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Tales of the Lifesong #1
The Riddler's Gift: First Tale of the Lifesong
In a time when the world was ravaged by chaos, one kingdom remains; ordered, isolated, protected. Then Tabitha Serannon awakens an ancient power and the world begins to change.
She is hunted for her talent. The Shadowcasters whisper in her ears as their evil closes around her. Soon the Riddler walks beside her, but is he on her side?
She has a moment to learn the magic before she loses her grasp of the Lifesong, but the path she must follow leads into Darkness; into terror, treachery and desire.
To survive she must give voice to a music that she hardly understands, an enchantment that will echo through all time.
She is hunted for her talent. The Shadowcasters whisper in her ears as their evil closes around her. Soon the Riddler walks beside her, but is he on her side?
She has a moment to learn the magic before she loses her grasp of the Lifesong, but the path she must follow leads into Darkness; into terror, treachery and desire.
To survive she must give voice to a music that she hardly understands, an enchantment that will echo through all time.
Audio CD
First published June 1, 2007
83 people are currently reading
1789 people want to read
About the author
Greg Hamerton
7 books61 followersI'm an outdoor enthusiast and have been an active paraglider pilot since 1992. I find it essential to get away from the office on the weekends, and you can't get much farther away than high above the ground, looking down at the mountain peak beneath your toes.
My primary school was artistic. We made up stories. We painted things. We acted out Norse Mythology. It was great, and it's probably the reason I'm a writer. I graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1994 (Bachelor of Commerce) but was bored to death by my first accounting job. I worked in the film industry, as a paragliding instructor, and as a photographer. I began writing, and found that I loved it.
I am a dedicated reader of fantasy, and respect the works of Charles de Lint, Stephen Donaldson, Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan and Terry Pratchett.
My primary school was artistic. We made up stories. We painted things. We acted out Norse Mythology. It was great, and it's probably the reason I'm a writer. I graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1994 (Bachelor of Commerce) but was bored to death by my first accounting job. I worked in the film industry, as a paragliding instructor, and as a photographer. I began writing, and found that I loved it.
I am a dedicated reader of fantasy, and respect the works of Charles de Lint, Stephen Donaldson, Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan and Terry Pratchett.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
February 3, 2011
When I read a really good book, it's hard to write a review, because my words don't measure up to what I have read as an example of good writing. But, I do my best. Let me make it clear that I'm hardly a critical scholar when it comes to fantasy. Before I added this to my epic fantasy shelf, I checked out the definition of epic fantasy. As I read the description of epic fantasy elements, I ticked off a mental checklist, and this book fits all the descriptions of epic fantasy. Of course, as I said, I'm not an expert, but I felt that Mr. Hamerton wrote a story that took what was expected in an epic fantasy read, and did it very well, writing a story that mattered to him and captivated me as I read.
The Magic System
Interesting, and very complex. The magical system was one part science, one part high mathematics (those parts had me scratching my head a bit), one part spiritual, and one part philosophical. At times, it went a little over my head, but that’s okay. I like to feel that I don’t have everything all figured out when I read a book. I liked that the magic had rules to it. The magic couldn't come out of nowhere. It had to have a source, and the source could be depleted. In essence, even the most powerful wizard or magic-user could be magicked out. There was balance, although the ‘dark lord’ character, Cabal the Darkmaster, wanted to take that balance and shift it so he controlled all the magic available, so he could rule over all the lands. Thankfully, the good guys are fighting to keep that from happening.
Characters
The main character was a young woman named Tabitha Serannon. She was an endearing person, seemingly normal and not overly endowed with any particular strength, or so it seemed. Her gift was not something she thought greatly of. Her talent for music, and a good voice. If anything, it was a way to provide a living for herself, and it made her happy. Her mother was a Lightgifter (essentially a type of good magician with the power to heal using the force of light), and she one day hoped to follow in her footsteps, finding her parents’ simple life as farmers not to her taste. As always, the yearning for adventure becomes a double-edged sword, and this young woman goes through a baptism of fire that is as believable as it is stirring. Although she has a bit of prodding along the way from a enigmatic figure named Twardy Zarost, otherwise known as the Riddler, nothing comes easy to this young woman. Through it all, I found her to be an engaging, likeable heroine. There is also Garyll Glavenor, the most formidable warrior in the land, the Swordmaster, who commands the Swords, an elite guard of warriors who protects the kingdom of Eyri. Love blooms between the couple, a love that is put to the test over the course of this book, each thinking they are not good or right enough for each other, and that life leads them in different directions. There is also Ashley Logan, an apprentice in the LIghtgifters who also will face a very harrowing experience in this novel. And Mr. Hamerton gives us a truly harrowing villain in Kirjath Arkell, a Shadowcaster who is given the job of retrieving the lost ring coveted by the Darkmaster. You can guess where the ring ends up. Mr. Hamerton brought these characters to life, and I felt their pain and suffering as they fought an epic battle against the forces of dark, with the power to overwhelm them from the inside out.
Setting
Mr. Hamerton creates his own world that has a medieval feel. There is an added dynamic, in which the world is partitioned based on the deleterious effects of a power-mad wizard. Most people don’t seem to know this save the eight wizards of the Gyre, who go through some incredible changes to keep this secret and to maintain a delicate balance.
Themes
I’ll try to keep this from becoming too much of a book report and keep it simple here. The most dominant theme here is that each person fights an intimate battle against evil. Evil is a slippery slope. It starts out as a selfish need or thought that can lead to corruption. Each character in this book fights that battle, and some fight to the depths of their soul against succumbing to evil. It was very painful to see what some of the characters that I grew to love as I read this story went through, how they suffered, and their struggle against the effects of an evil that had worked its way throughout the kingdom. Although this message could seem fatalistic, I don’t take it that way. In fact, there is hope in knowing that we do have a choice. It might not be easy, but we can choose to do what’s right. We might fall, and fail ourselves and others, but that doesn’t mean the war is over. We pick ourselves up again to fight the next battle. So there is always hope, in the end.
Overall Thoughts
I want to thank Mr. Hamerton for the opportunity to read his book. Fantasy is one of my all-time favorite genres, but I am expanding my palate, trying to decide what I like in the various subgenres. So his offer to read his book was definitely one that I wanted to take him up on. Additionally, I like discovering gems in the literary world. Books that don’t get a lot of exposure, but are wonderful reads. This is definitely one of those books. His writing was lovely. There was an ease and a beauty to Mr. Hamerton’s use of language. He showed a poise in his use of language and the writer’s craft. I was completely engaged with this story, even to the point where it hurt physically to read some parts. When the story took a very dark turn, I didn’t despair, because I felt that I could trust Mr. Hamerton to bring to fruition a story that had a shining heart, which was what stood out to me from the beginning, despite some of the very dark elements. To be honest, I felt that this book was scratching the surface as far as potential for further stories, as there were elements that were left unresolved. But, I was satisfied at the progression and the conclusion of this story.
When an author approaches me to review his/her book, I am always crossing my fingers, hoping that I will enjoy the book and give the author some good exposure. After The Riddler’s Gift, I am happy to say that I loved this book, and I would recommend it to fantasy readers. From a layperson’s perspective, I would consider this good quality fantasy, and I doubt that many readers would find much at all to be disappointed about herein. I would guess it would be quite to the contrary, instead. At any rate, I know I enjoyed it immensely, and now I am waiting to read the forthcoming book(s) in this series.
The Magic System
Interesting, and very complex. The magical system was one part science, one part high mathematics (those parts had me scratching my head a bit), one part spiritual, and one part philosophical. At times, it went a little over my head, but that’s okay. I like to feel that I don’t have everything all figured out when I read a book. I liked that the magic had rules to it. The magic couldn't come out of nowhere. It had to have a source, and the source could be depleted. In essence, even the most powerful wizard or magic-user could be magicked out. There was balance, although the ‘dark lord’ character, Cabal the Darkmaster, wanted to take that balance and shift it so he controlled all the magic available, so he could rule over all the lands. Thankfully, the good guys are fighting to keep that from happening.
Characters
The main character was a young woman named Tabitha Serannon. She was an endearing person, seemingly normal and not overly endowed with any particular strength, or so it seemed. Her gift was not something she thought greatly of. Her talent for music, and a good voice. If anything, it was a way to provide a living for herself, and it made her happy. Her mother was a Lightgifter (essentially a type of good magician with the power to heal using the force of light), and she one day hoped to follow in her footsteps, finding her parents’ simple life as farmers not to her taste. As always, the yearning for adventure becomes a double-edged sword, and this young woman goes through a baptism of fire that is as believable as it is stirring. Although she has a bit of prodding along the way from a enigmatic figure named Twardy Zarost, otherwise known as the Riddler, nothing comes easy to this young woman. Through it all, I found her to be an engaging, likeable heroine. There is also Garyll Glavenor, the most formidable warrior in the land, the Swordmaster, who commands the Swords, an elite guard of warriors who protects the kingdom of Eyri. Love blooms between the couple, a love that is put to the test over the course of this book, each thinking they are not good or right enough for each other, and that life leads them in different directions. There is also Ashley Logan, an apprentice in the LIghtgifters who also will face a very harrowing experience in this novel. And Mr. Hamerton gives us a truly harrowing villain in Kirjath Arkell, a Shadowcaster who is given the job of retrieving the lost ring coveted by the Darkmaster. You can guess where the ring ends up. Mr. Hamerton brought these characters to life, and I felt their pain and suffering as they fought an epic battle against the forces of dark, with the power to overwhelm them from the inside out.
Setting
Mr. Hamerton creates his own world that has a medieval feel. There is an added dynamic, in which the world is partitioned based on the deleterious effects of a power-mad wizard. Most people don’t seem to know this save the eight wizards of the Gyre, who go through some incredible changes to keep this secret and to maintain a delicate balance.
Themes
I’ll try to keep this from becoming too much of a book report and keep it simple here. The most dominant theme here is that each person fights an intimate battle against evil. Evil is a slippery slope. It starts out as a selfish need or thought that can lead to corruption. Each character in this book fights that battle, and some fight to the depths of their soul against succumbing to evil. It was very painful to see what some of the characters that I grew to love as I read this story went through, how they suffered, and their struggle against the effects of an evil that had worked its way throughout the kingdom. Although this message could seem fatalistic, I don’t take it that way. In fact, there is hope in knowing that we do have a choice. It might not be easy, but we can choose to do what’s right. We might fall, and fail ourselves and others, but that doesn’t mean the war is over. We pick ourselves up again to fight the next battle. So there is always hope, in the end.
Overall Thoughts
I want to thank Mr. Hamerton for the opportunity to read his book. Fantasy is one of my all-time favorite genres, but I am expanding my palate, trying to decide what I like in the various subgenres. So his offer to read his book was definitely one that I wanted to take him up on. Additionally, I like discovering gems in the literary world. Books that don’t get a lot of exposure, but are wonderful reads. This is definitely one of those books. His writing was lovely. There was an ease and a beauty to Mr. Hamerton’s use of language. He showed a poise in his use of language and the writer’s craft. I was completely engaged with this story, even to the point where it hurt physically to read some parts. When the story took a very dark turn, I didn’t despair, because I felt that I could trust Mr. Hamerton to bring to fruition a story that had a shining heart, which was what stood out to me from the beginning, despite some of the very dark elements. To be honest, I felt that this book was scratching the surface as far as potential for further stories, as there were elements that were left unresolved. But, I was satisfied at the progression and the conclusion of this story.
When an author approaches me to review his/her book, I am always crossing my fingers, hoping that I will enjoy the book and give the author some good exposure. After The Riddler’s Gift, I am happy to say that I loved this book, and I would recommend it to fantasy readers. From a layperson’s perspective, I would consider this good quality fantasy, and I doubt that many readers would find much at all to be disappointed about herein. I would guess it would be quite to the contrary, instead. At any rate, I know I enjoyed it immensely, and now I am waiting to read the forthcoming book(s) in this series.
November 29, 2010
That night, Tabitha had a strange dream. She was on a long, winding road high in the Zunskar Mountains when she came to a little tavern. The inn-keeper welcomed her and gave her good meat and drink, which she was grateful of, for she had travelled far. When she had eaten and drunk her fill, he asked her if she was Tabitha Serannon, the singer.
"I am," she replied shyly. She had still not become used to her new fame.
"Then there is someone here that I think you will want to meet," said the inn-keeper. And he introduced her to another of the guests, a little man with a long beard and lively, piercing eyes. He reminded her in a way of Twardy Zarost, the Riddler. There was something alien about him, as though he came from another world. The man said his name quickly, but it was noisy and Tabitha failed to catch it, only that it began with a T.
"I am also a singer and story-teller," said the man. "As two members of the same profession, our host says we will have much to talk about. Pray sing to me of your world."
Tabitha had drunk a glass of the Dwarrow-wine, which she rarely did in real life, but in her dream this made her merry, and she wished to show the stranger what a fine singer she was. She stood up without further ado, and she sang of Eyri, of the white Dovecote and its Lightgifters, and of the Amberlake with Stormhaven sitting in its midst. And she sang of terrible things, of Ravenscroft and its Master, and of the mad Shadowcaster who dared to summon the Morgloth. But somehow none of the song came out the way she saw it in her mind, Light and Dark mixed in a beautiful pattern, and she was disappointed in herself.
Then the stranger took the floor and began to sing of a place she had never heard of, called Middle Earth, and of a quest to destroy a Ring of Power, that was both like and unlike Tabitha's Ring. And she listened spellbound as he sang of Lórien and its Elves, of the Lonely Mountain and its Dwarves, of Orthanc and Minas Tirith and the Nazgûl and their Dark Lord Sauron and his ultimate downfall at the hands of Frodo and Gandalf. Every name shone like a jewel, and soon as she heard it she saw the thing it named before her. She gasped in wonder.
When the stranger had finished, she turned to him with shining eyes.
"You must have some very powerful spell," she said, "to create the names in your story. Please tell me what it is called, and help me to learn it too."
The stranger bowed low to her. "It is the simplest and the hardest spell in the world," he said. "And its name is Etymology."
"I am," she replied shyly. She had still not become used to her new fame.
"Then there is someone here that I think you will want to meet," said the inn-keeper. And he introduced her to another of the guests, a little man with a long beard and lively, piercing eyes. He reminded her in a way of Twardy Zarost, the Riddler. There was something alien about him, as though he came from another world. The man said his name quickly, but it was noisy and Tabitha failed to catch it, only that it began with a T.
"I am also a singer and story-teller," said the man. "As two members of the same profession, our host says we will have much to talk about. Pray sing to me of your world."
Tabitha had drunk a glass of the Dwarrow-wine, which she rarely did in real life, but in her dream this made her merry, and she wished to show the stranger what a fine singer she was. She stood up without further ado, and she sang of Eyri, of the white Dovecote and its Lightgifters, and of the Amberlake with Stormhaven sitting in its midst. And she sang of terrible things, of Ravenscroft and its Master, and of the mad Shadowcaster who dared to summon the Morgloth. But somehow none of the song came out the way she saw it in her mind, Light and Dark mixed in a beautiful pattern, and she was disappointed in herself.
Then the stranger took the floor and began to sing of a place she had never heard of, called Middle Earth, and of a quest to destroy a Ring of Power, that was both like and unlike Tabitha's Ring. And she listened spellbound as he sang of Lórien and its Elves, of the Lonely Mountain and its Dwarves, of Orthanc and Minas Tirith and the Nazgûl and their Dark Lord Sauron and his ultimate downfall at the hands of Frodo and Gandalf. Every name shone like a jewel, and soon as she heard it she saw the thing it named before her. She gasped in wonder.
When the stranger had finished, she turned to him with shining eyes.
"You must have some very powerful spell," she said, "to create the names in your story. Please tell me what it is called, and help me to learn it too."
The stranger bowed low to her. "It is the simplest and the hardest spell in the world," he said. "And its name is Etymology."
March 19, 2010
My Rating:
7/10
My Take:
I won this book, and I'm so glad I did!
Tabitha Serannon has a hidden power, but to access this she needs to go through many trials and tribulations to discover her inner strength. With the help of an unlikely friend, she has to find her way. Darkness stands in the path she must follow, but so does love.
This book was really gripping and one I did not want to end! It was extremely hard to put down and when I finally did, I could not stop thinking about it!
I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
My Questions:
Can I read the next one yet?
7/10
My Take:
I won this book, and I'm so glad I did!
Tabitha Serannon has a hidden power, but to access this she needs to go through many trials and tribulations to discover her inner strength. With the help of an unlikely friend, she has to find her way. Darkness stands in the path she must follow, but so does love.
This book was really gripping and one I did not want to end! It was extremely hard to put down and when I finally did, I could not stop thinking about it!
I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
My Questions:
Can I read the next one yet?
February 12, 2010
Won this in the GR giveaways and my god I'm glad I did. Hamerton is well on his way to creating a fantasy series that could very well rival Tolkien in it's skill and imagination (and I don't make that comparison lightly, I can tell you). He has the dry wit and humour, moments of heart-warming tenderness and the magic, mystery and that little bit of mayhem that made Tolkien the world's first and greatest fantasy writer, and Hamerton is definitely following in those footsteps.
The story starts in Oldenworld, which is being ravaged by Chaos and the Sorcerer Ametheus. The Gyre, a group of seven wizards, create the olde worlde domain of Eyri protected by a very strong shield of magic which keeps Chaos out. Within this protected land a slow simmering battle between the King and the Lightgifters on one side and Cabal the Darkmaster and his Shadowcasters on the other begins to take hold. In doing so a young Truthsayer and Singer, Tabitha Serannon, is caught up when she stands up to a Shadowcaster intent on kidnapping a local child.
As the story continues Tabitha finds herself on the path to the Wizard and she must follow the path of both the Dark and the Light to obtain her goal. Helping in this task is the Riddler, an enigmatic and delightful character who can only speak the truth, but only in rhyme. Tabitha is also aided by Glavenor, the King's Swordmaster (head of the Swords, Eyri's Army), who saves her from the Shadowcaster and she in turn saves him from something worse.
This is an absolute epic fantasy story but once it grabs you, it is impossible to put down. Hamerton develops each of his characters perfectly and really makes you feel for them and get involved in the story whole-heartedly. At one point I was that engrossed I was muttering rather loudly that Tabitha couldn't see what was right in front of her (it was very frustrating I must say, but a huge relief when she finally got it). The story does develop at a slower pace than usual but this fits the tale perfectly and unknown to you drags you deeper and deeper into the story (hence my comparison to Tolkien, very much of a similar style).
The detail Hamerton puts into his writing is fantastic, throughout the book you feel like you are there in Eyri and beyond, watching events unfold and feeling everything the characters do. You feel love and hate, joy and despair, victory and defeat and everything in between. A brilliant start to what is bound to be a brilliant series, I cannot wait until the second installment is out...in fact I'm really not sure if I can wait to find out where Tabitha, Glavenor and Eyri itself goes next...I need to know now!
The story starts in Oldenworld, which is being ravaged by Chaos and the Sorcerer Ametheus. The Gyre, a group of seven wizards, create the olde worlde domain of Eyri protected by a very strong shield of magic which keeps Chaos out. Within this protected land a slow simmering battle between the King and the Lightgifters on one side and Cabal the Darkmaster and his Shadowcasters on the other begins to take hold. In doing so a young Truthsayer and Singer, Tabitha Serannon, is caught up when she stands up to a Shadowcaster intent on kidnapping a local child.
As the story continues Tabitha finds herself on the path to the Wizard and she must follow the path of both the Dark and the Light to obtain her goal. Helping in this task is the Riddler, an enigmatic and delightful character who can only speak the truth, but only in rhyme. Tabitha is also aided by Glavenor, the King's Swordmaster (head of the Swords, Eyri's Army), who saves her from the Shadowcaster and she in turn saves him from something worse.
This is an absolute epic fantasy story but once it grabs you, it is impossible to put down. Hamerton develops each of his characters perfectly and really makes you feel for them and get involved in the story whole-heartedly. At one point I was that engrossed I was muttering rather loudly that Tabitha couldn't see what was right in front of her (it was very frustrating I must say, but a huge relief when she finally got it). The story does develop at a slower pace than usual but this fits the tale perfectly and unknown to you drags you deeper and deeper into the story (hence my comparison to Tolkien, very much of a similar style).
The detail Hamerton puts into his writing is fantastic, throughout the book you feel like you are there in Eyri and beyond, watching events unfold and feeling everything the characters do. You feel love and hate, joy and despair, victory and defeat and everything in between. A brilliant start to what is bound to be a brilliant series, I cannot wait until the second installment is out...in fact I'm really not sure if I can wait to find out where Tabitha, Glavenor and Eyri itself goes next...I need to know now!
December 12, 2010
The wizards believed in Order but then one defied the rest and brought Chaos, threatening to destroy the world. One sanctuary remains, a safe haven where one special person can develop the magic that might save them. When Tabitha Serannon takes a ring that isn't hers and sings an ancient song, she releases a power that she doesn't understand and cannot control. Will she learn to balance the Light and the Dark before it is too late? Or will the entire realm fall under the rule of the Darkmaster and all hope be lost?
The Riddler's Gift is a fantastic fantasy tale! It reminded me of the epic adventures written by Terry Brooks and Robert Jordan. There are many characters to get to know and different story threads to follow but Hamerton has written them in such a way that there is no confusion. Shifts between places and people flow easily. Each detail is important and nothing has been left to chance in the connections between the stories.
The overall story drew me in quickly. Unfortunately, I had very little reading time when I was reading the first paperback so it seemed to take me forever. This had nothing to do with the story though -- I really wanted to be reading it! I finally got some solid reading time when I got to the second paperback and devoured it in just a couple of days. The small sections within chapters actually turned out to be a bonus for me when I was reading the first part because they were natural breaks where I could leave off even if I'd only had a few minutes to pick up the book.
The Riddler's Gift has magic, battle, good, evil, self-discovery, a guide, a journey, and even a bit of romance. In short, it is everything one would expect in an epic fantasy novel. It is also wonderfully crafted with the true voice of a story teller.
I am looking forward to continuing the adventure with Second Sight.
I received this book directly from the author in exchange for my honest review.
The Riddler's Gift is a fantastic fantasy tale! It reminded me of the epic adventures written by Terry Brooks and Robert Jordan. There are many characters to get to know and different story threads to follow but Hamerton has written them in such a way that there is no confusion. Shifts between places and people flow easily. Each detail is important and nothing has been left to chance in the connections between the stories.
The overall story drew me in quickly. Unfortunately, I had very little reading time when I was reading the first paperback so it seemed to take me forever. This had nothing to do with the story though -- I really wanted to be reading it! I finally got some solid reading time when I got to the second paperback and devoured it in just a couple of days. The small sections within chapters actually turned out to be a bonus for me when I was reading the first part because they were natural breaks where I could leave off even if I'd only had a few minutes to pick up the book.
The Riddler's Gift has magic, battle, good, evil, self-discovery, a guide, a journey, and even a bit of romance. In short, it is everything one would expect in an epic fantasy novel. It is also wonderfully crafted with the true voice of a story teller.
I am looking forward to continuing the adventure with Second Sight.
I received this book directly from the author in exchange for my honest review.
March 31, 2012
I get lots of requests to review fantasy books and I decline more than I accept, but this one piqued my interest. This is a long book, approximately 650 pages, and could fairly be described as a fantasy epic. The author has created a kingdom with it's own lore and history, and pits the Lightgifters against the Shadowcasters. With the dark on the verge of obtaining the upper hand Tabitha becomes crucial to the survival of Eyri.
While the story is primarily one of good versus evil there is also romance as she finds herself drawn to the Swordmaster Garyll Glavenor. She's young, innocent and in need of protecting and he is the rugged law keeper, devoted to his role. I found things to like about both of them, but really enjoyed the character of the title, the Riddler. He offers Tabitha cryptic guidance but his allegiances are unclear. He is a quirky character with plenty of mystery and magic about him. There are a number of other characters of importance to the tale and the story unfolds from a number of perspectives.
I enjoyed the level of detail in the world the author has created, and read on to discover whether the dark forces would triumph. However I found this book almost disheartening long. When I felt like I was well into the story I realised I had hardly made a dent and at times, wondering how much more could possibly happen before a final encounter, found my attention drifting. However unlike other books I have read recently, where I felt like an editor and could easily have suggested cuts to improve it, I didn't feel like there was a lot of unnecessary description or redundant scenes. Possibly the fault is mine, with so much going on recently having an effect on my concentration. There were certainly plenty of switches from joy to danger and vice versa, with twists and turns and a gradual building of the information available to inform the reader which kept me going.
The author uses the English language to good effect, using some wonderful vocabulary without it feeling like he was trying use unusual words just to impress, which I always appreciate. I found it well written and if there were typos I didn't notice them. I would like to see where the series is going so would definitely like to read the second book.
While the story is primarily one of good versus evil there is also romance as she finds herself drawn to the Swordmaster Garyll Glavenor. She's young, innocent and in need of protecting and he is the rugged law keeper, devoted to his role. I found things to like about both of them, but really enjoyed the character of the title, the Riddler. He offers Tabitha cryptic guidance but his allegiances are unclear. He is a quirky character with plenty of mystery and magic about him. There are a number of other characters of importance to the tale and the story unfolds from a number of perspectives.
I enjoyed the level of detail in the world the author has created, and read on to discover whether the dark forces would triumph. However I found this book almost disheartening long. When I felt like I was well into the story I realised I had hardly made a dent and at times, wondering how much more could possibly happen before a final encounter, found my attention drifting. However unlike other books I have read recently, where I felt like an editor and could easily have suggested cuts to improve it, I didn't feel like there was a lot of unnecessary description or redundant scenes. Possibly the fault is mine, with so much going on recently having an effect on my concentration. There were certainly plenty of switches from joy to danger and vice versa, with twists and turns and a gradual building of the information available to inform the reader which kept me going.
The author uses the English language to good effect, using some wonderful vocabulary without it feeling like he was trying use unusual words just to impress, which I always appreciate. I found it well written and if there were typos I didn't notice them. I would like to see where the series is going so would definitely like to read the second book.
May 29, 2012
As I started the book several things jarred, town names like Flowerton just felt a little bit Enid Blyton, the story felt rather a lot like one I had read before (Rhapsody:Child of Blood, by Elizabeth Haydon - a singer who has to always tell the truth and works magic with her music). Also there were times when during reading I would suddenly be told things like the heroine, Tabitha, was lying in snow, but there had been little reference to the snow before, making me feel a bit like I was walking around with blinkers on.
Also the swordmaster, Garyl just felt too one dimensional at first and I couldn't understand Tabitha's attraction to him, nor his to her. This improved as the story progressed, but never felt completely realistic.
It had the feel of a first novel, and indeed it is, although Greg has apparently written previously about hang gliding. It also appears to be self published, it probably would have had a lot more crinkles ironed out if it had had more attention from agents, editors etc.
Saying all that, I did really enjoy reading the book. I found myself keeping on reading even though I knew it was late and my light should turn off. There was lots of suspense building up to events in the book, and a few surprises. Tabitha engaged me and i wanted to see things turn out well for her. I enjoyed the character of Twardy Zarost, he was fun and added some lightness to the story. I would have liked to see the character of Ashley developed more.
I will be looking out the next book and am intrigued to see if Twardys decision to break rules will have any consequences in the second book. Very intrigued to see how Greg Hammerton continues the story from where he first book leaves us.
Also the swordmaster, Garyl just felt too one dimensional at first and I couldn't understand Tabitha's attraction to him, nor his to her. This improved as the story progressed, but never felt completely realistic.
It had the feel of a first novel, and indeed it is, although Greg has apparently written previously about hang gliding. It also appears to be self published, it probably would have had a lot more crinkles ironed out if it had had more attention from agents, editors etc.
Saying all that, I did really enjoy reading the book. I found myself keeping on reading even though I knew it was late and my light should turn off. There was lots of suspense building up to events in the book, and a few surprises. Tabitha engaged me and i wanted to see things turn out well for her. I enjoyed the character of Twardy Zarost, he was fun and added some lightness to the story. I would have liked to see the character of Ashley developed more.
I will be looking out the next book and am intrigued to see if Twardys decision to break rules will have any consequences in the second book. Very intrigued to see how Greg Hammerton continues the story from where he first book leaves us.
May 2, 2011
I got this through the goodreads giveaways, oh-so-long-ago. I've been meaning to get round to it for, literally, years. I read a section ages ago, and then never picked it up again, which should perhaps be indicative. So, I'm going to confess: I've never finished reading this, and I don't think I'm going to. I've read enough fantasy in my life that I'm quite cynical about it, and you'll have to give me something newer and fresher than the plot/characters in this book to keep me happy (most of the time: I do have my indulgences, I'll confess). Particularly as something about the writing struck me as awkward and stilted.
Flicking through, I see there's some kind of fuss about a ring -- how startling and original...
Flicking through, I see there's some kind of fuss about a ring -- how startling and original...
March 30, 2013
I'm in two minds about this book. I love the main storyline and how it's set in a world that's on the brink of annihilation. I enjoyed learning about the wizards and their magic, and the evil characters really worked for me. I can't remember the last time I read a book where the evil characters were so good at being bad!
The main let down for me though was Tabitha. Rarely has a main character in a book infuriated me as much or as often as she. It seemed like she just wandered from one situation to the next with no clue what was happening, constantly getting the wrong end of the stick, and always moaning about something. If I could have reached into the book and gave her a slap I would have. It might have helped.
The main let down for me though was Tabitha. Rarely has a main character in a book infuriated me as much or as often as she. It seemed like she just wandered from one situation to the next with no clue what was happening, constantly getting the wrong end of the stick, and always moaning about something. If I could have reached into the book and gave her a slap I would have. It might have helped.
August 29, 2016
This is an epic fantasy. And that is the cool part. I loved certain aspects of the book but in all found it too drawn out.
Less would have been more in this epic tale. However. Some of the characters in this book sizzles. Mainly the bad guys and the guys in the middle. It has been a long time since I have last found such horrible bad guys. And these characters were all multi faceted. I loved this and read the book to the end simply to revel in this genius.
The plot felt a bit pat. The hero a bit flat but oh boy, the evil guys rocked.
Less would have been more in this epic tale. However. Some of the characters in this book sizzles. Mainly the bad guys and the guys in the middle. It has been a long time since I have last found such horrible bad guys. And these characters were all multi faceted. I loved this and read the book to the end simply to revel in this genius.
The plot felt a bit pat. The hero a bit flat but oh boy, the evil guys rocked.
July 23, 2014
Excellent fantasy debut set in an alternate Earthlike domain called Eyri which was isolated and hidden with strong magic from the rest of the planet by a cabal of 8 wizards called the Gyre.
The Gyre is facing the most powerful Chaos wizard ever Ametheus who brought destruction and misery to the rest of the planet, but they are not strong enough to fight him directly.
Setting up Eyri and introducing a magical artifact and an wizard observer/adviser, they hope to nurture new wizard blood away from Ametheus' interference, so while Eyri is a relatively peaceful medieval like land with an order of magicians of light - lightgifters, there is also a hidden counterpart of the magicians of dark - shadowcasters to ensure conflict.
A new wizard will emerge only when a person can master both the dark essence and the light essence and across several hundred years, nobody has succeeded yet.
Tabitha Serannon is a talented singer daughter of a lightgifter mother and while working at an inn and entering in a local contest to represent her local town to a singing festival in the capital of Eyri in front of the king, she attracts the wrong attention from a shadowcaster Kirjath Arkell who has his own plans of accumulating power and independence from the ubber-shadowcaster Cabal, the dark master of the forces of the night.
Luckily the Eyri sword master Glavenor - a sort of chief constable of the kingdom with a magic sword - is at hand to save the day, but Arkell escapes and is set on revenge.
When tragedy strikes, Tabitha escapes with a strange ring and with help from the funny looking "Riddler" Twardy Zarost, she decides to become a lightgifter like her mother and find the powerful wizard the ring is destined for and give it to him/her so protecting it from the shadowcasters.
Of course things are not so simple and Tabitha is soon involved in intrigue, the struggle between the forces of light and dark and of course the big picture hangs over the whole of Eyri.
While The Riddler's Gift starts as a reasonably standard epic fantasy, it is a novel with a lot of energy that makes you keep turning page after page to see what happens. Slowly the characters start growing on you and you do not want to put the book down until done.
The ending is excellent wrapping up all the threads of the novel, though as usual with the first book in a series the big picture is only now start to impinge on our characters.
Though longish at about 640 pages, the book reads very fast and I finished it in two sittings since I was really absorbed by it after I got into its flow.
Highly, highly recommended.
Published originally in South Africa in 2007 and recently in the UK, this novel deserves a wide audience in the epic fantasy world.
The Gyre is facing the most powerful Chaos wizard ever Ametheus who brought destruction and misery to the rest of the planet, but they are not strong enough to fight him directly.
Setting up Eyri and introducing a magical artifact and an wizard observer/adviser, they hope to nurture new wizard blood away from Ametheus' interference, so while Eyri is a relatively peaceful medieval like land with an order of magicians of light - lightgifters, there is also a hidden counterpart of the magicians of dark - shadowcasters to ensure conflict.
A new wizard will emerge only when a person can master both the dark essence and the light essence and across several hundred years, nobody has succeeded yet.
Tabitha Serannon is a talented singer daughter of a lightgifter mother and while working at an inn and entering in a local contest to represent her local town to a singing festival in the capital of Eyri in front of the king, she attracts the wrong attention from a shadowcaster Kirjath Arkell who has his own plans of accumulating power and independence from the ubber-shadowcaster Cabal, the dark master of the forces of the night.
Luckily the Eyri sword master Glavenor - a sort of chief constable of the kingdom with a magic sword - is at hand to save the day, but Arkell escapes and is set on revenge.
When tragedy strikes, Tabitha escapes with a strange ring and with help from the funny looking "Riddler" Twardy Zarost, she decides to become a lightgifter like her mother and find the powerful wizard the ring is destined for and give it to him/her so protecting it from the shadowcasters.
Of course things are not so simple and Tabitha is soon involved in intrigue, the struggle between the forces of light and dark and of course the big picture hangs over the whole of Eyri.
While The Riddler's Gift starts as a reasonably standard epic fantasy, it is a novel with a lot of energy that makes you keep turning page after page to see what happens. Slowly the characters start growing on you and you do not want to put the book down until done.
The ending is excellent wrapping up all the threads of the novel, though as usual with the first book in a series the big picture is only now start to impinge on our characters.
Though longish at about 640 pages, the book reads very fast and I finished it in two sittings since I was really absorbed by it after I got into its flow.
Highly, highly recommended.
Published originally in South Africa in 2007 and recently in the UK, this novel deserves a wide audience in the epic fantasy world.
September 24, 2010
Life isn't fair. When one takes the time to think things over, he can come up with a thousand ways to illustrate this. One of them should be that Greg Hamerton isn't a well known author of fantasy literature, cause he sure deserves to be.
I discovered Hamerton with a little bit of luck. I stumbled upon the Fantasy Book Critic-blog and right around that time, they published a very positive review of his second book. Triggered by that and the positive comments on the first, I purchased both books on Hamerton's site. Something I don't regret at all.
The premise of the book fits the tried and true epic fantasy-recipe. Darkness ahead and beyond and the faith of it all lays in the hand of a little girl who's discovering her powers on the go.
Everything aboard for another epic rehash it seems, but Hamerton handels these ingredients very well and instead of rehashing he is refreshing.
For one, the novel is fast-paced. Little words are wasted on the big descriptions. The setting is translated into words, but only as much as necessary, which is quite a relief cause you never find yourself gaping at a full page dedicated to the beautiful flower with the bright red petals in the mistcovered field where the sheeps are waiting for... You get the picture.
This is also reflected in the buildup of the novel. After a preface, the story kicks in what a bang and tension is never really lowered after that.
The writing skills of Hamerton are alse really fluid and captivating.
The plot is your typical epic fantasy, but there is something to it. Hamerton worked out this magicsystem consisting of axis, Sprites, Motes, song,... which gives everything a vivid touch and prevents the story from moving towards the ovious because of its limits.
Other things, such as the conclusion whole wizardfinding quest, is quite obvious halfway through the book. Whether it was intended or not, it's only a minor issue (if it is an issue at all) for everything that happens around it, is superb. Around page 450, tension rises dramatically as everything seems to fall apart and every step towards the light is countered by an even bigger step towards darkness. Right down till the last couple of pages, things are looking very bad and you can't but savour it all.
The characters are fleshed out very well. You'll love Tabitha and you'll love to hate the baddoers here. Apart from the obviously good and bad, there are these gray characters who's loyalty isn't clear and might influence the good...
An impressive fantasy debut that left me longing for more. Greg Hamerton is definately a name to watch!
I discovered Hamerton with a little bit of luck. I stumbled upon the Fantasy Book Critic-blog and right around that time, they published a very positive review of his second book. Triggered by that and the positive comments on the first, I purchased both books on Hamerton's site. Something I don't regret at all.
The premise of the book fits the tried and true epic fantasy-recipe. Darkness ahead and beyond and the faith of it all lays in the hand of a little girl who's discovering her powers on the go.
Everything aboard for another epic rehash it seems, but Hamerton handels these ingredients very well and instead of rehashing he is refreshing.
For one, the novel is fast-paced. Little words are wasted on the big descriptions. The setting is translated into words, but only as much as necessary, which is quite a relief cause you never find yourself gaping at a full page dedicated to the beautiful flower with the bright red petals in the mistcovered field where the sheeps are waiting for... You get the picture.
This is also reflected in the buildup of the novel. After a preface, the story kicks in what a bang and tension is never really lowered after that.
The writing skills of Hamerton are alse really fluid and captivating.
The plot is your typical epic fantasy, but there is something to it. Hamerton worked out this magicsystem consisting of axis, Sprites, Motes, song,... which gives everything a vivid touch and prevents the story from moving towards the ovious because of its limits.
Other things, such as the conclusion whole wizardfinding quest, is quite obvious halfway through the book. Whether it was intended or not, it's only a minor issue (if it is an issue at all) for everything that happens around it, is superb. Around page 450, tension rises dramatically as everything seems to fall apart and every step towards the light is countered by an even bigger step towards darkness. Right down till the last couple of pages, things are looking very bad and you can't but savour it all.
The characters are fleshed out very well. You'll love Tabitha and you'll love to hate the baddoers here. Apart from the obviously good and bad, there are these gray characters who's loyalty isn't clear and might influence the good...
An impressive fantasy debut that left me longing for more. Greg Hamerton is definately a name to watch!
September 17, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy of 600+ pages (for those who tire at 300 pages, beware!). Personally, I loved the length, which gives the reader a chance to become immersed in the well-crafted world. Our heroine is a young woman with yearnings suited to her station in life; all too suddenly she is plunged into a nightmare and thereafter is kept off-balance as she struggles to cope with things larger than she ever imagined. The writing is good (almost no copy editing mistakes!), the characters are believable (even the nasty ones because we see their motivations), and we see enough of what's happening outside the small kingdom to feel assured the author will take us back for further adventures.
I was so happy to see complexity arise, rather than a simple good vs. evil motif. Not only does this lend realism, but will give readers things to ponder long after they put the book down. The pacing is good, with brief respites from fast-moving action (usually through description that further enriches the tale). The romance is handled very well, with both our heroine and her beloved beset by easily understandable doubts. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next installment of the saga.
I was so happy to see complexity arise, rather than a simple good vs. evil motif. Not only does this lend realism, but will give readers things to ponder long after they put the book down. The pacing is good, with brief respites from fast-moving action (usually through description that further enriches the tale). The romance is handled very well, with both our heroine and her beloved beset by easily understandable doubts. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next installment of the saga.
August 21, 2016
This is one of the best fantasy novels I have read in a long time. It has all the elements I look for: the balance of good and evil, a coming of age story, the wise advisor, riddles, and epic villains. I thought the story was creative and it kept me interested. I loved trying to solve the riddles, and actually did pretty well! I fell in love with the characters, even when they were being really frustrating and I just wanted to slap them.
If you like fantasy writers like Terry Brooks, Raymond Feist, and Robert Jordan, then I highly recommend this book!
If you like fantasy writers like Terry Brooks, Raymond Feist, and Robert Jordan, then I highly recommend this book!
January 17, 2010
I won this book through a first-reads giveaway.
Although I technically finished it today it would probably be more accurate to say I finished it last night! Damn you Hamerton, I need my sleep! During the final, climactic battle I literally could not put it down. A spellbinding (pun intended) read, if a little sticky at parts. Not one I would have read normally but I'm glad I did.
Although I technically finished it today it would probably be more accurate to say I finished it last night! Damn you Hamerton, I need my sleep! During the final, climactic battle I literally could not put it down. A spellbinding (pun intended) read, if a little sticky at parts. Not one I would have read normally but I'm glad I did.
July 2, 2010
A brilliant read. Greg had me hooked from page one. I love the characters and the near impossible situations he puts them in and then gets them out of again. Can't wait for the next Tale of the LIFESONG to hit the shelves.
September 3, 2010
I simply loved the story. My heart really went out to the Sword Masterwho was forced to choose between duty and love. Simply fantastic!
December 11, 2010
Love, love, love this book. Wish I had part two to dive right into. Luckily, its on its way. Full of everything you want in a book. Perfect!
August 20, 2012
Perfect except for the partical ending. Not a cliffhanger but an ending that desperately needs an epilogue. My only crique.
November 9, 2014
And so Tabitha finally finds the wizard and fights the Darkmaster.
Well done Mr Hamerton. Well done.
Well done Mr Hamerton. Well done.
March 12, 2015
excellent
A little hard to follow at first but well worth the effort. Unusual characters, dark and foreboding but finishes with a flourish
A little hard to follow at first but well worth the effort. Unusual characters, dark and foreboding but finishes with a flourish
November 28, 2012
At first glance, this is a very traditional fantasy story about a magic ring which slips away from its evil owner at a critical moment, and finds its way into the hands of the most unlikely person imaginable. There’s a benign wizard acting as mentor and guide, there’s an evil wizard spreading darkness over the land, with the help of some evil minions, and there’s a collection of good guys uniting to defeat evil. You might think you’ve read something with a plot not a million miles from this one before. But not so fast; this book is proof of the theory that even the oldest and most overworked tale can be infused with new life in the hands of a good storyteller.
The plot isn’t really as unoriginal as I made out. Tabitha is the teenage girl who ends up with the magic ring, but she uses it to sing the Lifesong, the music that (somehow) triggers or even transcends the magic in this world. Ashley is an apprentice Lifegifter (or mage) who finds himself with the convenient ability to read thoughts. Garyll is the Swordmaster (chief warrior and law enforcer), and also love interest for Tabitha. The Riddler is the good wizard, there to help Tabitha. Kirjath Arkell is one of the minions. And although there are good guys and bad guys, things aren’t at all as clearcut as is usual in this type of fantasy.
The worldbuilding has been quite carefully done. The setting, Eyri, is rather small, being no more than two to three days riding from one side to the other, but there’s a reason behind that, and hopefully a later installment will see the story expand into the outside world. One grumble: there is a point where some of these external places are mentioned, with a string of incomprehensible names like Lûk and Jho-down and lots more, in the worst kind of infodump. Fortunately this is brief. The setting is the usual pre-industrial-revolution affair - a rather idyllic and twee collection of villages filled with more or less honest, upright citizens. The author has made efforts to avoid the standard generic fantasy template for his settlements, so each one has some distinguishing characteristic. Russel, for instance, is an artists’ colony, with houses built on stilts. While these distinctions seem a little artificial, it’s better than every place being the same as all the others.
The magic system is very nice. There are three ‘axes’ of magic: the axis of darkness and light, that of energy and matter, and that of order and chaos. I liked the way that it’s necessary to keep the opposing forces in balance, which leads to some very elegant methods of keeping the heroine and the villain apart until the right moment. The Lightgifters (mages who use the magic of light to heal and uplift the spirits) call upon sprites to power their spells, which are charged each morning by a communal song. There are also Darkcasters, who control a dark equivalent to sprites, known as motes, and spread gloom and despair. This all works rather nicely.
The characters fall neatly onto the good or bad side of the equation, and although sometimes it’s not immediately clear which side a character is on, ultimately it’s a black or white distinction, there really aren’t too many shades of grey here. What’s even more depressing is that so many of the characters are quite passive. Tabitha and Ashley, the two youngest, are essentially pushed around by circumstance and the machinations of other characters, and when it appears as if they might drift into the wrong place or make a mistake, someone more competent comes along to rescue them. If that fails, then they just happen to realise what they ought to do - Tabitha by way of her magic ring, and Ashley by virtue of his oh-so-convenient ability to hear thoughts, although not all thoughts, you understand, just certain key thoughts. Even Garyll the Swordmaster with his named sword (Felltang, since you ask) who strides around fearlessly as the epitome of well-honed manly virtue, imparts backbone into his weaker subordinates, and accosts the bad guys in stern brook-no-nonsense tones, is pushed here and there by the schemes and devices of others. Meanwhile Kirjath the evil minion and his boss the Big Bad are running rings round everyone, and the Riddler - well, OK, the Riddler is actually interesting. He has a certain complexity, for a start, and isn’t a straightforwardly good or bad character, although he does tend to turn up at crucial moments to rescue poor Tabitha from yet another tricky situation.
The romance - no, on second thoughts, don’t get me started on the romance. Putting Garyll of the Manly Virtues together with Tabitha the Meek and throwing in a few burning glances and shivering touches does not a romance make. I’d rather an author skip that part of the story altogether than make such a ham-fisted effort, especially since a large part of it is just about motivation. Tabitha’s in danger, so Garyll must ride heroically to her rescue or Sacrifice All for her sake. But there is one interesting aspect in the apparent equating of sex with the dark side. The good guys go for romantic dinners and in moments of excitement hold hands or exchange chaste kisses. Even thinking about sex pushes them over to the dark side (apparently). Then they make very questionable decisions because they’re in love. The bad guys, on the other hand, indulge in wildly passionate sex while casting spells of extraordinary power (which sounds like a lot more fun, actually). But maybe I’m just overthinking this.
I liked the writing style, and although there are a lot of point of view characters, the author uses them to good effect to drive the story forward. I enjoyed the little 'riddle' at the start of every chapter, too. But this is a huge book. I’m a fast reader but it took me forever to get through it. In a sense, this is a strong point, because the story is detailed enough to sustain it, and there's very little filler. There are a few places where scenes dragged on a bit too long, and some questionable motivations, where the plot was pushing characters along, but most of it felt necessary. Nevertheless, I found myself tiring of it more than once, especially during the more horrifically graphic torture scenes or the multitude of depressing oh-no-the-bad-guys-are-too-powerful moments.
There was one major irritant to me and that was Tabitha’s complete inability to work out what she needed to do. I wouldn’t say she was stupid, exactly, just very, very slow on the uptake. Even when the Riddler led her step by step, she never seemed to make the necessary jump until it was blindingly obvious. It was quite painful sometimes. I enjoy a story where the author drops enough clues for the reader to work things out a moment or two before the protagonist does, but not when it happens ten chapters before and I find myself muttering: ‘Come on, it’s so obvious!’. I wanted to slap her upside the head sometimes.
The ending was suitably dramatic, and the last few chapters flew by with all the usual swings and reversals, one or two not terribly surprising reveals, and a satisfying, if slightly overwrought, conclusion at both the overarching plot level and the human level. For those who like a straightforward traditional fantasy, with clearcut heroes and villains, a battle between good and evil, and a young innocent discovering amazing powers, this is an excellent example. It's very well written, with a large cast of characters who are well drawn and memorable, and a clever and elegant magic system (and bonus points for the very ingenious use of mathematical principles; any author combining magic with möbius bands has my vote). I found it just a little too predictable for my taste, and I look for a bit more complexity in my characters, but that's personal preference, and the solid ending and neat magic system make it a good four stars.
The plot isn’t really as unoriginal as I made out. Tabitha is the teenage girl who ends up with the magic ring, but she uses it to sing the Lifesong, the music that (somehow) triggers or even transcends the magic in this world. Ashley is an apprentice Lifegifter (or mage) who finds himself with the convenient ability to read thoughts. Garyll is the Swordmaster (chief warrior and law enforcer), and also love interest for Tabitha. The Riddler is the good wizard, there to help Tabitha. Kirjath Arkell is one of the minions. And although there are good guys and bad guys, things aren’t at all as clearcut as is usual in this type of fantasy.
The worldbuilding has been quite carefully done. The setting, Eyri, is rather small, being no more than two to three days riding from one side to the other, but there’s a reason behind that, and hopefully a later installment will see the story expand into the outside world. One grumble: there is a point where some of these external places are mentioned, with a string of incomprehensible names like Lûk and Jho-down and lots more, in the worst kind of infodump. Fortunately this is brief. The setting is the usual pre-industrial-revolution affair - a rather idyllic and twee collection of villages filled with more or less honest, upright citizens. The author has made efforts to avoid the standard generic fantasy template for his settlements, so each one has some distinguishing characteristic. Russel, for instance, is an artists’ colony, with houses built on stilts. While these distinctions seem a little artificial, it’s better than every place being the same as all the others.
The magic system is very nice. There are three ‘axes’ of magic: the axis of darkness and light, that of energy and matter, and that of order and chaos. I liked the way that it’s necessary to keep the opposing forces in balance, which leads to some very elegant methods of keeping the heroine and the villain apart until the right moment. The Lightgifters (mages who use the magic of light to heal and uplift the spirits) call upon sprites to power their spells, which are charged each morning by a communal song. There are also Darkcasters, who control a dark equivalent to sprites, known as motes, and spread gloom and despair. This all works rather nicely.
The characters fall neatly onto the good or bad side of the equation, and although sometimes it’s not immediately clear which side a character is on, ultimately it’s a black or white distinction, there really aren’t too many shades of grey here. What’s even more depressing is that so many of the characters are quite passive. Tabitha and Ashley, the two youngest, are essentially pushed around by circumstance and the machinations of other characters, and when it appears as if they might drift into the wrong place or make a mistake, someone more competent comes along to rescue them. If that fails, then they just happen to realise what they ought to do - Tabitha by way of her magic ring, and Ashley by virtue of his oh-so-convenient ability to hear thoughts, although not all thoughts, you understand, just certain key thoughts. Even Garyll the Swordmaster with his named sword (Felltang, since you ask) who strides around fearlessly as the epitome of well-honed manly virtue, imparts backbone into his weaker subordinates, and accosts the bad guys in stern brook-no-nonsense tones, is pushed here and there by the schemes and devices of others. Meanwhile Kirjath the evil minion and his boss the Big Bad are running rings round everyone, and the Riddler - well, OK, the Riddler is actually interesting. He has a certain complexity, for a start, and isn’t a straightforwardly good or bad character, although he does tend to turn up at crucial moments to rescue poor Tabitha from yet another tricky situation.
The romance - no, on second thoughts, don’t get me started on the romance. Putting Garyll of the Manly Virtues together with Tabitha the Meek and throwing in a few burning glances and shivering touches does not a romance make. I’d rather an author skip that part of the story altogether than make such a ham-fisted effort, especially since a large part of it is just about motivation. Tabitha’s in danger, so Garyll must ride heroically to her rescue or Sacrifice All for her sake. But there is one interesting aspect in the apparent equating of sex with the dark side. The good guys go for romantic dinners and in moments of excitement hold hands or exchange chaste kisses. Even thinking about sex pushes them over to the dark side (apparently). Then they make very questionable decisions because they’re in love. The bad guys, on the other hand, indulge in wildly passionate sex while casting spells of extraordinary power (which sounds like a lot more fun, actually). But maybe I’m just overthinking this.
I liked the writing style, and although there are a lot of point of view characters, the author uses them to good effect to drive the story forward. I enjoyed the little 'riddle' at the start of every chapter, too. But this is a huge book. I’m a fast reader but it took me forever to get through it. In a sense, this is a strong point, because the story is detailed enough to sustain it, and there's very little filler. There are a few places where scenes dragged on a bit too long, and some questionable motivations, where the plot was pushing characters along, but most of it felt necessary. Nevertheless, I found myself tiring of it more than once, especially during the more horrifically graphic torture scenes or the multitude of depressing oh-no-the-bad-guys-are-too-powerful moments.
There was one major irritant to me and that was Tabitha’s complete inability to work out what she needed to do. I wouldn’t say she was stupid, exactly, just very, very slow on the uptake. Even when the Riddler led her step by step, she never seemed to make the necessary jump until it was blindingly obvious. It was quite painful sometimes. I enjoy a story where the author drops enough clues for the reader to work things out a moment or two before the protagonist does, but not when it happens ten chapters before and I find myself muttering: ‘Come on, it’s so obvious!’. I wanted to slap her upside the head sometimes.
The ending was suitably dramatic, and the last few chapters flew by with all the usual swings and reversals, one or two not terribly surprising reveals, and a satisfying, if slightly overwrought, conclusion at both the overarching plot level and the human level. For those who like a straightforward traditional fantasy, with clearcut heroes and villains, a battle between good and evil, and a young innocent discovering amazing powers, this is an excellent example. It's very well written, with a large cast of characters who are well drawn and memorable, and a clever and elegant magic system (and bonus points for the very ingenious use of mathematical principles; any author combining magic with möbius bands has my vote). I found it just a little too predictable for my taste, and I look for a bit more complexity in my characters, but that's personal preference, and the solid ending and neat magic system make it a good four stars.
January 23, 2021
The lore built into this world is surprisingly deep, the author has his own system and doesn't fall back on standard fantasy tropes (or simply write down their D&D campaign) like so many others do. The book was clearly originally intended to be two; you can clearly see the climax of the first book at exactly the halfway point. I don't know why they were combined, but the effect is to make this book incredibly long. Which is a shame, because I think on their own each half was a little better than the combination turned out to be.
The content of the book is a little mixed, as if the author couldn't decide if he wanted a sanitized Tolkien world or a GRRM rough, realistic style. So you get quite a bit of the former, mixed in with a fair amount of rape and threat of rape. I wouldn't mind either one, but I don't like both together this way. Also the author has quite a bit of trouble naming characters (somehow, even with Twardy, Kirjath and Garyll to choose from, it was the name Travis that bothered me the most. I'm sorry, that's just not a kingly name).
The book wasn't bad, and if you treat it as two and take a break partway through, you might enjoy it more than I did. I can't say that I liked the music aspect, but I think it is an interesting world that is worth further exploration.
The content of the book is a little mixed, as if the author couldn't decide if he wanted a sanitized Tolkien world or a GRRM rough, realistic style. So you get quite a bit of the former, mixed in with a fair amount of rape and threat of rape. I wouldn't mind either one, but I don't like both together this way. Also the author has quite a bit of trouble naming characters (somehow, even with Twardy, Kirjath and Garyll to choose from, it was the name Travis that bothered me the most. I'm sorry, that's just not a kingly name).
The book wasn't bad, and if you treat it as two and take a break partway through, you might enjoy it more than I did. I can't say that I liked the music aspect, but I think it is an interesting world that is worth further exploration.
May 7, 2019
Very long fantasy novel which many will enjoy.
With elements of Star Wars (light versus dark), Tolkien (a powerful ring) and Hobb (the Fool), this long fantasy novel is interesting enough but also a wee bit frustrating. Our heroine in the first half is pursued by a Shadowcaster and is just about to get caught and manages to elude him - several times. There’s a host of developed characters and, at first, it’s hard to remember who is who. There are scenes of rape, murder, betrayal, sex and Tabitha soon realises that trust is not easy. Another criticism is the abundance of place names, especially in Chapter 33 - unnecessary and relatively meaningless.
The plot has many original features as well and, for that reason, fantasy lovers will find it enjoyable. This is the first of a series. I don’t think that I’m sufficiently motivated to read the next one.
March 31, 2025
12/2017: This is my second reading of The Riddler's Gift, having read it a number of years ago. I was curious to see if it would stand up well, as a re-read. The short answer is a resounding yes. This is a fantastic story, extremely well-told. I will stand by my original review, pasted below. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.
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The Riddler's Gift has many character types and fantasy tropes that one would expect from a (shall we say) "traditional" fantasy tale. A council of wizards, an "apprentice" over her head and swept up in an adventure, a noble master-swordsman, a wandering sage, an evil Lord and his unstable, cruel henchman, bent on world dominion, a magical trinket, and impending doom. Nothing too original here - so what's so special?
1) The Characters: The author does a fantastic job (pardon the pun) of crafting rich, complex characters. They lend themselves to shades of grey that are unexpected and yet feel oddly natural. You expect the heroine Tabitha Serannon to remain naive and good-at-heart, in spite of her trials, but as she accesses magic that is well-beyond her experience and expectation, it impacts her, changes her, in ways that catch you off guard. In fact, I can't think of a single main character, good or evil, that doesn't go through some level of transformation, or that isn't blind-sided by an unforeseen event (or series of events) that forces them to course-correct. It is all deftly handled, and thoroughly entertaining to read.
2) The Action: The story moves along at a brisk, occasionally break-neck speed. Let me qualify that for a moment: Once the storylines and characters are established, it takes off. It takes a bit to get rolling, but nowhere near as long as other books I've read in this genre. Give it a couple short chapters to hook you, and then buckle up.
3) The Dialog: Of course, on one hand I mean the spoken interactions between characters, but I'm also talking about the internal dialog that the characters have with themselves, as they wrestle with events and decisions that they've made, and assimilate the repercussions of their actions. The general themes of "good vs evil" and of "compromising with your moral code" are relatively-well worn paths, true, but that doesn't mean they can't be handled effectively anymore. Greg Hamerton wrings a lot of marrow out of those old bones, and I caught myself several times pausing while I was reading to contemplate what a character had just said. In fact, at the beginning of each chapter, there are these wonderful little proverbs (if you will) that are attributed to a certain character that always made me think -- and always ended up announcing what was to happen in the chapter, as though the chapter was the answer to the riddle that prefaced it. I loved those little touches.
4) The Craft: The book is well-crafted, solidly-written, and carries with it an intelligence and playfulness that was refreshing. Full of wonderful moments, unexpected events, humor and weight. Being the author's first book (in the series, anyway), I don't know whether this is the result of scads of polishing time and revising, or if it is a true indication of the talent and skill that will be evident in all of his books... you know how follow-up books can be. The first volume gets all of the blood, sweat, tears, polish, agonizing, tweaking, etc... and if/when it's a success, the second volume is expected quickly, and in order to hit some arbitrary deadline, subsequent volumes hit the shelves feeling unpolished and rushed and blah, lacking the spark that the initial volume was able to attain. Hey, I understand completely - the same can be said of music albums... a decade goes into a debut album, all the best songs from over the years sifted and hand-selected and polished to perfection in hopes that the album will take off and be a hit... then when it is, a new album is expected straight away, so dive back into the studio and crank something out!
All that to say, I have purchased the next book in the series, Second Sight, and will see for myself how it holds up.
Now, wait a minute, yes The Riddler's Gift is part of a planned trilogy. However, the story arc in the book is wonderfully complete, in and of itself. The blistering climax is thoroughly satisfying - and while there is an avenue left open to take things to the next level, by no means do you need to wait for the trilogy to finish before reading this book. It works very well as a stand-alone title, well worthy of your attention.
I have to be honest here - initially, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I mean, it was among the .99 cent fantasy books on holiday special on Amazon, with all the self-published and/or "unknown" authors - Kindle-stuffing, so to speak. When I bought the book in December, I saw that it had a few reviews, but that it's average rating was close to 5 stars, and figured, after skimming the reviews, I'd pull the trigger and buy it. Hey, for a buck, it was minimal risk. So I went into the read with an open mind, but not expecting to be blown away. But as I finished reading the book, and set it down, the first word that came to mind was "magnificent." And after having let it stew for a couple days, I believe I shall stand by my initial assessment. The Riddler's Gift is a magnificent book.
Summary: 5/5 A wonderful ride, terrifically-realized characters, excellent dialog and action, and plenty of food for thought.
-------------------------
The Riddler's Gift has many character types and fantasy tropes that one would expect from a (shall we say) "traditional" fantasy tale. A council of wizards, an "apprentice" over her head and swept up in an adventure, a noble master-swordsman, a wandering sage, an evil Lord and his unstable, cruel henchman, bent on world dominion, a magical trinket, and impending doom. Nothing too original here - so what's so special?
1) The Characters: The author does a fantastic job (pardon the pun) of crafting rich, complex characters. They lend themselves to shades of grey that are unexpected and yet feel oddly natural. You expect the heroine Tabitha Serannon to remain naive and good-at-heart, in spite of her trials, but as she accesses magic that is well-beyond her experience and expectation, it impacts her, changes her, in ways that catch you off guard. In fact, I can't think of a single main character, good or evil, that doesn't go through some level of transformation, or that isn't blind-sided by an unforeseen event (or series of events) that forces them to course-correct. It is all deftly handled, and thoroughly entertaining to read.
2) The Action: The story moves along at a brisk, occasionally break-neck speed. Let me qualify that for a moment: Once the storylines and characters are established, it takes off. It takes a bit to get rolling, but nowhere near as long as other books I've read in this genre. Give it a couple short chapters to hook you, and then buckle up.
3) The Dialog: Of course, on one hand I mean the spoken interactions between characters, but I'm also talking about the internal dialog that the characters have with themselves, as they wrestle with events and decisions that they've made, and assimilate the repercussions of their actions. The general themes of "good vs evil" and of "compromising with your moral code" are relatively-well worn paths, true, but that doesn't mean they can't be handled effectively anymore. Greg Hamerton wrings a lot of marrow out of those old bones, and I caught myself several times pausing while I was reading to contemplate what a character had just said. In fact, at the beginning of each chapter, there are these wonderful little proverbs (if you will) that are attributed to a certain character that always made me think -- and always ended up announcing what was to happen in the chapter, as though the chapter was the answer to the riddle that prefaced it. I loved those little touches.
4) The Craft: The book is well-crafted, solidly-written, and carries with it an intelligence and playfulness that was refreshing. Full of wonderful moments, unexpected events, humor and weight. Being the author's first book (in the series, anyway), I don't know whether this is the result of scads of polishing time and revising, or if it is a true indication of the talent and skill that will be evident in all of his books... you know how follow-up books can be. The first volume gets all of the blood, sweat, tears, polish, agonizing, tweaking, etc... and if/when it's a success, the second volume is expected quickly, and in order to hit some arbitrary deadline, subsequent volumes hit the shelves feeling unpolished and rushed and blah, lacking the spark that the initial volume was able to attain. Hey, I understand completely - the same can be said of music albums... a decade goes into a debut album, all the best songs from over the years sifted and hand-selected and polished to perfection in hopes that the album will take off and be a hit... then when it is, a new album is expected straight away, so dive back into the studio and crank something out!
All that to say, I have purchased the next book in the series, Second Sight, and will see for myself how it holds up.
Now, wait a minute, yes The Riddler's Gift is part of a planned trilogy. However, the story arc in the book is wonderfully complete, in and of itself. The blistering climax is thoroughly satisfying - and while there is an avenue left open to take things to the next level, by no means do you need to wait for the trilogy to finish before reading this book. It works very well as a stand-alone title, well worthy of your attention.
I have to be honest here - initially, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I mean, it was among the .99 cent fantasy books on holiday special on Amazon, with all the self-published and/or "unknown" authors - Kindle-stuffing, so to speak. When I bought the book in December, I saw that it had a few reviews, but that it's average rating was close to 5 stars, and figured, after skimming the reviews, I'd pull the trigger and buy it. Hey, for a buck, it was minimal risk. So I went into the read with an open mind, but not expecting to be blown away. But as I finished reading the book, and set it down, the first word that came to mind was "magnificent." And after having let it stew for a couple days, I believe I shall stand by my initial assessment. The Riddler's Gift is a magnificent book.
Summary: 5/5 A wonderful ride, terrifically-realized characters, excellent dialog and action, and plenty of food for thought.
September 4, 2017
Good book
You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
April 2, 2019
Very good just a little too long.
August 14, 2013
Originally reviewed on Otherwhere Gazette
If you’ve grown up around the Batman mythos, you’re no doubt used to thinking of The Riddler as a man in a green suit with purple question marks on it, who has a strange compulsion to give Batman clues about his crimes. Author Greg Hamerton offers up another Riddler, this one a person whose motives are unclear until late in the book, which he calls The Riddler’s Gift.
The story he weaves around Tabitha, a prospective wizard who doesn’t realize it, and the Riddler is full of twists and turns, just the way a good story should be, so you can’t anticipate what will happen next. The riddle of the Riddler (no pun intended) is complex, with the reader, like our heroine, never really sure if the Riddler is truly trustworthy or not, or whether he serves the Dark or the Light, or something else altogether. Is the Riddler steering Tabitha into danger deliberately, or is something else at work? These are answered near the end of the book, but it’s fun wondering before you get to that point.
This is going to be a fairly short review, because I really don’t want to give away many details of the story, lest I spoil the enjoyment of trying to figure out exactly what the Riddler is up to. Technically, the system of magic is good and holds together well. The culture of Eyri is also well-formed, even though some areas aren’t well explained. The gaps don’t really leave any burning questions, because what is needed for the story is explained well both directly and through context.
Since Mr. Hamerton is originally from South Africa and now resides in London, you can expect to see the British spelling of certain words in the book. This shouldn’t affect anyone’s enjoyment of it, though it did sort of catch me by surprise when I ran across the first such word.
All in all, if you want an engrossing work full of riddles for your brain to chew on, give The Riddler’s Gift a try. You might just find yourself hooked.
If you’ve grown up around the Batman mythos, you’re no doubt used to thinking of The Riddler as a man in a green suit with purple question marks on it, who has a strange compulsion to give Batman clues about his crimes. Author Greg Hamerton offers up another Riddler, this one a person whose motives are unclear until late in the book, which he calls The Riddler’s Gift.
The story he weaves around Tabitha, a prospective wizard who doesn’t realize it, and the Riddler is full of twists and turns, just the way a good story should be, so you can’t anticipate what will happen next. The riddle of the Riddler (no pun intended) is complex, with the reader, like our heroine, never really sure if the Riddler is truly trustworthy or not, or whether he serves the Dark or the Light, or something else altogether. Is the Riddler steering Tabitha into danger deliberately, or is something else at work? These are answered near the end of the book, but it’s fun wondering before you get to that point.
This is going to be a fairly short review, because I really don’t want to give away many details of the story, lest I spoil the enjoyment of trying to figure out exactly what the Riddler is up to. Technically, the system of magic is good and holds together well. The culture of Eyri is also well-formed, even though some areas aren’t well explained. The gaps don’t really leave any burning questions, because what is needed for the story is explained well both directly and through context.
Since Mr. Hamerton is originally from South Africa and now resides in London, you can expect to see the British spelling of certain words in the book. This shouldn’t affect anyone’s enjoyment of it, though it did sort of catch me by surprise when I ran across the first such word.
All in all, if you want an engrossing work full of riddles for your brain to chew on, give The Riddler’s Gift a try. You might just find yourself hooked.
January 5, 2014
This is a LOOONG book. Though it is somewhat entertaining (as I finished all 600+ pages), it was not one that gripped me from beginning to end. Though it was overall enjoyable, it doesn't offer the complexity I enjoy in fantasy books.
I really wanted to like this book. After all it has a riddles! (It reminded me of a childhood favorite: The Riddle-Master of Hed). In many ways, I still enjoyed the book. However, the length when compared to its rather predictable plot lessens its value greatly.
The first book doesn't go very much into the different magical systems. It focuses on the axis of Light and Dark (which are rather common opposing forces) guiding a basic battle between good and evil. I would have liked it they went into further detail of the other axes of magic, but I'm assuming that's for the following books.
Rather than the magic, I enjoyed the characters in The Riddler's Gift. Tabitha's growth along with some of her unexpected personal challenges makes an engaging protagonist. Tabitha however is rather slow in solving the main riddle. She was basically led by hand to the solution. In addition, she has many self pitying moments which stall the plot until circumstances force her to action. I particularly am fond of the Ridder's antics as he attempts to guide the innocent young Tabitha.
The writing was smooth, connected, and made use of different perspectives well. However, the clear cut good vs evil, light vs dark, order vs chaos bumped my vote down to 3.
I really wanted to like this book. After all it has a riddles! (It reminded me of a childhood favorite: The Riddle-Master of Hed). In many ways, I still enjoyed the book. However, the length when compared to its rather predictable plot lessens its value greatly.
The first book doesn't go very much into the different magical systems. It focuses on the axis of Light and Dark (which are rather common opposing forces) guiding a basic battle between good and evil. I would have liked it they went into further detail of the other axes of magic, but I'm assuming that's for the following books.
Rather than the magic, I enjoyed the characters in The Riddler's Gift. Tabitha's growth along with some of her unexpected personal challenges makes an engaging protagonist. Tabitha however is rather slow in solving the main riddle. She was basically led by hand to the solution. In addition, she has many self pitying moments which stall the plot until circumstances force her to action. I particularly am fond of the Ridder's antics as he attempts to guide the innocent young Tabitha.
The writing was smooth, connected, and made use of different perspectives well. However, the clear cut good vs evil, light vs dark, order vs chaos bumped my vote down to 3.
May 25, 2014
I picked this book up for free quite some time ago, and finally had the time and the urge to read it. It's professional in presentation, and I found few errors, so I was impressed with that. I'm not thrilled with the cover art, but that is more a matter of taste than any failing on quality. This book would look good next to a big six book on the shelf. It's worth paying for, and I'm shocked to see that it is still available for free. So is the sequel. Wow.
First of all, be prepared for a long read. Granted this isn't a 1,000 page monstrosity like some fantasy books that come out, but it is well over 600 pages, so it's a healthy read. Personally, I would have broken it into two books. At 52% a major plot line resolves, and while the overall "evil" is still around, the book could have easily finished up at this point, and the rest of the overarching plot could have been resolved in a second book.
There's quite a lot of decent action, and the bad guys are suitably bad. I think the good guys could have been a bit more competent, or at least have more than one or two people who could actually do anything. I realize we want the heroes to appear properly heroic, but I felt at time that the population was so lacking that they almost deserved to get slaughtered. The trials that the main hero and heroine undergo are impressively trying though, so that was nice.
I'd actually call this a 3.5 star rating. It's good enough that I will be reading the sequel, but as it is also over 600 pages, it will have to wait until I'm up for something that long.
First of all, be prepared for a long read. Granted this isn't a 1,000 page monstrosity like some fantasy books that come out, but it is well over 600 pages, so it's a healthy read. Personally, I would have broken it into two books. At 52% a major plot line resolves, and while the overall "evil" is still around, the book could have easily finished up at this point, and the rest of the overarching plot could have been resolved in a second book.
There's quite a lot of decent action, and the bad guys are suitably bad. I think the good guys could have been a bit more competent, or at least have more than one or two people who could actually do anything. I realize we want the heroes to appear properly heroic, but I felt at time that the population was so lacking that they almost deserved to get slaughtered. The trials that the main hero and heroine undergo are impressively trying though, so that was nice.
I'd actually call this a 3.5 star rating. It's good enough that I will be reading the sequel, but as it is also over 600 pages, it will have to wait until I'm up for something that long.
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