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Healer and Seer #2
The Healer's Keep
Something is threatening the legendary Healer’s Keep, where students gifted in the healing arts are trained. Will they learn enough in time to keep the darkness at bay? Or will the Shadow King turn their gifts against them and once again walk the world?
“This complex and engrossing companion to The Seer and the Sword can be read independently. Lovers of fantasy will gravitate to its magic, its compelling characters, and its classic struggles between good and evil. Recommend this fine offering to fans of Diana Wynne Jones and David Eddings.”— School Library Journal
“Four young people divided by geography, class, and philosophy come together in the dream realm to fight the powers of darkness. . . . The tale works well both as a sequel [to The Seer and the Sword] and on its own. Solid and satisfying.”— Kirkus Reviews
“This complex and engrossing companion to The Seer and the Sword can be read independently. Lovers of fantasy will gravitate to its magic, its compelling characters, and its classic struggles between good and evil. Recommend this fine offering to fans of Diana Wynne Jones and David Eddings.”— School Library Journal
“Four young people divided by geography, class, and philosophy come together in the dream realm to fight the powers of darkness. . . . The tale works well both as a sequel [to The Seer and the Sword] and on its own. Solid and satisfying.”— Kirkus Reviews
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 2, 2002
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1366 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
February 25, 2015
As much as I dearly dearly dearly love Victoria Hanley I just couldn't with this book. The character development was utter bollocks to be quite honest. POV's change so often that continuity becomes an issue. When you are just beginning to get in the groove of one character's voice you are tossed into another's. It especially threw me off when we randomly enter the POV of someone who never had a POV throughout the book until it was convenient to the plot. Or they were an altogether random character. Prime example is Evan, he has one half a paragraph POV when he is going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Wtf? Whyyyy?? You could have revealed what happened through a less obvious conveyor Hanley. I feel like you cheat a lot with this book for the sake of ease for you. Like when a character catches everyone up to speed, "So Jasper told them everything that happened, when he was finished he grabbed a piece of bread." (I made that line up, but you get the point.)
Each character had so much potential, but ultimately most of them ended up falling flat. I wanted more than anything to love Torina's daughter as Torina was a staple inspiration in my teenage years, but Sara was just lackluster. She was painted as the typical fiery hot head, but effectively had zero depth. You end the book knowing just about the same about her as you begin. Despite King Landen's assertion on the final pages that his daughter showed a new found serenity and wisdom I just wasn't buying it. Dorjan's character arc had so much POTENTIAL, alluding to his past with his charmal mother and how he and his father had escaped. But once again, Hanley began the foundations and foreshadowing and then dropped the ball hard. Dorjan, unfortunately, also begins the book as he ends in my opinion. Yes, he discovered his new "day-dream capabilities", but whatever. It was just another convenient plot point along the way with little lead up and emotional impact. Also, HOLY BATMAN grandma-flies-in-to-save-the-day-despite-the-fact-that-grandma-has-only-been-mentioned-briefly-two-hundred-pages-ago-but-that's-ok-just-roll-with-it-this-is-an-easy-fix-for-a-complex-problem. Just, no, Hanley NO.
The plot of this book was all over the place. Too much was attempted to be packed into this novel that it sacrificed quality in lieu of quantity along the way. Sara and Dorjan didn't spend near enough time at the Healer's Keep (the freaking name of the book ya'll seriously). For being so headstrong and a Firan Sara fell under Bern's spell instantaneously. From page one you know Bern is bad news, like no subtlety here at all guys. Sara has super SPESHALL POWERSSS that make her super SPESHALLL but she has no inkling that something is wrong? Also wtf is wrong with King Landen and Queen Torina? Why don't they have anyone planted at the Keep to look after their only daughter and HEIR to the crown? Especially when you make a point of saying how everyone in Bellandra apparently hates Torina and her progeny because of King Kareed's conquest. Like COME ON Hanley, you are being LAZY. AND can we talk about how one little slimy snake of a boy basically tears down the ancient powers of the Keep and bamboozles everyone? Like if that is all it took then it is shocking you have lasted this long. Your ancient orders and powers and what the hell ever are a joke.
You cheated yourself in this book Hanley. You cheated your readers in this book. You are making me begin to have inklings of doubt for my undying love of Seer and the Sword (GASP). Because this book was so poorly executed I am beginning to wonder if my favorite book of ALL FREAKING TIME is maybe not as good as I remembered. I'm almost afraid to go back and read it. With plot holes galore, overly convenient plot points, poor character developments, general lack of intelligible logic, and lazy writing this book was a sore disappointment for any Victoria Hanley fan.
Each character had so much potential, but ultimately most of them ended up falling flat. I wanted more than anything to love Torina's daughter as Torina was a staple inspiration in my teenage years, but Sara was just lackluster. She was painted as the typical fiery hot head, but effectively had zero depth. You end the book knowing just about the same about her as you begin. Despite King Landen's assertion on the final pages that his daughter showed a new found serenity and wisdom I just wasn't buying it. Dorjan's character arc had so much POTENTIAL, alluding to his past with his charmal mother and how he and his father had escaped. But once again, Hanley began the foundations and foreshadowing and then dropped the ball hard. Dorjan, unfortunately, also begins the book as he ends in my opinion. Yes, he discovered his new "day-dream capabilities", but whatever. It was just another convenient plot point along the way with little lead up and emotional impact. Also, HOLY BATMAN grandma-flies-in-to-save-the-day-despite-the-fact-that-grandma-has-only-been-mentioned-briefly-two-hundred-pages-ago-but-that's-ok-just-roll-with-it-this-is-an-easy-fix-for-a-complex-problem. Just, no, Hanley NO.
The plot of this book was all over the place. Too much was attempted to be packed into this novel that it sacrificed quality in lieu of quantity along the way. Sara and Dorjan didn't spend near enough time at the Healer's Keep (the freaking name of the book ya'll seriously). For being so headstrong and a Firan Sara fell under Bern's spell instantaneously. From page one you know Bern is bad news, like no subtlety here at all guys. Sara has super SPESHALL POWERSSS that make her super SPESHALLL but she has no inkling that something is wrong? Also wtf is wrong with King Landen and Queen Torina? Why don't they have anyone planted at the Keep to look after their only daughter and HEIR to the crown? Especially when you make a point of saying how everyone in Bellandra apparently hates Torina and her progeny because of King Kareed's conquest. Like COME ON Hanley, you are being LAZY. AND can we talk about how one little slimy snake of a boy basically tears down the ancient powers of the Keep and bamboozles everyone? Like if that is all it took then it is shocking you have lasted this long. Your ancient orders and powers and what the hell ever are a joke.
You cheated yourself in this book Hanley. You cheated your readers in this book. You are making me begin to have inklings of doubt for my undying love of Seer and the Sword (GASP). Because this book was so poorly executed I am beginning to wonder if my favorite book of ALL FREAKING TIME is maybe not as good as I remembered. I'm almost afraid to go back and read it. With plot holes galore, overly convenient plot points, poor character developments, general lack of intelligible logic, and lazy writing this book was a sore disappointment for any Victoria Hanley fan.
April 30, 2025
A companion novel to The Seer and the Sword - one of my absolute favorite YA novels, this one did not disappoint either.
It expands on a few small details from the first book but it set quite a few years after that book with a brand new set of characters (as well as some reappearances of characters from the previous book).
At first I was confused about how everything would come together as it seemed the 4 main characters were living completely different lives that could never overlap. It was interesting to see how their lives intersected.
I really liked the character of Maeve. Her relationship with Ethan was really sweet and I enjoyed Jasper as well. Dorjan and Sara were good too.
There was plenty of action and excitement as well. I can't wait to read the next one!
It expands on a few small details from the first book but it set quite a few years after that book with a brand new set of characters (as well as some reappearances of characters from the previous book).
At first I was confused about how everything would come together as it seemed the 4 main characters were living completely different lives that could never overlap. It was interesting to see how their lives intersected.
I really liked the character of Maeve. Her relationship with Ethan was really sweet and I enjoyed Jasper as well. Dorjan and Sara were good too.
There was plenty of action and excitement as well. I can't wait to read the next one!
May 27, 2014
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Two new students arrive at the Healer’s Keep who are hiding secrets, Dorjan is the first foreigner to be admitted to the Keep and can walk in others dreams, and Sara is the daughter of Kind Landon and Queen Torina. Across the ocean in Sliviia, slave girl Maeve is bought by the evil Lord Morlen and manages to run away with the help of Jasper, who has remained free using his wits. These four destiny are linked together to stop the dark forces taking control of the world. The Healer’s Keep is the sequel to The Seer and The Sword, and is a good book but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. This is because the characters were hard to connect to especially Dorjan and Sara, but I did like Maeve and Jasper more. I would recommend this book the fans of The Seer and The Sword.
Two new students arrive at the Healer’s Keep who are hiding secrets, Dorjan is the first foreigner to be admitted to the Keep and can walk in others dreams, and Sara is the daughter of Kind Landon and Queen Torina. Across the ocean in Sliviia, slave girl Maeve is bought by the evil Lord Morlen and manages to run away with the help of Jasper, who has remained free using his wits. These four destiny are linked together to stop the dark forces taking control of the world. The Healer’s Keep is the sequel to The Seer and The Sword, and is a good book but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. This is because the characters were hard to connect to especially Dorjan and Sara, but I did like Maeve and Jasper more. I would recommend this book the fans of The Seer and The Sword.
October 6, 2017
Since I probably won't do a review of this on my blog: Just some quick thoughts. This was definitely a completely different vein of book than its predecessor, The Seer & The Sword, which is undoubtedly one of the best YA Fantasies from the early 2000's. I felt like this book copied many of the plot elements of the first book (not in scope, but in small details; for example, magic drugs are used to sedate people, poison is force-drunk by the poisoner, things like that - that were unique in the first book, but weirdly redundant in the second). There are four characters in the novel: Maeve, Jasper, Sara & Dorjan. My favorite was Jasper b/c he was the most steadfast & had the most present scenes. The best aspect of the novel was the characterizations of its four main characters - it felt very Tamora Pierce Circle of Magic.
January 5, 2022
I noticed that there aren't many reviews for this book so I thought I'd post the review from my blog, since I really liked it.
The Healer's Keep is a "companion" book rather than a true sequel, meaning you can read the two in any order, since the plots don't depend on each other. I found this one to be completely different from the first in setting, characters, magic—everything, really—but I enjoyed it all the same and enjoyed the connection to the first once I figured out what it was.
The Healer's Keep has four main characters (one of whom is the daughter of Torina from The Seer and the Sword). Two of the characters are on a completely different continent, with its own complicated social structure and belief system. Hanley has expanded her world and her magic considerably, and I found all of the new settings fascinating and well-developed. Maeve is a slave who must flee before being sold to a truly evil man. Lord Morlen is genuinely frightening; an excellent evil wizard type. Maeve encounters Jasper, who helps her against his better judgement. I particularly liked Jasper, who pretends to be stupid in order to avoid notice, but is really clever and brave and kind-hearted. Maeve discovers that she is a Dreamwen, with the power to walk in others' dreams, and it is this power that the evil Lord Morlen wants to claim.
Across the ocean, Sara and Dorjan arrive at the Healer's Keep to begin their magical training. Dorjan is already adept at using his Dreamwen powers, but Sara has no idea how much magic she has, so she is vulnerable to those who secretly plan to bring down the Healer's Keep.
Normally I would be annoyed at constantly switching back and forth between points of view (we also get some of the bad guy POVs), but I liked (or hated (if they were evil)) all the characters and was always interested in what was going on in each setting. It was obvious that there was going to be a connection between the two groups, so I was willing to wait and see how they finally joined up.
The magic is original and convincing; there's a bit of romance but not too much; there are individual coming-into-one's-magic character arcs and also the whole world that needs saving—The Healer's Keep has everything you want from a traditional fantasy, and nothing that you've gotten tired of.
The Healer's Keep is a "companion" book rather than a true sequel, meaning you can read the two in any order, since the plots don't depend on each other. I found this one to be completely different from the first in setting, characters, magic—everything, really—but I enjoyed it all the same and enjoyed the connection to the first once I figured out what it was.
The Healer's Keep has four main characters (one of whom is the daughter of Torina from The Seer and the Sword). Two of the characters are on a completely different continent, with its own complicated social structure and belief system. Hanley has expanded her world and her magic considerably, and I found all of the new settings fascinating and well-developed. Maeve is a slave who must flee before being sold to a truly evil man. Lord Morlen is genuinely frightening; an excellent evil wizard type. Maeve encounters Jasper, who helps her against his better judgement. I particularly liked Jasper, who pretends to be stupid in order to avoid notice, but is really clever and brave and kind-hearted. Maeve discovers that she is a Dreamwen, with the power to walk in others' dreams, and it is this power that the evil Lord Morlen wants to claim.
Across the ocean, Sara and Dorjan arrive at the Healer's Keep to begin their magical training. Dorjan is already adept at using his Dreamwen powers, but Sara has no idea how much magic she has, so she is vulnerable to those who secretly plan to bring down the Healer's Keep.
Normally I would be annoyed at constantly switching back and forth between points of view (we also get some of the bad guy POVs), but I liked (or hated (if they were evil)) all the characters and was always interested in what was going on in each setting. It was obvious that there was going to be a connection between the two groups, so I was willing to wait and see how they finally joined up.
The magic is original and convincing; there's a bit of romance but not too much; there are individual coming-into-one's-magic character arcs and also the whole world that needs saving—The Healer's Keep has everything you want from a traditional fantasy, and nothing that you've gotten tired of.
April 16, 2021
This is the second book in a trilogy and the companion to The Seer and the Sword. Enjoyed this very convoluted story with many twists and turns most of which were unanticipated. A good read and a good young adult lit book
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July 24, 2011More proof that I keep underestimating Victoria Hanley. While this wasn't quite as fabulous as The Seer and the Sword - I found the first half absolutely riveting and the second half somewhat rushed and confusing - it was more original by far and still a great read. I actually really liked the dream-travel premise (it's something I've toyed with writing about myself, although I think this author did a far better job than i would have) and don't understand why so many of my fellow reviewers find it so creepy. The characters were likable - Jasper was refreshingly unpredictable, Maeve and Dorjan were fiery and amiable, and I'm glad nothing drastically awful happened to Evan; although admittedly I found Sara a little bit irritating at times. A few things still left me feeling confused at the end; as I've already said, the last half of the book was really rather confusing and harried at times. Still, it definitely packed suspense, intrigue, and creativity, and it wasn't at all bad for a twenty-years-in-the-future sequel novel. I'll almost definitely check out The Light of the Oracle, which i'm pretty sure rounds out the trilogy.
February 17, 2019
3.5 stars. The Healer's Keep is the Sequel to The Seer and the Sword. It's more of a companion novel than a direct sequel as it is about different characters, one who is the daughter of King Landon and Princess Torina. Sara arrives at the Healer's Keep as a student along with a boy named Dorjan. While I liked Sara I didn't feel the connection to her the way I did to Torina in The Seer and the Sword. Dorjan was an ok character, but again there just wasn't enough character development to make me feel connected to him either. I did however feel more connected to the other two characters featured in the book. A slave girl named Maeve and a boy named Jasper.
I kind of feel like this novel should have been cut into two with one book being about Sara and Dorjan and the other being about Maeve and Jasper. There would have been more time for character development and storytelling for each of them that way.
Over all this was likeable, but not nearly as good as The Seer and the Sword and that disappointed me because I loved that one so much.
I kind of feel like this novel should have been cut into two with one book being about Sara and Dorjan and the other being about Maeve and Jasper. There would have been more time for character development and storytelling for each of them that way.
Over all this was likeable, but not nearly as good as The Seer and the Sword and that disappointed me because I loved that one so much.
April 29, 2010
When I read Hanley's The Seer and the Sword, I concluded that it had good characters, but not enough worldbuilding. Oddly, Hanley's second book, The Healer's Keep, suffers from the opposite problem.
It's set in the same world and follows the adventure of four teenagers who are fighting the mysterious Shadow King, who is trying to take over the Healer's Keep (where two of the teens are studying magic) and then the world. Though the world (particularly the Keep) is well thought-out, none of the characters really came to life for me, perhaps because so much story was stuffed into one book that characterization was sketchy and the action was over-hurried. Again, Hanley's ideas have potential, but at least for me, she hasn't quite hit her stride yet.
It's set in the same world and follows the adventure of four teenagers who are fighting the mysterious Shadow King, who is trying to take over the Healer's Keep (where two of the teens are studying magic) and then the world. Though the world (particularly the Keep) is well thought-out, none of the characters really came to life for me, perhaps because so much story was stuffed into one book that characterization was sketchy and the action was over-hurried. Again, Hanley's ideas have potential, but at least for me, she hasn't quite hit her stride yet.
March 15, 2012
Strong lead characters, including strong female leads, contribute to driving a great adventure, replete with interesting and unusual magic. The evil-doing villain in this book is so scary, I felt sick. Fantastic to see a genuinely scary, evil villain, that does not rely on twisted torture scenes or graphic violence to show his evilness (I am so sick of vividly described torture in fantasy novels - there should be a warning on the cover)- just portrayed through his steely gaze and powerful magic abilities. Really like that characters are shown as caring for friends and accepting kindness from strangers, and that good actions, while increasing the danger and tension in the moment, are ultimately rewarded. One of those stay up all night until you have finished books.
Also posted on my blog http://misspossumbooklove.blogspot.co...
Also posted on my blog http://misspossumbooklove.blogspot.co...
August 29, 2008
I am probably the only person I know who enjoys The Healer's Keep as much as The Seer in the Sword. This is because of the setting. I wish more had been done as far as the classes in the Keep are concerned, as I enjoyed these sections of the book immensely. The ending also is a bit confusing, at least in concern of the last time I read the book.
July 15, 2012
I was impressed by the "The Seer and the Sword", but this book seemed like the author was making up the story as she went along. Gaping plot holes were filled with the characters realizing they have magic powers, etc. they never knew they possessed. Bizarre, complex story that resolved in about one paragraph.
April 17, 2009
Another good one by Victoria Hanley. This one brought back characters from the first book and introduced some great new characters. The story was interesting (although a few times a little confusing) and flowed well. It was a quick, enjoyable read.
August 17, 2018
Premise: I'm Italian, which might be the reason for grammar mistakes.
Im such a big fan of The Seer and the Sword, really. One of the most beautifully written children/YA books I ever read. Them I knew about this sequel, and they Told me it would be different. But still, Im quite disappointed. I still rate it 3/5 cause it was a nice reading, it kept my attention till the end of the book... though...
First, two out of the four main charachters are not so well developed, quite predictable, and they dont actually develop during the book. The existance of "charmals" as they are depicted is such a poor element of the story (bad people that cant help being bad and empty with no reason or motive - just were are we, in kindergarten?). The whole book seems to be written with no deep insight into human soul, just something very superficial. Bad guys are all just a slight shadow of the Big Bad Guy, the one from The Seer and the Sword. The Shadow King is a concept possibly more poor than the "charmal" one. There are many plot weak points, and many elements put into just for writer's facility (like "you have only 3 voyages left" and they are Just the ones he needs - are we kiddin?).
BUT what I found just terribile is that the world of The Seer and the Sword is turned upside down: in the first book, there are knights and kingdoms and the power of profecy that plays an important role, but its mainly a medieval war story, where strategy and wit play an important role. This book is instead about magical schools, time travel, teletransport, fighting in dreams, the existance of whole hunanity threatened by the weakening of a Bellandra magical building. Moreover, Landen and Thorina appear in the book as Sara's parents... but become useless and unwitty charachters. Are we joking? The story is not that bad, but the author should have made up a whole new world, without touching the one she had already crafted in such a balanced way. Whoever loves The Seer and the Sword, please make an effort to think that these Thorina, Laden, Bellandra and Slivia are different people and places from the ones from the first book. By doing so, you might be saved and enjoy this story just a little bit.
Im such a big fan of The Seer and the Sword, really. One of the most beautifully written children/YA books I ever read. Them I knew about this sequel, and they Told me it would be different. But still, Im quite disappointed. I still rate it 3/5 cause it was a nice reading, it kept my attention till the end of the book... though...
First, two out of the four main charachters are not so well developed, quite predictable, and they dont actually develop during the book. The existance of "charmals" as they are depicted is such a poor element of the story (bad people that cant help being bad and empty with no reason or motive - just were are we, in kindergarten?). The whole book seems to be written with no deep insight into human soul, just something very superficial. Bad guys are all just a slight shadow of the Big Bad Guy, the one from The Seer and the Sword. The Shadow King is a concept possibly more poor than the "charmal" one. There are many plot weak points, and many elements put into just for writer's facility (like "you have only 3 voyages left" and they are Just the ones he needs - are we kiddin?).
BUT what I found just terribile is that the world of The Seer and the Sword is turned upside down: in the first book, there are knights and kingdoms and the power of profecy that plays an important role, but its mainly a medieval war story, where strategy and wit play an important role. This book is instead about magical schools, time travel, teletransport, fighting in dreams, the existance of whole hunanity threatened by the weakening of a Bellandra magical building. Moreover, Landen and Thorina appear in the book as Sara's parents... but become useless and unwitty charachters. Are we joking? The story is not that bad, but the author should have made up a whole new world, without touching the one she had already crafted in such a balanced way. Whoever loves The Seer and the Sword, please make an effort to think that these Thorina, Laden, Bellandra and Slivia are different people and places from the ones from the first book. By doing so, you might be saved and enjoy this story just a little bit.
September 9, 2019
[Written: July 10, 2005] | {Edited: September 7, 2019]
Quite frankly, I thought "The Healers Keep" would be much better than it turned out. The storyline was never properly explained, the writer introduces you to several characters (Meave, Evan, Orlo, Jasper, Sara, Dorjen, Bern, and Lord Morlen) with hardly anything in their personalities to become attached to. They were lacking any real dimension and, dare I say it, were quite boring (except for Jasper, he was a cool character).
The story was divided into seven parts which felt needless in terms of making the story feel like it had some longevity to it. The unexplained gifts (until the very end inside the "Glosary"), the healers keep, the villain the Shadow King, his lackey Bern the "Charmal" - the "Frian" and "Genoven" - Sara and Dorjan --, Meave and Evan, along with Lord Morlen and the universe of the story itself was self-consciously embellished to the extreme.
The story felt like it was trying to be too complex with the storyline, Sara who is Queen Torina and King Laden's (from The Seer and Sword) daughter, doesn't resemble either of her parents qualities and did not act out in the "wildness" that the story tried to Label her with.
Not to mention that Laden(?) and Torina's(?) Parts in the story were majorly underused. Despite the good moments of the story, usually centering around Jasper the carriage driver and his determination to help out the wimpy Meave and Evan, the story wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It's an Okay read.
Quite frankly, I thought "The Healers Keep" would be much better than it turned out. The storyline was never properly explained, the writer introduces you to several characters (Meave, Evan, Orlo, Jasper, Sara, Dorjen, Bern, and Lord Morlen) with hardly anything in their personalities to become attached to. They were lacking any real dimension and, dare I say it, were quite boring (except for Jasper, he was a cool character).
The story was divided into seven parts which felt needless in terms of making the story feel like it had some longevity to it. The unexplained gifts (until the very end inside the "Glosary"), the healers keep, the villain the Shadow King, his lackey Bern the "Charmal" - the "Frian" and "Genoven" - Sara and Dorjan --, Meave and Evan, along with Lord Morlen and the universe of the story itself was self-consciously embellished to the extreme.
The story felt like it was trying to be too complex with the storyline, Sara who is Queen Torina and King Laden's (from The Seer and Sword) daughter, doesn't resemble either of her parents qualities and did not act out in the "wildness" that the story tried to Label her with.
Not to mention that Laden(?) and Torina's(?) Parts in the story were majorly underused. Despite the good moments of the story, usually centering around Jasper the carriage driver and his determination to help out the wimpy Meave and Evan, the story wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It's an Okay read.
October 8, 2017
I wanted to love revisiting this book because I remember loving it so much in middle school, but it ultimately fell incredibly flat. Toying with the idea of writing a YA novel myself, I wanted to revisit this story to seek some kind of inspiration. While the story is completely fine, I picked up on the lack of character depth, breakneck speed of the plot to the point of confusion, and unfortunate plot holes this time that I hadn't when I was younger. I will say this book is entertaining, but I struggled to finish it because it was so scrambled. To her credit, Hanley does a good job of world building and plays with interesting ideas, which I think made me fall in love so hard with the book when I picked it up years ago. However, it is glaringly obvious now that she sacrifices quite a lot to throw in too many twists and turns in the plot that ultimately detract from the book as a whole.
December 11, 2019
I'm honestly just.... confused. I remember reading this ten years ago or so, and enjoying it well enough. And, rereading it now, I suppose that's because it's a well enough book for quick, easy reading. There's just not too much depth to the story or the characters. And also not that much healing. I mean, for a book called The Healer's Keep, taking place at a school for healing, with characters who have magical gifts for healing, that had basically zero relevancy. Honestly, the characters could have started out at a military school, or a school for learning to become a seamstress, or Hogwarts for all the relevancy it had to the plot. Which honestly disappoints me a bit. I would like to see some badass teens with soft hearts and traditional healing powers that they're properly trained in save the world, please and thanks.
December 27, 2017
Didn't see a point to this book, there were so many plots going on that it felt flat. Nothing was developed with detail, even the great evil wasn't really explained, so the fight 'against' it didn't feel like it was a big deal. So many unsatisfying convenient things happened, like certain characters running into each other and falling in love, or grandmother's saving the day, and a merc with a contract happens to know the emperor and will get a singer to them. Also, everyone somehow knows how to use their "gifts" WITHOUT ANY TRAINING? None of the characters had any personality, or an arc. the beginning had so much promise but it felt like too much was happening at once. It's such a shame because the first book was very good.
November 4, 2019
Maeve, beloved slave of some guy. She was just like a daughter to him. He had her report to him once a year, just so he could watch her progress. Apparently, that was enough contact to create a parental bond. He loved her so much, that he stationed her in the massage parlour where she got to massage horny, naked men all day.
Um... Yeah.
It didn't get any better from there. Evil badguy has infiltrated the healer's keep. One of the people in charge knows that. But since nobody was going to believe her, she just kept her mouth shut and let it happen. It's been a while since I've seen writing that lazy and sloppy.
Um... Yeah.
It didn't get any better from there. Evil badguy has infiltrated the healer's keep. One of the people in charge knows that. But since nobody was going to believe her, she just kept her mouth shut and let it happen. It's been a while since I've seen writing that lazy and sloppy.
October 14, 2019
I was a bit hesitant whether or not to keep reading this series, but I actually found the sequel to be better than the first. You can tell the author has evolved since her first book. It's more creative and more interesting than the first and the world is more fleshed out. The only things I disliked were the number of terms the author created for the book. They could easily have been reduced or simplified. The other thing was the villain characters, they seemed more one dimensional than the good ones.
I will finish reading the series in hope that the next one will continue to get better.
I will finish reading the series in hope that the next one will continue to get better.
March 3, 2021
Compared to the Seer and the Sword I felt the plot in this book was rushed. The beginning was interesting and made me want to know more until it moved to Sara and then the plot began to move super fast. All the characters felt bland and the book didn't give me much time to really get to know any of them.
Also, there was a lot of things happening of page like the sudden change of the Supreme Seer. He went from, "The Queen is a fraud!" To "I'm a horrible person and I'll help." Felt rushed.
Also, there was a lot of things happening of page like the sudden change of the Supreme Seer. He went from, "The Queen is a fraud!" To "I'm a horrible person and I'll help." Felt rushed.
January 1, 2018
This book was great in some aspects, but some places in the book were weak and desperate for attention and suspense. Hanley wanted a quick-moving plot, she’s got it, but that doesn’t make it great. So it’s more of an ehhhhh for me.
May 16, 2022
The dream magic is interesting. Fun characters. It’s the essence of a fun mid-grade fantasy classic, nothing spectacularly unique, but it scratches that itch for story that we fantasy readers often feel.
July 15, 2025
I really enjoyed this novel. this was definitely better than the first. it kept me intrigued, and I read it faster. I think the author went more in depth with the maps, and the glossary added a lot to the novel to explain the different pieces.
February 22, 2018
Loved this sequel. Forgot tons about the first book, but lots came back. I love how she totally screwed things up and then worked hard to repair as much as possible. The magics were also fun.
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August 1, 20193.5 stars-
I feel like I just fell out of some kind of 1980’s fantasy, in the vein of The Last Unicorn and Dark Crystal. A trippy, intense, Jim Henson-esque, oddly fun adventure.
I feel like I just fell out of some kind of 1980’s fantasy, in the vein of The Last Unicorn and Dark Crystal. A trippy, intense, Jim Henson-esque, oddly fun adventure.
December 18, 2022
Love Vicoria Hanley's story writing. It is all good...character developement and story line
November 30, 2024
Excited for the next one
October 14, 2018
Bumping down to 3 stars on a re-read.
There are things about this story I really love. The concept is cool and the possibilities endless, but she really tries to bite off too much in this novel with very tenuous links between two EXTREMELY different countries and two EXTREMELY different worlds.
The beginning of this novel and the setup are identical to The Seer and the Sword though, and it looks like a very poor second. It also makes it a very annoying trope. I absolutely hated Sara.
The villains weren't very thoroughly explained in this book or in the first book. The first book was easier to chalk it up to "that's just the nature of the character," but this one really needed more backstory, and lacking that, it left more questions than answers. How did Moren become an Ebrowen? How are the understandings of Ebrowen and Ebromal different? How were the Tezzarines captured by the shadow?
The world building for this second book also seriously lacked and left more gaping questions. What happened to all the Genoven and Firan? Why are Firan even considered Healers? What about Dark Invisibility - did they magically manage to figure out how to identify and dispel it? How exactly do Genoven heal the mind (and why didn't Dorjan get to perform this miracle)? Why was Maeve so stupid that she didn't question why Orlo, a freaking bath house slave for Indol, was in Matendi? Why didn't we get to see more of Miranda, or even have Dorjan ever meet her in real life? What happened to the crew of the ship that Dorjan and Sara were on?
Clearly this book left me with too many questions to make it a convincing story. I liked it and I try to fill in the gaps with my imagination, but the book just doesn't cut it for me the way the first one does.
There are things about this story I really love. The concept is cool and the possibilities endless, but she really tries to bite off too much in this novel with very tenuous links between two EXTREMELY different countries and two EXTREMELY different worlds.
The beginning of this novel and the setup are identical to The Seer and the Sword though, and it looks like a very poor second. It also makes it a very annoying trope. I absolutely hated Sara.
The villains weren't very thoroughly explained in this book or in the first book. The first book was easier to chalk it up to "that's just the nature of the character," but this one really needed more backstory, and lacking that, it left more questions than answers. How did Moren become an Ebrowen? How are the understandings of Ebrowen and Ebromal different? How were the Tezzarines captured by the shadow?
The world building for this second book also seriously lacked and left more gaping questions. What happened to all the Genoven and Firan? Why are Firan even considered Healers? What about Dark Invisibility - did they magically manage to figure out how to identify and dispel it? How exactly do Genoven heal the mind (and why didn't Dorjan get to perform this miracle)? Why was Maeve so stupid that she didn't question why Orlo, a freaking bath house slave for Indol, was in Matendi? Why didn't we get to see more of Miranda, or even have Dorjan ever meet her in real life? What happened to the crew of the ship that Dorjan and Sara were on?
Clearly this book left me with too many questions to make it a convincing story. I liked it and I try to fill in the gaps with my imagination, but the book just doesn't cut it for me the way the first one does.
December 28, 2010
So… the book was pretty good. It’s set in a fantasy world where people can see in to the present and the future, transport themselves with their minds, walk through other people’s dreams and even feel someone’s essence simply by touching them. An interesting story that moved along pretty well, not too fast or slow. My only real problem that kept me from really fully enjoying it is that there were way too many moments in which the main characters were just too helpless. It wasn’t as frustrating as when characters make unreasonably stupid decisions… it was almost worse.
For example, there was a scene where an evil man was about to take an object of great value from one of the lead females. NOTE that there are two other lead characters in the same room, standing right next to the lead female with the object from what I gathered. So what great feat does this evil man do to wrest the object away from all three of these people? He simply walks up to her and takes it from her. Nobody stops him. And I just don’t understand it. Nobody even tries to stop him. Yes, I get that the female character was frightened and may have frozen with fear, but what about the other two, who didn’t even say anything? What the heck were they so occupied with off to the side? And then they want to spring into action after the evil man’s gone. FACEPALM
I understood that for this story, a lot of things needed to go wrong before they could start to get better, but there was just a point where it was just too much. I almost threw the book across the room.
I consider it a good thing when I book raises strong emotions in me, but not when it’s hate towards the book.
Plus the ending felt too abrupt for me.
Three stars.
=Doyin
For example, there was a scene where an evil man was about to take an object of great value from one of the lead females. NOTE that there are two other lead characters in the same room, standing right next to the lead female with the object from what I gathered. So what great feat does this evil man do to wrest the object away from all three of these people? He simply walks up to her and takes it from her. Nobody stops him. And I just don’t understand it. Nobody even tries to stop him. Yes, I get that the female character was frightened and may have frozen with fear, but what about the other two, who didn’t even say anything? What the heck were they so occupied with off to the side? And then they want to spring into action after the evil man’s gone. FACEPALM
I understood that for this story, a lot of things needed to go wrong before they could start to get better, but there was just a point where it was just too much. I almost threw the book across the room.
I consider it a good thing when I book raises strong emotions in me, but not when it’s hate towards the book.
Plus the ending felt too abrupt for me.
Three stars.
=Doyin
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