The Crown of Silence [Paperback]

Storm Constantine (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Press (2002)
• ASIN: B001JE9KS4
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding., March 13, 2001

By 

Aeirould "aeirould" (San Diego, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crown of Silence (Chronicles of Magravandias) (Hardcover)

First off, if you haven't read Sea Dragon Heir yet, what are you waiting for? Go, read it. I'll wait.

Back? Good. The Crown of Silence continues the story begun in SDH. The first half of the novel overlaps the events of the first book, revealing what was going on in other areas of the world. The second half is a true mythic Quest with all that that entails.

The characters are well developed and for the most part sympathetic, but as with all of Storm's characters these are not perfect people. You will find yourself at times wanting to reach your hand into the book to thwap them on their collective heads for being idiots... but when you think about it, how would you handle the situation they find themselves in?

Another area where Storm excels (and sadly many other fantasists do not) is in the depth and resonance of her magical system. It is not some "point/zap/you're dead/you're a frog" amalgamation of fantasy cliches grafted on to the story, rather it is the story. What these characters are doing, how they are growing and evolving, is a direct result of the self-discovery involved in learning. As several characters state: "Learning is better than knowing."

I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but I feel I must state that a portion of the book does deal with the consequences of surviving a traumatic rape and that two of the major characters are involved in a same-sex relationship. To me, these things add to the weight and reality of the book, but I realize that for some such subject matter is a determinant factor in what you read. I still recommend the book even to those people, though, as the handling of both subjects is superb for the genre, but if you're looking for another Harry Potter this is not the book for you.

As to the book itself, Tor did a great job on this one. Everything from the jacket art to the binding is top-notch. This is definately not one to wait for paperback on.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The quest for the crown, January 16, 2002

By 

"blissengine" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crown of Silence (The Chronicles of Magravandias, Book 2) (Paperback)

Shan was living an idyllic life, until the arrival of the conquering Magravandians, who destroy his town and shatter his innocence about men of war. Broken in spirit and body, Shan is taken by the wizard Taropat to be his apprentice, but soon Shan learns that his path encompasses more. He learns the story of Khaster Leckery and his lover Tayven Hirantel, and the tragic events leading to both of their disappearances. Both men have survived and since changed, and Shan feels compelled to bring them back together, if for nothing but closure. Soon fate brings these men together in a quest to claim the crown of silence, which can only be worn by the true king of the land, who it is hoped will overcome the evils of the Magravandian Empire. The story does drag in places, and seems to be filler for the trilogy. Yes, a lot happens to the characters, but in the grand scheme of the story, the book slows the momentum and I found it a struggle to get through sometimes. I was most fascinated when Constantine was telling about the court intrigues and the interconnections between the rival factions. I only wish the book was better, because "Sea Dragon Heir" was so enthralling, and I am looking forward to the next in the series nonetheless.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Uneven, with very good moments, February 25, 2004

By 

C. Meyers "cm4755" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Crown of Silence (The Chronicles of Magravandias, Book 2) (Paperback)

This book is so frustrating -- there are moments that are really very good. It's a classic journey of self-discovery (individual and group) and Constantine is a good writer at the sentence level. But, as has been mentioned here, the plot and character development is very uneven. All in all, it feels like it needed another few hours of baking.