15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Overlooked Series in Fantasy Fiction?, June 26, 1999
This review is from: Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry) (Mass Market Paperback)
I don't get it: Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series has received 2,867 reviews here, and Martin's recent two books, "Game of Thrones" and "Clash of Kings," have garnered 436 reviews alone! But Katharine Kerr's eight books in the "Westlands" series to date have seen a mere 38 reviews, and seven of those are mine! I don't know if it's due to poor marketing on the part of the publisher, Bantam, or whether readers were initially put off by the first book - admittedly somewhat weak - but for whatever reason the word needs to go out that Kerr's "Westlands" books are among the best that fantasy has to offer, and a worthy rival to the works of Jordan and Martin.
While Kerr's story may lack some of the wonderful detailing that Jordan may lavish upon his work - I suspect he would have added at least 4,000 more pages had he told this tale - and Kerr's storytelling is much more understated than either his or Martin's, it certainly rivals both in terms of scope and its creation of a wondrous and living realm, and inventively surpasses them by interweaving multiple story lines over a span of generations. This may prove a difficulty for those readers used to linear plots and chronology, or those seeking instant gratification in the rewards of cause and effect - bad character does evil and is immediately punished; heroine gets kidnapped but is rescued in a timely manner - but, once I got past the first book, the shifts of plot time line have contributed richness and complexity to a story as intricate as those being spun by either author. And, while borrowing upon genre conventions such as elves and dwarves, as well as turning to celtic mythology, this is no rehashing of Arthurian legend or a Misty Mountain romp, and Kerr has created a marvelous world that is largely original and unique, populated by characters that are mature in both action and thought while avoiding the common taint of juvenile or gender stereotype.
Compared to the work overall, my complaints are rather petty. Kerr has an annoying habit at times of abandoning characters without fully, to my mind, resolving their departure from the script, as well as leaving other plot threads dangling. However, as the story is still unfolding, as well as parallely dispersed across hundreds of years, perhaps these issues will find conclusion in future volumes? Some instances of this found in earlier books were resolved in later, so I will hope that all will become clear in future. In a similar vein, Kerr really needs to provide a complete chronology and cast of characters with each book covering the entire span of her tale and encompassing all periods. As her story unfolds over centuries, with recurring shifts in time line, it becomes an at times herculean effort to remember who is who, especially when certain characters are abandoned only to reappear several volumes later. Also, I do not understand singling out the next book, "The Red Wyvern," as "Book One of the Dragon Mage," as it is obvoiusly a continuation of the story - or stories - begun in the "Westlands" books, and predicated upon the conclusion to "Days of Air and Darkness." Finally, for those of you who may note my reservation in reviewing the preceding volume to an appearance of a dragon, it seemed to work; Either my objections were overridden by the strength of the tale, or, as I have grown older, I have lost earlier powers of discrimination.
This is a great series, so stop reading Jordan and Martin over and over, or waiting for their next installments. Another wonderful world awaits you in the Westlands
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
good for re-reading, September 28, 2000
This review is from: Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry) (Mass Market Paperback)
I got hooked on Kerr's novels years ago. I always find that the time between volumes is too long. Often I go back and re-read at least two or three previous volumes so I know where the new book fits in. But that's not all bad; they're great to read again and again! My one criticism is the lack of a list of complete character IDs and a timeline. Because Kerr uses lots of flashback, it's difficult sometimes to remember how the characters fit into the overall story. I read the latest (?) release: "The Red Wyvren" and was somewhat disappointed that she didn't make more progress in the most recent timeframe, but chose to emphasize a much earlier time. Does this mean that another volume will be released soon? I hope so.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Katharine Kerr is the spiritual heir to J.R.R. Tolkien, October 29, 1999
This review is from: Days of Air and Darkness (Deverry) (Mass Market Paperback)
Katharine Kerr's novels of Deverry and the Westlands form a Gordian Knot of love & hate, sorrow & joy, and death & rebirth. Set in a beautifully conceived fantasy world, complete with Dragons and Dweomer, these novels drew me in the same way Tolkien's Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Silmarillion still draw me back every couple of years. Unfortuanately, there are also a few slow points , (just as with Tolkien), but they don't last for long.
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