Customer Reviews

Guardians of The Keep: Book Two of the Bridge of D'Arnath

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I became a huge Carol Berg fan after recently reading her Transformation series, so much so that I was hesitant to pick up her "Bridge" series for fear of getting burned out on what looked to be a similar narrative tale. While "Son of Avonar" was, in itself, a very good novel, "Guardians" was truly exceptional and laid aside any fears that I had of Berg being a one-trick pony like so many other authors who have well-received debuts.

As with the Transformation series, Berg seems to have no end of well thought out plot and character development which adds a richness to the adventure-filled storyline. The first hundred pages were warmly enticing, but the rest of the book was a series of great revelations; patiently told and thoroughly rewarding.

If you enjoy mature character development without sap, excellent and original world-building, and masterful narrative then pick up this series!

Berg continues her Bridge story with Seri returning to her family home to pass on the message from her brother to his son as promised upon his death. Regardless of the fact that her brother murdered her son and was involved with the people who burned her husband to death, Seri comes to the belief that her brother was used and manipulated in doing so by the enemies of her husband's people.

When Seri arrives at Comigor she discovers a frightened, strange nephew and a prissy, self-absorbed sister-in-law. While Seri's sister-in-law is bedridden from a dangerious pregnancy, Seri decides to help out running the home she loved as a child, for her nephew's sake. She begins to make it her business in getting to know her nephew (a recluse) and tries numerous ways to draw him out. The story becomes fast-paced when her nephew, Garrick, is kidnapped. Seri goes on a dangerous journey, accompanied with friends from the previous novel, through two worlds to save Garrick.

This novel is riddled with suspence, action, and surprises. I'm usually very good at guessing what would happen next, but Berg left me guessing on several accounts and surprised me on several. It took all I had to not flip to the end. What I love most about Berg is her superb ability to show the true nature of humans. I'm anxious for what next Berg has to offer.

After a devoured the first book, I picked this up right away, and to my dismay, it was written from different points of view. I was disheartened: most authors who do this screw it up royally. But I needed to know what happened, or I might have died on the spot, I swear.

Luckily, Berg managed to pull it off. It was nice to understand the thoughts of the other characters along with Seri, and it definetly added a new dimension to the story. Occasionally I wanted to beat Gerick though, especially since I had to deal with his actions twice (once from his point of view, as well as another character's viewing it from their situation). But what else can you expect from a teenager? I'm sure my parents wanted to beat me too sometimes (joke, joke).

Seri's relationship with Karon is put on hold- completely frustrating. I want to see my characters together and happy, but then I guess it wouldn't be as exciting. It lasts pretty much the whole book though, so I wasn't a happy camper. I'm sure others are much more tolerant about these things than I am, and it was still very enjoyable nonetheless (plus things are better in the third book, so no fretting).

There are some dramatic plot twists just like in the last one, some you can guess and some you can't. There is action on a larger scale than the last one, and you're introduced to the Lords of Zhev'Na and their home. The book moves on a good pace most of the time, with very few lulls. I couldn't put it down. I definetly recommend this series to all fantasy readers.

If you liked Son of Avonar, then go ahead and read this sequel. It's not bad, but I was irritated by its needless length. I don't mind long books, but I do object to stretched stories. And Guardians of the Keep is unnecessarily protracted. Scenes that could be paragraphs are instead chapters. And it seems to be scenes that are already dull that are dragged on. For example, one character is brought into monotonous servitude. And every bit of the slave's monotonous tasks, companions, and life are described in uninteresting detail.The author sprinkles a few new events in here and there, which are relevant to the story, but it's too drawn out. The scene is longer - much longer - than a chapter. The pace should have been faster. This sluggish sequence of events dulls almost every major developing scene: the character is put in new circumstances, the circumstances and surrounding characters and observations of the main character are described for at least a chapter, before something even mildly interesting happens. The pace needs to move more quickly. This simply won't do for a post-Harry Potter world. Readers expect immediacy and a stimulating pace.
As with all of Carol Berg's books, the redeeming qualities are the endearing characters, convincing magic, and beauteous writing. Seri is still the main character, but much of the book is from Gerick's and Karon's points of view. The author keeps the book interesting by switching viewpoints. She does a good job of making characters' thoughts and personalities come through her writing. They are unusual characters for fantasy - a 36 year old widow, a spoiled, complex, little boy, etc. The magic is mysterious and different, with limits (which some fantasy authors neglect to set).
The plot is not unpredictable. Maybe that's what augments the feeling that the story is too lengthy: the ending really wasn't surprising; I was just waiting for it to happen like a hundred pages before it concluded. But, I still enjoyed the book. I love Carol Berg's writing style - the wording of sentences and the relationships and personalities of characters, as well as the refreshing first-person viewpoints keep the story moderately enjoyable. It could have been abridged and faster paced, but if you like Carol Berg's books, and The Son of Avonar specifically, then read Guardians of the Keep. Also, don't read the back of the book - it is infuriatingly revealing. It ruins the little suspenseful information there is, and you shouldn't find it out till at least a hundred pages into the story.

I have to hand it to Carol Berg ... after reading the first book in the series, I didn't think she'd have the fortitude or ability to write a dark fantasy novel. She proved me wrong! She paints a desolate picture of the world on the other side of the bridge, the realm of the Zhev'Na, and tells the story from the viewpoint of many characters, including Seri, Karon, Gerick, and Paulo. Her characters are more humanized this time around, and her writing does a great job of making you feel the hopelessness of that culture. Looking forward to starting the third book this evening.

Carol Berg is such a fantastic author, most definitely my new favorite. Her writing style is intelligent and sophisticated and she weaves a tale that kept me up way past bed time many a night!

Once I got into this series I found it hard to stop reading! I liked the second book as much as the first and was thankful that it started right up and didn't have the slow beginning that Son of Avonar had. Great story, great characters. I really enjoyed it.