Customer Reviews

The Amber Wizard: The Osserian Saga: Book One

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm rather weary of fantasy about people without flaws. The main character is a well intentioned young prince, clear and unquestioned heir to the throne, gifted with wealth, power, a fantastic sword skill. He's also the most powerful wizard in recorded history! All his opposition is external - he's forced by an evil spell to do an evil thing, but everyone forgives him because he was forced to do it. Then he has to defend the world against an evil being. But he's helped by the evil being's twin brother, and in the end salvation arises from the actions of his kid sister - through the climactic scene he's just a powerless pawn. I find it difficult to be sympathetic with someone who is handed everything and whose only opposition comes from external god like figures.

Which is a pity, cause the writer shows promise. The minor characters are in many ways more interesting. Reshel, the kid sister and Therain the kid brother are more interesting than the protagonist. They do things and make choices that make a difference. The world in which this is set is original, complex and has the potential to be interesting. All too frequently the writers spends time telling us about his world, when he should be telling us about the characters. The book would have been far better if it had been split into a series, so that each story could concentrate on, and develop, a few interesting characters. Instead this is a precis of a richer and more interesting epic. Kind of like an appetizer portion of an entree, the taste is present, but satisfaction is absent.

It was alright, I suppose. the ending is really dull, you start out expecting something exciting, but in the end it becomes a mediocre plagerism of a Tad Willams Series: Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

The similarities are glaringly obvious: the villain is the "Storm King" of race exterminated through a human genocide, now the powerful undead king wants to return from the land of the dead and destroy all life. He even has red-robed priest/mage henchmen. Its really depressing, you should just buy the DragonBone Chair, its the first book in a series that David Forbes plagerised for the Amber Wizard and the series is superior.

You start out excited and interested in the characters, but that fades. Gerin is perfect, as Rashel, his Wizardess sister, and Hollin, the Wizard who trains them. Although they don't seem to need much training, almost immediatly after their power is awakened, they are master wizards and from that point onward recieve zero training, but somehow do just fine.

The characters are paragons of noble perfection, Therain is the only one who posseses any sort of flaw whatsoever: an inferiority complex. This isn't at all suprising considering that the author made his older brother and protagonist Gerin quite literally perfect. He is the most powerful Wizard ever, a master tactician, master swordsman, benevolent Duke, charismatic, smart, handsome and responsible. Even his one bad act in the book is forced by an evil compulsion spell rather then a possible imperfection in his character.

Interestingly, considering how perfect and glorious Gerin is, after halfway through the book, he does virtually NOTHING. He sits in his castle until the very last chapter when he runs off alone and banishes the evil king back to the land of the dead.

Therain is really the protagonist of this book, he held back the Storm King's army until their father the king could arrive to crush them, even though he is the book's sole imperfect character.

This book had a lot of potential, but I wanted a book about Gerin, not his brother. And when I read a book, its nice if the characters seem like actual people. The characters here are perfect virtuous Gods whom we cannot hope to relate to.

After getting to the end of Chapter Six, I am putting this book down for good! It is so incredibly poorly written that I cannnot even get to the point of commenting on the quality of the story. The author insists on "telling" rather than "showing" almost everything. During non-action scenes it slows the story down with wardrobe descriptions, and depictions of yet another great pillared hall (a standard fantasy image), or historical fact. In action scenes, it just ruins any attempt at pacing. So one minute the Prince/hero is being attacked by the badies, and the next you're learning his horse's name, and the name of his bodyguard's horse too! If the horses had any type of character or quality to them it would be understandable - but they don't! The author goes on to pin names and descriptions to countless other people, historic eras, magical objects or acts - but there is no purpose to any of it! I would far rather learn of a hero's character and image through his actions. Instead, the author "tells" us one thing, and then contradicts that initial impression by having him/her do something that does not build on that initial impression. The end result is that the character's of this story are wooden at best, and confused at worst.

If you want to read something more impressive (though of a slightly different ilk) pick up "Moonshine" - the second book by Rob Thurman. Beyond Tolkein, there is little fantasy that is truly well written, but Thurman's writing is tight, fast, fun, and character intense.

What I hoped for when I opened up this book was a heroic fantasy that was easy to read, but put in some interesting vocabulary and nice, crisp desciption. I *DID NOT GET IT*.
The vocabulary got about as challenging as 'overtly', a word I use in low-key *conversation*. He will either describe things enough to make you sick, or say 'he was handsome' and move on! And, to top it all off, it was as easy as one f the sixty-three word picture books. A *preschooler* could have read this!
The plot could be figured out by a six-year-old, the violence was bland and much too common, and the characters were arrogant idiots who had not a single flaw!
No scope at all, a classic ending and a predictable magic scheme. I felt bad for the villain, because he was a) completely flawed and b) had the only sense of character in the book and c) was kind of comical. I really wanted to lov this book, but, but, it was Shannara x 10!

Picturing: F
Description: F
Characters: Worse than an F
Action: D-
Challenge: F
Overall: F

This book surprised me, but not completely in a good way. The style was good, and in the beginning I thought I would completely love it. But after a while, I grew weary of reading Reshel's somewhat stupid (in my eyes) questions. I mainly had high hopes for Gerin's character, but I slowly became disappointed as he became less and less of the hero I had previously assumed him to be. This disappointment grew, not from his actions, but from his lack of them. Therain eventually became a hero in my eyes; however, I still remembered my dislike of him at the beginning of the novel and it was hard to get past it. So, overall, I felt apathy towards all of the characters (even the ones I was supposed to like). I recommend this book, but I caution readers from judging the characters in the beginning because they change dramatically (almost unrealistically) in the novel.

Okay this isn't the greatest fantasy book in the word. The plot is predictable to some extent. The main character is a grand leader who has all the power that come with a grand leader. Although he also has all the burdens That way heavy on his mind. He does have has flaws but all the great things about cover this up. You commit a crime but the people forgive you. Do you still fill the burden of the crime. Of course you do and so does our hero. Overall this is a story of the greatest wizard of all time so of course he going to be super super powered. This doesn't fall of the typical fantasy unspoken writer laws but I okay with that. Of course, I am like biased since long before harry potter I have been a witch/wizard junkie.

Is it good read?

1. You can't enough of those wizard world? Yes read it!

2. You prefer the complex design obvious flaws like spiderman? No don't read it.

3. I want my hero to be Powerful like superman? Yes read it!

4. I am hardcore fantasy junkie? No don't read!

5. I am wizard king junkie! yes read it! ( then sword of truth series)

6. I read sword of truth series and I looking for something slightly close to it! Yes read it!

7. I hate books written for the younger crowd. No don't read it!

*** I really love this book and noble characters and until the day that I can pre-order the next***

I really enjoyed this book, and toward the end was furiously turning pages so I could see how Osseria would be saved by the newly discovered Amber Wizard. The author's skill in imagining the ancient, other-world scenery and communicating it to the reader are unsurpassed. The main characters are compelling, and it is clear that there is much more growth to come in future sequels (I hope!). Highly recommended.

All the people who wrote that Gerin was naturally "too perfect" completely missed the point of Gerin's character. He knows that hes to perfect, and buckles under the weight of expectation. Also, Gerin never uses his "amazing sword skills", its just to establish Therain's "second best" mind set.

I can't wait for the next book. Thats actually why I'm on amazon right now. I was checking to see if it was out. I recommend this book for people who want a good, solid story. It may not be flashy, but thats what gives it its unique storytelling perspective.

With his father just recently anointed King of Khedesh, Gerin Atreyano becomes the heir to the throne as the Crown Prince. Not long afterward, a stranger arrives claiming that Gerin is THE AMBER WIZARD the first to appear in at least a millennium. Though he has some doubts about the proclamation as the wizard race was assimilated over time by inbreeding with the general populace, Gerin trains to be a royal wizard.

However, not everyone is elated over the prince's duality. Some do not want a return to an age of magical supremacy because the flip side of the prophecy of the reappearance of a great wizard is the return of the dreaded Asankaru the Storm King who loathes humans. Still much of the kingdom welcomes a chance to return to an allegedly more golden age. As civil war seems imminent, his most dangerous adversaries enchant him to fulfill their dire predictions of him going down a dark path by using taboo magic; this leads to Gerin doing so and opening an ancient portal that places the land on the brink of pandemic destruction.

THE AMBER WIZARD is a terrific character driven fantasy in which the lead protagonist learns that for every action there is consequential reaction. Gerin inadvertently has brought death into the kingdom when his youthful arrogance and conceit led to his dabbling with forbidden magic. People die and more will too if he fails to rectify his mistake; he also knows that attempting to correct his error could make it exponentially worse. Though much of the key support cast is never fully developed (hinting at sequels though this is a stand alone read) and with religious overtones in the backdrop history, fantasy readers will take immense delight with this powerful look at the one person who instead of saving his world has accidentally placed it on the brink of destruction.

Harriet Klausner