ISBN: 0-451-45120-1 Order from: Amazon.com
An average fantasy, enlivened by an interesting female character and scheming ghosts of an elder race.
Reviewed by David on June 09, 1998
Genre: Fantasy (Intrigue, War, Dispossessed Heir, Sword and Sorcery)
Synopsis: A king's son loses his patrimony due to the usurping lords surrounding his father. After hiding for years under various names, he becomes a key player during a struggle for power in the kingdom. All this is complicated by an ancient network of magic and prophecy laid down by the spirits of an almost extinct elder race.
Short Review: A light-weight fantasy about the traveling bard who gets into trouble for being too honest. The bard appears to be enchanted, knows how to fight and speak like a lord, etc. The tale of the poor lost prince, escaping from the murderous lords manipulating his royal father is told in parallel. There is little suspense in the outcome. Part of the atmosphere is the ancient net of enchanted groves, guarded by dryad-like magicians, and prophecies about the dangers of spilling blood on the ground and the "final times".
The characters are pretty flat. The plot left me a bit claustrophobic: the same characters appear again and again; and almost all motives are immediately apparent.
One interesting character is the lady Alma, the female foil for the hero: she is intelligent, unsentimental, horny and ambitious; while still being a pretty likable human being.
Overall: 4; Plot: 4; Characters: 3.5; Style: 3; World-building: 4; Originality: 5;
Roc, 1991, Mass-market, 302 pages
ISBN: 0-451-45120-1 Order from: Amazon.com