Customer Reviews

Landmoor

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

 

 

All Shae are required to give a portion of their lives to the service of their deity, but Theaolos refuses when his time is called. Not because of any atheism does he dare to do this, but because he feels compelled to another purpose, one that will lead him outside of his home realm to journey among people who are strange to him. Thealos is sure that some threat is looming over his people, and only he can stop it.

On his journey, the youth will make an assortment of allies, some of whom ordinarily he could not associate with. As he journeys, Theaolos learns that evil mages have a powerful weapon, the Everoot, a magical object meant for healing and capable of great destruction. It is up to him and his new friends to defy all the forces of darkness and tradition to save the world.

*** Fans of the late J.R.R. Tolkien and other epics will easily fall in love with this new saga. Christian themes interweave with a subtly that conveys a message without beating the reader over the head. Originality and loved familiar patterns combine in this magical tale. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

LANDMOOR is a fine read, presenting an engrossing story in well-crafted prose. Wheeler's interest in medieval history comes through in his vivid descriptions of the towns, taverns, clothing, and weaponry. His martial arts background comes into play in the well-designed fight sequences.

Most importantly, Wheeler's characters are complex and interesting. There is a definite line between good and evil, Forbidden magic and Earth magic, yet the characters are in no way one-dimensional. Though LANDMOOR fits in with "clean fiction" suitable for younger readers, it is not "fluffy bunnies and lollipops." Not by a long shot. I thought Wheeler's creative approach to "cussing" added a nice touch of humor to the book.

The only mildly annoying aspect of the book is that the ending is a bit of a cliff-hanger. Clearly, LANDMOOR is meant to be part of a series. Fortunately, the world Wheeler has created is easily intriguing enough to support one with little difficulty.

In short, if you enjoy high fantasy, you'll love this book.

What an incredible book! The character development was awesome and the plot twists and turns very well. The author did a great job keeping me on my toes and causing me to lose a lot of sleep! Thanks! For anyone who enjoys Shannara and Dragonlance, this book is a must.

Thealos Quickfellow is a character whose magical adventure captured my heart and imagination. The author has succeeded in taking me along on Thealos' perilous journey to Landmoor in the human world from the safe haven of the Shae in Avisahn. While among strangers, he must adhere to the strict rules of his own kind, and let honor, not passion, lead him. His encounters with friend and foe lead him, not only to a hard won maturity, but also to true heroism. I passed on my delight in a copy of the book to my nephew, who is also coming of age in the world of men.

This is an enjoyable book. It is more family-friendly than most fantasy fiction. It doesn't really have slow parts, but is interesting throughout. It has good cliffhangers at the end of many of the chapters. It has lots of action, but also makes you think. It is mysterious and has you guessing about which of the characters you can trust.

I admit when I read the reviews of LandMoor (and it's sequeal, Silverkin) I was expecting something more original. Instead the ghosts of other books keep haunting his story. Kinslayer wars were first mentioned by Tolkien and then also in some of the TSR books. The Shannarra books mysteriously reapper in his characters and elements in the story as well. The elf like people are called "Shea" , (name of the main character of the Sword of Shannara) and similar to the elf like creatures in Tad Williams stories who were called "Sithi" (the physical descriptions of the Shea and Sithi are pretty similar.) The sleepwalker Jeored reminds me of the Weapons Master in another of the Shannarra books with some elements of the Matrix thrown in just for fun... The Shea are not elves regardless of what they look like. There is nothing supernatural about them and thier behaviors are very human. I found some of the elements of the Shea society to be intrigeing; prohibitions against immoral behavior, drunkenes and divorce. We don't often see charecters who stick to thier morals. I found the plot a little confusing and in the end skipped parts of the story that showed the antagonist's side. I have no interest in reading about why characters want to be evil and I find it distasteful that we have to dwell so long on their perversions. Uck! I have to say I felt a bit of sympathy for the character of Tsyrke Phellon. The poor man falls in love with a barmaid (of course) and this love makes him change his life, buy a homestead, and want to settle down and she dumps him to go chasing after Thealos. However, no matter his attraction to the barmaid, his destiny leads him to the Queen of his people Liesha (of course.) All in all, this books follows the same elements as other Tolkien ripoffs do. If you are currently into Tolkien ripoffs the book will feed the craving. However, don't look at it as original fiction or fantasy. It's an exciting read and the author did a good job creating characters we can like and root for and for this I give him 3 stars.

I read Landmoor in two straight days. Now this is a book written by somebody who has bothered to learn their craft. It might not go onto the New York Times bestseller list (althoug it should; it has all teh right elements and the style), but it will always be something you'll want to read when ure tired physically and brain-hungry.

Excellent werk and excellent story. I'm waiting pretty eagerly fer the next book by this author.

This author knows the Shea. A map of his story's territory is included at the book's front. There is enough adventure to appeal to anyone enjoying sword and sorcery, with enough description to appeal to those who yearn for the poetic magic that words can weave. Mystery lovers will find a surfeit of that as well. This is a safe read for the sophisticated younger set with a good grasp of vocabulary and a hankering for role model characters.

'Landmoor' is a first rate blend of fantasy and science fiction, heavy on the fantasy. The characters are grand and complicated, and they effortlessly push along an exciting storyline, through a richly dark setting. The novel's youthful protagonist, Thealos Quickfellow, wants to see the world. He desires to travel beyond the parochial walls of Avisahn; breach the barriers of isolation his people the Shae have erected; and understand the workings of the world. He is thwarted by the ruling Shae Council of Elders and is forced to risk exile as a KilShae to follow his dream. But life in the outerworld is not as he hoped. Thealos is quickly caught up in the surreal horrors of the Bandit Rebellion--a war that threatens to destroy the Shae way of life and the entire world as well. Thealos finds that he is the key to a Shae artifact that can stop the forbidden magic of the Everoot, which has the power to heal and destroy. Magic, fighting, love, honor and betrayal abound as Thealos and his companions--the beautiful human woman, Ticastasy; the loyal Drugaen, Flent Shago; the enigmatic Sleepwalker, Jaerod; the Shaefellow tracker, Allavain Devers; and the knight of Owen Draw, Sturnin Goff--try to solve the secret of the Castle city, Landmoor. This book is one of the few deals this year where the reader can say "I got my money's worth."

I found Landmoor to be a very enjoyable read. The highlights for me were good characterizations and a plot with lots of twists and turns. Wheeler has created a world that has a feeling of real depth and history, and yet presents it in a way doesn't slow down the action. Once I sat down with Landmoor I read it pretty much straight through, and I definitely plan to pick up the sequel "Silverkin" when it comes out. This was a great first novel by a new author. I looked forward to reading more of Wheeler's work in the future.

Wade