Customer Reviews

Man Rides Through-O M

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have to rate both book 1&2 at once because they are one story and you can't seperate them.

Without rehashing the storyline like other reviewers, here are my two cents worth:
1) Con - Donaldson again has some looser characters that you find hard to like because they wallow (sp?) in their issues more than trying to work with thier "good" qualities
2) Pro - Donaldson does a superb job of realistically having every character play their part and appear to make their own decisions all the while being used as pawns in a grand game of chess. The decisions they make seem believable.
3) Pro - First book sets up the players and you can almost figure out who is conspiring with who by simply seeing the clues for yourself.
4) Pro - Book 2 is a VERY satisfying end to a grand story.
5) Con - This story I would not recommend for childeren. There is some explicit sexual material several times between the books.
6) Pro - the looser characters aren't such loosers in the end
7) Pro - Nice balance between the political intrigue and action fight scenes and magic
8) Pro - I found it to be a page turner of a story
9) Con - I found it to be a page turner of a story...didn't get my chores and responsibilities taken care of. hehe.

I would highly recommend this. I liked the story better than I remember liking the Thomas Covenant series...

The end of 'Mirror of her dreams' left me most peeved. In that book Donaldson meticulously built up the political and magical skein that made mordant work, creating fascinating characters like Eremis and Castellan Lebbick. Then, he threw characters we had grown to care about into peril, and then had the audacity to end the book on one a cliffhanger.

My irritation at Donaldson is totally evaporated after reading the sequel. And yes, there are only 2 books. Donaldson has the restraint to finish the story in this novel -- a trait which other fantasy writers (need I say Jordan) could learn.

This book is near perfect. The first novel was on occasion slow, as Donaldson was world and character building. The second book starts and continues at a run. Also, Geraden, who in the first novel is sometimes too 'wimpy' now steps into a role that he deserves. The political machinations continue, and there are many new revalations. One of the best fantasy books you can pick up -- however, it is not one of those sequels you can pjump into and fully appreciate without reading the first. Track down the first novel.

Needless to say, if you read "A Mirror of Her Dreams", you need to read "A Man Rides Through" as well, because this will be the conclusion to the fantastic Mordant series. Its as well written as the first one, with the plots mentioned in the first book developping further till the final and well-developed resolution of all mysteries of Mordant!

This is the second book of Mordant's Need, a 2-part fantasy saga. As I said in my review of the first book, The Mirror of Her Dreams, these two books together form the best and perhaps the most original story I have ever read. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but this book is so much more than that; it's also a wonderful thriller with elements of mystery and romance.

A Man Rides Through picks up immediately where the first book left off--eg,"The next day, the siege of Orison began." Thus, this "series" is better viewed as a single two-part book, with the second part being just as engaging as the first. As the plight of Mordant worsens, Book 2 brings us into other areas of the realm and offers new characters who were only alluded to in the first book. The wonderfully inventive craft of imagery introduced in Book 1 is further expanded here, and the main characters, Terisa and Geraden, are more complexly developed as they move on their way to becoming full-fledged heros. Donaldson does a wonderful job of bringing together all the various aspects of this amazing story in a magnificent and triumphant ending.

The sequel to The Mirror of Her Dreams, one of my top 3 Fantasy novels, the others being this one and Beauty by Sherri Tepper. Donaldson creates a fabulous medieval style world of magic that connects with other worlds through the mirrors of its wizards. His heroine begins flawed and uncertain, hooks up with a bumbling apprentice, and together, they become the most powerful in the realm

When I first started reading the Mordants Need series I went crazy, I was so excited because I found a book that was romantic, exciting, and makes you believe that anyting is possible. Donalson is very good at adding detail to his books. This book is about the struggle to realize who you are and how important you really are. Terisa and Geraden finally realize that they are ment to be together.(finally! It drove me crazy!) If you are looking for a book that is exciting, romantic, and proves that anyting is posseible this book, and the series are the books for you.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Donaldson depicts the despair and confusion that result from lives turned awry: in Teresa's case by childhood abuse/neglect and in Geraden's case by an inability to understand and use his gifts, in the realm's case by a hero-king who has stopped defending the kingdom. These confusions lead the characters in mistakes and dilemmas so true to life that I have read every one of Donaldson's long-winded words to discover what these two books say about despair and hope, confusion and clarity, seduction and care, and the redemptive possibility of hope. This book (Part Two) and _The Mirror of Her Dreams_ (Part One) are not (in my opinion) as dismal, dark and despairing as others Donaldson has written.

As he proved in "The Mirror of Her Dreams," Donaldson has a definite knack for intriguing plot twists and deep, believable, quirky characters. "A Man Ride Through" begins exactly where the first book left off, when Geraden disappeared into a magical mirror and Terisa was arrested by the brutal Castellan Lebbick. People who read Book One when it was first published must have been in hell waiting to find out what happened. Fortunately (and here's the best part), Book Two actually lives up to its predecessor! Donaldson keeps you on the harrowing, intrigueing path he set you on in book one, and doesn't let you go until it's over. THIS IS THAT RARITY, A BOOK WHOSE ENDING IS COMPLETELY WORTHY OF ITS BUILD-UP! Oh, read this book. You are WITH the heroes all the way; you cringe when they mess up, cheer when they succeed and the ending is so wonderful it definitely makes you...hear horns.

The theme of 'Using the Reason' is consistent throughout this series. Donaldson practices what he preaches, so he delivers on fiendishly complex and logical plot. However, the series did not MOVE me like the Covenant series did. Further, the most interesting heroic character was Darsint, who despite his brief appearance ends up stealing the show. The same relevation gets explained time and again by different characters, and after a while, you WISH for the appearance of some terrifying translated monster, so that it can SHUT UP the endlessly verbose characters. The curious increase of profanities toward the end of book may indicate that Donaldson himself was anxious to finish the overwrought plot that lacks the chills and thrills.

Donaldson is a master - both the Covenant and Gap series show this. The Mordant series is only fair compared to them. It simply does not have the depth or scope to compare with the longer series , and it seems that towards the end Donaldson himself grew tired of the characters. It is a fantastic story, well written with a moving plot. It's simply that after finishing both the Covenant and Gap series, for days, even weeks later I was still blown away, whereas after the Mordant series all I could think was "That was good." Anyway, Donaldson fans won't be disappointed, but don't expect the same caliber of his longer works.