12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fresh new wind, June 3, 2010
This review is from: Land of the Burning Sands (Griffin Mage Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)
After reading the first book of this trilogy, "Lord of the Changing Winds" I was a little put off by the coldness of the main character Kes who turned away from humanity, but loved the griffins and harsh beauty of their world and the bleakness of their choices to survive. Imagine my surprise that the second book takes a secondary character from that book, Lord Bertaud, and weaves him seamlessly into this story about a whole new cast and set in a new country. The after effects of the "war" in book one have devestating results, both political and ecological which this new cast must fight. I loved the idea of slavery in this land being both physically and magically destructive, and the main character, Gereint, does everything in his power to constantly remain human, even when placed in horrific situations. He is so fully drawn that his anger and apparent helplessness make the conclusion a believable miracle. Neumeier started off with her first book that only slowly opened to me, but keep reading, because if book two is any indication, then the third book will blow your socks off. I can't wait!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Author is getting better with each book - near perfect read for me, July 15, 2010
While Lord of the Changing Wind took place in the kingdom of Feierabriand, we are now transported over the mountains to Casmantian. The Griffins, who won back the city of Melentser in the peace treaty, are busy returning it to their magical desert.
While Book One concentrated on the griffins, Book Two follows the story of Gereint Enseichen as he tries to escape his criminal sentence of slavery. Yes, the Griffins still make an appearance but this story is shifted to deal with human concerns.
This switch to a more human-driven plotline actually makes Burning Sands, far exceed it's predecessor, Changing Wind. Instead of wondering if we will be able to bond with our characters we are giving tortured Gereint who wants to return to being a free man; his benefactor Amnachudran; the architect maker Tehre (another, strongly reminiscent of McKillip, heroine though more approachable); the mage Beguchren; and Bertraud (the Feierabriand king's right hand man introduced in Book One).
Gereint plans on taking full advantage of the destruction of Melentser by the Griffins. He has it all planned... hide out... let everyone flee the griffins' wrath and then he'll quietly sneak over the border, effectively escaping his life of servitude and slavery. However, things go awry when he fails to plan quite as thoroughly as he thought (proving book knowledge only goes so far), and gets rescued by Amnachudran.
After a few adventures (which I don't want to spoil for you by posting about), Amnachudran and his wife hatch a wonderful plan to help Gereint: the former slave is to travel to Bredichboden to meet their daughter Tehre, an absent minded genuis who needs an assistant.
Agreeing to go to Bredichboden where he might be re-captured into slavery is probably the weakest part of the book. I personally would have told Amnachudran, thanks but no thanks, grabbed a pack and hiked over the mountains to freedom. Regrettably for Gereint, he does travel to the city of his birth and after some entertaining interactions between him and Tehre (some of the best scenes in the book involve her), gets, predictably recaptured.
However, the Casmantian king and his powerful mage, Beguchren, have a bigger destiny for Gereint: take the maker back to Melenster (where the griffins have decided to destroy the kingdom of Casmantian) and use Gereint to defeat them. However, the bid to gain his freedom, may be at a bigger price then Gereint dreams or even the King's Mage, Beguchren imagines as triumph means remaking the very kingdom of Casmantian.
As I've wrote in review of Book One review this series, Neumeier admits to a love of the works of Patricia McKillip. Here again you will see a homage to some of the themes that McKillip has in her works, though not in a slavish or copy cat manner. Book Two is far more subtle but because I've read McKillips' works backwards and forwards, they popped out to me.
First, there is Tehre, a new heroine in the series that the reader really needs and who makes this book a standout. Tehre, like other McKillip heroines, "walks out of her shoes" and is an absent minded, driven genius whose science discussions with Gereint are truly delectable. Where she becomes her own person is in her kindness and compassion towards Gereint and her follow-through to help him out of the pickle that she unwittingly placed him in.
Another McKillip theme that her fans might recognize is that blurring of the line of who is right, who is wrong, and what should be done. Just as you think the King of Casmantian is going to smite everyone in smiting distance, the ending takes an unexpected turn. And just when you are trying to decide if Beguchren is evil or good... you realize that he is just human, making human mistakes.
Writing of endings, this book has a fantastic and satisfying ending - something you don't get much anymore because authors are too busy writing never-ending stories that just pack in characters. Nope, you will end this book with a satisfied ahhhhh.
Bertraud, who was featured more in Book One, does play an important part as Tehre's traveling companion but it looks like his story will arc plays out in the third book. The griffins come more into the story near the end and, though their actions must be answered by the people in the book, they are not the primary characters as they were in Book One.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific fantasy, July 25, 2010
This review is from: Land of the Burning Sands (Griffin Mage Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)
The Kingdom of Casmantium used griffins and the magic of fire to annex territory from its neighbor Feierabiand, but the subsequent war ended in abject defeat (see Lord of the Changing Winds). However, inside Casmantium, the loss has led to a power struggle as the fuming griffins have filled much of the void and are overtly hostile to the other sentient species especially the last surviving mage.
Convicted to a life of slavery Gereint Enseichen also believes the debacle has given him a chance to escape from his servitude. However, instead of freedom across the border, he finds himself caught in the middle of trying to prevent the griffins from turning the kingdom into a graveyard of burning sand as they are doing with the city of Melentser; ceded to them during the peace treaty. His mentor Amnachudran rescues Geraint from his botched plan; he and his wife send Gereint to Bredichboden to become an assistant to their brilliant absent minded scientist daughter Tehre. Back in his home city, the adventures continue as Gereint fears he will be caught while the King tries to save his throne.
While the griffins who starred in the first book take a bit of a respite, Gereint picks up the mantle of driving the story line as he tries to stay free. The story line is fast-paced from start to finish and the aftermath of a bitter defeat is made worse when everyone expected the glory of victory which is the vivid focus of this terrific fantasy. The middle Griffin Mage Trilogy thriller is a terrific entry as the action never stops coming while the cast is superb especially the convicted slave and the scientist.
Harriet Klausner
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