17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not your cookie-cutter fantasy novel, September 16, 2004
This review is from: Avaryan Rising: The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen, A Fall of Princes (Paperback)
Avaryan Rising combines the first three novels of Judith Tarr's series (The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen, and A Fall of Princes). Having had no previous experience with the author, I picked up this book on an impulse in the book store. I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised.
In my opinion, Tarr's strongest point by far is her skill in character creation and development. Anyone who reads a lot of fantasy at some point tends to become a little bored with the same cookie-cutter characters that appear to dominate much of this genre. Tarr offers a refreshing alternative. Her characters are unique, fascinating, and extremely well developed. Already on the first page of "The Hall of the Mountain King", I was drawn to the powerful (if somewhat tragic) figure of the old king, who stands on the top of his battlements day after day, in sun, wind, rain, and snow, keeping watch for his beloved daughter. The characters that follow are similarly fascinating, haunting, tragic, powerful, and seemingly real. Examples: Mirain, the young son of a mortal and a God, who sets out to conquer what he claims is by right his Kingdom and Empire. At the beginning of the book, Mirain is only 15 years old, but his description as someone who commands the love and respect of his people seems very believable to me, as Tarr immediately sets him apart from other young men his age, due to his heritage (which is gift and burden at the same time ... something that Tarr explores in much detail and very well). Vadin, his squire, who is initially so overcome with his hate for Mirain that he proposes a wager that would forfeit his soul, should he ever feel any friendship for his new master. The list goes on, and each new character is as unique as the first.
The plot is overall very character-driven (as opposed to action-driven). If you read this expecting fast-paced chapters with lots of action sequences, you will probably wind up being disappointed. Although there is certainly a good amount of action in this book, Tarr seems more interested in showing the inner turmoil of her characters as well as the developing relationships between them. She does it exceedingly well!
Probably the only 'problem' I have with this book lies in Tarr's writing style. Overall her prose is beautiful and a pleasure to read. Every now and then, however, the writing becomes "experimental" (for lack of a better word), with sentence fragments and unexpected shifts between subjects. I found myself having to re-read sentences at times in order to keep up with the plot. I do get the feeling that these sequences are very much intended, but they did not quite work for me. Having said that, I don't think it takes away from the overall experience of the book.
In conclusion, I would certainly recommend this book as a refreshing alternative for any compulsive fantasy reader, although it is not up there with my personal favorites. That, however, is a matter of personal preference above anything else, so don't lend too much weight to it.
Best,
Anika Leithner
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I couldn't put it down!, June 22, 2000
This review is from: Avaryan Rising: The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen, A Fall of Princes (Paperback)
Before this, I've never read any of Judith Tarr's work, but after reading this trilogy, you can be sure that I will be searching for everything she's ever written! At certain points in the story, I found myself breathless. The characters were very well developed and believable. The tapestry of magic, romance, power and sacrifice that Ms. Tarr weaves is complex and beautiful. This is a definite "must read."
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely excellent book!, July 13, 1998
This review is from: Avaryan Rising: The Hall of the Mountain King, The Lady of Han-Gilen, A Fall of Princes (Paperback)
This was a mastery of writing, without a doubt. Tarr's style is so clear, yet very descriptive at the same time. And the story is absolutely enthralling. I read this entire volume in 3 days! The stories are nicely connected, and she focues more on the interrelationships of the characters than on just plain old magery and fighting. I thought the series was over when I finished this book, but thankfully there are 2 more to go! I'm just starting Spear of heaven now :-) If you love fantasy, you'll love this book - without a doubt.
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