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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I consumed this book, October 2, 2004
Carol Berg has done it again. I happened by chance upon her first novel Transformation, about the time that it was published, and was enraptured by her work from the start.
Guardians of the Keep marks the second book in her second series, and true to her form, Berg enchants the reader. In Guardians of the Keep, Berg makes a departure from her usual one-person format by placing us in the heads of various other characters in the book, alternating the heroine from _Son of Avonar_, Lady Seriana of Comigor, with her resurrected and memory-challenged husband, Karon, as well as a new character, the young Duke of Comigor, her nephew Gerick. First person narration from multiple characters is something that has always been discouraged in creative writing courses in which I've attended. It generally creates confusion and distances us from the characters. Berg somehow manages to harness the unusual format and rather than detracting from the novel it enriches it.
There are surprises in store. I pride myself on being able to pick up on nuances early, and with the revelations that take place, I don't feel as if I've been led on a merry chase by the author. Conversely, I don't feel as if the obvious is sitting there, in the reader's face, just waiting for a character to pick up on it. I realize the surprises only pages before the characters do, which is how it should be.
Guardians of the Keep is a definite must for the fantasy enthusiast.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Maintains high standards, September 27, 2004
I actually would give this book 4.5 stars if I could. Ms. Berg continues with her string of memorable character driven books. While there is certainly the epic stage of two worlds in peril, really that battle is not the focus of this novel, or this series, or any of her books for that matter.
Instead, what I cared about was the human element, the seemingly small things that bind people, families, and friends together, or can tear them apart. As a result, in some ways I felt a much greater connection with the people of this realm.
The writing is sparse and short on description. However, I didn't miss many of the extra details. It would have been nice to read a bit more description, but not really necessary.
The only problems I had with the book was Gerick's POV seemed detached. He was the one character who I had a hard time getting into. When he saw horrific acts of violence, he was curiously untouched. I'm not sure if this was an error or simply because he was already used to such things. Either way, it was jarring. Also, Seri seemed a little 2-dimensional. She had some elements of joy and happiness, but mostly she worried a lot or was sorrowful. I didn't like that after a while.
But, overall, I thought it was a very fine read, and if you want a story about people first, the quest second, and the unnecessary details third, this book should do the trick.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The amazingly good series continues . . . ., March 5, 2005
This is another fantastic novel by Carol Berg! She's my current favorite author and never disappoints. This is the second book in The Bridge of D'Arnath series. Book One was phenomenal, so I was a little surprised after reading 100 pages of this second book to find myself (dare I say it) bored. The pace was slow. There wasn't anything intriguing happening. I reminded myself that the middle book of a trilogy is usually the worst. Then WHAM! The plot quickly took off and before I knew what had hit me, I was completely captivated. I stayed up way too late to turn page after page. The middle and end of this book deserves 5 stars, but I'm giving it 4 stars, simply because it has a slow start. But keep turning pages; it's well worth it!
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