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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully Written Fantasy, May 23, 2003
By A Customer
Kerris does not fit in at Tornor Keep and he never really has, but he has no where else to go. After all, who else would want a one-armed boy who has an alarming tendency to have fits at any give time or place. The only skill that Kerris has is that of a scribe. He has spent a great about of time developing this skill in the hope that one day he will be hired at a rich house and spend time writing and reading. But all of his dreams change when his older brother, Kel, comes with the fabled Dancers of Arun to collect him. Kerris is not sure what to think of his brother and is alternately repulsed and attracted to him. As they journey to Kel's home, Kerris learns that all of the dancers have "gifts" just like Kerris does. For Kerris doesn't really have fits, he just sees life through other people's eyes and leaves his body for a time. He is what the dancers call a farspeaker, like Kel's lover, Sefer. However, even though Kel repeatedly tells Kerris that he is welcome at his home and that he belongs there, Kerris doesn't feel that he really has a place. It will take a terrible tragedy to help Kerris realize that he does have worth and that he is important in the lives of those around him... For the first time, the second book in a series is far better than the first or the third (Watchtower & The Northern Girl, respectively)! I thought that this book was beautifully written and have owned an old tattered copy for a long time. Kerris' growth as a character is fascinating, as is the world in which he lives. I loved all of the characters in the book and could identify with all of them because they all have weaknesses and they all struggle, some more than others, but life is not easy for any of them. The only caution that I would offer is that the love between Kerris and Kel is sometimes physical and sex between brothers is not a common thread in books so if you feel this would upset you, read another fantasy (probably not by Lyn, though, as most of her books deal with homosexuality).
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and beautiful, March 21, 2002
This review is from: The Dancers of Arun: Chronicles of Tornor 2 (Paperback)
This is one of the first fantasy novels I read as a teen, so this reprint has been around for awhile, but I loved it alot, enough to come back after all these years and tell the rest of the world how much I enjoyed it! Think of this book as a character study. If you are looking for an action-oriented adventure fantasy, then you won't find it here, but you will find very well-realized people who are both attractive and interesting. I enjoyed this look at another world and it's traditions. It didn't leave me rushing to the end or dancing with excitement, but it did leave me wanting to know more about these people and their world. A sensitive gay romance is one of the highlights of this book and it is beautifully done.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Fantasy, April 9, 2006
This review is from: The Dancers of Arun: Chronicles of Tornor 2 (Paperback)
The middle and best book of one of my favorite trilogies, it's exactly what I want: no stock characters or swashbuckling, but lots of interesting, different, people. I did find the beginning disconcerting (unlike some other readers, I'm NOT good with incest
involving children), but the action was instigated by the child,
and was not portrayed as abusive. The fragility of the people, the
village, and the world seems very real to me. The originality of
these books is great, and they seem to me to be beautifully written. I only with Ms. Lynn would write MORE!
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