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Fortress #3
Fortress of Owls
"I Dreamed of Owl. That Means Wizardry is Near."
Tristen is a weapon in an ancient war between wizardry and sorcery. He is a summoning and a shaping, brought to life by a wizard. And his sword is a weapon as well. Its keen blade, marked Illusion on one side and Truth on the other, once helped Tristen win the throne of Ylesuin for the young king Cefwyn, gaining Tristen the stewardship of the brave country of Amefel.
Tristen's rule in Amefel is blessed with two extraordinary friends: one a stalwart and simple warrior, the other a young rebel with royal blood. But the scarlet banners of war are unfolding again, and far more than a kingdom is at stake. Now Tristen must take up the sword--as well as the Sihhë magic he has forsworn. He is destiny's own, created a combatant in a far older and more fearsome conflict than any ever imagined by mere mortal man. And he is about to do battle once more. . . .
Rich with magic, intrigue, and adventure, this high fantasy series from the acclaimed C. J. Cherryh brings to life an enchanting world as real as, yet far more wondrous, than our own.
Tristen is a weapon in an ancient war between wizardry and sorcery. He is a summoning and a shaping, brought to life by a wizard. And his sword is a weapon as well. Its keen blade, marked Illusion on one side and Truth on the other, once helped Tristen win the throne of Ylesuin for the young king Cefwyn, gaining Tristen the stewardship of the brave country of Amefel.
Tristen's rule in Amefel is blessed with two extraordinary friends: one a stalwart and simple warrior, the other a young rebel with royal blood. But the scarlet banners of war are unfolding again, and far more than a kingdom is at stake. Now Tristen must take up the sword--as well as the Sihhë magic he has forsworn. He is destiny's own, created a combatant in a far older and more fearsome conflict than any ever imagined by mere mortal man. And he is about to do battle once more. . . .
Rich with magic, intrigue, and adventure, this high fantasy series from the acclaimed C. J. Cherryh brings to life an enchanting world as real as, yet far more wondrous, than our own.
550 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
85 people are currently reading
910 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Cherryh
292 books3,576 followersCurrently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 2, 2020
"I was Shaped, not born," he said bluntly, "and some say I'm Sihhë and some say I was Barrakêth. That may be. But I say my name is Tristen, and while I say so, not even a wizard's wish can turn me to any other creature."
Oh...Cherryh. I said the last book was interlude and praised its internal plot and momentum, but I spoke far too soon. This is the 'middle book,' the hinge of the over-plot that guides the series. It's fallout from events past and setup for events to come and, like a hinge, is relatively meaningless except that it joins and turns other things.
This is Cherryh on politics, on alliances, on the accounting of grain and the movement of oxcarts, and the scandal of single-petticoats... All of which I personally find interesting, and touched with humor of which I am admittedly fond. Still, I know that not all readers share my love of detail, and this installment--however critical to the series--is not as strong taken on its own merits.
Which is not to say it's bad! Far from it.
Left to his own devices in Amefel, Tristen insists on making waves, taking charge and building up as he can. His intentions are good, but all the while the prophecy of the King to Come lingers over his head. He's still learning, and has some amusing lapses (what is coinage?), but less-and-less is he the boy of starry-eyed wonder, and more and more the fey lord.
Meanwhile, Cefwyn's Guelen court grows increasingly hostile. The King faces opposition on all sides: political, military, and religious. Cefwyn struggles between the desperate need to pull the Northern Baronies in line, and the shadow of his tyrant grandfather's reign of fear. It's a difficult path to tread, and treason lurks in every shadow.
The book is a slow pivot. The old challenges fall away, the new challenges rise, stronger and more dire than expected. What it lacks in pacing it makes up for in substance. There is weight to the action here, and a sense of cresting a hill.
I've already bought the next book. 3.5 stars to this one, rounding up because there no fluff to be had.
April 16, 2024
Well if that book didn’t just end mid thought! Nothing was really resolved here so off to read the next book!
May 1, 2013
It was almost by accident that I discovered this amazing series by Cherryh, who rather quickly has become one of my favorite authors. I have noted in previous reviews that this very definitely is a series that should be read from beginning to end; in order to follow the action with any sense of understanding, you must start with the first volume and proceed forthwith. There are two reasons for this. One is that the central character, Tristen, is in effect created anew by an aged wizard at the beginning of the first book and is looking at life was completely fresh eyes and a blank mind, and part of the very charm of the first book was how life unfolded to him in his innocence, and how that very innocence affected the people he met; if you do not understand this from the very beginning, you will simply have no real understanding of Tristen’s character. The other reason is that Cherryh has created for this series an extraordinarily complex society, and the average reader would be unable to comprehend that milieu except by reading it in the same sequence by which Cherryh developed it.
I have noted before that Cherryh has an incredible ability to create such fanciful worlds, and that when she is at her best writes prose that reads like poetry. I find myself often reading her sentences aloud simply because I love the way the words sound in sequence. Having said that, I find that this particular book is slightly less poetic than the preceding two, but makes up for it by having a great deal more action. I felt a little gypped by the fact that the long-delayed marriage between King Cefwyn and Ninevrise took place between two chapters at the beginning of the book, effectively happening offstage. But there is enough of other activity to sate almost any reader. I am not even going to attempt to summarize the storyline through this novel, as there is so much going on throughout the book that it would be extraordinarily difficult to summarize it without getting into explanatory detail that could not be followed by someone who has not read the previous two books. In gist, the story occupies the first half of the winter following Tristen’s creation, with Cefwyn sending Tristen back to Amefel as its new Duke, there to keep the southern inhabitants of the kingdom strongly opposed to the militant force being raised by the kingdom’s enemies across the river, while Cefwyn fights his own political battles in the northern part of the kingdom, and we read the story in more or less alternating chapters showing what is happening to one or the other of these two heroes. Amongst and around that simple storyline, Cherryh continues to weave her ever-expanding tale of wizardry.
I ended my review of the previous book by a brief diatribe against the cover artwork, which portrayed in minute detail a scene that did not occur in the book — and indeed could not have occurred. I find I have to do that again; it seems an absolute puzzle to me that a publisher would contract with an artists to do a scene as the cover art for a book and not have it be a correct portrayal of the scene described in the book. It is almost as if somebody made an off-the-cuff remark about one of the scenes in the book (and certainly far from the most important scene, which makes it even more irritating), and the artist then went off to do his own thing without at least reading the page or two in which that scene occurred and with nobody in the publishing office ever bothering to note the discrepancies. This is so foreign to my experience of working with artists in the technical publishing field that it is incomprehensible to me.
I have noted before that Cherryh has an incredible ability to create such fanciful worlds, and that when she is at her best writes prose that reads like poetry. I find myself often reading her sentences aloud simply because I love the way the words sound in sequence. Having said that, I find that this particular book is slightly less poetic than the preceding two, but makes up for it by having a great deal more action. I felt a little gypped by the fact that the long-delayed marriage between King Cefwyn and Ninevrise took place between two chapters at the beginning of the book, effectively happening offstage. But there is enough of other activity to sate almost any reader. I am not even going to attempt to summarize the storyline through this novel, as there is so much going on throughout the book that it would be extraordinarily difficult to summarize it without getting into explanatory detail that could not be followed by someone who has not read the previous two books. In gist, the story occupies the first half of the winter following Tristen’s creation, with Cefwyn sending Tristen back to Amefel as its new Duke, there to keep the southern inhabitants of the kingdom strongly opposed to the militant force being raised by the kingdom’s enemies across the river, while Cefwyn fights his own political battles in the northern part of the kingdom, and we read the story in more or less alternating chapters showing what is happening to one or the other of these two heroes. Amongst and around that simple storyline, Cherryh continues to weave her ever-expanding tale of wizardry.
I ended my review of the previous book by a brief diatribe against the cover artwork, which portrayed in minute detail a scene that did not occur in the book — and indeed could not have occurred. I find I have to do that again; it seems an absolute puzzle to me that a publisher would contract with an artists to do a scene as the cover art for a book and not have it be a correct portrayal of the scene described in the book. It is almost as if somebody made an off-the-cuff remark about one of the scenes in the book (and certainly far from the most important scene, which makes it even more irritating), and the artist then went off to do his own thing without at least reading the page or two in which that scene occurred and with nobody in the publishing office ever bothering to note the discrepancies. This is so foreign to my experience of working with artists in the technical publishing field that it is incomprehensible to me.
April 3, 2021
This one is hard to review. The first book in the series could almost have been a standalone book. ( albeit leaving you wanting to know more)
The second book in the series, while definitely a sequel and hard to follow without the first, had a beginning middle and end. This third book is one of the better ones..but is missing an ending.
I can only assume a marketing / publishing deadline came up and her editors decided this was good enough and people can wait for the 4th. * edited up to 5 Stars but you really must have Fortress of Dragons ready to go before you even pick up this book..they are meant to be read together *
This series, like others from this author, is more about unfolding a mystery like layers of an onion than about the action or plotline.. Every time you think you have unpeeled all the layers, at the end of the book you find another one. She also has veerrry sloooooooow pacing. I like that, but if I had bought this book at the time of publication and found she hadn't finished it...I would be a very unhappy camper.
The book starts out with an overly long prologue. The first 8 pages of which is historical background which originally was only very slowly revealed in the first book , Fortress in the Eye of Time. I guess this was helpful if you read the first book and were still very confused. ( although the readers who finished that book and were confused still, tend not to like the authors writing style and not get this far anyway..)
The next 10 pages recount the plot lines of the first two books for you..a good catchup if you are reading this series with months long breaks.
The rest of the book is political intrigue set both in Amefin with Tristen, and Cefwyn back in the capitol. A gathering of forces before the anticipated war/invasion of bordering Elwynor...and last minute assassinations and evil workings from forces within and without the kingdom against our protagonists...and then no ending, just a couple of unexpected reintroduced characters coming back at the climactic moment you don't expect and a lot of unanswered questions.
( see review of Fortress of Dragons)
The second book in the series, while definitely a sequel and hard to follow without the first, had a beginning middle and end. This third book is one of the better ones..but is missing an ending.
I can only assume a marketing / publishing deadline came up and her editors decided this was good enough and people can wait for the 4th. * edited up to 5 Stars but you really must have Fortress of Dragons ready to go before you even pick up this book..they are meant to be read together *
This series, like others from this author, is more about unfolding a mystery like layers of an onion than about the action or plotline.. Every time you think you have unpeeled all the layers, at the end of the book you find another one. She also has veerrry sloooooooow pacing. I like that, but if I had bought this book at the time of publication and found she hadn't finished it...I would be a very unhappy camper.
The book starts out with an overly long prologue. The first 8 pages of which is historical background which originally was only very slowly revealed in the first book , Fortress in the Eye of Time. I guess this was helpful if you read the first book and were still very confused. ( although the readers who finished that book and were confused still, tend not to like the authors writing style and not get this far anyway..)
The next 10 pages recount the plot lines of the first two books for you..a good catchup if you are reading this series with months long breaks.
The rest of the book is political intrigue set both in Amefin with Tristen, and Cefwyn back in the capitol. A gathering of forces before the anticipated war/invasion of bordering Elwynor...and last minute assassinations and evil workings from forces within and without the kingdom against our protagonists...and then no ending, just a couple of unexpected reintroduced characters coming back at the climactic moment you don't expect and a lot of unanswered questions.
( see review of Fortress of Dragons)
September 15, 2011
9/10
Although the ending is completely unsatisfying, the book itself was wonderful. Cherryh's language always matches the storyline--dreamy, confused, ominous, clear, joyous, wondering, crafty... as the plot changes, so the language seems to change to fit.
Tristen, still an enigma, still a wonder and a danger, becomes more and more himself through the course of the book. Cefwyn and his wife also mature and wield statecraft in halls both great and small. And Emuin, wizard and adviser, also becomes more of a person and less of a character.
Each book in this series fills in more of the puzzle while managing to pose new questions. I fear for Cefwyn, Tristen, and the others--not so much that they may die in some battle, but that they will betray themselves or their friendships. Emuin warns Tristen that he is not Tristen's friend and Tristen should not be his--they need to keep an eye on each other, to keep up their guard. I'm afraid of not bones, but hearts being broken.
Although the ending is completely unsatisfying, the book itself was wonderful. Cherryh's language always matches the storyline--dreamy, confused, ominous, clear, joyous, wondering, crafty... as the plot changes, so the language seems to change to fit.
Tristen, still an enigma, still a wonder and a danger, becomes more and more himself through the course of the book. Cefwyn and his wife also mature and wield statecraft in halls both great and small. And Emuin, wizard and adviser, also becomes more of a person and less of a character.
Each book in this series fills in more of the puzzle while managing to pose new questions. I fear for Cefwyn, Tristen, and the others--not so much that they may die in some battle, but that they will betray themselves or their friendships. Emuin warns Tristen that he is not Tristen's friend and Tristen should not be his--they need to keep an eye on each other, to keep up their guard. I'm afraid of not bones, but hearts being broken.
March 24, 2016
The third book in teh series moves the story from the capital and the King to Tristan and the southern barrons.
THE END
Seriously, thats how the book felt. Lots of talk about almost nothing and then an abrupt ending.
Which made me realize that this isnt a novel so much as its a soap opera.
There is a tiny amount of magic, a ton of conversations, some political intrigue, and a lot of hand wringing about what to do. A LOT of questioning and doubt, so much so, that im rather tired of it. Im also frustrated with what the author did to Emuin's character.
I keep reading because i like the characters and the world is pretty interesting with just enough mystery to keep me going. But so far, the story hasnt really heated up. Maybe book 4?
THE END
Seriously, thats how the book felt. Lots of talk about almost nothing and then an abrupt ending.
Which made me realize that this isnt a novel so much as its a soap opera.
There is a tiny amount of magic, a ton of conversations, some political intrigue, and a lot of hand wringing about what to do. A LOT of questioning and doubt, so much so, that im rather tired of it. Im also frustrated with what the author did to Emuin's character.
I keep reading because i like the characters and the world is pretty interesting with just enough mystery to keep me going. But so far, the story hasnt really heated up. Maybe book 4?
September 10, 2016
Second read Aug 26, 2008
July 26, 2012
It started out strong, and just kind of finished poorly. Not my kind of book I guess.
January 25, 2016
Stuff happened, but honestly it just set up the next book.
November 11, 2020
Still a worthy read in this fantastic series! I wish Ms. Cherryh had written a sequel series to this tale of magic and high fantasy. Five books was just too short!
October 14, 2021
I have roughly the same things to say about volumes 2-4 of the Fortress series: I enjoyed spending more time with Tristen and his crew, and watching him go from strength to strength, and Cherryh's slow-burn-big-payoff storytelling style. But I grew increasingly frustrated with Cefwyn, who seems to perpetually create his own problems by not following the cold-blooded advice of his right-hand, Idrys, to be less merciful and just kill the guy(s) causing the problems. The reason given is always that Cefwyn wants to be more merciful than his predecessors, and to give in to utilitarian killing would be to cease to be himself, but that stops being a relatable trait after you continue to see the consequences of his light-handed approach spiral out over four books and cause all of the major conflicts. It distanced me from the story because I kept thinking, "none of this would have happened if you'd just .... ." And the magic system continues to be too loosey-goosey, lacking an internal logic that makes it clear what is dramatic about magical events, what the costs or consequences of its use or abuse are.
December 27, 2022
3/4 into the 3rd book of this series and I have to call it quits. I love political fantasy with many moving parts but in these 3 books I can count only a very small handful of things that have actually happened. Cherryh insists on having entire chapters revolve incredibly mundane things such as where Tristen is going to get grain for his men or whether Emuin should keep his windows open or closed. Or have entire chapters based on if a group of people should be moved to point a or poimt b. You almost forget that this is a fantasy tale. This, mixed with Cherry's slow burn approach, results in nothing of much consequence actually happening. I will always love the first book and will always remember Tristen and Cefwyns relationship but in over 700 pages of this tale the only event that has had any real impact happened in the first book and I think I'll leave it at that before I become even more jaded by continuing on.
April 24, 2025
4.5
Notable Moments - Luriels wedding, Tristen has the guards bend the knee, The dinner between the southern lords. Interludes. Tristan reading Cefwyns letter and Cefwyn reading Tristans
Favorite charcters - Ewen, Cevruilen, Cefwyn, Efanor, Tristan
I could see how people could hate this book. It is slow, long, and not much happens. But luckily for me, that is just the type of book I like. I do not read C.J. Cherryh for her action. I read her because she has a way with words and a talent for dialogue. This book was filled with beautiful scenes.= that have characters facing deep inner conflicts. I especially loved the emphasis on how the distance between Cefwyn and Tristen is affecting them. Excited to go to the next book!
Notable Moments - Luriels wedding, Tristen has the guards bend the knee, The dinner between the southern lords. Interludes. Tristan reading Cefwyns letter and Cefwyn reading Tristans
Favorite charcters - Ewen, Cevruilen, Cefwyn, Efanor, Tristan
I could see how people could hate this book. It is slow, long, and not much happens. But luckily for me, that is just the type of book I like. I do not read C.J. Cherryh for her action. I read her because she has a way with words and a talent for dialogue. This book was filled with beautiful scenes.= that have characters facing deep inner conflicts. I especially loved the emphasis on how the distance between Cefwyn and Tristen is affecting them. Excited to go to the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2023
The plot continues to Unfold to Tristen and to us, as he begins to perceive the path he is treading, treacherous and lonely. Not much I can say. Either Cherryh will enthrall you or she won't. The core question that penetrates the series and becomes ever more demanding of Tristen and Cefwyn and those who love both, is where to draw the line between Truth and Illusion, the Edge of which can be almost impossible to discern or maintain. A balance of both?
March 12, 2024
A good tale, strong and interesting characters. I really like the fact that the magic/wizardry in this series is subtle rather than flamboyant as in most other novels. The way it is approached, I keep wondering if it is real or imagined, then some event happens and it becomes apparent. Well written.
August 30, 2025
Reminiscent of the Arthurian Tales
CJ Cherryh is famous for excellent science fiction, especially well-written aliens, but this is more like the Arthurian legends. It is wonderful sword and sorcery fiction. I'm eager to read the rest of the series!
CJ Cherryh is famous for excellent science fiction, especially well-written aliens, but this is more like the Arthurian legends. It is wonderful sword and sorcery fiction. I'm eager to read the rest of the series!
April 17, 2019
slow, wordy
done read this author more
done read this author more
April 27, 2019
Great fantasy, but very slow paced.
September 21, 2019
Rather quiet book with lots of intrigue and bits of humor. Cliff hanger ending.
August 15, 2021
They're getting slower and worse. Sigh.
November 17, 2021
I find still tiresome the repetition of information, but the book is entertaining!
February 7, 2022
Each book in the series gets better.
January 7, 2023
Yes, this was not as compelling as the first book in the series, but Tristen is still learning and growing as a person. That made it worth reading.
October 25, 2023
It was so good I ordered the sequel half way through!
did-not-finish-or-start
October 27, 2023DNS 10/27/23
April 26, 2016
What I expected:
I have read books #1 and #2 of this series and found them engaging and entertaining. This book continues the series, so I expect more about Sihhe Lords and their magic and the key characters of the series; Tristen, Cefwyn, Ninévrisë, Idrys and Emuin.
What it was:
This book continues Tristen's and Cefwyn's adventures as two separate threads through the book, with messengers occasionally flitting between them, treacherous as it may be for the messenger! Cefwyn is king and settled in Guelessar while Tristen has been set as lord in Amefel and they both must manage their lives and those of the people around them as best they can; with danger lurking close by. However, the past reaches back to Tristen and he is uncertain of his future and whether he will continue past Midwinter!
The book does get a bit political in places, I guess that is to be expected where one of the main characters is a King and another is a Lord of a province! And in places I have struggled to follow exactly what is going on, for example, towards the end of the book Tristen goes somewhere (avoiding spoilers here by being vague - sorry!) and I ended up reading one portion about five times to gain some sort of comprehension of what was happening. Nonetheless I have enjoyed reading about the further development of Tristen's abilities and his growth and development as a person in the world in which he lives.
I will read the next book to see how things develop for him and the other key characters in the book - in due course.
I have read books #1 and #2 of this series and found them engaging and entertaining. This book continues the series, so I expect more about Sihhe Lords and their magic and the key characters of the series; Tristen, Cefwyn, Ninévrisë, Idrys and Emuin.
What it was:
This book continues Tristen's and Cefwyn's adventures as two separate threads through the book, with messengers occasionally flitting between them, treacherous as it may be for the messenger! Cefwyn is king and settled in Guelessar while Tristen has been set as lord in Amefel and they both must manage their lives and those of the people around them as best they can; with danger lurking close by. However, the past reaches back to Tristen and he is uncertain of his future and whether he will continue past Midwinter!
The book does get a bit political in places, I guess that is to be expected where one of the main characters is a King and another is a Lord of a province! And in places I have struggled to follow exactly what is going on, for example, towards the end of the book Tristen goes somewhere (avoiding spoilers here by being vague - sorry!) and I ended up reading one portion about five times to gain some sort of comprehension of what was happening. Nonetheless I have enjoyed reading about the further development of Tristen's abilities and his growth and development as a person in the world in which he lives.
I will read the next book to see how things develop for him and the other key characters in the book - in due course.
April 10, 2015
This is another installment in the fortress series and I feel like I've settled into the story. We continue to follow Tristen and Cefwyn as Tristen becomes the lord of Amefel and Cefwyn continues to try to cement his reign in the north and prepare for war to win back his bride's land.
The story continues to be remarkably engaging. I feel deeply involved in the characters and in the plot. Cherryh's sense of pacing is also excellent and there is a lyricism to the writing that I love. This still does not elevate to the level of the first novel where the tension was almost too much to bear and left me anxious to rush from one reading session to the next. I'm so thankful that I'm not in a position to wait for the next book to be published. The ending of this novel was not satisfying and I feel like this book, the last, and the next should all be one big thing. I'm really curious how Cherryh will finish up this story and whether the emotional immediacy of the next couple of books will jump up as the long anticipated conflict with Elwynor gets going.
The story continues to be remarkably engaging. I feel deeply involved in the characters and in the plot. Cherryh's sense of pacing is also excellent and there is a lyricism to the writing that I love. This still does not elevate to the level of the first novel where the tension was almost too much to bear and left me anxious to rush from one reading session to the next. I'm so thankful that I'm not in a position to wait for the next book to be published. The ending of this novel was not satisfying and I feel like this book, the last, and the next should all be one big thing. I'm really curious how Cherryh will finish up this story and whether the emotional immediacy of the next couple of books will jump up as the long anticipated conflict with Elwynor gets going.
April 10, 2010
The third book in Cherryh's Fortress series suffers a bit from the slow pace that is endemic to her fantasy stories. Very little seems to really happen, mostly just Cefwyn and Tristen, who mostly alternate viewpoint chapters, adjusting to the changes in their circumstances from the end of the last book. They are preparing for action, in both cases, and perhaps the problem here is that the book happens in the winter. The action does pick up again close to the end, and gives hopes that the next book will start with something a little more exciting.
October 9, 2015
The Fortress series does tend to wander a bit, less about a particular singular story than exploring the world; granted there is the overarching theme of impending war that does serve to push things along. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with exploring the world a bit when it's such a beautifully crafted one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews