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The Stone Duology #1
The Arm of the Stone
(from inside jacket) "In The Arm of the Stone, Victoria Strauss has created a reality of two worlds: Handpower, based on technology, and Mindpower, in which tools are regarded as dangerous heresy. A thousand years ago, when the worlds split apart, an ambitious sorcerer seized the Stone from which the powers of mind are drawn. To keep the new world from contamination, he established rigid rules circumscribing which machines may be built and what types of knowledge may be pursued-rules brutally enforced by an order of Guardians known as the Arm of the Stone. . . ."
426 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
6 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Strauss
19 books131 followersI'm the author of nine novels for adults and young adults, including the Stone duology ("The Arm of the Stone" and "The Garden of the Stone"); the Way of Arata duology ("The Burning Land" and "The Awakened City"); and "Passion Blue" and "Color Song," a pair of historical novels for teens. I've reviewed books for SF Site, Black Gate, and Fantasy magazine, and my articles on writing and how to get published have appeared in Writer’s Digest and elsewhere. In 2006, I served as a judge for the World Fantasy Awards.
I'm an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and co-founder, with Ann Crispin, of Writer Beware, a publishing industry watchdog group that warns about literary schemes and scams. I maintain the Writer Beware website, blog, and Facebook pages, and I was honored with the SFWA Service Award in 2009.
I'm an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and co-founder, with Ann Crispin, of Writer Beware, a publishing industry watchdog group that warns about literary schemes and scams. I maintain the Writer Beware website, blog, and Facebook pages, and I was honored with the SFWA Service Award in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 1, 2012
Originally published at www.fantasyliterature.com
The world has been torn asunder. Originally held together by disciplines of mind and hand, devotees of the powers of the mind have been pushed aside by the technological innovations of the devotees of hand power. As belief in the power of magic fades, the last enclaves of magic users simply disappear. But they are not actually gone. They have formed a second world, accessible only by a few Gates that bind the two worlds together. This new world is held together by the power of the Stone, a magical artifact that bestows all knowledge upon its possessor. Bron has been raised knowing that his was the last family in the 1000 year history of the world to hold the Stone before it was seized by the evil Percival, who used the Stone to set up a system of oppressive rule enforced by the Guardians. He has been raised on the Tale, a story of his noble lineage that must be kept secret at all costs. It foretells the coming of the One, who will reclaim the Stone and end the rule of the Guardians. And his mother believes that he is the One.
Originally published in 1998, Arm of the Stone by Victoria Strauss was re-released in 2011. I was not familiar with her work before but was greatly impressed by this book. Strauss takes a standard heroic quest fantasy but embeds it in a deeply detailed world that is fascinating in its complexity. Strauss manages to write a book that can be read at two levels simultaneously. First, you have an excellent fantasy quest novel, in which Bron follows his destiny to destroy the Guardians. In doing this, he will join the Guardians to gain the power he needs to destroy it. Bron’s story is mirrored by the adventures of Liliane and Goldwine, two young women who have spent their lives focused on joining the Guardians. Liliane and Bron meet briefly in the Fortress, the center of the Guardians’ power. As the story skips swathes of time, Liliane and Bron will face the changes of their goals and understanding together and yet completely opposed to each other.
Secondly, this book is a great discussion on the nature of power and its corruptive forces. This world is one in which religious and political authority is joined into one organization. Much like the Catholic Church in the middle ages, this causes multiple competing forces within the organization to compete for supremacy. Strauss’s depiction of the inner machinations of the forces within the Guardians has real effects on the characters, and shapes their goals and their motivations. Bron and Liliane represent two competing orthodoxies, and watching them both deal with the challenges in their lives gives the reader an opportunity to examine the role of belief and devotion in society.
This is a wonderfully realized fantasy novel. While I understand that Liliane exists mostly to serve as a foil and mirror for Bron, I would have liked to see her story more fully developed. Though Strauss skips large periods of time in both stories, this is particularly evident in the case of Liliane, though you could make the argument that her character develops less because of its faithfulness to the same cause throughout her story. Still, I felt that we were told her development more than watching it happen. I would have gladly read 100 more pages to see her story more fully developed. I can see how doing this for Bron would have ruined some of the surprise elements of the plot and destroyed the building tension, but I do not think the same caveat applies to Liliane’s story.
I highly recommend this book as an example of epic quest fantasy that goes beyond sword slinging and mind magic. Strauss masterfully accomplishes a detailed, thoughtprovoking work of epic fantasy that has something to offer for everyone. I will be seeking out the second book in this duology to finish the story of Bron, Liliane and Goldwine to see what will happen next in this expertly crafted world.
The world has been torn asunder. Originally held together by disciplines of mind and hand, devotees of the powers of the mind have been pushed aside by the technological innovations of the devotees of hand power. As belief in the power of magic fades, the last enclaves of magic users simply disappear. But they are not actually gone. They have formed a second world, accessible only by a few Gates that bind the two worlds together. This new world is held together by the power of the Stone, a magical artifact that bestows all knowledge upon its possessor. Bron has been raised knowing that his was the last family in the 1000 year history of the world to hold the Stone before it was seized by the evil Percival, who used the Stone to set up a system of oppressive rule enforced by the Guardians. He has been raised on the Tale, a story of his noble lineage that must be kept secret at all costs. It foretells the coming of the One, who will reclaim the Stone and end the rule of the Guardians. And his mother believes that he is the One.
Originally published in 1998, Arm of the Stone by Victoria Strauss was re-released in 2011. I was not familiar with her work before but was greatly impressed by this book. Strauss takes a standard heroic quest fantasy but embeds it in a deeply detailed world that is fascinating in its complexity. Strauss manages to write a book that can be read at two levels simultaneously. First, you have an excellent fantasy quest novel, in which Bron follows his destiny to destroy the Guardians. In doing this, he will join the Guardians to gain the power he needs to destroy it. Bron’s story is mirrored by the adventures of Liliane and Goldwine, two young women who have spent their lives focused on joining the Guardians. Liliane and Bron meet briefly in the Fortress, the center of the Guardians’ power. As the story skips swathes of time, Liliane and Bron will face the changes of their goals and understanding together and yet completely opposed to each other.
Secondly, this book is a great discussion on the nature of power and its corruptive forces. This world is one in which religious and political authority is joined into one organization. Much like the Catholic Church in the middle ages, this causes multiple competing forces within the organization to compete for supremacy. Strauss’s depiction of the inner machinations of the forces within the Guardians has real effects on the characters, and shapes their goals and their motivations. Bron and Liliane represent two competing orthodoxies, and watching them both deal with the challenges in their lives gives the reader an opportunity to examine the role of belief and devotion in society.
This is a wonderfully realized fantasy novel. While I understand that Liliane exists mostly to serve as a foil and mirror for Bron, I would have liked to see her story more fully developed. Though Strauss skips large periods of time in both stories, this is particularly evident in the case of Liliane, though you could make the argument that her character develops less because of its faithfulness to the same cause throughout her story. Still, I felt that we were told her development more than watching it happen. I would have gladly read 100 more pages to see her story more fully developed. I can see how doing this for Bron would have ruined some of the surprise elements of the plot and destroyed the building tension, but I do not think the same caveat applies to Liliane’s story.
I highly recommend this book as an example of epic quest fantasy that goes beyond sword slinging and mind magic. Strauss masterfully accomplishes a detailed, thoughtprovoking work of epic fantasy that has something to offer for everyone. I will be seeking out the second book in this duology to finish the story of Bron, Liliane and Goldwine to see what will happen next in this expertly crafted world.
November 29, 2011
Overall the writing was solid. The pieces of plot fit together. There's a prophecy plot and a whole wrestling with fate that's classic fantasy. But there were a few issues that keep it an okay rather than a great or good book.
Imagine the wizarding world has subjugated the rest of the world and blotted out technology to Dark Ages level, then imagine that Hogwarts is sadistic and legalistic and Professor Snape is the nicest teacher on staff. Keep all the legalism of the Catholic church, but remove any sense of charity or hope or moral guidance. Now make that mental image a little more boring, and you've just about got the Arm of the Stone world.
This book felt a lot longer than it needed to be. Often there were events taking place, many of the interesting ones off screen, but you didn't feel like a lot happened. And then everything happens really fast.
But sandwiched in between nothing much happening and everything happening quickly, there's this bad romance novel. I can almost read the print on the back cover: "He was dark, brooding, and impenetrable. She was on a mission to uncover his secrets, but watching him stirred in her a new and intense longing. Would he find her out before her mission was complete? Or would she ensnare him with intensity of her desires?"
After the bad romance novel, the book makes a series of breakneck twists. Had it kept up that sort of pacing through more of the story, it might have been cool.
One of the biggest problem with the book is that the main character/Hero is not easy to sympathize with. He's an angry young man bent on revenge. Maybe in romance novel world his deep inner darkness should be fascinating, but I found it off putting. There wasn't much reason to hope the Hero fulfilled his destiny or that the world would be any better if he did. He sort of, kind of mellows out towards the end, but we don't get to see the mellowing. We just get flashes of it, that are hard to determine as another mask or an actual part of his character.
The female lead is far easier to sympathize with, but her character remains far too static. She seems to have the potential to gain a greater understanding or even soften the male lead in a real way, but it never happens. Part of her history has her enduring the repeated rapes of a boss (which thankfully we don't get full descriptions of)...this was handled tastefully enough. But it didn't sit right with me. About a third of the way through I realized why. It was the extreme unbalance in gender treatment of sexuality.
She's deeply scarred by her only sexual encounters, protective of her further celibacy until the bad romance novel climaxes (...yes, I'm ashamed of myself for that...). But even that was a big event for her, filled with much internal struggle. The male lead on the other hand starts young and goes through a long string of sexual partners (also thankfully not described in detail). There's no flicker of regret or regard, no word of the effect on the women he leaves behind. They have no effect on him, none of them have names, not even from the larger perspective of the writer is there any hint that this is in anyway not desirable...except that it eventually leaves him open to female lead's spying. Instead it's symbolically linked with a break from the "evil Arm" and it's (evil?) policy of celibacy. The only problem the female lead has with male lead's constant train of partners is a flicker of jealousy and even envy.
Meanwhile, the men in power and the male lead himself make snide comments about her rapes (which they think were voluntary encounters). In the end, she's sentenced to bear a child and die. He on other hand is now truly free and has unlimited super powers. ...And this book is written by a woman. Blegh.
Imagine the wizarding world has subjugated the rest of the world and blotted out technology to Dark Ages level, then imagine that Hogwarts is sadistic and legalistic and Professor Snape is the nicest teacher on staff. Keep all the legalism of the Catholic church, but remove any sense of charity or hope or moral guidance. Now make that mental image a little more boring, and you've just about got the Arm of the Stone world.
This book felt a lot longer than it needed to be. Often there were events taking place, many of the interesting ones off screen, but you didn't feel like a lot happened. And then everything happens really fast.
But sandwiched in between nothing much happening and everything happening quickly, there's this bad romance novel. I can almost read the print on the back cover: "He was dark, brooding, and impenetrable. She was on a mission to uncover his secrets, but watching him stirred in her a new and intense longing. Would he find her out before her mission was complete? Or would she ensnare him with intensity of her desires?"
After the bad romance novel, the book makes a series of breakneck twists. Had it kept up that sort of pacing through more of the story, it might have been cool.
One of the biggest problem with the book is that the main character/Hero is not easy to sympathize with. He's an angry young man bent on revenge. Maybe in romance novel world his deep inner darkness should be fascinating, but I found it off putting. There wasn't much reason to hope the Hero fulfilled his destiny or that the world would be any better if he did. He sort of, kind of mellows out towards the end, but we don't get to see the mellowing. We just get flashes of it, that are hard to determine as another mask or an actual part of his character.
The female lead is far easier to sympathize with, but her character remains far too static. She seems to have the potential to gain a greater understanding or even soften the male lead in a real way, but it never happens. Part of her history has her enduring the repeated rapes of a boss (which thankfully we don't get full descriptions of)...this was handled tastefully enough. But it didn't sit right with me. About a third of the way through I realized why. It was the extreme unbalance in gender treatment of sexuality.
She's deeply scarred by her only sexual encounters, protective of her further celibacy until the bad romance novel climaxes (...yes, I'm ashamed of myself for that...). But even that was a big event for her, filled with much internal struggle. The male lead on the other hand starts young and goes through a long string of sexual partners (also thankfully not described in detail). There's no flicker of regret or regard, no word of the effect on the women he leaves behind. They have no effect on him, none of them have names, not even from the larger perspective of the writer is there any hint that this is in anyway not desirable...except that it eventually leaves him open to female lead's spying. Instead it's symbolically linked with a break from the "evil Arm" and it's (evil?) policy of celibacy. The only problem the female lead has with male lead's constant train of partners is a flicker of jealousy and even envy.
Meanwhile, the men in power and the male lead himself make snide comments about her rapes (which they think were voluntary encounters). In the end, she's sentenced to bear a child and die. He on other hand is now truly free and has unlimited super powers. ...And this book is written by a woman. Blegh.
February 9, 2017
The beginning of The Arm of the Stone was really rocky for me. Honestly, it got to the point where I thought about giving it up; however, I didn't and I'm glad I stuck with it.
I thought the beginning was rather drawn out and overloaded with characters, history, etc. Also, the conflict didn't seem very interesting to me: Bron's family swears to take back the Stone, which was once theirs and reclaim their power from the Guardians who now hold it. I thought this was too simplistic and it didn't really hold much promise. However, there is a huge turning point in the novel, and that's when the novel picked up its pace and started to become interesting.
What I love most about The Arm of the Stone is the story and the world. Strauss does an excellent job in making the story seem very straightforward, and then she throws a curveball at you, completely changing your perspective of what's happening. Also, the world is extremely well-constructed. When I read the novel, I was completely immersed because of the level of detail Strauss includes.
Another thing I liked was that I felt that the characters showed a lot of growth. The Bron we meet on page one is completely different than the Bron we know on the last page, which I think is one sign of a successful book. The same goes for many of the characters in the novel, including Liliane and Goldwine, to name a few.
There were times when I got confused about jumps in time and it did take me a long time to finish this novel, because it's loaded with so much. I don't think the latter is necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely not a quick summer read. It is, however, one of the best fantasies I've read in awhile and I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel.
I would recommend this for fantasy fans who enjoy coming-of-age adventures.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I thought the beginning was rather drawn out and overloaded with characters, history, etc. Also, the conflict didn't seem very interesting to me: Bron's family swears to take back the Stone, which was once theirs and reclaim their power from the Guardians who now hold it. I thought this was too simplistic and it didn't really hold much promise. However, there is a huge turning point in the novel, and that's when the novel picked up its pace and started to become interesting.
What I love most about The Arm of the Stone is the story and the world. Strauss does an excellent job in making the story seem very straightforward, and then she throws a curveball at you, completely changing your perspective of what's happening. Also, the world is extremely well-constructed. When I read the novel, I was completely immersed because of the level of detail Strauss includes.
Another thing I liked was that I felt that the characters showed a lot of growth. The Bron we meet on page one is completely different than the Bron we know on the last page, which I think is one sign of a successful book. The same goes for many of the characters in the novel, including Liliane and Goldwine, to name a few.
There were times when I got confused about jumps in time and it did take me a long time to finish this novel, because it's loaded with so much. I don't think the latter is necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely not a quick summer read. It is, however, one of the best fantasies I've read in awhile and I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel.
I would recommend this for fantasy fans who enjoy coming-of-age adventures.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
January 28, 2014
Long ago, after a battle for dominance between the power of mind (what we’d call magic) and the power of the hand (technology and tools), those with mindpower left for another world using the Stone, a magical talisman of great power. But after generations of peace, Percival stole the stone, killed the family that had wielded its power, and set up a new system of rule, with power strictly held by the Guardians, who enforced the rules against handpower of any sort.
The Arm of the Stone, by Victoria Strauss, opens with young Bron listening, as he has every night, to this tale, which has special meaning to his family, as they are the sole surviving descendants of that family Percival tried to extinguish. They tell the tale to remind each generation of the prophecy that one day “The One” will come, greater than any in mindpower, and reclaim the sword and overthrow the Guardians. It takes... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
The Arm of the Stone, by Victoria Strauss, opens with young Bron listening, as he has every night, to this tale, which has special meaning to his family, as they are the sole surviving descendants of that family Percival tried to extinguish. They tell the tale to remind each generation of the prophecy that one day “The One” will come, greater than any in mindpower, and reclaim the sword and overthrow the Guardians. It takes... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
August 9, 2012
“An intelligent, fascinating novel...the complicated politics and social structure of this world give it a depth most fantasy novels lack.” --SF Site
“A rich story about human nature, this fantasy is a thought-provoking page-turner....A thoroughly enjoyable read.” --Kliatt
“A really brilliant novel...Most unusual and fascinating...Exceedingly well done.” --Anne McCaffrey, author of THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN
“Involving fantasy, treated with unusual depth.” --Locus
“A rich story about human nature, this fantasy is a thought-provoking page-turner....A thoroughly enjoyable read.” --Kliatt
“A really brilliant novel...Most unusual and fascinating...Exceedingly well done.” --Anne McCaffrey, author of THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN
“Involving fantasy, treated with unusual depth.” --Locus
April 14, 2013
Very slow-paced book. None of the characters were particularly enjoyable. Very little action, and I found myself unable to care about how the story played out.
April 21, 2019
This story seemed to take forever, so much happened, but most of it was behind the scenes and you just learned the details in passing. But it did what it was meant to do, it got you hooked even if you're not sure how.
I would recommend it to other people that I know, but not from the hilltops.
I would recommend it to other people that I know, but not from the hilltops.
August 8, 2021
Wow! What a let down. This was so boring & convoluted. And it was twice as long as needed to be
August 15, 2021
For some reason this book stays in my head years after I first read it.
I find the ideas so interesting.
I find the ideas so interesting.
May 24, 2012
I will admit that the fate of some characters were not satisfying, but I do recognize their believability. The only thing that irks me about this book is what the heartsensor does at the end. There is a rule about heartsensors that the author drills into you for most of the book. When a heartsensor loves someone they go mad with that love, losing their will and sometimes their mind. To me this says that they become a slave to their love, the object of their affection something they hold precious above all else making them incapable to follow their normal judgement. When Liliane continues to search out what Bron is doing it could be excused that she is consumed by him and everything he does. When she finds what he had been doing however she resolves that they must both be wiped out, that her love for him condemns her with him but that she still blindly follows faith in the Limits like normal. OK... at this point I guess I could she how she sees an ending for them both as the only option. Love doesn't remove ingrained doctrine judgement it seems, even with a powerful love magic. But then when he confronts her and explains everything that he is, all his reasoning, after months of seeing what his way of thinking has done for the people, something she admired and approved of, she is repulsed as any other guardian would be. This is where I am irked. I could see an emotionally normal character reacting this way, especially after only a week of being with him intimately, but not her. Where is this all consuming emotionally driven love we have been told would happen upon their consummation? It's like the author created this rule that applied to only her and disregarded it completely when it came time to apply it. Of course I guess the author might have meant simply that they go crazy and that loyalty to their love is not necessarily a product of their connection, but I didn't see madness within her either (unless following orders is madness, but she had been doing that all along.) Maybe if we had been allowed to see from her perspective again after the emotionally driven encounter (especially a reaction to almost being killed by him) I could understand how the love affected her, but that's it. We're left with the knowledge she gave him and herself up completely like a good little guardian, find her again unconscious, and basically told she is going to die as she's taken away from him again. Oh well, other than the author breaking this rule she set up the story was interesting. The most rounded character is of course the male lead, you don't really ever like him but he is believable and faulted and at least in the end fighting for a good cause, much more interesting then heroes I've read in other books fighting the good fight the whole time like some unfalsifiable god.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2012
This was this week's free offer from Phoenix Picks (via Amazon for Kindle). It is the third one they've had and the first that I've liked enough to go on past a few pages. I'm interested to see where this story leads. I generally find stories with this many standard fantasy elements to be retreads, but this one feels different and I hope it keeps it up.
The basic story:
The world and story concept are interesting. However, I found the use of the same old "star crossed" lovers because they won't bother to ask each other a simple, direct question to be convoluted and annoying as hell. Though I did like what happened to Bron in the end. It was an intriguing look at his Gift. But not enough that I care to read a sequel.
The basic story:
Long ago, when the worlds were one... So begins the Tale, the ancestral legend Bron's family has guarded for a thousand years. Once, they were the keepers of the Stone, the most sacred object on earth, from which all the powers of Mind are drawn. But when the conflict between Mind and Hand split the worlds apart, the Stone was seized by an ambitious sorcerer. To keep the new world from contamination, he created rigid Limits circumscribing which tools might be made and which knowledge might be pursued-laws brutally enforced by a group of Guardians known as the Arm of the Stone. For centuries, Bron's family has concealed the secret of its heritage. But when Bron's brother invents a new kind of plow-an unpardonable heresy in the world of the Guardians-the Arm of the Stone reaches in once again to tear them apart. Fleeing for his life, Bron vows revenge....Final Analysis
The world and story concept are interesting. However, I found the use of the same old "star crossed" lovers because they won't bother to ask each other a simple, direct question to be convoluted and annoying as hell. Though I did like what happened to Bron in the end. It was an intriguing look at his Gift. But not enough that I care to read a sequel.
November 16, 2015
I really like The Arm of the Stone. I became very attached to the main character, Bron, and wished to see him succeed in this quest. Be warned, this is not one of those happy little fantasy tales with elves and dwarves.
This is a story of a young man growing up in a totally oppressive world that would seem to parallel a time in European history; the Spanish Inquisition. The Arm of the Stone is so powerful that no person in the world of Mindpower is allowed to vary from what is written. No changes or advancements are allowed to be made, well, at least not many. And the Guardians, the enforcers of the Limits are cruel and unforgiving.
There are not very many happy moments in this book . . . but, to tell the truth…they aren’t needed. The book moves at an excellent pace and there are no slow parts. The characters are well developed and believable.
The only thing I didn’t like was the cover of the book. But don’t let the cover fool you . . . The Arm of the Stone is an excellent book. If there is a sequel, and I am hoping that there is . . . it will definitely be on my reading list.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
This is a story of a young man growing up in a totally oppressive world that would seem to parallel a time in European history; the Spanish Inquisition. The Arm of the Stone is so powerful that no person in the world of Mindpower is allowed to vary from what is written. No changes or advancements are allowed to be made, well, at least not many. And the Guardians, the enforcers of the Limits are cruel and unforgiving.
There are not very many happy moments in this book . . . but, to tell the truth…they aren’t needed. The book moves at an excellent pace and there are no slow parts. The characters are well developed and believable.
The only thing I didn’t like was the cover of the book. But don’t let the cover fool you . . . The Arm of the Stone is an excellent book. If there is a sequel, and I am hoping that there is . . . it will definitely be on my reading list.
I rated this book a 9 out of 10.
April 17, 2011
Phoenixpick.com freebie of April 2011
Having real trouble getting into this - i just can't work out why the "bad guys" are nasty and evil. Yes, there is corruption and nastiness in general - but why is the institution of baddies worthy of being taken down :S
I've seen tech = evil done so very well by David Weber in Off Armageddon Reef where the protaganist has a very understandable reason for causing change (and introducing tech back again). So here it's really falling flat for me.
It's a very easy read, however, so i may just finish it in two sittings.
Now finished. Never really got into it - the only reason I finished as I was stuck waiting for a meeting to finish and it overran, majorly. Next time I'm loading more books!
Having real trouble getting into this - i just can't work out why the "bad guys" are nasty and evil. Yes, there is corruption and nastiness in general - but why is the institution of baddies worthy of being taken down :S
I've seen tech = evil done so very well by David Weber in Off Armageddon Reef where the protaganist has a very understandable reason for causing change (and introducing tech back again). So here it's really falling flat for me.
It's a very easy read, however, so i may just finish it in two sittings.
Now finished. Never really got into it - the only reason I finished as I was stuck waiting for a meeting to finish and it overran, majorly. Next time I'm loading more books!
February 4, 2024
Reread. What I had forgotten was that the paragraphs can be long, and it gets quite repetitive with everything being exhaustively described.
Reading as an adult and not a high schooler, I can understand Liliane’s devotion to the laws and way of life she was taught to uphold, even when presented with a better way of life. When I first read it I couldn’t understand her and I hated her for it. I still don’t necessarily care for her since she has no original thoughts but I tolerated her more this time. Bron, who I liked a lot really pissed me off at the end. To be so walled off and then just reveal himself to his enemy. How stupid! And the depth he went in his revelation is somewhat unbelievable given his life. But aside from that I enjoyed it and I don’t think I ever read the second book but now I will.
Reading as an adult and not a high schooler, I can understand Liliane’s devotion to the laws and way of life she was taught to uphold, even when presented with a better way of life. When I first read it I couldn’t understand her and I hated her for it. I still don’t necessarily care for her since she has no original thoughts but I tolerated her more this time. Bron, who I liked a lot really pissed me off at the end. To be so walled off and then just reveal himself to his enemy. How stupid! And the depth he went in his revelation is somewhat unbelievable given his life. But aside from that I enjoyed it and I don’t think I ever read the second book but now I will.
May 15, 2012
Pretty good. Interesting world and plot, though it felt a bit disjointed at times. I feel like there was a lot of story the reader should have gotten between the beginning and the end that we ended up missing out on because the writing style bloated the length of the book.
By that, I mean that the paragraphs are all behemoths. There are no moments of rapidly-flowing narrative. Several sentences describe, and re-describe each moment, and close one eye and squint a little and re-examine it again.
Still the book held my attention. I felt close enough to the characters to care about the eventual culmination. I'm not sure I'll be going back for next book in the series yet, though.
By that, I mean that the paragraphs are all behemoths. There are no moments of rapidly-flowing narrative. Several sentences describe, and re-describe each moment, and close one eye and squint a little and re-examine it again.
Still the book held my attention. I felt close enough to the characters to care about the eventual culmination. I'm not sure I'll be going back for next book in the series yet, though.
April 15, 2012
This was one of my favorite fantasy books from a long time ago. I remember back when I first read it I had problems getting a copy of the sequel because it was out of print (now that I've remembered I found a copy on ebay). This story is a bit slow at times, but the overall writing is good. I love the way the world is woven together and the build up between the two main characters. I also enjoy the lack of cliche in regards to the ending between the two.
July 17, 2009
Well maybe 4 stars is a little high but the whole background "world" for this fantasy book was fascinating and totally new. I "think" I might look for the next one in the series-but maybe not. It did seem a little ponderous at times. We'll see. At least it's just a duology.
May 5, 2011
Loved it. Didnt think i was goign to enjoy it in the begining but one i got about 30 pages in, it had me hooked. I couldnt put it down. I enjoyed the unraveling of the the story and the melding of the different characters lives. I am looking forward to reading the sequel to this story.
April 5, 2012
I liked how Ms. Strauss took a classic fantasy trope and turned it on its head; however, the time jumps, while perhaps necessary to covering so much story time, left me disconnected from the characters, making this an OK, but not stellar, read for me.
August 3, 2012
It's rate I give up on a book, but I just could not get into this book. It seems like the typical Chosen One story where a boy with nothing emerges as the magical one to lead his people out of darkness and all that. And there are all these excess brothers and sisters I couldn't keep track of.
Want to read
March 18, 2011I am so thankful for Goodreads First Reads for allowing me to get this book. I have not yet had a chance to read it but once I do I will be sure to update this review.
no-longer-reading
May 30, 2012I won this book from a firstreads giveaway here on goodreads. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing it soon!
Want to read
April 17, 2012Kindle free download 4/17/12.
January 10, 2013
Unique, intriguing fantasy. Focuses more on characters and situations than magic and myth, and poses some interesting points. I enjoyed it for it's divergence from the mainstream fantasy.
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