Gilfeather (Isles of Glory) [Paperback]

Glenda Larke (Author)

Book Description

Series: Isles of Glory | Publication Date: October 25, 2005

The unassuming Sky Plains healer Gilfeather is drawn into the adventure of a lifetime, as he joins a warrior and a sorceress on a quest to overcome a ruthless dunmagicker whose lust for dark power places the entirety of the Glory Isles in danger.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... much more accomplished book than The Aware. Recommended." -- Fiction Focus, V0l 18, No.3. Education Dept, West Australia.

"The first line in Gilfeather's point of view is an eye opener... And it just keeps on getting better." -- Visions, Fantastic Queensland, June 2004.

From the Author

Kelwyn Gilfeather is a favourite character of mine: conflicted and tragic, he suddenly finds himself in a world he doesn't believe in, falling in love with a woman who loves someone else. He is a pacifist and a healer, yet he has to murder. He is a scientist, yet he finds himself in a struggle with the supernatural. Tragic he may be, but Gilfeather is also capable of great courage and resilience...

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Ace (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441013481
• ISBN-13: 978-0441013487
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #734,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical fantasy (in my opinion), April 14, 2006

By 

ReaderGirl "ReaderGirl" (Lone Star State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gilfeather (Isles of Glory) (Paperback)

I rarely read fantasy because I find much of it to be dull. And I almost NEVER would touch a fantasy trilogy.

However, when my book group read "The Aware", the first in the "Isles of Glory" trilogy by Glenda Larke, I was immediately drawn into her world of citizens and citizenless (and therefore outcast) halfbreeds and the sweeping changes taking place in a long-standing sea-faring culture.

These books have some of the best world-building and character development I've seen, and there is no "middle book" syndrome associated with "Gilfeather" -- important things happen, the stakes are raised, and certain aspects of the larger storyline achieve some closure.

I would also note that the use of letters from a researcher back to his uncle are an excellent framing device, adding humor of all things to this story. And I agree with another reviewer here who praises Larke's use of a different focus character for this book. Yet we still have the beloved characters from the first book, so we get the best of both worlds.

I recommend the first two books ("The Aware" and "Gilfeather") without reservation. I'm very much looking forward to the third bok ("The Tainted") in June of this year. (Another advantage -- this trilogy was already published in Australia, so we don't have to wait years between books here in the States!)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't put it down!, January 23, 2006

By 

A. Estrada (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gilfeather (Isles of Glory) (Paperback)

I ordered "The Aware" sometime last year when it popped up on one of those "you might also like..." lists here. Amazon was right, I did enjoy it. I just received this second book on Saturday and have snatched every moment I can in order to read. I will probably finish it on the train ride home today and I am very much looking forward to the next book. This trilogy will be one of those that I read more than once simply because the characters are so wonderful.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glenda does it again, October 26, 2005

By 

Karen Miller (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gilfeather (Isles of Glory) (Paperback)

Just a repeat of my previous caveat -- Glenda is known to me personally, so it's up to other readers/reviewers to decide if I've remained successfully unbiased.

Gilfeather shows a strong progression in Glenda's writing. It's an interesting twist in the fantasy genre, especially the middle book of a trilogy, taking a brand new character and making (in this case) him the focus of the action. Readers beware: the cover art is misleading with this book. The focus really is on a healer, Gilfeather, whose life and belief system are overturned as a result of his meetings with the characters introduced in the previous book, The Aware.

Gilfeather is a great character, well drawn. The world building continues excellent -- I've said it before, I'll say it again -- nobody in the genre does it better than Glenda. The return of familiar characters from bk 1 is welcome. Tension escalates, the stakes are raised.

Having had the privilege of reading some of Glenda's yet to be published manuscripts, I can say with hand on heart that nobody puts a spin on the fantasy genre the way she does. She has the most unique and refreshing world view, steps far away from the traditional tropes/settings, and is to be congratulated for doing so.