Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl and Madouc (Fantasy Masterworks) (Bk. 2) [Paperback]

Jack Vance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2003

In Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl and Madouc the magical lands of high enchantment - the Elder Isles, the land, long-vanished beneath the ocean, from which King Arthur's ancestors fled to Britain - come to brilliant life again. In this ancient land the realm of chivalry and the world of faerie exist side by side and it is a place of strange beauty, high adventure and eerie magic. Warring kings renew their conflicts, opposing magicians devise ever more strange and sinister stratagems and Madouc, ostensibly the daughter of the ill-fated Princess Suldrun but in reality a changeling, becomes embroiled in political rivalries, military adventures - and the quest for the Grail.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack Vance was born in 1916 and studied mining engineering and journalism at the University of California. During the Second World War he served in the merchant navy and was torpedoed twice. He started contributing stories to the pulp magazines in the mid 1940s and published his first book, The Dying Earth, in 1950. Among his many books are The Dragon Master, for which he won his first Hugo, Big Planet, The Anome and the Lyoness sequence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Gollancz Paperbacks; paperback / softback edition (February 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575075171
• ISBN-13: 978-0575075177
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,295,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Obfuscation? Indeed., January 17, 2007

By 

C. Clark "Arkknight" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl and Madouc (Fantasy Masterworks) (Bk. 2) (Paperback)

While many readers may find Jack Vance's tramp through some of the more remote territories of the English language to be a challenge, those of us who take a particular delight in the art and development of language will find the journey well worth our time and attention. The characters thrive in the subtext of their conversations, and words that may seem puzzling at first glance can add whole new shades of meaning to a particular passage. With the right word, just so, Vance can expand the situation into heights of irony or satire. Like Gene Wolfe, Vance is a craftsman who takes particular delight in coining words, and giving readers as much to enjoy in the telling as in the tale. In this regard, Lyonesse may be his best. Unfortunately for the more junior reader this may render the books inaccessible; for those willing to give it a go, Lyonesse is very, very rewarding. Not just sci-fi or fantasy; this is literature.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Vance is incomparable, June 30, 2007

By 

Mark D. Adams "MDAdams1" (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl and Madouc (Fantasy Masterworks) (Bk. 2) (Paperback)

At age 12 I stumbled upon "Big Planet" in the public library (1967). I didn't understand why I liked Jack Vance so much then -- I think it was the exotic mood that his stories evoked. 15 years later, having read most of Vance's (then published) works, I was very excited to read Lyonesse: Suldren's Garden. I was captivated. Then The Green Pearl and later, Madouc. What a fantastic series. I constantly struggle to decide which of Vance's works is my favorite. It's safe to say that Lyonesse is in the top 3, though. By the way, I convinced my daughter at age 13 to read the series, and she has re-read it many times since. It's her favorite fantasy series, as well as mine.

Read the Lyonesse books. And beware, afterward you may struggle in vain to find another author with Vance's writing skill.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING!, May 6, 2008

By 

Alan T. Braeley - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lyonesse II: The Green Pearl and Madouc (Fantasy Masterworks) (Bk. 2) (Paperback)

I wish i had the ability to express how this book made me feel... all I will say is that it made me feel good. Really good. Please give it a shot!!!!!!