before the War, and his love for Morven kept hope alive-hope that he might live to free Morven and his young son Bracca from the depraved clutches of Xtlan and its foul tyranny...

Linked to the author's bestselling Quest for the Faradawn, an enchanting fable which won many admirers, Melvaig's Vision is a spellbinding tale of rich beauty and power.

Genres: Fantasy

446 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Richard Ford lives and writes in the remote wilds of the English Peak District with his wife Claire and their dog Gyp. His first novel, Quest for the Faradawn was published in 1982, became an international best seller and rapidly acquired the status of a cult classic. The other two books in the Faradawn trilogy, Melvaig’s Vision and Children of Ashgaroth were also best sellers. After leaving his day job as a lawyer in 1999 he immersed himself in writing and in playing, writing and performing music and has released three critically acclaimed albums of his own songs, Smoke and Mirrors, Still & Voices. Currently Richard (or Rick when he is a musician!) is working on his fourth album Across the Border, to be released in 2017 and a new novel.
To find out more about Richard Ford’s books and to listen to Rick’s music and songs please visit www.rickfordsongwriter.com

Reviews

[Adrian Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the trilogy that Richard Ford wrote, the first being Quest for the Faradawn, which happens to be one of my very favorite books ever written. In this one, we are taken into a world that is post-apocalyptic, written at a time before that term was even coined. The character Melvaig lives in a small village that holds some of the few survivors of the holocaust that has destroyed civilization. His culture discourages personal attachment between individuals, teaching that in this way all will be spared the pain of separation that comes with death, but in fact manages to deny its people the happiness and love that relationships bring. Melvaig, however, sees things differently, and, when his wife and the mother of his child is taken by raiders, he gives his life over to the quest of getting her back. It is a quest fraught with peril, for Melvaig is also the only one remaining who knows where to find the Book from Before the War, which tells what the world was like before the conflagration that ravaged it, and is a window onto the fact that life can be so much more than what has been left. And, it is for this knowledge that he is in more danger than he can possibly imagine.
This is written in the lyrical, descriptive style that the last book was, taking the reader into the minds and emotions of the characters in a way that becomes very personal, and opens a window onto the needs and desires of others that few writers can manage. Melvaig is a man who has given his life to a dream, a dream based on the story in the Book that he is guardian of, and that dream gives him the hope he needs to survive almost insurmountable odds to rescue his family. This is an excellent follow-up to the first novel, and shows that man, in spite of his mistakes, can indeed find his way out of the darkness of evil and into the light of love.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to Quest for the Faradawn. Post apocalyptic earth and Melvaig is on a quest to find Morven and his son Bracca who were taken from his village and enslaved. Good vs evil. Writing was very wordy. Very little dialogue and paragraphs could last whole pages.

[Mark G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sequel to The Quest for the Faradawn, but a much darker book, a hard read in places but the bigger arc of the whole trilogy there in the background. A good, hopeful ending leading on to the final book of the series.

[Freeflyshannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have ever read! Winner!