Customer Reviews

The Knight, the Harp, and the Maiden (Secrets of the Witch World)

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

 

 

I was drawn to this book by an unusual plot device: the main character's curse is that she cannot receive charity of any kind. I expected this to get her into all sorts of interesting predicaments. And it did - some of the time. I was not thoroughly convinced of the threat she was supposed to be to other people, nor of the evil sorceror who proposes without provocation. The helpless victim attitude annoyed me; I wanted to slap her even as I pitied her. Juilene is not one of those endearing heroines whose image will stay with me for a long time. But the book has some merit. The role of the songsayer within society has some definite parallels to our first wandering musicians. The implications of a society based on thanes and thurges (rulers and wizards) deserves expansion, as well as the implications of time-travel. The most interesting character in the book is a poor chap with something of an Oedipus problem. Unfortunately, everyone in the book seems infected with some degree of a female-inferiority complex, and the rebuttal is never fully realized. The ending comes too quickly and easily. Could it be redeemed with a sequel? Perhaps - I would like to see the author develop many of the things hinted at in this book.

To be honest, when I picked up this book I was expecting a historical medieval romance, this was not what I got. This story was pure fantasy, about a make believe world with evil wizardry, thurges, master thurges, over thurges - thanes, and all sorts of classes of people that I had never run across before running all over in a fantasy land - again that I had never heard of. But I figured what the heck, I am into it why not broaden my horizons!

The story starts off with Lady Juilene who has been classically trained as a harpist and with a pleasing voice wants nothing more than to enter a competition before she marries her betrothed Arimond. Arimond's sister is attacked rather brutally by the evil thurge Lindos' soldiers - one of many such brutal type happenings in their domain. Arimond thinks he can defeat and kill the thurge if Juilene can, pose as a song-sayer and get Lindos to drop his guard. - This does not happen - Arimond is caught and killed - Juilene is brought back to Lindos' keep and given an option - marry Lindos. She refuses, and he places a curse on her that would hurt anyone who offers her aid, to be broken only by someone who will love her for herself. To save her family and friends she flees with nothing but her harp and a few coins.

The rest of the story tells the trials and tribulations of this once pampered Lady who must now earn coin for her food, shelter and anything else she needs. You get to watch her grow up and draw on strengths she never knew she had. I would say that this was geared more for a young adult but there is a scene in which Juliene loses her innocence that might make a parent think twice. Eventually, a knight does come into her life with many secrets of his own. The romance story is sweet and their journey together is rife with danger. All in all - this not being a genre that I have immense knowledge of - I would say it is an okay read. Interesting concept if you like that sort of thing.

I'm on the hundreth and something page(about a third of the book) and NOTHING has really happen yet. Not anything not told on the back of the book. The main character was only in the prologue and then he disappear. The girl of the story was so stupid I don't even want to go into it. Suffice to say that she brought a curse down on herself and got rape without putting up much of a struggle. You can't even say it was a struggle since the rapist didn't get hurt. All she did was tried to push his hands away and then scream when she finally realize what he was doing. I didn't even bother to finish a book with such a weak, pathetic heroine.

If you're looking for a fast-paced tale to uplift the spirit and engage the mind....then do NOT read this book! Rarely have I been so disappointed in the printed word. Apparently, it wasn't enough for the author to script an uninspiring, predictable plot; she also felt it necessary to present us with some of the least likeable, most contrived characters it has ever been my misfortune to encounter. The Maiden from the title is your run-of-the-mill "damsel in distress", hiding behind the closest male figure for protection, comfort, and advice. And these male figures, from the Overprotective Father to the Dashing Young Hero, fulfill their two-dimensional roles with gusto: I fully expected the Evil Sorcerer to start twirling his mustache a la Snidely Whiplash! Not even a brutal assault on her best friend or her own subsequent victimization prod the lackless "heroine" into action. This book does its best to depict women as weak-minded, trivial, inept creatures, an image we have been fighting against for decades. Bush's labored writing is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the richness you encounter in the offerings of Terri Windling, Emma Bull, Sherwood Smith, Robin McKinley, Vivian Van Velde, and countless other female writers of fantasy today. If you're in the market for a bodice-ripper, then by all means, pick up this book and enjoy. But if you want a book with substance, bypass this insipid piece of "literature" and go directly to the authors listed above. You'll be glad you saved your money.

I chose this book for my 14 year old sister who adores fantasy fiction. On a lark, I read the book first. There is a unexpected rape scene involving the heroine which was as disturbing as it was detailed. When it was over, she asks her rapist for money! If I had wanted a brutal, realistic novel for a young teen, I would have bought something else.

The plot was okay. I thought that she was a little naive and not very....protective of herself. I thought some of the parts the book could have done with out. But a pretty interesting book.

This is a really good book except for the two pages in which the heroine is raped (in great detail) which the book did not need.

Seven city states comprise the Syrian League, an association that has Thurges (sorcerers) and Thanes(the nobility) co-ruling, but vying for power. After a period of chaos, the balance between the magical forces has maintained a peaceful balance, but that abruptly ends. In the powerful city-state of Sylyria, Juilene, daughter of the Thane of Sarrasim, wants to become a songsayer at the festival. When the evil Thurge Lindos, a practitioner of the forbidden magic, abets an attack on her fiancé's sister, Juilene poses as a songsayer to bring the local aristocracy inside the castle.

Their plan to kill Lindos fails and the evil magician holds Juilene prisoner. When she rejects his marriage proposal, he curses her by forbidding her to accept kindness or charity lest she causes them harm. Juilene flees her home, aimlessly wandering as a songsayer, praying that someone will appear who loves and cherishes her for herself. That and that alone is the only means to break the curse. However, the prophecy states that "only the knight who has never been born" can halt the curse that is about to befall the Syrian League, a legend that will affect Juilene as well.

THE KNIGHT, THE HARP AND THE MAIDEN is an enthralling fantasy novel that genre readers will tremendously enjoy. The metamorphosis of the heroine from a young spoiled girl into a strong woman is marvelous, believable, and the underpinning of the stupendous story line. Anne Kelleher Bush creates a world that fans will want to know learn more about as they will clamor for a continuing series.

Harriet Klausner

This story and the characters are copies of the generic figures you've met in inumerable other fantasy novels. The setting is the same familiar squeeky clean washed-out Hollywood quasi-medieval setting. The so-called heroine relies upon various men to protect her and define her and lacks a spine or anything to help her stand on her own. She and other female characters are basically cardboard figures used to show whether the sterotypic male characters are good or bad. This book is duller than plain corn grits.

And the writing...geez...clumsy, thin and the action and dialogue are as cliche-ridden as the characters. This book has the feel of a trashy romance novel. It's so bad it's funny but you might weep over lost time and this book's contribution to the decline of fantasy fiction. Do authors think that the only fantasy readers are young teens? Seems that way given how the books read.

Best thing to come from this book is its service as firestarter for my still.

I had heard this was good. Different. Somehow bringing uniqueness to well-worn fantasy ground. Not true. I couldn't finish it. How tedious: yet another quest fantasy centering around fem-jep and rehashing the medieval magic world. The dialogue was atrocious (does anybody REALLY talk like this?), the characters were cardboard (and stereotypical - a double insult) and I was bored bored bored. The only cliche missing was a unicorn.

In all fairness, had I read this when I was 10 or 11 and just discovering fantasy, I probably would have liked it. But as an adult, if you've read this kind of fantasy before, there are much better versions out there with a heck of a lot more depth and soul. Don't bother with this one.