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Artefacts of Power #1
Aurian
In ages past, there had been four magical weapons, fashioned to be used only by the Magefolk. But their history had been lost, together with the Artefacts themselves, in the Cataclysm which had wrought changes on land and water alike. Lost also had been the history of the Magefolk, and the Winged Ones, the Leviathans and Phaerie. Aurian, the child of renegade Mages, finds herself sent to the city of Nexis to join the Academy and then train as a full Mage. Little does she suspect that she will quickly become entwined with a power struggle between Miathan, the Archmage, and the human inhabitants of Nexis. The only person to whom she can turn in Forral, Commander of the city's military garrison and friend of her dead father. But this friendship infuriates Miathan, and leads to a deadly conflagration, in which the first Artefact is revealed. Aurian's flight, with her servant Anvar, turns into both odyssey and rite-of-passage as she travels to the little-known Southern Kingdoms and begins to rediscover the history of the weapons which are the only hope against Miathan and Armageddon - The Artefacts of Power!
608 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
35 people are currently reading
2607 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Furey
32 books197 followersMaggie Furey was born in North East England and spent most of her adult life residing in County Wicklow, Ireland. She was a qualified teacher, but has also reviewed books on BBC Radio Newcastle, been an advisor in the Durham Reading Resources Centre and organized children's book fairs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
September 24, 2021
I now have a Booktube channel! Find me at: The Obsessive Bookseller
[2.5/5 stars] Okay, so this book is not very recommendable… but I still enjoyed it.
The thing I liked most about Aurian was it’s unconventionality. Written in 1994 before writing fantasy novels as a profession was really popular, Furey’s story does not follow a formulaic plot structure in the slightest. I’ve been to the writing conventions. I subscribe to advice newsletters from my favorite authors. The basic writing strategy these days seem to be all the same ideas of how to structure your story to make money. While many authors are better at putting their own spin on it than others, it’s hard for me to ignore it some days.
This is why I continued to remain intrigued by Aurian throughout the whole novel: it was so all over the place that I had no f&@$ing idea what was going to happen next, and that was oddly refreshing.
The characters left a lot to be desired. Primarily because their behavior was unrealistic. They would swing from one dramatic emotional state to another at the drop of a hat. Very much like watching the rapid mood swings of a four year old. There was no subtlety or nuance to their behavior at all, just very black and white outlooks on things. They either loved fiercely or hated viciously. Often within the same couple of paragraphs. Then back again. It sort of reminded me of overdramatized classic silent films where the emotion had to be overdone to make sure it was conveyed correctly to the audience. Even though no one really acts that way, there’s no doubt in the readers mind what emotion the author was representing. It was also one of those books where the extreme emotional outbursts made me feel second-hand frustration on behalf of the characters involved, which wasn’t exactly pleasant.
The characters also had very black-and-white thinking and would flip flop between these extremes with frightening ease. There was no subtly or nuance of character, nor any real significant growth because the changes in thoughts/behavior were abrupt and not earned through experience and logic. In some ways it felt like reading about a bunch of children, which kept me from connecting with any of the characters and took away from the maturity of the novel as a whole. As you can imagine, the dialogue followed in line with the character profiles – very basic. All of this did work well to convey the general emotion of the characters. You could definitely always tell exactly what they were feeling.
I mentioned the plot meandered a lot. There seemed to be a lot of setup for certain events in the book, but every time I thought we were getting grounded into the meat of the story, something random would happen and we’d be back to establishing a new scenario. I had an idea what we were working towards by about the 75% mark, but even then it kept going with the tangents up to the very end.
So, basically all of the things that together made it a fun unconventional read also made it hard to support. What’s more, the book is ONLY available in a mass market paperback with the world’s tiniest print or a ridiculously expensive hardcover. No ebook, no audiobook (in the US, anyway). Not that my review is gearing anyone to go pick one up.
Recommendations: this is a great pick if you want a character-driven classic fantasy adventure novel with easy, flowing writing… provided that you don’t mind illogical and over-emotional characters.
Dragon Rating: 2/10 stars (one for the cover, one for the 2/600 pages where there was actually a dragon)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (...better):
[2.5/5 stars] Okay, so this book is not very recommendable… but I still enjoyed it.
The thing I liked most about Aurian was it’s unconventionality. Written in 1994 before writing fantasy novels as a profession was really popular, Furey’s story does not follow a formulaic plot structure in the slightest. I’ve been to the writing conventions. I subscribe to advice newsletters from my favorite authors. The basic writing strategy these days seem to be all the same ideas of how to structure your story to make money. While many authors are better at putting their own spin on it than others, it’s hard for me to ignore it some days.
This is why I continued to remain intrigued by Aurian throughout the whole novel: it was so all over the place that I had no f&@$ing idea what was going to happen next, and that was oddly refreshing.
The characters left a lot to be desired. Primarily because their behavior was unrealistic. They would swing from one dramatic emotional state to another at the drop of a hat. Very much like watching the rapid mood swings of a four year old. There was no subtlety or nuance to their behavior at all, just very black and white outlooks on things. They either loved fiercely or hated viciously. Often within the same couple of paragraphs. Then back again. It sort of reminded me of overdramatized classic silent films where the emotion had to be overdone to make sure it was conveyed correctly to the audience. Even though no one really acts that way, there’s no doubt in the readers mind what emotion the author was representing. It was also one of those books where the extreme emotional outbursts made me feel second-hand frustration on behalf of the characters involved, which wasn’t exactly pleasant.
The characters also had very black-and-white thinking and would flip flop between these extremes with frightening ease. There was no subtly or nuance of character, nor any real significant growth because the changes in thoughts/behavior were abrupt and not earned through experience and logic. In some ways it felt like reading about a bunch of children, which kept me from connecting with any of the characters and took away from the maturity of the novel as a whole. As you can imagine, the dialogue followed in line with the character profiles – very basic. All of this did work well to convey the general emotion of the characters. You could definitely always tell exactly what they were feeling.
I mentioned the plot meandered a lot. There seemed to be a lot of setup for certain events in the book, but every time I thought we were getting grounded into the meat of the story, something random would happen and we’d be back to establishing a new scenario. I had an idea what we were working towards by about the 75% mark, but even then it kept going with the tangents up to the very end.
So, basically all of the things that together made it a fun unconventional read also made it hard to support. What’s more, the book is ONLY available in a mass market paperback with the world’s tiniest print or a ridiculously expensive hardcover. No ebook, no audiobook (in the US, anyway). Not that my review is gearing anyone to go pick one up.
Recommendations: this is a great pick if you want a character-driven classic fantasy adventure novel with easy, flowing writing… provided that you don’t mind illogical and over-emotional characters.
Dragon Rating: 2/10 stars (one for the cover, one for the 2/600 pages where there was actually a dragon)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (...better):
January 12, 2011
Sounds like any number of fantasy books out there. Aurian had the potential to be another boring A-typical book in the Fantasy genre. Before rereading this book, I had wondered how come this book had stuck in my mind for so long after reading it probably about six years ago. I was fairly young and thought maybe the impression was left from the inexperienced mind of a young reader. However, Furey has created one of the best epic fantasy books I have read. Taking the same old tale and turning it into a refreshing new story.
One of my favorite things about Aurian is all of the subplots that work themselves into the main idea. They all fit together somehow and it’s fun to see each one pull together and shape the story. The twist on fairies is really fun, and the history of the world is unique to see from different cultures. Especially once the reader is given the real facts. Every time you get more information on the world, other races, and cultures , it is like feeding an addiction. Meeting each of the powerful races of the elements is also a great treat, and I want more on the Skyfolk.
Aurian is the main character, but it is told by the points of views of many different characters. I come up with ten right off the top of my head, but there are many more. Furey is so skilled that I never found myself bored as the story went from one character to the next. Even with all the back and forth between characters and plots, I didn't get lost.
The names of the characters are very beautiful, and they are all different enough that I never get the characters mixed up. That has always been one of my pet peeves with fantasy books, all the names are so similar that you never know who you are reading about.
My favorite part of this book isn’t the wonderful plot and story ideas, but it is the emotions. Furey has truly proven with this book. Her skill is making the characters real by thinking, feeling, and interacting with the world they are in. I’m not quite sure if I can properly explain it. Each character from our main heroine to the evil villain, or even just to a temporary character, has such depth and growth. Furey expertly deals with grief, the kinds of love there are, happiness, revenge, evil, and the change people go through as they live. She expertly shows how others can impact and change someone’s life.
The great characterization is coupled by Furey’s rich writing. Every place that is described flows easily into the mind. Every character has a unique voice, and point of view, that never takes away, but adds to Furey’s style. She can easily wrench your heart with sorrow, and then have you chuckling with a humorous line.
Bottom line:
Even after all of these years, Furey’s book still manages to captive me. Aurian’s character depth and emotions are something that no reader should pass up. This book has one of the best love stories I have ever read. There are many plots to follow in this book, which I didn’t find over whelming as some readers might. If you read a lot it shouldn’t be too hard to differentiate and remember them. This is a series where you are not going to want to wait a long time in between reading the next book.
Sexual content:
Furey keeps it pretty clean. There are some sex scenes which are not detailed. A beginning to a rape scene, the author does not go into details.
One of my favorite things about Aurian is all of the subplots that work themselves into the main idea. They all fit together somehow and it’s fun to see each one pull together and shape the story. The twist on fairies is really fun, and the history of the world is unique to see from different cultures. Especially once the reader is given the real facts. Every time you get more information on the world, other races, and cultures , it is like feeding an addiction. Meeting each of the powerful races of the elements is also a great treat, and I want more on the Skyfolk.
Aurian is the main character, but it is told by the points of views of many different characters. I come up with ten right off the top of my head, but there are many more. Furey is so skilled that I never found myself bored as the story went from one character to the next. Even with all the back and forth between characters and plots, I didn't get lost.
The names of the characters are very beautiful, and they are all different enough that I never get the characters mixed up. That has always been one of my pet peeves with fantasy books, all the names are so similar that you never know who you are reading about.
My favorite part of this book isn’t the wonderful plot and story ideas, but it is the emotions. Furey has truly proven with this book. Her skill is making the characters real by thinking, feeling, and interacting with the world they are in. I’m not quite sure if I can properly explain it. Each character from our main heroine to the evil villain, or even just to a temporary character, has such depth and growth. Furey expertly deals with grief, the kinds of love there are, happiness, revenge, evil, and the change people go through as they live. She expertly shows how others can impact and change someone’s life.
The great characterization is coupled by Furey’s rich writing. Every place that is described flows easily into the mind. Every character has a unique voice, and point of view, that never takes away, but adds to Furey’s style. She can easily wrench your heart with sorrow, and then have you chuckling with a humorous line.
Bottom line:
Even after all of these years, Furey’s book still manages to captive me. Aurian’s character depth and emotions are something that no reader should pass up. This book has one of the best love stories I have ever read. There are many plots to follow in this book, which I didn’t find over whelming as some readers might. If you read a lot it shouldn’t be too hard to differentiate and remember them. This is a series where you are not going to want to wait a long time in between reading the next book.
Sexual content:
Furey keeps it pretty clean. There are some sex scenes which are not detailed. A beginning to a rape scene, the author does not go into details.
December 30, 2013
Maggie Furey's writing is erratic. She has a great storyline, but the books lack imagination and detail.
Rather than describing actions, she tells you exactly what happened. Nothing like, "She reached her arm out towards the dancing light, fingers stretched forth, to gently clasp it in her hand". You get, "Aurian reached forward and grabbed the light". <--- Not taken word for word, but an example.
She is brilliant with describing places, except she often forgets to let you know how it all fits together. Sure, the inn is to the side of the tavern, right next to the bakery, but is it the right, or the left? And all the little details, described so well, seem to have forgotten where they belong. This merchant's stall, in all it's detail and glory, never had a place allocated it in the description. I can picture it splendidly, but I'll never know if it was on the street, or at the side of the river, or floating in midair.
Plus, she doesn't flesh out her writing nearly enough. There was enough plot here to sustain 3-4 novels of the same size, but everything felt rushed. She easily could have written an entire book on the events leading up to Miathan's folly with the Cauldron, but as it was, it was short, rushed, and over all too quickly.
The magic system is ill-explained and hardly fleshed out. What the boundaries of the realm of possibility are with the magic is left unknown, even though the main character spent years of study with multiple tutors. Many times, the use of magic seems whimsical on average and convenient at best. The characters find themselves in a sticky situation, and voila, magic to the rescue! Aurian doesn't have access to magic, but she needs it? Now she does, because Aurian is just that awe-inspiring.
The fact that the Magefolk are a dying race is both well-played out and very poorly done at the same time. There were less than a dozen to begin with, but with half of them dead, it's a wonder the race (and magic with it) will survive the series. Besides, it seems merely convenient to have one Mage of each talent, when they are all that is left in the world. And not just one, but both the main characters talent's encompass the whole spectrum? When this is such a rare ability, and it appears twice in the next to non-existant numbers of the MageFolk, you're left to wonder how much is purely convenience on the author's behalf.
On a side note, her foreshadowing is so blatantly obvious that a third grader could pick it out. Anytime the author tries to hint at the future, you're left with a glaringly obvious plot-step. These "hints" could be re-written to be more subtle, or just be left out all together.
Also, the books are riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, such as, "The fruit smiled delicious" instead of, "The fruit smelled delicious". A better editor wouldn't hurt in the slightest.
But on the bright side, Maggie Furey has a captivating plotline that leaves me honestly wondering where they will go next. As well, she is brilliant with her character's emotions and development. Their interactions stay true to character throughout the books and feel real and well thought out.
I'd love to see the books re-written, fleshed out, and given new life (honestly, I had thoughts of doing it myself, I was so annoyed with the books).
Rather than describing actions, she tells you exactly what happened. Nothing like, "She reached her arm out towards the dancing light, fingers stretched forth, to gently clasp it in her hand". You get, "Aurian reached forward and grabbed the light". <--- Not taken word for word, but an example.
She is brilliant with describing places, except she often forgets to let you know how it all fits together. Sure, the inn is to the side of the tavern, right next to the bakery, but is it the right, or the left? And all the little details, described so well, seem to have forgotten where they belong. This merchant's stall, in all it's detail and glory, never had a place allocated it in the description. I can picture it splendidly, but I'll never know if it was on the street, or at the side of the river, or floating in midair.
Plus, she doesn't flesh out her writing nearly enough. There was enough plot here to sustain 3-4 novels of the same size, but everything felt rushed. She easily could have written an entire book on the events leading up to Miathan's folly with the Cauldron, but as it was, it was short, rushed, and over all too quickly.
The magic system is ill-explained and hardly fleshed out. What the boundaries of the realm of possibility are with the magic is left unknown, even though the main character spent years of study with multiple tutors. Many times, the use of magic seems whimsical on average and convenient at best. The characters find themselves in a sticky situation, and voila, magic to the rescue! Aurian doesn't have access to magic, but she needs it? Now she does, because Aurian is just that awe-inspiring.
The fact that the Magefolk are a dying race is both well-played out and very poorly done at the same time. There were less than a dozen to begin with, but with half of them dead, it's a wonder the race (and magic with it) will survive the series. Besides, it seems merely convenient to have one Mage of each talent, when they are all that is left in the world. And not just one, but both the main characters talent's encompass the whole spectrum? When this is such a rare ability, and it appears twice in the next to non-existant numbers of the MageFolk, you're left to wonder how much is purely convenience on the author's behalf.
On a side note, her foreshadowing is so blatantly obvious that a third grader could pick it out. Anytime the author tries to hint at the future, you're left with a glaringly obvious plot-step. These "hints" could be re-written to be more subtle, or just be left out all together.
Also, the books are riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, such as, "The fruit smiled delicious" instead of, "The fruit smelled delicious". A better editor wouldn't hurt in the slightest.
But on the bright side, Maggie Furey has a captivating plotline that leaves me honestly wondering where they will go next. As well, she is brilliant with her character's emotions and development. Their interactions stay true to character throughout the books and feel real and well thought out.
I'd love to see the books re-written, fleshed out, and given new life (honestly, I had thoughts of doing it myself, I was so annoyed with the books).
April 10, 2017
Wow...just wow!
It may be slow in the beginning but this is full of adventure, heart-ache, and love!
It may be slow in the beginning but this is full of adventure, heart-ache, and love!
June 11, 2023
Sadly, DNF @ 15%.
They say you can’t go home again…which I’ve always found to be a silly proverb, because unless your childhood abode is annihilated to make room for an interstate (or intergalactic) bypass, you CAN go home. It’s just not going to feel the same. Perhaps it won’t even be owned by your family. Perhaps your childhood home was purchased by morons who hang Nascar flags in every window & don’t mow the lawn & keep a junky truck in the driveway where your dog used to nap, & perhaps they’ve obliterated your old picnic table & don’t properly prune the apple tree out back & very likely don’t appreciate how awesome the backyard step is to sit upon & stare at the sunset, because how can they even see the horizon through all those stupid Nascar flags?
…This is all TOTALLY hypothetical, of course. 😒 Definitely not based on someone’s life experience.
Anyhoo. 🙃
I loved this as a kid, so for the sake of my childhood self I kept trying. But the love is officially gone. This is flat, cheesy, dull, & populated almost exclusively by morons. They’re not on the level of Nascar flags in every window, but they’re definitely not functioning on all thrusters, & the superficial characterizations + cheesy fondue-level story don’t help. I’m just not interested in pushing through, not even for the sake of ghostly sad-faced Childhood Sarah hovering at my shoulder. I don’t mind cheese, but I need something to balance it—good writing, engaging characters, or layered plot. Unfortunately, AURIAN lacks all these counterweights.
Standard 2-star DNF. It’s probably not a bad ‘starter book’ for younger eyes looking for something more sophisticated in the fantasy vein…but if you’ve read much of the genre—whether old skool or newer—you won’t find anything fresh here.
They say you can’t go home again…which I’ve always found to be a silly proverb, because unless your childhood abode is annihilated to make room for an interstate (or intergalactic) bypass, you CAN go home. It’s just not going to feel the same. Perhaps it won’t even be owned by your family. Perhaps your childhood home was purchased by morons who hang Nascar flags in every window & don’t mow the lawn & keep a junky truck in the driveway where your dog used to nap, & perhaps they’ve obliterated your old picnic table & don’t properly prune the apple tree out back & very likely don’t appreciate how awesome the backyard step is to sit upon & stare at the sunset, because how can they even see the horizon through all those stupid Nascar flags?
…This is all TOTALLY hypothetical, of course. 😒 Definitely not based on someone’s life experience.
Anyhoo. 🙃
I loved this as a kid, so for the sake of my childhood self I kept trying. But the love is officially gone. This is flat, cheesy, dull, & populated almost exclusively by morons. They’re not on the level of Nascar flags in every window, but they’re definitely not functioning on all thrusters, & the superficial characterizations + cheesy fondue-level story don’t help. I’m just not interested in pushing through, not even for the sake of ghostly sad-faced Childhood Sarah hovering at my shoulder. I don’t mind cheese, but I need something to balance it—good writing, engaging characters, or layered plot. Unfortunately, AURIAN lacks all these counterweights.
Standard 2-star DNF. It’s probably not a bad ‘starter book’ for younger eyes looking for something more sophisticated in the fantasy vein…but if you’ve read much of the genre—whether old skool or newer—you won’t find anything fresh here.
April 3, 2014
I have had Aurian by Maggie Furey sitting on my shelves since 2004 - I know this because I pulled the receipt out of the book. It took me seven years to pick it up and seven days to finish it. Oh, the humanity.
I haven't been in the mood for High Fantasy for a long time having converted to Urban Fantasy for the past few years. For those out of the loop, High fantasy has chicks with chain mail, or robes, (and Dragons!) on the covers. Urban Fantasy leans more towards leather and midriffs, and guns, or swords swinging... in the city (insert Joe Walsh here). But I run on. Urban Fantasy has been rocking my book world for a while now, so what made me pick this up? Simple, it's one of the 50 blue goal books for the year. In reading Aurian I am transported back to books I used to read more frequently, perhaps way back in 2004. I grew up wielding fake swords and spouting made up names while wearing a cape. Surprise anyone? Unlikely.
Anywho, the book. The book.
Aurian has grown up secluded from the world by her mageborn mother. Having withdrawn from the world after the death of her husband, Eilin is unnerved at the arrival of a swordsman named Forral. Forral has come to help and bonds immediately with Aurian, eventually teaching her to sword fight. When Aurian's powers begin to emerge it is Forral who convinces Eilin to send her to the Academy, a place for Magefolk to train. Sequestered and fearful of mortals Miathan, the Archmage, has it in his head to rule over them... even if there are only a handful of mages left. When bigotry reaches a fever pitch will Aurian be able to find it in herself to surmount the hatred?
I enjoyed this. Quite a lot. It's been a minute since I have delved into High Fantasy but I took to it very easily. It's home for me in the genre world, after all. And what a ride Furey takes the reader on! Mages, and mortals, and whales, and telepathic cats, and lost objects, and gladiatorial arenas, and corrupt kings, and scheming women, and scheming men, and and and... it's quite a trip.
I was also pleased to see some traditional mythology creeping in here. If I remember my Welsh Mythology correctly (The Mabinogion, The Chronicles of Prydain - holla!). There are symbols that turn up both in those pieces and in Maggie Furey's quartet; the Cauldron of the dead, the sword of power, a staff, a harp, a trip into the faerie realm. Sheesh, there's even a talking cat in Lloyd Alexander's books. One can argue that Furey is "stealing" from these myths, but since Welsh mythology in particular is so prevalent in contemporary fantasy it's hardly theft. Harry Potter is taking from these myths as well.
I'm glad I read this instead of selling it for credit (as I thought of doing a while back). I will be reading the remaining books in the series... after a small break. But definitely. I wanted to hack off half a star for Furey's over usage of the phrase "indomitable will" but I'm not going to. It was the only thing I didn't like about the book. So there's that.
5 out of 5 stars. It's good, if you can find a copy. It's a little out of print right now.
- review couresy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com
January 13, 2023
The main character gets groomed from childhood by every adult man in her life, then gets into a romantic relationship with her adoptive father.
Proceed with caution.
Proceed with caution.
July 7, 2022
From the inside back cover:
In ages past, there had been four magical weapons, fashioned to be used only by the Magefolk. But their history had been lost, together with the artefacts themselves, in the Cataclysm which had wrought changes on land and water alike. Lost also had been the history of the Magefolk, and the Winged Ones, the Leviathan and the Phaerie.
Aurian, child of renegade Mages, finds herself sent to the city of Nexis to join the Academy and then train as a full Mage. Little does she suspect that she will quickly become entwined with a power struggle between Miathan, the Archmage, and the human inhabitants of Nexis. The only person to whom she can turn is Forral, Commander of the city's military garrison and friend of her dead father. But this friendship infuriates Miathan, and leads to a deadly conflagration in which the first Artefact is revealed. Aurian's flight, with her servant Anvar, turns into both odyssey and rite-of-passage as she travels to the little known Southern Kingdoms and begins to rediscovery the history of the weapons which are the only hope against Miathan and Armageddon - The Artefacts of Power!
First published in 1994, this is an old-fashioned fantasy book and perhaps consequently is fairly trope-y. The conflict between good and evil is a stark one, with no shades of grey to confuse the issue.
Our main character, Aurian, is verging on Mary-Sue territory: she is one of the 'girl with all the gifts' types (most mages only have one or two of the four elemental magical powers, Aurian, of course, has all four) and her defining (and only?) fault is her pride, which can lead her to be stubborn and argumentative. Mages themselves are pretty Mary-sue/Gary-Stu-ish:
A lot of the things that happened in this book made me roll my eyes, either at the stupidity of some of the characters (Anvar, I'm looking at you), or at the sheer predictability of the plot. Some of the magic didn't make sense either: the elemental magic is something I can understand, but there's also healing magic and a 'preservation magic' that's used to protect the Academy's archives somehow, but we're never told how this works exactly.
And yet, despite all that I tore through this book at a rate of knots. Despite all it's arguable faults, the book had a genuine readability about it, the quality that makes you think 'just one more chapter!' for quite a while. This book is probably a good choice for those just starting with fantasy (it has something of a YA vibe about it, in a good way) who are unfamiliar with the traditional tropes of the genre or those who enjoy the works of Brooks and Feist. I'll probably read the other three books in the series at some point in the future, but I'm in no hurry to do so now, I must confess.
Edit: I re-read this book, planning to read the whole series, but found the two main characters so annoying I couldn't bear the thought of struggling through three more books with them.
In ages past, there had been four magical weapons, fashioned to be used only by the Magefolk. But their history had been lost, together with the artefacts themselves, in the Cataclysm which had wrought changes on land and water alike. Lost also had been the history of the Magefolk, and the Winged Ones, the Leviathan and the Phaerie.
Aurian, child of renegade Mages, finds herself sent to the city of Nexis to join the Academy and then train as a full Mage. Little does she suspect that she will quickly become entwined with a power struggle between Miathan, the Archmage, and the human inhabitants of Nexis. The only person to whom she can turn is Forral, Commander of the city's military garrison and friend of her dead father. But this friendship infuriates Miathan, and leads to a deadly conflagration in which the first Artefact is revealed. Aurian's flight, with her servant Anvar, turns into both odyssey and rite-of-passage as she travels to the little known Southern Kingdoms and begins to rediscovery the history of the weapons which are the only hope against Miathan and Armageddon - The Artefacts of Power!
First published in 1994, this is an old-fashioned fantasy book and perhaps consequently is fairly trope-y. The conflict between good and evil is a stark one, with no shades of grey to confuse the issue.
Our main character, Aurian, is verging on Mary-Sue territory: she is one of the 'girl with all the gifts' types (most mages only have one or two of the four elemental magical powers, Aurian, of course, has all four) and her defining (and only?) fault is her pride, which can lead her to be stubborn and argumentative. Mages themselves are pretty Mary-sue/Gary-Stu-ish:
A lot of the things that happened in this book made me roll my eyes, either at the stupidity of some of the characters (Anvar, I'm looking at you), or at the sheer predictability of the plot. Some of the magic didn't make sense either: the elemental magic is something I can understand, but there's also healing magic and a 'preservation magic' that's used to protect the Academy's archives somehow, but we're never told how this works exactly.
And yet, despite all that I tore through this book at a rate of knots. Despite all it's arguable faults, the book had a genuine readability about it, the quality that makes you think 'just one more chapter!' for quite a while. This book is probably a good choice for those just starting with fantasy (it has something of a YA vibe about it, in a good way) who are unfamiliar with the traditional tropes of the genre or those who enjoy the works of Brooks and Feist. I'll probably read the other three books in the series at some point in the future, but I'm in no hurry to do so now, I must confess.
Edit: I re-read this book, planning to read the whole series, but found the two main characters so annoying I couldn't bear the thought of struggling through three more books with them.
July 16, 2020
Ok, I’m DNFing Aurian...it’s bad and reading about women hating on each other so easily while being so indulgent towards men is painful to read... I know this was written in the 90s but really, I can’t force myself reading further than 250 pages that were already painful.
The villains I’ve seen to far are so over the top evil and bad it’s laughable and also painful to read. It actually made me cringe more than once.
This book has been laying on my TBR pile forever and as many others recently, I feel disappointed with fantasy. It’s difficult to find a good series these days, either new or older and it’s frustrating because when it’s well done, it’s my favorite genre.
Being formulatic in itself, I don’t mind tropes and a good « classic » fantasy story when it’s well done but it can be over the top and really bad quickly. Which I think is the case with Aurian.
The characters are badly written, over the top, one dimensional, whereas the setting could have been interesting if the Mages were not so unsympathetic and arrogant from the start, without any nuance nor depth, while the heroine is the classic perfectly powerful every one love and want (I don’t like the Mary Sue term but...Aurian fits the category well, in a bad way).
Yet she has no appeal and is so gullible and annoying, it’s another reason to make you cringe.
So I will not force myself to finish it and it will probably join the next pile to go to the library. At least, I’m clearing up my shelves and I haven’t invested in the whole series at once. Silver lining.
The villains I’ve seen to far are so over the top evil and bad it’s laughable and also painful to read. It actually made me cringe more than once.
This book has been laying on my TBR pile forever and as many others recently, I feel disappointed with fantasy. It’s difficult to find a good series these days, either new or older and it’s frustrating because when it’s well done, it’s my favorite genre.
Being formulatic in itself, I don’t mind tropes and a good « classic » fantasy story when it’s well done but it can be over the top and really bad quickly. Which I think is the case with Aurian.
The characters are badly written, over the top, one dimensional, whereas the setting could have been interesting if the Mages were not so unsympathetic and arrogant from the start, without any nuance nor depth, while the heroine is the classic perfectly powerful every one love and want (I don’t like the Mary Sue term but...Aurian fits the category well, in a bad way).
Yet she has no appeal and is so gullible and annoying, it’s another reason to make you cringe.
So I will not force myself to finish it and it will probably join the next pile to go to the library. At least, I’m clearing up my shelves and I haven’t invested in the whole series at once. Silver lining.
July 3, 2022
לא הצלחתי לסיים. אוסף קלישאות של אפוס פנטזיה והוא לא מספיק ישן כדי שיהיה מותר לו. אין לי מושג איך הסדרה הזו נחשבת למוצלחת.
March 16, 2010
When my sister-in-law, Felicia, first recommended this to me, I was a little hesitant. I've read a lot of fantasy, and even though there are a lot of authors I haven't read, I'm pretty well-versed in fantasy. And I'd never heard of this book, or the author. I figured if it was good, I would have heard of it.
But it was good. Excellent, in fact--and here I sit, trying to figure out why this book isn't more well known. I would put Maggie Furey on par with some of my favorite fantasy authors: Robin Hobb, Lynn Flewelling, Katharine Kerr, George R.R. Martin (okay, maybe not quite at Martin's magnificent level). The writing was solid; even though it's a fairly long book, there was not one spot where I felt like it was dragging. It jumped from one point of view to the next, barely giving me time to catch my breath before I was plunged into another action-packed scene.
But it's strength was also it's weakness, for me, although it was very minor and hardly dampened my enjoyment. There were times when a chapter ended, and the POV switched, and I didn't like it. I wanted to get back to the other characters story to see what happened. That's not a sign of weakness in the author, though. Just a lack of patience in this reader. The ending was a bit abrupt, but since it's the start of a series, I was expecting it. But Aurian is not a book that can be read as a standalone. Now I've got to get the second book to see what happens, and although I usually hate when authors leave books so open ended (forcing me to read more of their books), the writing here was so good that I really don't mind.
I would definitely recommend this to fantasy readers, especially if you like any of the authors I've mentioned above.
But it was good. Excellent, in fact--and here I sit, trying to figure out why this book isn't more well known. I would put Maggie Furey on par with some of my favorite fantasy authors: Robin Hobb, Lynn Flewelling, Katharine Kerr, George R.R. Martin (okay, maybe not quite at Martin's magnificent level). The writing was solid; even though it's a fairly long book, there was not one spot where I felt like it was dragging. It jumped from one point of view to the next, barely giving me time to catch my breath before I was plunged into another action-packed scene.
But it's strength was also it's weakness, for me, although it was very minor and hardly dampened my enjoyment. There were times when a chapter ended, and the POV switched, and I didn't like it. I wanted to get back to the other characters story to see what happened. That's not a sign of weakness in the author, though. Just a lack of patience in this reader. The ending was a bit abrupt, but since it's the start of a series, I was expecting it. But Aurian is not a book that can be read as a standalone. Now I've got to get the second book to see what happens, and although I usually hate when authors leave books so open ended (forcing me to read more of their books), the writing here was so good that I really don't mind.
I would definitely recommend this to fantasy readers, especially if you like any of the authors I've mentioned above.
January 20, 2022
I'm looking at a lot of reviews on here and not many mention the fact that Aurian's lover Forral first meets her when she's 9 years old and he's a grown man. Not only that, but he puts himself in charge of taking care of her because her mother has neglected her in the middle of a disaster zone with zero other people to interact with. I didn't know this going in, but a bad feeling had me skip around after reading the first few pages describing them meeting. Behold, page 163, they're having sex for the first time, and Forral's inner monologue describes him having wanted it for years. Skipping around some more, he's removed from the plot after getting her pregnant, but nearly half the book has had this pedophile groomer hanging around by then.
Look, I get that it was the 90s, but that's some jacked up nonsense that no one should walk in to, especially without a warning.
Look, I get that it was the 90s, but that's some jacked up nonsense that no one should walk in to, especially without a warning.
March 9, 2023
"So you'd be happier if I were some hulking, muscle-bound warrior, would you? Well, that's your problem."
Aurian had been on my 'to read' list for a long, long time - I am talking 25 years. My sister had this series in the 90s Legend paperback edition, with the stellar artwork by Mick Van Houten.
So, it's with mixed feelings that I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I am yet to decide if I'll finish the series. I genuinely did enjoy aspects of the mythology, and there are some really well written action scenes. This is one of the more average high fantasy novels out there, but by no means is it unreadable or terrible - yet to be sure, there was room for improvement.
The story focuses on the titular character, Aurian, a young girl who is the daughter of two Magefolk. Her father, Fire-Mage Geraint, dies when she is a child during what appears to have been an experiment gone wrong. Her mother, Eilin, is an Earth-Mage who has closed herself off from the outside world, consumed by her grief. Essentially a self-raised child, Aurian lives a carefree existence talking to animals and roaming the lands of her parent's estate. One day, she meets Forral, a sword master and Commander of the Nexis City Garrison. Forral was an old friend of Geraint and is dismayed by what he finds in Aurian - a reckless child, unloved, and unkempt.
As time passes, Aurian matures and enters training with the Magefolk, who effectively rule the city of Nexis and the Northern Lands. The Magefolk remain aloof to the civilian mortal population, refusing to help heal the dying or sick, but collecting taxes for what they are willing to do - such as providing sewage and magical barriers against enemies. Head of the Magefolk is the aging Miathan, a sinister character with ambitions of total power over the populace, and so begins a power struggle for control over the fate of Aurian, who has formed a tightknit relationship with Forral and his mortal companions.
But a prophecy looms, and the ancient Artifacts of Power are yet to be uncovered since the time of the Cataclysm, when Mage betrayed Mage and tore the lands asunder. The magical races of the Winged Ones, the Leviathan, and the Phaerie, who lost their place in the world following the disastrous events of the Cataclysm, may yet still play a part in the future, even if it costs them everything.
What follows is a high fantasy adventure that is a heady mix of magic, mythology, romance, politics, fierce battles, and disasters that befall Nexis, the mortals, and the Magefolk alike. Can Aurian learn to control her power? Will the evil plans of the Archmage be foiled? Will Forral be consumed by his growing love of Aurian, while trying to keep Nexis safe? And what of Anvar, the bondsman whose bastard parentage presents a risk to everyone around him?
Other reviews have called attention to the high fantasy tropes used by Maggie Furey to construct her world. So yes, be prepared to ready your expectations to some of the sub-genres most obvious cliches - the childhood journey to adulthood; the doomed love affair; the nefarious Big Bad with simple, but evil intentions; and the escape-flight-fight scenes.
These sins are hardly new - many people forget that Lord of the Rings was hardly original and had its roots in Norse, Celtic, and Germanic mythological archetypes. But that's what high fantasy is all about, so if you don't like this style, then this is not the book for you.
Furey's world building and plot expositions are somewhat clumsily handled in the first half of the novel but do markedly improve towards the second phase of the story. We get more insight into how, what, and why the Cataclysm occurred. This event is referenced early on, but its significance to the story isn't clear until much later.
Aurian is frankly not that likeable to start with, being mostly aloof and angry. Indeed, Aurian shifts between an acid tongue, to moments of sympathy and forgiveness so jarringly it's hard to empathise with her at times. The supporting cast is often more relatable, such as Anvar and Zanna. Still, you do want to root for her, as she is constantly underestimated by friends and foes alike. There is an undercurrent of feminism to the story, and I feel that many reviewers have missed what is in plain sight - a heroic woman, often on her own, fighting against a literal entrenched patriarchy, represented in the form of Miathan. Aurian is a fully realised character, who manages to break the bonds of archetype, strong-willed yet agreeable, vengeful yet forgiving, and compelled to do the right thing even if this means forgoing power over the situation. The scenes especially where she is bereft of magic speak most to her development as a person, not less her growth into a powerful mage and warrior swordswoman. In keeping with convention of the genre, Aurian is built to represent the Good, but she is flawed and that makes her more human than her Magefolk counterparts.
The dialogue and character conversations are engaging, if at times, perfunctory. Characters for the most part speak convincingly, if not having a tendency to launch into exposition when we already know what's happened or about to happen. Clever use of internal monologues does help to get you inside of the minds of the characters, although I did feel that this lent the book a more Young Adult feel.
In saying that though, the book is definitely not for younger readers (specifically pre-teens), as there is sex, violence, and cursing. There is a love affair between a young adult female and an older man, although it is handled sensitively and is consensual. Indeed, it is the male in this situation who is most reluctant to engage, supressing their true feelings and desires. There are also some references to rape, although never explicit and nothing actually materialises. In terms of violence, it is almost always the male characters who are the victims of physical, emotional, and magical abuse. The character of Anvar is most fully realised in this aspect, and you feel so strongly for his plight that you want him to find happiness. I must emphasise that none of the female characters are passive or cast as helpless maidens in need of a White Knight (TM). Indeed, Furey frequently subverts this trope, and women in the story are strong willed, independent, and manipulate their male counterparts in often comical terms. Again, you have to remembers this book was written 30 years ago, and the author clearly wanted to explore a fantasy setting with feminist themes.
Quite so, some modern readers may balk at some of the handling of themes of power, desire, and love, but that's at the reader's own discretion to decide if they want to read this book or not. These topics may simply not be agreeable to audiences in 2023 in the current culture where narrative nuance is lost, and the line between fiction and reality is blurred in some minds. Yes, perhaps these scenes are quaint compared to modern dark fantasy series such as Game of Thrones, but yet, they could be unsuitable for a younger audience or some adults who may be offended by aspects of the plot.
The main issue I had was that there was a lack of tension to the story, or at least, the inconsistency in style. From the outset, we know that Aurian, a child of two Magefolk, is going to be pitted against the despotic Archmage, Miathan. The main plot for all its promise of a rich tapestry of themes, itself is far less engaging than the various sub-plots, which delves into a broader mythology, introduces us to important characters, and hints at a world in turmoil. Again, as the story progresses the writing improves, as does the treatment of the worldbuilding and character development.
I would recommend Aurian for those looking to move up from YA series into something grittier. If you like female-led, character driven, high fantasy then this should appeal. Or if you simply want a relatively easy 90s high fantasy read and can overlook some of the dated style, content, and themes, then you won't be left wanting.
A solid 3-star effort.
Aurian had been on my 'to read' list for a long, long time - I am talking 25 years. My sister had this series in the 90s Legend paperback edition, with the stellar artwork by Mick Van Houten.
So, it's with mixed feelings that I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I am yet to decide if I'll finish the series. I genuinely did enjoy aspects of the mythology, and there are some really well written action scenes. This is one of the more average high fantasy novels out there, but by no means is it unreadable or terrible - yet to be sure, there was room for improvement.
The story focuses on the titular character, Aurian, a young girl who is the daughter of two Magefolk. Her father, Fire-Mage Geraint, dies when she is a child during what appears to have been an experiment gone wrong. Her mother, Eilin, is an Earth-Mage who has closed herself off from the outside world, consumed by her grief. Essentially a self-raised child, Aurian lives a carefree existence talking to animals and roaming the lands of her parent's estate. One day, she meets Forral, a sword master and Commander of the Nexis City Garrison. Forral was an old friend of Geraint and is dismayed by what he finds in Aurian - a reckless child, unloved, and unkempt.
As time passes, Aurian matures and enters training with the Magefolk, who effectively rule the city of Nexis and the Northern Lands. The Magefolk remain aloof to the civilian mortal population, refusing to help heal the dying or sick, but collecting taxes for what they are willing to do - such as providing sewage and magical barriers against enemies. Head of the Magefolk is the aging Miathan, a sinister character with ambitions of total power over the populace, and so begins a power struggle for control over the fate of Aurian, who has formed a tightknit relationship with Forral and his mortal companions.
But a prophecy looms, and the ancient Artifacts of Power are yet to be uncovered since the time of the Cataclysm, when Mage betrayed Mage and tore the lands asunder. The magical races of the Winged Ones, the Leviathan, and the Phaerie, who lost their place in the world following the disastrous events of the Cataclysm, may yet still play a part in the future, even if it costs them everything.
What follows is a high fantasy adventure that is a heady mix of magic, mythology, romance, politics, fierce battles, and disasters that befall Nexis, the mortals, and the Magefolk alike. Can Aurian learn to control her power? Will the evil plans of the Archmage be foiled? Will Forral be consumed by his growing love of Aurian, while trying to keep Nexis safe? And what of Anvar, the bondsman whose bastard parentage presents a risk to everyone around him?
Other reviews have called attention to the high fantasy tropes used by Maggie Furey to construct her world. So yes, be prepared to ready your expectations to some of the sub-genres most obvious cliches - the childhood journey to adulthood; the doomed love affair; the nefarious Big Bad with simple, but evil intentions; and the escape-flight-fight scenes.
These sins are hardly new - many people forget that Lord of the Rings was hardly original and had its roots in Norse, Celtic, and Germanic mythological archetypes. But that's what high fantasy is all about, so if you don't like this style, then this is not the book for you.
Furey's world building and plot expositions are somewhat clumsily handled in the first half of the novel but do markedly improve towards the second phase of the story. We get more insight into how, what, and why the Cataclysm occurred. This event is referenced early on, but its significance to the story isn't clear until much later.
Aurian is frankly not that likeable to start with, being mostly aloof and angry. Indeed, Aurian shifts between an acid tongue, to moments of sympathy and forgiveness so jarringly it's hard to empathise with her at times. The supporting cast is often more relatable, such as Anvar and Zanna. Still, you do want to root for her, as she is constantly underestimated by friends and foes alike. There is an undercurrent of feminism to the story, and I feel that many reviewers have missed what is in plain sight - a heroic woman, often on her own, fighting against a literal entrenched patriarchy, represented in the form of Miathan. Aurian is a fully realised character, who manages to break the bonds of archetype, strong-willed yet agreeable, vengeful yet forgiving, and compelled to do the right thing even if this means forgoing power over the situation. The scenes especially where she is bereft of magic speak most to her development as a person, not less her growth into a powerful mage and warrior swordswoman. In keeping with convention of the genre, Aurian is built to represent the Good, but she is flawed and that makes her more human than her Magefolk counterparts.
The dialogue and character conversations are engaging, if at times, perfunctory. Characters for the most part speak convincingly, if not having a tendency to launch into exposition when we already know what's happened or about to happen. Clever use of internal monologues does help to get you inside of the minds of the characters, although I did feel that this lent the book a more Young Adult feel.
In saying that though, the book is definitely not for younger readers (specifically pre-teens), as there is sex, violence, and cursing. There is a love affair between a young adult female and an older man, although it is handled sensitively and is consensual. Indeed, it is the male in this situation who is most reluctant to engage, supressing their true feelings and desires. There are also some references to rape, although never explicit and nothing actually materialises. In terms of violence, it is almost always the male characters who are the victims of physical, emotional, and magical abuse. The character of Anvar is most fully realised in this aspect, and you feel so strongly for his plight that you want him to find happiness. I must emphasise that none of the female characters are passive or cast as helpless maidens in need of a White Knight (TM). Indeed, Furey frequently subverts this trope, and women in the story are strong willed, independent, and manipulate their male counterparts in often comical terms. Again, you have to remembers this book was written 30 years ago, and the author clearly wanted to explore a fantasy setting with feminist themes.
Quite so, some modern readers may balk at some of the handling of themes of power, desire, and love, but that's at the reader's own discretion to decide if they want to read this book or not. These topics may simply not be agreeable to audiences in 2023 in the current culture where narrative nuance is lost, and the line between fiction and reality is blurred in some minds. Yes, perhaps these scenes are quaint compared to modern dark fantasy series such as Game of Thrones, but yet, they could be unsuitable for a younger audience or some adults who may be offended by aspects of the plot.
The main issue I had was that there was a lack of tension to the story, or at least, the inconsistency in style. From the outset, we know that Aurian, a child of two Magefolk, is going to be pitted against the despotic Archmage, Miathan. The main plot for all its promise of a rich tapestry of themes, itself is far less engaging than the various sub-plots, which delves into a broader mythology, introduces us to important characters, and hints at a world in turmoil. Again, as the story progresses the writing improves, as does the treatment of the worldbuilding and character development.
I would recommend Aurian for those looking to move up from YA series into something grittier. If you like female-led, character driven, high fantasy then this should appeal. Or if you simply want a relatively easy 90s high fantasy read and can overlook some of the dated style, content, and themes, then you won't be left wanting.
A solid 3-star effort.
March 29, 2020
DNF at 43%
I read this when I was 14 and remember loving it, but as an adult the love is definitely gone. I gave it my best shot for the sake of that memory but I wasn't enjoying it and it was very slow-paced. It didn't even give me that nostalgic feeling whilst reading, I just found it so bad.
The writing is too old-fashioned for my liking. There's no nuance between the character's actions and emotions; they're too simplified and one dimensional. It's almost children's storylike- I've currently been doing a buddy read of The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce and it's almost comparable.
It's a very traditional fantasy, the good characters are the heroes and heroines, the bad characters are the classic evil villains. It's very predictable and full of tropes; Aurian has an affinity for all the elements of magic- manages to bring forth rain without any training in weather magic *eye roll*- is a master swordsmistress having conveniently had the best swordsman tutor her, can communicate with animals, is the first mage to befriend mortals....you get the picture. Miathan is the evil old-mage who hates mortals and plots to rule the world whilst lusting after Aurian. I don't mind a classic good against evil fantasy tale, apart from the fact there's no tension or mystery to the story, nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat- it travels through all the character's viewpoints revealing all their thoughts, feelings and plans and it left me feeling bored.
I bought the whole series second-hand thinking I would love it again; luckily they were cheap, looks like it's off to the charity shop with them. I also read The Belgariad Series by David Eddings at around 12/13 which gives me the impression I probably won't enjoy that again either. It just doesn't stand up against the fantasy I've read as an adult so far.
I read this when I was 14 and remember loving it, but as an adult the love is definitely gone. I gave it my best shot for the sake of that memory but I wasn't enjoying it and it was very slow-paced. It didn't even give me that nostalgic feeling whilst reading, I just found it so bad.
The writing is too old-fashioned for my liking. There's no nuance between the character's actions and emotions; they're too simplified and one dimensional. It's almost children's storylike- I've currently been doing a buddy read of The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce and it's almost comparable.
It's a very traditional fantasy, the good characters are the heroes and heroines, the bad characters are the classic evil villains. It's very predictable and full of tropes; Aurian has an affinity for all the elements of magic- manages to bring forth rain without any training in weather magic *eye roll*- is a master swordsmistress having conveniently had the best swordsman tutor her, can communicate with animals, is the first mage to befriend mortals....you get the picture. Miathan is the evil old-mage who hates mortals and plots to rule the world whilst lusting after Aurian. I don't mind a classic good against evil fantasy tale, apart from the fact there's no tension or mystery to the story, nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat- it travels through all the character's viewpoints revealing all their thoughts, feelings and plans and it left me feeling bored.
I bought the whole series second-hand thinking I would love it again; luckily they were cheap, looks like it's off to the charity shop with them. I also read The Belgariad Series by David Eddings at around 12/13 which gives me the impression I probably won't enjoy that again either. It just doesn't stand up against the fantasy I've read as an adult so far.
July 28, 2012
Before Harry Potter, there was this series featuring a young wizard who is brought to a magical school to realize her potential. The biggest difference between "Aurian" & "Harry Potter"...in Aurian's case, the greatest evil in her land just happens to be the headmaster of the school! (So basically, this series would be like if Hogwarts was run by Voldemort!)
Overall, "Aurian" was a great read. Aurian is a very compelling heroine, and her enemies are deliciously-evil. However, the book does suffer from some pacing problems at parts, particularly the action sequences, which sometimes feel rushed and end way too quickly. Still, despite not being perfect, the Aurian saga may be a great find for anyone currently going through Harry Potter withdrawl.
Overall, "Aurian" was a great read. Aurian is a very compelling heroine, and her enemies are deliciously-evil. However, the book does suffer from some pacing problems at parts, particularly the action sequences, which sometimes feel rushed and end way too quickly. Still, despite not being perfect, the Aurian saga may be a great find for anyone currently going through Harry Potter withdrawl.
September 8, 2020
Once again I am ~ conflicted ~. I really really like the plot. I like the world and some of the characters but I just cannot fully enjoy the story because of all the blatant sexism and racism some of the characters are displaying. This is a magical made up world (created by a woman nonetheless) so why do I have to read about old crusty men lusting after 15 year old girls? Will not continue with the series.
didn-t-finish
March 22, 2020I'm only 5 or so chapters in, but I'm quitting this one. I was having trouble picking it up, and when I did pick it up it was a struggle to read even 10 pages. After this last book I read by the author I just don't see this as worth continuing. I won't be reading this author again.
February 11, 2022
I've read this book multiple times and will read it again. I love it. It was the first *high* fantasy story I ever read and made me fall in love with the subgenre.
March 14, 2018
I first read this book at fourteen and was convinced then that it was the greatest fantasy book ever written. It hits every tropey fantasy pleasure - talking cats, a magical centre of learning, gladiator arenas, mysterious dragons, winged people, sword training, multiple love stories - and mixes them all into a fantasy cocktail shaker formed of the standard 'quest for artefacts to save/destroy the world'. The main villain is as cacklingly melodramatic as you'd expect; he could work through The Evil Overlord's List to tick off all his accomplishments but his pen would probably run out before he reached the end.
At fourteen this was all very satisfying, but these things don't always hold up. I hadn't reread Aurian in years but picked it up recently thinking I'd read a chapter. 611 pages (of *small* font too; this book is a brick) later, found myself ordering the second book on Amazon because I'd lost my copy... even though I'm still not how much I enjoyed the reread.
The characters are still mostly likable (except when they're cardboard cutouts like the Distracted Mother, the Ice Queen, the Scheming Brother), and the better ones have their share of both sympathetic and flawed qualities. Zanna's subplot is still one of the best (at fourteen I was as convinced as her that Yanis was The Best Option; only on rereads as an adult did it dawn on me how heavily Furey sets him up as a dumb prettyboy that Zanna is much too good for. How she lets the tragedy of that storyline play out in later books is also one of the series' noteworthy achievements). The conflicted manipulations of characters like Harihn are also interesting, if a little too convenient plotwise on several occasions.
The magic usage falls somewhere between as-powerful-as-needed-for-the-plot and believably-exhausting ends of the spectrum - there are learning curves, immovable obstacles and consequences for trying too much and no one's moving entire mountains with a thought, but there's also more than a couple of logically-this-character-should-be-dead saving the day flourishes. If you can handwave these off, the magic system as a whole mostly follows satisfyingly consistent rules.
Which really is the best approach to the entire book. If you can handwave the little annoyances such as the (severe!!) abuse of exclamation marks, cackling of the villains, and the occasional bending of believability, there's a lot to find satisfying here. The world building is intricate without being a constant info dump, with political, economic, and social structures all layered in. The POV switches are easy to follow and, unusually for such a long book, I rarely found myself bored by any of the subplots. Okay yes, the length could have a hundred or so pages knocked off just by dialling down the descriptions and detail of characters travelling from place to place, but none of it is such a struggle to get through that I considered skipping any of it. The main love story is handicapped by not being the first relationship established as the book's One True Pairing, but Furey acknowledges this and gives it time to grow into something in its own right. It's a refreshing change from other fantasy novels that set up the main relationships as the only love that character ever has and ever will have (and a trend that's also reflected in the relationships formed or reformed among the rest of the characters).
All in all, this book isn't quite the stellar achievement I thought it was at fourteen but it's not just another by-the-numbers high fantasy epic either. The usual tropes are done in a satisfying way, even if they're not groundbreaking, and most of my problems were with the unnecessary writing flourishes rather than the plot itself. If you like high fantasy, there are much worse books to pass a few days with.
At fourteen this was all very satisfying, but these things don't always hold up. I hadn't reread Aurian in years but picked it up recently thinking I'd read a chapter. 611 pages (of *small* font too; this book is a brick) later, found myself ordering the second book on Amazon because I'd lost my copy... even though I'm still not how much I enjoyed the reread.
The characters are still mostly likable (except when they're cardboard cutouts like the Distracted Mother, the Ice Queen, the Scheming Brother), and the better ones have their share of both sympathetic and flawed qualities. Zanna's subplot is still one of the best (at fourteen I was as convinced as her that Yanis was The Best Option; only on rereads as an adult did it dawn on me how heavily Furey sets him up as a dumb prettyboy that Zanna is much too good for. How she lets the tragedy of that storyline play out in later books is also one of the series' noteworthy achievements). The conflicted manipulations of characters like Harihn are also interesting, if a little too convenient plotwise on several occasions.
The magic usage falls somewhere between as-powerful-as-needed-for-the-plot and believably-exhausting ends of the spectrum - there are learning curves, immovable obstacles and consequences for trying too much and no one's moving entire mountains with a thought, but there's also more than a couple of logically-this-character-should-be-dead saving the day flourishes. If you can handwave these off, the magic system as a whole mostly follows satisfyingly consistent rules.
Which really is the best approach to the entire book. If you can handwave the little annoyances such as the (severe!!) abuse of exclamation marks, cackling of the villains, and the occasional bending of believability, there's a lot to find satisfying here. The world building is intricate without being a constant info dump, with political, economic, and social structures all layered in. The POV switches are easy to follow and, unusually for such a long book, I rarely found myself bored by any of the subplots. Okay yes, the length could have a hundred or so pages knocked off just by dialling down the descriptions and detail of characters travelling from place to place, but none of it is such a struggle to get through that I considered skipping any of it. The main love story is handicapped by not being the first relationship established as the book's One True Pairing, but Furey acknowledges this and gives it time to grow into something in its own right. It's a refreshing change from other fantasy novels that set up the main relationships as the only love that character ever has and ever will have (and a trend that's also reflected in the relationships formed or reformed among the rest of the characters).
All in all, this book isn't quite the stellar achievement I thought it was at fourteen but it's not just another by-the-numbers high fantasy epic either. The usual tropes are done in a satisfying way, even if they're not groundbreaking, and most of my problems were with the unnecessary writing flourishes rather than the plot itself. If you like high fantasy, there are much worse books to pass a few days with.
January 1, 2019
Book was interesting, easy to tell that it was written at a time when attention spans where longer. I found myself skipping pages and being able to catch up with the story further on....now for book two...
August 21, 2016
Wie viel Nostalgie beim Lesen wieder aufkam - schön.
Aurian begegnet uns im ersten Band als ungestüme 12-jährige, die mit ihrer zauberkundigen Mutter in einem Tal weitab von anderen Menschen/Magiern lebt. Der Schwerkämpfer Forral, der sie später in der Waffenkunst unterrichten wird, bändigt ihren stürmisch-trotzigen Charakter und legt den Samen für Aurians spätere Vertrautheit mit den Sterblichen.
Ihre Mutter Lady Eilin und Aurian selbst sind zwei der letzten acht 'menschlichen' des Maguschvolkes, die alle eine bestimmte Art von Elemente- und Naturmagie ausüben können.
Dass Aurian eine Besonderheit darstellt, merkt man recht schnell, da sie scheinbar in allen Magusch-Disziplinen glänzen kann.
Recht schnell wird aus dem jungen Mädchen eine willensstarke, immer noch recht stolze und dickköpfige, (natürlich auch wunderschöne ;), erwachsene Zauberin von 20 Jahren, die den Hass der anderen Magusch auf die Sterblichen nicht nachvollziehen kann und damit wiederum den Unwillen des 'Erzmagusch' und seiner Untergebenen auf sich zieht.
Hiermit gehen eigentlich sämtliche Konflikte los, die einen Kampf um Macht in dieser ganz eigenen High-Fantasy-Welt von Maggie Furey auslösen.
Insgesamt wechseln die Kapiteln immer zwischen Aurians Sicht und verschiedensten Sub-Plots, die wirklich spannend mit der Haupthandlung verknüpft sind. Die Nebenfiguren (oftmals Magieunkundige) wurden mir schnell sympathisch und für alle LeserInnen von Abenteuer-/Piraten-/Seefahrer-Romanen könnte auch etwas dabei sein.
Das Magiesystem empfand ich ebenfalls als unsagbar gelungen.
Es kommt aber einiges an Romantik auf den Leser zu, gerade auf unsere Hauptfigur haben es leider so einige unschuldige, aber auch machthungrige Männer abgesehen. Zum Glück ist Aurian keine hilflose Jungfrau in Nöten, sondern wie (sehr viele Frauen des Romans) stark, emanzipiert und vor allem durch ihre Magie und Menschenkenntnis unglaublich mächtig.
Der erste Band dient vor allem als Einführung in das große Thema der "4 Artefakte der Macht", in dem wir wirklich umfangreiche Kenntnisse über alle wichtigen handelnden Figuren erfahren, das komplexe Magiesystem und große Teile der Welt kennenlernen. Ich war erstaunt wie viel bereits an Handlung geschieht, welche Verluste und Grausamkeiten erlitten werden müssen und welche Geschichte hinter dem Magusch-Volk steckt.
Einige Figuren könnten durchaus mehr Facetten als das 'nur böse' und 'nur gute' vertragen, aber insgesamt konnte mich der 1. Band beim Lesen sehr begeistern.
Sprachlich ist diese Fantasy-Reihe auf einem recht normalen Niveau, teilweise spiegelt der Sprachstil dieses fantastisch-spätmittelalterliche Setting sehr gut, es ist definitiv leicht lesbar. Die Ausgewogenheit zwischen Erzähltem, Dialogen, Rückblenden und wichtigem Wissen über die Welt gefiel mir ebenso.
Den zweiten Band "Windharfe" werde ich mir für die Semesterferien wohl auch noch vornehmen. (:
Aurian begegnet uns im ersten Band als ungestüme 12-jährige, die mit ihrer zauberkundigen Mutter in einem Tal weitab von anderen Menschen/Magiern lebt. Der Schwerkämpfer Forral, der sie später in der Waffenkunst unterrichten wird, bändigt ihren stürmisch-trotzigen Charakter und legt den Samen für Aurians spätere Vertrautheit mit den Sterblichen.
Ihre Mutter Lady Eilin und Aurian selbst sind zwei der letzten acht 'menschlichen' des Maguschvolkes, die alle eine bestimmte Art von Elemente- und Naturmagie ausüben können.
Dass Aurian eine Besonderheit darstellt, merkt man recht schnell, da sie scheinbar in allen Magusch-Disziplinen glänzen kann.
Recht schnell wird aus dem jungen Mädchen eine willensstarke, immer noch recht stolze und dickköpfige, (natürlich auch wunderschöne ;), erwachsene Zauberin von 20 Jahren, die den Hass der anderen Magusch auf die Sterblichen nicht nachvollziehen kann und damit wiederum den Unwillen des 'Erzmagusch' und seiner Untergebenen auf sich zieht.
Hiermit gehen eigentlich sämtliche Konflikte los, die einen Kampf um Macht in dieser ganz eigenen High-Fantasy-Welt von Maggie Furey auslösen.
Insgesamt wechseln die Kapiteln immer zwischen Aurians Sicht und verschiedensten Sub-Plots, die wirklich spannend mit der Haupthandlung verknüpft sind. Die Nebenfiguren (oftmals Magieunkundige) wurden mir schnell sympathisch und für alle LeserInnen von Abenteuer-/Piraten-/Seefahrer-Romanen könnte auch etwas dabei sein.
Das Magiesystem empfand ich ebenfalls als unsagbar gelungen.
Es kommt aber einiges an Romantik auf den Leser zu, gerade auf unsere Hauptfigur haben es leider so einige unschuldige, aber auch machthungrige Männer abgesehen. Zum Glück ist Aurian keine hilflose Jungfrau in Nöten, sondern wie (sehr viele Frauen des Romans) stark, emanzipiert und vor allem durch ihre Magie und Menschenkenntnis unglaublich mächtig.
Der erste Band dient vor allem als Einführung in das große Thema der "4 Artefakte der Macht", in dem wir wirklich umfangreiche Kenntnisse über alle wichtigen handelnden Figuren erfahren, das komplexe Magiesystem und große Teile der Welt kennenlernen. Ich war erstaunt wie viel bereits an Handlung geschieht, welche Verluste und Grausamkeiten erlitten werden müssen und welche Geschichte hinter dem Magusch-Volk steckt.
Einige Figuren könnten durchaus mehr Facetten als das 'nur böse' und 'nur gute' vertragen, aber insgesamt konnte mich der 1. Band beim Lesen sehr begeistern.
Sprachlich ist diese Fantasy-Reihe auf einem recht normalen Niveau, teilweise spiegelt der Sprachstil dieses fantastisch-spätmittelalterliche Setting sehr gut, es ist definitiv leicht lesbar. Die Ausgewogenheit zwischen Erzähltem, Dialogen, Rückblenden und wichtigem Wissen über die Welt gefiel mir ebenso.
Den zweiten Band "Windharfe" werde ich mir für die Semesterferien wohl auch noch vornehmen. (:
June 17, 2015
Fantasy al femminile
Primo libro della Saga dei Manufatti del Potere. Protagonista è Aurian, giovane maga e spadaccina alla ricerca di quattro famosi manufatti che la aiuteranno a combattere il male.
I personaggi - sia principali che secondari - sono ben delineati psicologicamente e seguono una propria strada da individui, le loro scelte sono giustificate e non solo finalizzate ad una trama fantasy specifica. Generalmente i personaggi femminili risultano i più interessanti, anche perchè rivelano tutti, nel bene e nel male, un'assertività molto spiccata. Ai personaggi maschili è riservato un eterno secondo piano: anche se rimangono comunque ben tratteggiati, sono fondamentalmente comprimari dei personaggi femminili, nei quali una costante è il carattere forte e volitivo. Direi che questa è un po' una pecca (la Furey è forse un po' troppo partigiana), insieme al finale apertissimo che non tenta nemmeno di chiudere un po' le fila del primo volume, cosa che mi fa sospettare uno "spezzettamento" editoriale più che autorale. Nota positivissima per il plot, che rende la lettura sempre avvincente, nonostante la "lentezza" con la quale l'azione prende piede (ma è una "lentezza" che io personalmente ho percepito a posteriori, non c'è assolutamente pesantezza o noia nello svolgersi dei fatti, anzi!). La Furey inoltre è bravissima nell'intrecciare i destini dei personaggi, nel creare colpi di scena e grandi rivelazioni, ma anche nell'astenersi dall'usare gli stessi per "risolvere" le situazioni.
In conclusione, una saga che merita di essere seguita fino all'ultimo volume. Un grazie a Maximus Kuseikos per le gradite conversazioni su questo libro!
Primo libro della Saga dei Manufatti del Potere. Protagonista è Aurian, giovane maga e spadaccina alla ricerca di quattro famosi manufatti che la aiuteranno a combattere il male.
I personaggi - sia principali che secondari - sono ben delineati psicologicamente e seguono una propria strada da individui, le loro scelte sono giustificate e non solo finalizzate ad una trama fantasy specifica. Generalmente i personaggi femminili risultano i più interessanti, anche perchè rivelano tutti, nel bene e nel male, un'assertività molto spiccata. Ai personaggi maschili è riservato un eterno secondo piano: anche se rimangono comunque ben tratteggiati, sono fondamentalmente comprimari dei personaggi femminili, nei quali una costante è il carattere forte e volitivo. Direi che questa è un po' una pecca (la Furey è forse un po' troppo partigiana), insieme al finale apertissimo che non tenta nemmeno di chiudere un po' le fila del primo volume, cosa che mi fa sospettare uno "spezzettamento" editoriale più che autorale. Nota positivissima per il plot, che rende la lettura sempre avvincente, nonostante la "lentezza" con la quale l'azione prende piede (ma è una "lentezza" che io personalmente ho percepito a posteriori, non c'è assolutamente pesantezza o noia nello svolgersi dei fatti, anzi!). La Furey inoltre è bravissima nell'intrecciare i destini dei personaggi, nel creare colpi di scena e grandi rivelazioni, ma anche nell'astenersi dall'usare gli stessi per "risolvere" le situazioni.
In conclusione, una saga che merita di essere seguita fino all'ultimo volume. Un grazie a Maximus Kuseikos per le gradite conversazioni su questo libro!
October 5, 2013
When I was a teenager, back around the time this book first came out, I was IN LOVE with the entire series. I'd even written out a letter to the author (never sent).
Coming back to it as an adult, I still really enjoy it, but GOOD LORD, the Mary Sues! For those who don't know that term, a "Mary Sue" is someone who's just...perfect. And here's the thing: Aurian's only flaws are her random bouts of "Magefolk pride," and a fear of heights. Other than that, everyone just lurrrrrrves her because she's so kind and pro-Mortal; and for the most part, the only people who DON'T like her are the bad guys.
Mages can breathe underwater, they can understand any language, and while most mages only have control over one--maybe two--elements, our fabulous heroine has mastery of some sort over them ALL.
I feel bad saying anything negative about a series that was once the love of my life, but from an adult perspective, these characters are just awful. They have no real flaws, they get into the most random arguments just for the sake of furthering the plot, and I have to confess that some of the guys are the whiniest little girls I've ever "met."
With that said, if you're looking for an easy read that doesn't require much in the way of using your brain, you should give this a try. I'm rereading it right now, despite its badness, and I still enjoy it...despite all the eye-rolling.
Coming back to it as an adult, I still really enjoy it, but GOOD LORD, the Mary Sues! For those who don't know that term, a "Mary Sue" is someone who's just...perfect. And here's the thing: Aurian's only flaws are her random bouts of "Magefolk pride," and a fear of heights. Other than that, everyone just lurrrrrrves her because she's so kind and pro-Mortal; and for the most part, the only people who DON'T like her are the bad guys.
Mages can breathe underwater, they can understand any language, and while most mages only have control over one--maybe two--elements, our fabulous heroine has mastery of some sort over them ALL.
I feel bad saying anything negative about a series that was once the love of my life, but from an adult perspective, these characters are just awful. They have no real flaws, they get into the most random arguments just for the sake of furthering the plot, and I have to confess that some of the guys are the whiniest little girls I've ever "met."
With that said, if you're looking for an easy read that doesn't require much in the way of using your brain, you should give this a try. I'm rereading it right now, despite its badness, and I still enjoy it...despite all the eye-rolling.
November 24, 2014
This was a fun book to read and a very good start to a series! Definitely has a feel of 90's fantasy novels to it - sort of Aurian and her merry band of friends out to save the world.
It isn't all 4 friends cheering about friendship and plans in a tavern with tankards of ale (though there is some of that), there are darker elements to the story, but the story does progress at a good clip and it doesn't feel as dark and gritty as a lot of more recent fantasy - I suppose there are good and bad sides to this, and I think I found it a nice break from some of the recent writing styles I've been reading.
The characters are quite well fleshed out and I'm looking forward to see where Aurian and Co. head next on their epic questing.
It isn't all 4 friends cheering about friendship and plans in a tavern with tankards of ale (though there is some of that), there are darker elements to the story, but the story does progress at a good clip and it doesn't feel as dark and gritty as a lot of more recent fantasy - I suppose there are good and bad sides to this, and I think I found it a nice break from some of the recent writing styles I've been reading.
The characters are quite well fleshed out and I'm looking forward to see where Aurian and Co. head next on their epic questing.
July 27, 2015
I read this series - The Artefacts of Power some years ago and whilst revising and tidying my bookshelves found all four books again, so I have just re-read the first book in the series. The genre is fantasy based on the basic good versus evil theme. It an easy to read book with lots of twists and turns and an engrossing, enchanting and exciting plot. Aurian is a red haired Mage and she is the main protagonist in a book full of strong female characters. Her characters are always interesting. Magic and mystery includes dragons, fighting, a love interest and a bereavement. I loved it all over again.
September 12, 2016
I only finished this book because I wanted to see how bad it could get. I do not understand how this got published. The last 50-100 pages seemed to be an endless loop of the heroine and her lover arguing and then getting depressed. And the singing whale-mages... no. There may be a way to sell those, but this author didn't do so. I kept my copy for years to remind how low the bar can be, should I ever actually write anything.
December 29, 2007
One of my first steps into the realm of fantasy, Maggie Furey's Aurian is a book filled with dynamic characters woven around a plot riddled with magic and intrigue.
I recommend Aurian to anyone with a fondness for fantasy.
I recommend Aurian to anyone with a fondness for fantasy.
July 1, 2018
My mum introduced me to this series years ago and I read it probably four times in two years. Very addictive, fantastic characters, loved every second! Unique ideas but enough common fantasy elements (wizards, dragons, etc.) to keep it within the ideals of lovers of the fantasy genre.
January 16, 2023
Uhhhhhh.
I absolutely loved the first 100 or so pages of this. And then it seems to have just devolved into a big confusing mess of things happening that didn't really need to happen and didn't add much to the plot. This was such a slog, but I finished it.
I absolutely loved the first 100 or so pages of this. And then it seems to have just devolved into a big confusing mess of things happening that didn't really need to happen and didn't add much to the plot. This was such a slog, but I finished it.
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