The Diviner [Hardcover]

Melanie Rawn (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 688 pages
• Publisher: Daw Books (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886777658
• ISBN-13: 978-0886777654
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,969,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The History of the Golden Key, January 5, 2012

By 

Richard Stoehr "Idle Rich" (Bremerton, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diviner (Golden Key Universe) (Hardcover)

No bones about it - 'The Diviner' was a long time coming - 15 years and change for fans of 'The Golden Key' to wait to get more of the story. The good news for those fans is, it was worth the wait.

As a prequel, 'The Diviner' doesn't rely on the events of 'The Golden Key' much. It reads very much like a well-written history, even interspersed with excerpts of biographies of the main characters, slightly dry in places but with enough intrigue to keep it interesting all the way through. And the promise of magic, bound to ink and metalwork, is the foundation for it all.

The story spans generations, focusing first on Azzad, whose entire bloodline is wiped out at the whim of a jealous ruler. His promise of vengeance requires patience, persistence and risk. He is succeeded by Alessid, who sees Azzad as a fool and ruthlessly focuses his life on completing what Azzad started, sacrificing many to his cause. Finally there is Qamar, years distant from Azzad but similar in spirit, who sees the cycle of death and vengeance come around again and seeks to end it in a new way - by creating a new type of magic.

On the surface, 'The Diviner' is the story of wars and vendettas and the web of people caught up in their wake. But really, it's the story of the evolution of magic and the dedication to bring new life to old ways, the discovery of the union of science and craft and blood to create power.

For those who read 'The Golden Key,' the end of 'The Diviner' is where it really comes into its own, as we start to hear familiar names like Grijalva and Zario, and see the quickenings of the magic and art that form the backbone of 'The Golden Key.' For those who haven't read the older book, there may seem like there's a lot more story to be told here - and believe me, there is.

'The Diviner' can be read on its own, without having read 'The Golden Key' first, but it will likely leave you wanting more. If so, 'The Golden Key' is highly recommended to continue the story. For those of us who have read it already, 'The Diviner' fills in a lot of mysteries around the original, tells an epic story, and represents a satisfying return to form for a favorite writer of fantasy.

Fifteen years, and still worth the wait. Well done.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars highly entertaining story, January 2, 2012

By 

erin alter (Saint Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Diviner (Golden Key Universe) (Hardcover)

i am puzzled by the negative reviews here. the names in this story are not impossible to keep straight, unless you are only able to remember "typical american english names". these have more of a middle eastern feel, and i had no difficulty.

the story is complex, but that is what rawn is known for. this is essentially three stories in one. i had not read The Golden Key previously, and had no difficulty following the story. it is satisfiying in and of itself; no cliff hanger ending. it does seem to allude to The Golden Key, and i am now eager to read that, once it comes out on kindle.

there is humor, drama, tragedy, magic, love, sacrifice, and grand hubris. the characters are well developed, with flaws and strengths. the story is highly entertaining. i definitely recommend this!

2.0 out of 5 stars Eh., October 9, 2011

By 

L. Wronski (Spring Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Diviner (Kindle Edition)

I usually love Ms. Rawn's books, but this one was not what I have come to expect from her. I didn't even know until after finishing it (and reading another review) that it is supposed to be a prequel to The Golden Key. The story was very choppy in places, and I don't feel it was tied together well at the end, which left me unsatisfied. Not one of Ms. Rawn's best works.