Customer Reviews

Hawkspar: A Novel of Korre

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Set in the world of Korre, same as her novel Talyn, but the book is able to stand alone.

Honestly, I was not impressed with this cover. If it hadn't been Holly's work I would never have picked the book up. It's lackluster, dull. Tor did not do her work justice with this cover art. Actually Tor didn't do much right with this book at all. Out of curiosity I looked up the artist who did the cover and he's capable of much better work. Such a shame.

The novel itself is amazing. Classic Lisle with a return to the richly developed and many layered world of Korre. Well fleshed out and believable characters and a killer story. A young woman who was taken as a slave now lives among the Osselene Order, an order that gets their power from stone eyes created by a power hungry Prince. Chosen from the ranks of the acolytes because of the strength of her secret Tonk magic the girl rises to power as an Oracle. Her eyes are removed and replaced with Hawkspar stone - destroying her natural vision and giving her the ability to not only 'see' but manipulate the rivers of time.

A young Tonk man named Arran is the best magical tracker of his kind, hunting slaves stolen from the Tonk and on a quest to find his sister who was taken years ago.

Hawkspar's magic reaches out and Arran is the one who picks it up.

There are two distinct story lines with Hawkspar and Arran and Lisle weaves them together beautifully, like an intricate dance. Point of view changes from 1st person (Hawkspar) to 3rd person (Arran) as the story progresses but it's done well and does not interrupt the flow at all. Evil is monstrous and seemingly insurmountable and the love between the two seems doomed.

Hawkspar knows she needs to sacrifice everything to save the world. Arran can't turn away from his quest to find his sister.

I was riveted and in no way, shape or form does this review do the book itself justice. Looking for a deep read that you can escape into? Hawkspar is for you!

Taken as a young girl by slavers, a nameless Tonk girl faces a hard choice. Risking punishment and death she has secretly been fighting the order of Ossalene Priestesses who purchased her and countless other girls, bringing them up under a harsh rule that leads to obedience and the eventual taking of their eyes and humanity--or death or being sold off to an even worse fate. But the most powerful woman of the Ossalenes, Hawkspar, Eyes of War, has picked her as her successor, to have her eyes torn out and replaced with stones of Hawkspar, created by an ancient sorcerer, which will confer upon her the ability to see into the future and the past--but with darkness, pain and madness as a reward. This is a fate she has fought against, building up a secret association of rebels among the order, but the old Hawkspar reveals that the girl must take the Eyes, for the fate of all Tonk people rests upon her, as well as the success of the escape of the slaves held by the order. The Tonk people are less than a distant memory to the girl, yet... she knows she must try to free her fellow slaves... AND keep others from falling into slavery, which means saving the Tonk as a people from the enemy that works to enslave and break them. With her secret friend, Redbird, she agrees to take the Eyes and become Hawkspar after the present one dies, and Redbird will take the Obsidian Eyes, as a fighter to protect her.

In the meantime, the Hawkspar-to-be, has been secretly sending out magical pleas for rescue for many years, using her own Tonk magic. Aaran, a Tonk who hunts with the Sea Wolves, sailing to take slaver ships and free their captured people, senses the distant pleas for help. Aaran will stop at nothing in order to help free the hundred or more slaves kept by the Ossalenes. He will be sailing through the unknown and hazardous Islands of the Fallen Star, farther than the Sea Wolves roam. The plight of the unknown girl has captured his soul. His young sister was stolen by slavers long ago and he and his cousin have sworn to never rest until they find her, so he has added incentive to look farther away and to risk much more than others.

I loved the story of Hawkspar, who has fears and regrets and yet still knows someone has to do what is necessary to save others. The life and hierarchy of the Ossalenes is also fascinating, if dark and disturbing. Their magic, seeing the future (Hawkspar), healing (Moonstone), fighting (Obsidians), etc., is very cool.

Aaran and the fiercely free, but beleaguered Tonk people are also involving. Aaran also does what he has to do, despite all odds and despite horrible set-backs and difficulties. He, like Hawkspar, is someone who merely asked for a basic life with family and hard work--but were denied it totally. And yet they still keep hopes alive, even in the darkest situation. They face impossible odds and need to succeed or lose everything--along with a whole nation of people who depend upon them.

We experience sea adventures, cannibals, powerful and cruel tyrants, centuries-old conspiracies, cultures of cruelty and magic that will do anything for power and riches, bizarre creatures, battles to free prisoners and battles to free entire cities and plots and trickery in order to win free from a horrible destiny.

And through these epic battles and adventures the focus is kept on Aaran and Hawkspar, since their personal battles are also the larger ones. Their tale is handled well, and is very moving, amidst all the action and adventure. This is definitely a world and people worth reading about.

I was introduced to Holly Lisle's writing with the first novel of Korre, Talyn. I loved it! It had richly developed characters exploring challenging(read: not for the faint of heart) themes in a well realized world...everything you might want. Since then, my wife and I have searched out and found nearly everything Holly has had published.

Hawkspar raises the bar! The Order of the Ossilenes is terrifying. Poor girls. They desperately need to be rescued. And Arran is absolutely determined to do so. What a wild ride in the attempt. Believable, perfectly consistent, or all entirely necessary for the story? Probably not. But this is fantasy. Fun, compelling, and engrossing? Yes!

I know some people will have a little trouble with the 1st person, 3rd person switching between the chapters. I didn't, though. I especially enjoyed moving back into the internal, personal viewpoint of the penitent(acolyte, etc.)

I would have liked to see the battles at the climax to be more difficult and elaborate. After all the obstacles that led our heroes into the most dangerous, hopelessly outnumbered situations (both of them), I felt like they went too quickly and easily. Of course, I didn't want the book to end, so that could be a factor.

I cried at the end...even though I knew it was coming. Ahhh...Holly!

Hawkspar is very good. It has joined my short list of favorites (Robin Hobb's Assassin series and Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series are at the top). Pick up Talyn if you missed it, then get Hawkspar!

In Korre, Aaran is an experienced very successful "veteran tracker of slaves"; having attacked slave ships on the seas to free the human cargo. However, his mission this time is personal; he seeks his missing sister, who disappeared without a trace a long time ago. He knows the trail is cold, but feels he must try.

The female slave has achieved the impossible twice; first surviving the abuse of her owner the Osselene Order and second somehow becoming an oracle, Hawkspar the demigoddess. She has learned of a nefarious plot that could eradicate a race and knows how to save the lives of thousands by using her skill to change the flow of Time through the amulet Eyes of War, but at the cost of her life. However this former slave needs to be rescued before she begins and Aeran hears her magical song.

The second Korre fantasy (see TALYN) is an exciting thriller that feels like Dungeons and Dragons on the open sea as much of the non-stop action occurs on oceans. The story line is fast-paced from the onset as one adventure follows another. However all the escapades also keep most of the cast from being fully developed especially villains. Still this is an engaging entry as HAWKSPAR who has not lived a gentle life finds herself caught in a personal dilemma between being a dead heroine for people who have mistreated her or a live coward.

Harriet Klausner

I'm a BIG fan of Ms. Lisle's work, and the first 75-80% of this novel had me ready to rate it 5 stars. Unfortunately, the last chapters seemed to me somewhat hurried and sketchy. The conclusion is satisfying, but the last twelve chapters didn't resonate and fill my mind with strong imagery in the same way as the first parts of the book. I strongly recommend it for the worldbuilding, the characters, and the hooks for future adventures in Korre - but I think Hawkspar would have been better with a few more pages (and a little more time for writing). Phill Rowell

This book caught me by surprise and absolutely sucked me in. Funnily enough, though another commenter disliked it, the cover art was what caught my eye. Having never read anything by Holly Lisle before, I was delighted by her masterful world-building, believable characters, and the overall balance of the novel. The heroine Hawkspar could easily have been too powerful and ruined the story. Instead, she felt truly human, and the consequences of her power felt appropriate and real. Lisle writes of the supernatural in a manner that makes even some of her more outlandish notions exceptionally believable.

I read Hawkspar before reading her first novel of Korre, and after reading them both, I found Hawkspar to be the better of the two, even though Talyn offers a great view of the Tonk and a little back story. I hope that the author finds time to delve back into the world of Korre sometime again.

I picked up this book at the local library, I had read the Diplomacy of Wolves trilogy and enjoyed Holly Lisle's writing style, so I had good expectations for this book. I really enjoy first-person narratives, and I love the main character and narrator, who is a very well-developed and thought-provoking character. Her companions are also very interesting characters...and I love the imagery of the stone Eyes...

The writing style is very strong, the plot is fast-moving and holds your interest, excellent characterization, steamy sex scenes always a bonus, and the magical elements are interesting. Two thumbs up!


I did not enjoy reading the prequel Talyn and would not recommend reading it (see my review on that novel for more info).

I very much enjoyed this book. The story is fast paced and well drawn. The charaters were interesting and complex.

Hawkspar (2008) is the second fantasy novel in the Korre series, following Talyn. In the previous volume, Talyn learned the Hagedwar magic of the Feegash and combined it with Tonk magic. She used these magical powers to lead a revolt against the Feegash. Then she became one of the foremost healers among her people.

In this novel, Mouse is a Tonk girl who had been captured and sold to the Order of the Ossalenes. She has lost her real name over the years, But now she is First Penitent and planning an escape. She uses her Tonk magic to call for help across the oceans. She is trying to get rescued before her eyes are taken and replaced with magical stone Eyes.

Redbird is also a Tonk girl who was sold as a slave to the Ossalenes. She is now Second Penitent and part of Mouse's conspiracy. She has been dedicated to Mouse since their days on the slave ship.

Hawkspar is the Oracle of War, one of the rulers of the Ossalenes. Her eyes had been removed and replaced by stones of hawkspar. With their magic, she can see both the past and the future.

Aaran Donin av Savissha dryn Tragyn is a Tonk orphan. His family had been taken or killed by Silani slavers. Now he uses Hagedwar magic as a tracker on the Windsteed. His ship is one of four in the Haakvaryn wolfship pack and his pack is only one of the various packs that are hunting Silani slavers and freeing Tonk slaves.

Tuaanir av Sivissha dryn Nalri is also a Tonk orphan. His family had been taken or killed with Aaran's family. Now Tuua is the keeper -- priest -- for the Windsteed. He is a follower of Saint Ethebet, but also studies the other four saints.

Ossal is dead, but not gone. Once he had been a wizard and a king, but he had created the Oracle Eyes and they destroyed him. But he is still tied to all the Eyes that he had created. Whenever Oracles are tired and down, Ossal tries to take over their bodies.

In this story, Mouse is sparring with Redbird when an Obsidian tells her that Hawkspar wants to see her. She also wants to see Redbird. They hurry back to their quarters, grab their formal wear and go to wash off the sweat from their practice.

When Mouse reaches Hawkspar's quarters, she is very frightened. She feels even more afraid as Hawkspar shows that she knows about Mouse's little conspiracy. But then Hawkspar tells Mouse about her own conspiracy.

Hawkspar shows Mouse her Tonk clan markings -- which are the same as those on Mouse's palm -- and tells Mouse that they had both been taken from their clan as children. Hawkspar's conspiracy has taken some of the highest positions within the Ossalenes. Five of the Oracles -- a majority -- are within her conspiracy.

Hawkspar convinces Mouse to become her successor, the next Hawkspar. Of course, Mouse would rather be rescued while she still has her own eyes, but soon realizes that the Hawkspar Eyes are the only way to reach her goals. But she stills sends her magic out to call for rescue.

Meanwhile, Aaran detects the magical call for help from Mouse. The call is so strong that he falls from his perch on the ship spars. He argues with Captain Haakvar about following the call and rescuing a hundred lost Tonk children. Yet Haakvar believes any effort to sail the Fallen Sun islands is doomed to failure and refuses to try.

When the Windsteed reaches Port Midrid, Aaran takes his share and starts shopping for a ship of his own. Tuua stays with him, but other officers are hard to find. Haakvar has spread the word that Aaran is a madman on a hopeless quest.

Aaran finds only one shipbuilder who will sell him a ship. Unluckily, the ship is a drowner and has been retrieved from the sea to be repaired and resold. Aaran can have the ship at cost if he agrees to bring back a new wife for the shipwright.

Afterward, Aaron finds a short crew of mixed origins, with only a few Tonk officers and sailors. He hopes to gain more officers and crew during his voyage. As they leave the harbor, Aaran puts the crew and marines to work sanding the stench of the sea from the planks.

This tale takes Aaran and his crew to the back entrance of the Ossalene castle as enemies are attacking the front. Mouse is now the Hawkspar and has her followers waiting in the tunnel above the back harbor. They load the children and adults aboard the ship and flee. As they are sailing away, the tunnel explodes behind them and takes the lives of many enemies.

Hawkspar has magical powers through the Eyes, but she is also under siege from Ossal, who is trying to takeover her body. Of course, she could just die and Ossal will be plunged back into the black hole from which he is trying to escape. Yet she has taken the task of finding and defeating the menace that is undermining the Tonk.

One wonders if the name Hawkspar has any relationship to the Sparhawk of the Elenium and Tamuli series by Eddings. I cannot find any mention of hawkspar as a gemstone, so maybe it was invented from whole cloth. In some ways, the Hawkspar and Sparhawk characters are the converse of each other, but there are several common aspects, including courage and audacity.

This novel continues the tale of the Tonk clans introduced in the first book in this series. Hopefully there will be more to follow. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Lisle fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic magic, mass escapes, political intrigue and true romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin