Customer Reviews

The Captal's Tower (Exiles, Vol. 3)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

WARNING: According to a recent announcement on 9/19/10 on her website, bad sales have caused Spellbinder 3 to be discontinued and she is now trying to resurrect her career by starting on yet another trilogy. It is about magicians running theaters and providing 3D experiences to the audience. See details from her announcement in the forum post below.

Smell the coffee folks. It will never be written.

As of 2007, I wrote this review:


I have just finished reading the Exiles books after 10 years, and think they are even better than the first time I read them.
That being said, I have to admit I am wondering if any author has the sheer talent and skill needed to patch up this convoluted tale. And have it make any kind of sense.
I also wonder if it's possible to write the sequel and have it mesh after such a long hiatus.

After reading these two books, I have come to realize that Ms. Rawn will have a hard time finishing this story. She has effectively painted herself into a creative corner. Bear with me a moment.
First and foremost, the story is getting too complicated. Where one or two major groups of families would have sufficed, there are literally hundreds of names the beleaguered reader has to try to remember. Added to that, layers upon layers of shadings and meanings behind every word every uttered by one Gorynel Desse. And with all the names in the two books, I'm not exactly sure he's the only one. Also, there are tales within tales that boggle the mind. You have the 3 sisters' history and the question of Auvry Feiran's true reasons for going evil. There was some kind of cover up there. The divorce and all was some kind of fake maneuver to hide some other events.

Also, you have the Ganfallin revolt over 200 years ago that is tied into the current events, plus the Malerrisi lord and the ancestor of Leninor Garvedian who were in love and tried to revolutionize the magical hierarchy. Or was it the ancestor of Lusira, Alira Gavennos, Tragan Maifirran - huh? You see what I mean here. Not to even get started on who actually colonized the planet of Lenfell, who started the Mage wars over a thousand years ago . . . Spaceships, anyone? There is just too much stuff.

Second, too many characters are aged too rapidly. Cailet is just a young woman at the beginning of book 2 and in 100 or so pages becomes middle aged, empty hearted and bitter. There is almost no fleshing out of her character. After all the time spent on her thoughts and feelings in the first book, to be suddenly cheated of her real growth into a woman is astounding. The reader just has to make the leap and read between her grim faced silences and acid comments to Gorsha. The same goes for Glenin, her doings are only hinted at,and it would have been nice to get a clearer idea of what made her tick other than rigid adherence to the Malerissi Code. Why does power mean so much to her? There are issues left unresolved with her at the end of book 1 that are not continued in book 2, but glossed over. Certainly her relationship with her son would have fleshed out her personality more and made her eventual choices that much more frustrating and heartbreaking. And the last sister, Sarra, becomes a robot in the service of the government, missing out on her children's lives and feeling just about as cheated as the reader at having seen it whirl on by so quickly. It all feels so rushed.

And worst of all is what is done with Collan. Without going into major spoilers here, all I can say is that what we are left with at the end of book 2 is not enough. Not even close. One page of teasing phrases and almost finished sentences. Just two more words in the right place would have given so much! Now, the explanations will need to come by way of flashbacks, or visions- if the third book actually ever gets written. The whole mystery of his true identity is almost given, then tauntingly jerked away.

At last we are left with Ms. Rawn's 10 year and counting hiatus.
Has anyone thought of just writing the darn thing themselves? Anyone? Not even fanfic? Thought not. The truth is that it will take a lot of talent and brain drain to get the next book to be even halfway coherent and not the total anti-climax mess it probably will be.
In fact, at one point Ms. Rawn called on her readers to help her with it. No joke, the request by her was made on her website and has since been removed. But I remember my jaw dropping to my shoes when I read it last year. She emphatically stated that a book takes anywhere between 1 and 5 years for her to write, not to get too exited and please not to tell her our own ideas about who Collan really is. She just needs some help with, you know, the story and stuff like that.

Doesn't that just say it all? Even she can't keep it all straight and in fact said she needed the help to remember what happened. Having just finished this, I can see why. Too many names, too much time gone by for both the characters and for the author.

My advice is: Don't read these books until the last book is out. The books are good enough that it is maddening wondering if and when the author will ever finish it.

The first two books in this series are fabulous. Extremely well thought out, very complex, but enjoyable to read. The world is very detailed, and there are so many wonderful twists and turns in the books. But, though no one's ever read this book, and likely no one ever will, I have rated this 1 star. A writers job is to make her readers happy by writing and completing her work. She was ill, yes, and I understand her not writing for years. This by itself wouldn't make me boycott her. What truly angered me was that when she came back to work, she didn't finish her last project: this series.

I've seen Melanie Rawn's website, where she requested that her readers help "remind" her of the story. That post has since been removed, nonetheless it was really upsetting. Didn't she keep some sort of notes when she was writing the first two? I know if I were writing something as complex as the Exiles series, I would HAVE to keep notes to keep track of it all, even while I'm in the direct process of writing them. Another thing, why would she ask her readers for help? Certainly she's smart enough to realize that something like that would make her readers lose respect for her. What's preventing her from taking care of it herself? Pick up the books and read them again, while taking notes. It's not our job to write the story. We're not getting paid for the book.

I'll be perfectly honest, the only books by Melanie Rawn I've read are the Exiles books. And until the third one comes out, I refuse to buy any of her other books. I am boycotting her. I know it sounds rude and crude, but she doesn't deserve any more of my money at this point, and as good of a writer as she was, I don't want to risk reading another cliff hanger ending that becomes more and more unlikely to ever be finished.

She recently released the start of another new series, not terribly good based on the reviews I've read. She also has a history of not finishing series'. There's another one, I can't recall what it was called, that was left unfinished. I understand and sympathize with the problems that she has had, and is recovering from, but if I were a writer, the first new book I've put out in ten plus years because of illness certainly wouldn't be the start of a NEW series. I believe in finishing what I start, even if it takes forever to do.

Melanie's own website has reported for at least a year that she knew the publishing industry (that includes Amazon) had/has this book listed with a publication date, but that since she wasn't actually writing it yet and didn't know when she would, the information was wrong. Ignore Amazon's info. Check Melanie's website.

I read and LOVED the first two books in the Exiles series when they came out. In fact, I found them before I ever tried her Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies (which, though I enjoyed, I love Exiles more).

Then I started to wait for The Captal's Tower.

I read other fantasy authors; this was nothing new. I'm used to George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan and the like, where you get a new book every two or three years. That's getting to be par for the course with major fantasy epics, and I'm fine with it.

It's now been 9 years since The Mageborn Traitor came out, and I am running out of patience.

I know that she had personal/medical/family issues that stopped/delayed her from writing - of course that's understandable! Hard times are hard times.

What I CANNOT understand is the fact that when she finally comes back after almost a decade long absence, the book that she writes isn't The Captal's Tower. In fact, it's not even the sequel to the Golden Key that she had been promising five or six years ago. It's a completely new book, no background whatsoever.

You know what? I can even get that. As it's been 9 years, she obviously had a new project she wanted to work on - ok.

But you know what would be freaking nice? At least letting her fans - the same people that have waited and checked her site and waited and checked her site and waited and waited and waited for NINE YEARS now - just letting us KNOW if she's ever going to write the book or not.

Per Melanie's website she has started CT but has no promisises on when it will be done.

I have been waiting 14 years for the third book, but to put it in better persepective.... I have graduated high school, graduated college, gotten married, had a baby, and have been at my job for almost 6 years and this book is still not done. I am hoping it might be done before I retire.

Ok. First off i have been trying to get information about Melanie and Exiles 3 for the past year....

For the last few weeks i have been trying to get on her site..and i have no luck in connecting. Its like it has dissapeared off the face of the net.

I would love to know if we have been waiting for nothing(and yes i am taking account in the fact that she lost a loved one and had three surgeries). I dont mean to be a borish person, but it seems to me that this is just a spiral. We waited...we were baited...and we lost out once again.

I hate to say this Melanie, knowing you will never see this, that i am dissapointed in you. I would just wish that you could give us a sign...something...even if it is an (insert explative here) off. Then we could either move on..or get excited for a reason.



Edit: June 17 2006:
While writing this review i decided to use the "Way-Back Machine" and look at the last cached version of the Melanie Rawn website (which was dated Feb. 11 2005, This leads me to believe that even her die hard fans have given up? I know after reading all the information on the subject i have.) and i found an interesting piece of info.


Quote from the website- " Melanie Rawn has completed a new novel and it is in the hands of her agent. It's entitled SPELLBINDER, and is a brand new stand-alone novel. Melanie has confirmed that THE DIVINER is indefinitely on hold, and that her next project ****may**** be the third book in the EXILES series"

I starred the entry that might seem important. MAY. What is it with this may?? I cant believe that an author of other series would even consider giving us a MAY as an answer to if she will finish the series....either now or later. My dissapointment grows.

Oh Exiles Trilogy . . . you know what you need to be a real trilogy? A THIRD BOOK!!!! Trilogy: from the latin, meaning three books in the Exiles series! (that last bit may not be factual, as such)

Ten years ago (the first time I finished 'The Mageborn Traitor'), I was practically jumping out of my skin waiting for 'The Captal's Tower' to come out. I couldn't believe I had to wait until 2002, it seemed like such a long time. But then I thought to myself, it will be worth it. Just think how excited you'll be when the book finally does come out. I'll rush to the nearest book store (or pre-order on amazon ;)), gleefully purchase my new book, curl up in a comfy chair and read the whole thing in one glorious sitting. Yep, I can wait, I thought. I'm sure it will be a wonderful book that will tie up all those intriguing loose ends, that will bring some resolution to that rather impressive cliffhanger at the end of 'The Mageborn Traitor.' I'll just have to wait . . .

Now (2010), I just finished re-reading the first TWO books yet again, and I find I'm still lacking closure. Why don't I have closure? Because the Exiles TRILOGY only has two books in it.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWNNN!*

*that's a Star Trek reference

Melanie Rawn has published MULTIPLE books since Captal's Tower was slated for release. Since the date this book was slated to be published (please don't argue that Melanie didn't give a publication date, that arguement is void, she should have corrected the various companies), I've been diagnosed with several health problems... I truly expect to be dead before this book is actually published.

It's not just Melanie's health and personal problems, those are of course beyond her control, but she has written other books, she has been capable of and competent at writting.
Do not argue that she has no obligations to publish this novel, because the title was realeased with the first Exiles book, and if I remember correctly the cover art was released with the second.

IF THIS BOOK HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED YET, ***DO NOT*** READ THE FIRST TWO EXILES BOOKS!

If you want to read a Melanie Rawn novel, pick one of the others. Though, I wouldn't choose the Golden Key either, it doesn't seem she plans on writting her follow up to that any time soon either.

I have to agree with LazyKat. I'm a fan of Ms. Rawn's and I am aware of the unfortunate things that have took place in her personal life - the surgeries, the death of a loved one - but I do have to say I'm disappointed with the events surrounding this book.

She has written another book for another publisher and seems to have walked away from this series, without a set plan for a resolution. Now she is returning to fulfill what I'm assuming is a contractual obligation and is looking for fan input? I don't have high hopes for how this will turn out.

Stories have it that the author broke her arm or wrist not long after the second book in this series was published. Then her mother passed away. She has supposedly finished something, but it is not the Captal's Tower. Hints indicate that this book might her next project. http://www.melanierawn.com/