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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Read, August 22, 2004
I have to admit that I toyed very briefly with giving this book 4 stars instead of 5, because it lacked the breadth and depth of previous Haydon novels, and I think a little more background and interaction with the characters was in order for those unfamiliar with earlier books. However, considering its much shorter length -- a little over 300 pages, compared to nearly twice that size for Requiem for the Sun, the first installment of this trilogy, and nowhere near the 850+ pages for Destiny, the last installment of the first trilogy -- you still get a lot of bang for the buck.
It is hard to top the cunning menace of the F'dor, yet Haydon still manages breathtaking suspense and action with the awakened Anwyn and the transformed Faron. I was delighted to see the emphasis on dragons in this book, and those who are fond of Haydon's beasts will be very satisfied. I would have liked to have seen more of Grunthor (my very favorite character, with Achmed a close second). And we at last have the birth of Meridion, the time manipulator; I'm hoping at some point in this series we get to see the time line that Meridion changed, which Haydon has tantalizingly hinted at on a few occasions.
If you are as entranced with these characters and Haydon's writing as I am, you will enjoy this book. If you are expecting another long, complex novel like the previous ones, you may be slightly disappointed and simply have to wait for the next installment, which Elegy has set up beautifully.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
So disappointing!, August 15, 2004
I've been waiting for this book for months, and was one of the first people at my local book store when it finally came out. I almost wish I hadn't bothered--a delay would have meant that I could have put off the disappointment for at least a few days, possibly even weeks.
Elogy has the same wonderfully complex type of storyline that characterizes all of Hayden's books, but the depth of character development that I've come to love is completely missing. The story moves quickly, which is admittedly a bit of a relief after Destiny and Requiem, which tended to drag a bit, but the increase in speed seems to have come at the expense of character insight and growth. I felt like Achmed, Grunthor and all the others were just pale reflections of the way they were portrayed in other books. Instead of letting the reader grasp things about the characters by allowing their actions to speak for them, Hayden simply tells us what to think and how to interpret everything and everyone. Also, while like many others I found Rapsody rather irritating and do-goody, her portrayal in this book is even worse--it is completely lacking in development and sparkle. I know we know these characters--we've been dealing with them for four novels now--but that doesn't mean that they can't reveal new sides of themselves and/or develop new ones.
To end on a positive note, this book is much darker than most of the others, and I think the change in tone is an interesting one--I won't go so far as to call it an improvement, but I found myself reading with baited breath more than while reading the earlier novels in this series. The increased suspense makes for a read that is more engaging in terms of plot, although it still doesn't make up for the failings in characterization. For Hayden fans it's definitely worth reading, but be prepared to make a major adjustment in the way you read, and don't expect the high quality of the original trilogy.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Losing a little steam, April 29, 2005
This review is from: Elegy for a Lost Star (Symphony of Ages) (Mass Market Paperback)
I hovered between three and four stars for a while, but eventually settled for three because I felt that Elegy for a Lost Star really doesn't stay up to scratch with the beginning of Elizabeth Haydon's wonderful series. The novel, rather than wrapping up any of the numerous dangling plot threads from Requiem for the Sun or the original trilogy, feels more like a frustratingly inconclusive continuation. While it does present an accurate sense of the many forces gathering against the Three and their allies, it certainly doesn't provide any closure or satisfaction.
In Sorbold, the depraved and ruthless Talquist is settling into his role as regent, and continuing his desecration of the Living Earth in the basilica of Terreanfor. Eventually he draws Faron, the mutated spawn of a demon's host, into his plans, with unforeseen results. Meanwhile, the vengeful and reawakened seer Anwyn, now trapped in the form of a wyrm, struggles with amnesia to discover just who is that blonde girl she wants to kill anyway. Back at the home front, Rhapsody is still struggling with her difficult pregnancy as the mother of a partly draconic child; Gwydion Navarne finally comes into his own as heir of Haguefort, and embarks on a small training mission with Anborn; Achmed struggles to rebuild his kingdom and the Lightcatcher, despite multiple warnings not to reconstruct the ancient artifact.
Obviously, Elegy for a Lost Star has a lot to cover, and it's probably not a good idea to start reading the series from here, due to the enormous amounts of backstory. For longtime fans, though, the book does have some fun aspects to offer, including the never-exhausted Rhapsody/Achmed spats, a small glimpse into Achmed's ever-mysterious past, and a larger than usual dose of dragons, including the returns of both Elynsynos and Llauron, and of course Anwyn. (Though whether anyone is happy to see Anwyn again is debatable, especially since her amnesia and insanity are a little irritating.) However, Grunthor doesn't get half enough page time, and some of Haydon's writing quirks are starting to wear thin, such as her characters' tendencies to declaim, rather than speak naturally, and her frequent use of minor characters' viewpoints, which fractured the already complicated plotline.
All in all, the bulk of the book is still vintage Haydon - lots of action and drama - but in the end, it's unfulfilling enough that one looks forward to the next book with more trepidation than eagerness.
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