Customer Reviews

Mage of Clouds: The Cloudmages # 2

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

 

 

The major problem that I had with this book is that Jenna's daughter Meriel, whose point of view makes up a majority of the book, parallels way too close to her mother. She rejects her future, runs around getting into misadventures, falls in love with a guy she isn't attracted to in the beginning, gets into battle, and then her title gets elevated. Sure, there are enough differences for the author to get away with this I guess, but the predictability just ruined it for me.

On the plus side, the action did keep me reading. Maybe there was a little part of me that thought I wouldn't be able to figure out what happened, but halfway through the book I realized that wasn't going to happen, and at that point I had to finish reading anyway. I got even more frustrated when Farrel turned Jenna into a flat character, putting all his effort into Jenna (which was pointless, considering they're very much alike). I just spent 500 pages in the previous book getting to know Jenna, and now she's just, well, blegh. Very disappointed.

The last few chapters are quick-moving considering the amount of action. However, I wouldn't say they were engrossing; they kept my interest up enough to turn the page. All in all I was pretty disappointed in this second book. Holder of Lightning wasn't superb, but I had wanted to continue reading the series. Unfortunately, it was just way too similar to the previous one for me to give a good rating, and I felt there was a lot of room for improvement.

Jenna's enemies still lurk and are planning the abduction of Jenna's precious daughter Meriel by her Uncle Doyle, whose vow to do no harm to his half-sister ended when their mom died.

Meriel's uncle is obsessed with obtaining the Lamh Shabbala stone that channels all magic. If it means the death of his niece and anyone else so that he gains full power, so be it as he believes he was the one not Jenna who should have been the First Holder. Jenna is stunned as she loves her daughter but fears the price of acceding to the demands of her sibling as there are no guarantees that Meriel will live or that the peace will hold. She also worries about those loyal to her for she remembers what happened to her beloved.

The second book in the "Cloudmages" series, MAGE OF CLOUDS, is a tremendous fantasy due to the dilemma confronting the heroine of the first book. Though the story line focuses much on Meriel's plight, Jenna is the key ingredient as she struggles between the bigger good and her own micro need; either way someone will be hurt by her decision. Meriel is a solid character while her uncle is delightfully villainous. Fans of the first book, the author (in his variety of writing aliases), and fantasy aficionados will greatly value this powerful book that ignores the middle syndrome with a powerful plot and deep cast.

Harriet Klausner

The first novel wasn't the best I had ever read, but it was interesting, and I enjoyed reading it. However, this one is just the same novel all over again, only inserting Meriel as Jenna. Yes, she isn't quiet as crazy, but it is similar enough to make you scratch your head, especially when the same key elements happen to her as her mother. Seriously, they would name her Ard?? Hard to believe. Also, it seems like everyone in the novel nonstop blames Jenna for the disaster at the end, yet, in reality it was all Doyle's fault. If he hadn't kidnapped Meriel in the first place, and then gone back on his word a second time, and tried to take Jenna's cloch, all of the death and war would have been avoided. Yet, everyone seems to forget that. Also, I don't understand why everyone always has to die. I can understand a few, but just like with Jenna, every single person almost that Meriel gets close with dies...

I really enjoyed this trilogy. The story has some refreshing changes to the usual plot you find in most fantasy stories these days. There is political intrigue, the usual power-hungry attempts to be top-dog and the pursuit of the tales heroine, who happens to possess the most powerful trinket in the land. But, the power hungry pursuers are stumbled by their own people, who are also seeking power for themselves, so the plot turns in unexpected ways. The heroine's daughter becomes enmeshed in the politics, becoming the hunted in an interesting turn of events.

Also, there are interesting races of people and animals that play a part in the story in ways that make the trilogy as a whole, and the second installment well worth a read.

Mage of Clouds (2004) is the second novel in the Cloudmages series, following Holder of Lightning. In the previous volume, First Holder Jenna Aoire and the Inishlanders faced the combined clochs of the Tuatha at Dun Kiil. The Creneach came and fought with the Inish, some ripping the gates open.

As the Inish stormed through the gates, Tuatha holders focused on Jenna and hammered her until she was cowering on her knees. She fell back into the Lamh Shabhala and it allowed her to absorb the energy of the clochs being used against her. She forced a settlement upon the Tuatha and Inish alike, but Mac Ard would not accept defeat and forced Jenna to slay him.

After withdrawal of the Tuatha forces, Jenna was chosen as Banrion of Inish Thuaidh. She met her baby brother Doyle for the first time on the tiny isle of Inishduan while returning the body of Mac Ard to her mother Maeve. Prior to his death, Mac Ard had legitimized the child and left him an estate. Jenna saw her mother for the last time as Maeve lit the funeral byre.

In this novel, nearly two decades later, Doyle comes to Dun Kiil Keep to notify Jenna of their mother's death and to warn her that the Tuatha will be coming again. Doyle also tells her that he considers Lamh Shabhala to be his inheritance from his father and that he will be attacking persons near to her if she doesn't voluntarily yield it to him. After he departs, Jenna sends her daughter Meriel to the Order of Inishfeirm for training and to protect her from Doyle and others in the Order of Gabair.

Meriel reacts badly to the news that she is being sent to Inishfeirm and tries to run away with her boyfriend, but is frustrated by Mundy Kirwan, the current Maister of the Order of Inishfeirm. He conducts Meriel back to the island and settles her into the life of an acolyte of the Order. Meriel soon finds her smooth hands becoming rough with the menial labor that is part of such a life.

Meriel has only recently discovered the delight of male companionship. She writes daily letters to her boyfriend, but his one and only reply is terse enough to show his loss of interest. Thady MacCoughlin, a third year student with the Order, shows her around and invites her to slip out for a drink or two at the village tavern. Owaine Geraghty. a Brathair of the Order, seems to show up everywhere she goes. However, the Saimhoir Dhegli, a changeling and possessor of the Salmon of power, is the man/seal that interests her the most.

In this story, Doyle leads an attack on the Order of Inishfeirm and kidnaps Meriel, carrying her off to captivity. Dhegli sees the attack in a vision but arrives too late to avert it. However, he offers to take Owaine to the point where the Meriel was taken ashore and Owaine immediately accepts the offer, for he holds a clochmion that finds things. If he can get close enough, Owaine can follow Meriel and free her. Owaine climbs into a currach with only his clothes and his cloch and is towed over the sea by Dhegli.

This story is a tale of vengeance and greed, fed by old wrongs and slights that cause even more death and destruction. However, one new element has been added to the familiar pattern: Treorai's Heart. This new clochmion was once the life source of the Creneach Treorai. It had been given to Jenna by Treorai himself at the battle of Dun Kiil and the loss of the heartstone caused to the Creneach to collapse into a pile of rock and boulders.

In the hands of Meriel, Treorai's Heart is a healing stone. It has the power to knit broken bones, destroy infections, grow new flesh and mend deranged minds. However, although it can heal others, the cloch cannot heal Meriel herself.

The last volume in this series is Heir of Stone. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Farrell fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magic in an ancient celtic milieu.

-Arthur W. Jordin