Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind [Paperback]

J. A. Cullum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2003

Can a world of many races exist without racism? Fantasy author J. A. Cullum doesn't believe so! In her new release, Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind, the author's story unfolds against a backdrop of racial and religious tensions, which are a curious reflection of our modern society.

Hundreds of years before the story takes place, the Great Wizards created the Karionin, eight living crystals which substantially increase the bearer's power. When a conflict breaks out among the great wizards, this increased power results in mass destruction and death. Now people fear the wizard's potential for destruction, and few children train to become wizards.

Plagued by racial and religious hatred, Tamar is home to nine races-humans live side by side with races who have the ability to shift their shape from human to animal form, including dolphins (Ingvalar), tigers (Linlar), and lizards (Isklar). The dolphins and humans get along; yet prejudices exist. The tigers and lizards have been attacking human settlements, and a devastating war seems inevitable.

Cormor, the last of the great wizards, knows that the only chance for peace is for a legion of powerful wizards to reign once again. The fate of Tamar falls upon three youths - each with great potential, each with a reason for resistance. These young wizards-in-training must learn to overcome their differences and restore peace once again or humanity will be destroyed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Is there such a thing as too much imagination? If so, newcomer J.A. Cullum may have it: her fantasy epic Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind has its own literature (exhibited in epigrams beginning each chapter), calendar and language (glossary included), not to mention a dizzying number of characters and humanoid races to keep straight. But it's all contained within a classic plotreluctant heroes waging a battle against eviland told in able prose, as living crystals called Karionin seek young wizards to wield their power and prevent the world from erupting into war.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Home to nine races of humans and near-humans, the world of Tamar lies on the brink of total war unless the living crystals known as the Karionin find young wizards capable of attuning themselves to the magic of the stones. First novelist Cullum begins her epic fantasy series with the tale of three young people destined to become bearers of the crystals. A unique approach to magic along with memorable characters makes this series opener a good choice for most fantasy collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing; 1 edition (June 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894063023
• ISBN-13: 978-1894063029
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,331,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have a signed copy!, December 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind (Paperback)

I received this book from my grandmother for my fifteenth birthday two years ago, and I've just finished reading it for the second time. I rarely read books twice, but this one is so well-written, I think I enjoyed it even more this time; I caught on to things I'd missed, and picked up on some more subtleties I'd overlooked initially. This is a wonderful book, that's really all there is to it. J. A. Cullum has created an entirely new and original world for us, Tamar, with its own language, traditions, astrology. . . it's incredible, and makes for a rich, engrossing read. The characters are intriguing and (for the most part) very likable, in a story that is familiar (essentially, save the world) and yet so well told that the moral is never lost. I have been eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series for nearly two years, and unfortunately haven't found it yet. . . hopefully soon. The first book, Lyskarion, is a magnificent start. Well worth it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended to fans of the high fantasy literary genre, June 5, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind (Paperback)

J. A. Cullum's Lyskarion: The Song Of The Wind is an epic fantasy set in the world of Tamar, where nine humanoid races are being drawn into a war that threatens to engulf the world. The future of Tamar depends upon four young wizards who must learn to grow beyond their differences and accept one another in this perilous novel of fate, conflict, and hope. Lyskarion is enthusiastically recommended to fans of the high fantasy literary genre.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Originality worth reading, November 13, 2002

By 

Crystal M. Trulove "Faery Dragon" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind (Paperback)

I've read enough fantasy over the years that characters and events in the stories don't often surprise me anymore. Not so with Lyskarion. Janice A. Cullum displays some truly original ideas. There's sensitive animal-lover Del who can sway hive mentality to his own designs. I hope to see this character used more in the next book. I loved Errin, part ingvalar, were-folk who shape shift into dolphins so frequently that they live on the beach and don't bother with clothes. Living crystals are intriguing, especially when realizing they have their own agenda and can bind or reject their keeper. Lord Jerevan mentally plants information on his crystal so he can access it later. There are travels to different lands, contact with different races, exploration of different gods and religions, and purely despicable villains.