Wanderer's Tale: Annals of Lindormyn, Volume 1

Annals Of Lindormyn #1

by David Bilsborough

Many generations ago the icebound stronghold of Drauglir was destroyed. 500 years later, rumours spread of the evil demigod's second coming, with terrible consequences for the world of Lindormyn.

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

592 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2007

About the author

David Bilsborough was born in Malvern, England, the hills of which inspired him to create the world of Lindormyn. The Wanderer's Tale is the first of many annals set in that world. He lives abroad, where he teaches English as a second language. He's almost finished with the sequel that will conclude the epic story begun in The Wanderer's Tale.

Reviews

[Lynsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes effort to read. That said, it is the most rewarding piece of fiction I've ever read. It's like movie with intricate plot twists...Those that can't follow it, or don't take the time to flip back and understand something will utterly miss out. That's the only explanation for the other reviews that I can muster. This is the most exciting, involved, immersive, lovely, wonderful, eccentric, deceiving, unexpected, hilarious, well-written, piece of literature I have ever come across. Bilsborough rivals Tolkein in his ability to put words together in such a way as to keep you on your toes, while also allowing you to get lost in the amazing world he has created. If you have any love for fantasy and whimsy, pick up this series and ignore the other reviews. The saddest part of the whole ordeal is that those that can't walk along with him in his level of writing are keeping him from sharing more of his talent with the world.

[Mairéad (is roaming the Undying Lands) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars, primarily for the world building.

Gosh, where do I start?

This book was extremely difficult to focus on, let alone get into. Even LotR was easier to dive into once I gave it another try. But let's face it, high fantasy is hard to do. Hard to create a gripping story filled with beloved characters and a band of heroes rushing to save their world. But I've come across some that do this very well such as George R.R. Martin's A Song Of Fire and Ice series, or even Christopher Polini's Eragon, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy plus The Hobbit --and I'm sure there's more that can be added to this list.

But, well... The Wanderer's Tale unfortunately failed for me in my opinion. It focused on such a level of detail and attention to the world itself only to leave the possible vibrant cast of characters that could of been into watered down versions composed of 1D characteristics. They held no importance to me. Like I'd see a name here and there, but there was a lack of connect, heart, voices to them. Kind of like you're watching the most tenacious debacle of who's going to save the world and you couldn't care less who did because there was no connection between the reader and these characters.

I skimmed quite a bit of this, and I felt like I didn't miss much. So much could have been dealt away with and polished to connect with the reader. Even after a while the world that these characters inhabited didn't feel real. Almost as if we were asking to be the witness and jury of a crime that was lame in comparison to a more serious crime. I wanted to take an infinite amount of recesses throughout.

It's unfortunate, but the reality of this book for me. For a title like The Wanderer's Tale, I had expected a sweeping majestic epic akin to the video game Shadow of the Colossus.

Instead it just made me wonder why I spent so much time grueling over this flat story in the first place when I have tons upon tons of books to better spend my time enjoying.

I apologize for the harshness, but I finished it, so I should be granted that much.

[Maxine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have liked this book better if it was written in a language I don't understand.

[Steven B Orkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, if JRR Tolkein, Robert E Howard, and HP Lovecraft had a baby, and if that baby grew up to write a 2-book fantasy series, it would probably end up something like the Annals of Lindormyn. The story has some of the flaws of these authors (SO much Tolkeinesque walking...) but their attributes are in evidence as well. Mythic, gritty, violent, imaginative, often phantasmagorically nightmarish, and distinctively told (with a startling, if periodically overwrought, vocabulary), this series (comprising 'The Wanderer's Tale' and 'A Fire in the North') was overall very well-written and entertaining. There are many twists and turns in the dark, complex, and well-thought out plot, but it doesn't feel manufactured. Indeed, Bilsborough is often very unsentimental about what happens to his characters, who are often deeply flawed but no less compelling for it. Bilsborough has created a very detailed and consistent world with distinctive races, species, places, cultures, and history that should please most any fan of the genre. Though there's certainly ample room to tell other stories featuring some or all of the characters, this tale concludes in a satisfying manner, which is a big deal in Fantasy Fiction, which tends to blather on endlessly for book after book.

I had two criticisms of the series.

1) There are no main female characters. I kind of understand why given the parameters of the world Bilsborough has created, but I don't care. I feel strong female characters should be represented, especially in a traditionally male-centric genre like Fantasy Fiction. The one potentially interesting female character is never put to good use. I can only assume the author has future plans for her.

2) The story sometimes has a bit of an identity crisis. Though Bilsborough very effectively shifts POV's between characters as they separate, the actual focal character of the story seems to float between a few different characters over the course of the story. By the last quarter to third of the story, it does become clear, but I felt he could have settled in on this more effectively earlier on.

These are not are not dealbreaker issues. The series is engaging and well-worth reading.

[Kirsty McCracken · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 15%.

This is just not for me. The writing is too...much. It's just over done. Sorry Mr. Bilsborough, cuz it seems like this is a great plot idea. I just can't understand what's actually happening.

[Gavin Burrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an epic fantasy, The Wanderer's Tale fails on virtually every level. Billsborough struggles to convey any sense of purpose to the proceedings, and what little direction there is gradually erodes throughout the book. The overall sense is of a nicely narrated Dungeons & Dragons quest - complete with numerous clumsy references to familar D&D terms.

The book is written in a number of seriously clashing styles. In the early pages it's a stuffy Nordic-influenced affair, with the odd sections of Greek mythos laid thickly over the top. Once the action proper begins though it's a more light-hearted and at times whimsical affair. A particularly grating moment is a scene ripped wholesale from the Bond movies, complete with a character called Kuw. It's not big and it's certainly not clever.

Billsborough's characterisation is also patchy at best. The character of Gapp is a poorly sketched Pratchett lad, while other key characters like Paulus and Methuselah are pretty much devoid of character completely.

Yet for all its detracting factors, there's something strangely readable about The Wanderer's Tale. Some scenes are evocatively written - Wodesman's debut scene in particular is wonderful - and there are some imaginative ideas throughout the book. It's the general lack of purpose that's the biggest flaw - the book just ends abruptly and I'm not sure I care all that much what happens next.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book felt like the author had taken a drunken D&D game he played and narrated it. It also read kinda like the author was making fun of the genre in a subtle way with the amount of adjectives he used and the flailing of the adventurers on their quest. But he might not be. I don't know, but I found it hard to take this book as seriously as the quest. There are some really awesome scenes in there, such as the Paladin meeting and the shaman capturing a fairy. The most fascinating character for me is the shaman, and I don't like the supposed hero of the whole quest-- he's an asshole. But what really bugs me is that there are no main female protagonists AT ALL, and what females you do meet or read about are described sexually or evilly. What a turn-off! Not to mention, the heroes, all men, never seem to have one iota of sexual desire or thought-- which makes me think they're neutered or... something. I didn't really finish this book... I think I got the gist of it from the 150 pages.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Around average now, but could become a fair bit more .....

I'm a sucker for buying a book by looking at its cover and a read of the sleeve, and this promised much by that degree, I was however to be disappointed by this book initially, very slow to start and when it does the story is by no means interesting enough to keep you reading, the characters do a little to save this though although they could have been lifted from many a standard fantasy book, however much I disliked this book though at this stage (about halfway) I came around somewhat by the end, because it may not be a classic, but it has great potential and scope for growth, the dialogue and descriptive nature of the surroundings begins to rise in quality later on in the book, there is much for the writer to do in the next book, but it is worth reading as it just might turn into a good series, there is still hope

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few parts in this book that were laugh out loud funny, and a lot of other places where a wry turn of phrase made me smile. The problem I had with the book is really getting the motivations of the various characters. There were either too many of them, or they weren't defined well enough for me to feel involved with their story. When you add that funny storytelling voice, it creates a huge distance. The author was obviously laughing at the characters, and that made it too easy to laugh and not easy enough to care.

I probably won't pick up the next in the series, but I'd be interested in checking out a later series if Bilsborough tries again.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is sad is that it took the writer twelve years to write this. The introduction of the shaman Wodesman is brilliant, but the rest of the book does strange things, and I was also put off by the multiple reappearances of characters you thought died. It's an interesting thing when an author lets their audience learn about a character, and kill them off. Well done in The Dragonbone Chair with the death of Doctor Morgenes. This book, however, gets tedious, as it has characters fall away, in to seeming death, only to pop back up again, leaving you to follow several plots.

[Kristin]

This book sure sounded like it would be cool--but in fact, I didn't like it and stopped early on. The writing was good, but it was like some old school C.J. Cherryh, packed full of unexplained, invented words and names. Too many of them. I'm all for fantasy worlds with all kinds of names for things and people, but they need to be explained/defined at least within a reasonable time frame after their first instance so you know what they mean, and a good, healthy proportion of them would amount to about a quarter of the amount in this book.

[Chris Conley · Rating 1 out of 5]

If there was ever a fantasy book that wasn't for me, this one was it. The writing is over the top to the point where it's painful to read. It abuses adjectives like nothing I'd ever seen. The names of people, places, and things don't help in any regard. The descriptions and insight into every little thing got to the point where I wanted to bang my head against a wall. If the book wasn't so difficult to read, I'd think it was making fun of itself or possibly the genre itself.

[Hannah Langhoff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got a sudden craving for fantasy lately (I blame the release of The Hobbit) and I really wanted to like this book, but I just wasn't feeling it and gave up after about 200 pages. It's populated by stock characters who don't get a whole lot of development, and who are almost exclusively male for some reason. Also, the author rivals Stephenie Meyer in his use of redundant dialogue tags.

[Lane Beaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I found the characters interesting and the overall story engaging. This book would make a great movie in the Lord of the Rings genre. I was very engaged in the book and was delighted when I got to the last 200 pages and realized that it was going to be impossible to complete the story and to find there was a second book.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Series of unrelated random events (attacks usually) are inflicted on a group of disperate travellers about whom we care little. There is an over arching plot, but not much is made of it.

[Nolia Novels & Notes Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was such a difficult read. I barely made it past page 50.
maybe if I was much more patient, It may have been worth reading, but I just couldn't finish it!

[Teresa D · Rating 1 out of 5]

won't be reading the next in the series that's for sure!

[Elizabeth Langston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with another reviewer comment about this taking effort to read. It took me a long time. I was not swept into the story as I had hoped.

[Robb Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started great, at times the campiness can get a little tiresome. Don't really like where the book left us and then seven years to the next book.

[Regina Cattus · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style was okay, but the chapters were unreasonably long and it was generally a lot like any other epic.

[Phillip Tigerclaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little difficult to get but stick with it it'll get you there - in this case into a fight with Giants. Al set for book 2 which is sat on my bedside table.

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Mairéad (is roaming the Undying Lands) says it best. What a frustrating and disappointing book.