Customer Reviews

The Grey Mane of Morning

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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The Grey Mane of Morning is the tale of the Khentor's, a peaceful race of plains dwelling folk, struggle for freedom from the tyranny of the `Golden People'. As long as they could remember the Khentorei lived in peace and relative happiness. The many different tribes of the Khentorei never warred with each other or the only neighbors they had known, the Kalnat. As long as the Khentorei could remember they knew their Gods and their horses. The great horned horses they rode across the great plains were their brothers. They loved their brothers as well as the plains that gave them all they needed to live. They also knew the `Golden People' a strange people of gold hair and eyes the color of the sky. The `Golden People' were as gods to the Khentorei and no one questioned that. The Golden People demanded a yearly tribute from each of the tribes of the Khentorei, and so it was given. No one ever questioned this, for it was all they had known. The Alnei, tribe of the wolf, were no different from the rest of the Khentorei. So they brought the annual tribute to their Golden deities. But when the Golden Ones took Nai, the high priestess, chosen of the gods, they had gone too far. Mor'ahn, spear of the sky, refused to allow his sister to just be taken. When Hran, Nai's mate, struck out against the Kalnat a vicious war began. But to a people where theft, rape and murder did not exist and everyone was family, war was strange sickening concept. Mor'anh is forced to reconcile his feelings of killing another human being and his hatred of the Kalnat. One day he must lead his people, but to where.

Simply excellent. Joy Chant does not need a trilogy of 1500+ pages to come up with a admirable story which combines cultural shock and revenge in an intelligent way. Tradition, racism, trade, even politics, and a top notch fantasy tale on top.

Shows how much can be done when a writer writes for fun and not for bucks. There is more in 10 pages of this novel than in the entire Wheel of Fortune a la Jordan.

This is an adorabe book! I got it from the library as a kid, and when I heard it wasn't printed anymore, I just had to keep the copy!
It is still one of my favorites, though I have read a lot of other fantasybooks by now.
Great story, lovable characters, you will just sink into the descriptions of this people, the Khentorei.
Really fascniating and a must-have for every fantasy-fan!

Joy Chant fits comfortably in the ranks of Jack Vance, Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, Brent Weeks, Bramah, Abercrombie, and Hobb. Her brilliant characterizations and deft storytelling skills are truly enthralling with atmospheric backdrops that will make it seem like you are there. Her books certainaly belong amongst the best in the fantasy/adventure genre. Truly magnificent and epic!!!

While this book does not rise to the lyrical heights of Chant's "Red Moon and Black Mountain" (absolutely don't miss that one), this is an excellent story with believable characters you'll care about. It deals with themes like the relationship between man and the divine, leadership, cultural interaction, codes of honor,and warfare. Oh, yes -- there's a great love story as well. Chant doesn't beat you over the head with all this, it's just there, embedded in a good story. As with so many reviews, I look at the bad ones for this book and can't believe the writers actually read it. If you like a good story in a believable alternate world, with great unicorns to ride into battle, this is for you.

Hey, this is a good book. It has a story that is told in one volume, and does not develop through haphazard accidents. I highly reccommend it for someone looking for an entertaining read. The story does not need 5 volumes and 5000 pages to get to the end. Buy it. Read it.

This book was on my shelf for years before I finally got around to reading it -- or actually, skimming it, because it wasn't very good. The imaginary world is interesting and seems to be fairly well thought out, but the writing is clumsy -- the author jumps from one character's head to another indiscriminately, often within the same paragraph. A few interesting plot twists are hinted at but never developed. Worst of all, despite the rather complex delineation of gender roles the author has imagined for her nomadic tribespeople, the female characters remain helpless, emotional and weepy throughout.