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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engrossing new read, October 3, 2007
This review is from: Lord of the Fading Lands (Mass Market Paperback)
I was really anticipating this book and wasn't disappointed in the least. When I received the book, I had that same excited feeling that I'd get when a new Christine Feehan book would come. Just the synopsis made me feel that Wilson was onto something new & exciting.
At some points in the book, I could feel the dread building in me--waiting for the author to use the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING card or have something horrible happen to the h/h just to further the plot. I can quite happily say that Wilson resisted this impulse and instead gave me a story that was uplifting & engrossing, but not sugary-sweet. The interactions between the h/h were believable & intense. I like that the author showed the heroine's vulnerability regarding the hero's past marriage. If she hadn't addressed this, I would've wondered.
I would agree with another reviewer who said that they would be put this in the fantasy category, rather than paranormal romance. While it is definitely a romance, it has plenty of elements that would make this "acceptable" to those who avoid romances.
I can't wait for the next book, and I am overjoyed that I won't have to wait a year for it. Kudos to this new author, and here's hoping that we see plenty of books from her in the future!
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31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely dazzling story from a new voice in fantasy romance, January 27, 2008
This review is from: Lord of the Fading Lands (Mass Market Paperback)
Rainier vel'En Daris Feyreisen, the Tairen Soul, King of the Fading Lands, and Defender of the Fey has got to do something to save his people. There is only one fertile female tairen, and her offspring are dying inside their eggs. His people are dying, his land is barren, and there is nothing he can do about it. Desperate for a cure, Rain seeks out one of the more powerful Fey objects, a magical crystal called the Eye of Truth. After punishing him for having the audacity to seek answers from such a holy object, the Eye tells Rain that she salvation of his people and himself lies in a land called Celieria and shows him the image of a red-haired, green-eyed girl. Though he hates that cursed land since it reminds him of love lost and battles fought long ago, Rain decides to accompany Marissya, the only remaining female Fey, on her trip to Celieria in the hopes of finding the girl and saving his people.
Ellysetta Baristani is the peasant daughter of a woodcarver in Celieria. She is not the biological child of this family, but they found her in the woods and raised her as their own. Ellie has never felt that she was anything but a full member of the Baristani family, even though there is a darkness inside her that she struggles to contain. When it is learned that the Tairen Soul is coming to Celieria, Ellie's younger twin sisters ask her to accompany them to the ceremony. No one has seen the King of the Fey in more than a thousand years, and Ellie acquiesces to her sister's demands. In the crowded mass of people gathered to see the visiting Fey, one of Ellie's sisters is injured. When she kisses her sister's wound to make it better, the spark of magic between them calls the Tairen Soul from the sky and changes Ellie's life forever...
As the Fey king, Rain will sacrifice anything for his people, and once he meets Ellie and learns that she is his truemate, he will do anything to protect her as well. These two barely even hook up, but the romantic tension was palpable and the passion between them was evident at every turn. Ellysetta is just a sweet, simple country girl who just wants to be happy. She never aspired to be a queen, let alone the wife of most powerful Fey alive. She has no idea the power that she wields and instead just wants to find happiness with Rain and live a simple life. But of course that's not going to happen. There are dark forces who wish to do her harm, and those who think that the Fey king deserves better than a peasant Celierian.
I read a lot of books--romance, fantasy, paranormal, literary fiction. I cannot remember the last time I have been so utterly dazzled by storytelling. C.L. Wilson's magical world is the best of all genres. The fantastical Fey with their tairen souls (tairen are winged cat-like creatures that can fly), the dark Eld who wield sorcery in an attempt to wrest control from the Fey and dim their Light, the stunning royal court with its mystery and intrigue--this book has something for all readers. I don't know what else to say except to pick up Lord of the Fading Lands when you have hours to spare because you won't want to put it down. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Lady of Light and Shadows.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but definitely not 5 stars, October 2, 2009
This review is from: Lord of the Fading Lands (Mass Market Paperback)
I seem to be in the minority who like this book but don't think its outstanding. Seriously, as good as LotFL is, to give it five full stars is ridiculous. It has good points, but it has some bad points just the same. I don't want to waste time summarizing the plot, so I'll suffice to say that this is basically a romantic fantasy, much more relationship oriented than most fantasy, but it is too deeply steeped in the traditions and worldbuilding of fantasy for anyone to label it as purely romance with a few fantastic elements. Make no mistake about that. The whole plot is rife with mages, magical powers, non-human races, flying venemous fire-breathing dragon-cats, and is set in a world other than our own. It's fantasy, albeit one a bit heavy on the romance. Pros: *This book is insanely fun. I read it in less than a week and enjoyed it all through, particularly the parts that focused on the main characters. Whether you like the writing and story or not, it's impossible to deny that the entertainment value is through the roof with this book. *Worldbuilding is one of C.L. Wilson's strong points, unsurprising given the extensive articles that talk about it on her website. I very much liked the extensive world set up and the touches of culture that differentiated it from our own. *The prose was adaquate and conveyed the story efficiently. *Characters were well-drawn and believable, with well-rounded personalities, for the most part. *The final chapters were actually pretty good, considering that this and "Lady of Light and Shadows" were originally one book that was split in half for publication. Cons: *While the characters were drawn well and their actions were certainly intriguing, I found most of them unlikeable for the most part. The Fey have some rather ridiculous gender roles and behavior. Ellyseta's mother was rather annoying with her brutally honest comments and mule-stubborn opposition to all things magic. Ellyseta was too modest and incorruptibly pure at the beginning.(The last few chapters make up for this when a very dark side to her is hinted at.) Rain comes across as rather possessive and controlling, and the whole truemate business is rather uncomfortably in-your-face right from the start. Den Brodson was two-dimensional from the get-go and served as little more than a foil for Rain. Etc. *The story is not very original. It borrows quite liberally from the Wheel of Time, and comes packed with a force of cliches from both the fantasy and romance genres. If you really like long descriptions about how gorgeous one person finds another and how bad they lust for them, then this book might be perfect for you. *Dialogue is only a little above mediocre, and sounds a bit unbelievable at times. *The author tells too much in some instances, such as the first chapter, which contains several infodumps. Wilson also has a tendency to repeat what's already been said too many times. For example, we're told on the back of the book that Rain once scorched the world. We're reminded of this THREE times in the first fifteen pages. Three times! By the end of the book, I've been reminded that Rain once scorched/almost destroyed the world 11 times. Just four or five times would have been plenty. In conclusion, this is a good story that is certainly entertaining and worth reading, but no masterpiece. It kind of reminds me of the Twilight Series, but is much better written and more heavily focused on fantasy over a few paranormal aspects. Readers of Twilight, the Wheel of Time, and similar books are encouraged to give this somewhat obscure romantic fantasy a try.
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