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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ground-breaking experimental fantasy series,
By
This review is from: Mordant's Need: The Mirror of Her Dreams & a Man Rides Through (Paperback)
Mordant's Need is a two-volume series published by Stephen Donaldson. The first volume, The Mirror of Her Dreams, was published in 1986 and the conclusion, A Man Rides Through, in 1987.
Donaldson has never shied away from writing challenging genre fiction. His lengthy Thomas Convenant series has been captivating and/or alienating readers since 1977. In science fiction, Donaldson's Gap series was five volumes of terrifyingly brutal 'space opera', loosely based on Wagner's Ring Cycle. And, not to leave mystery out, under the pseudonym of Reed Stephens, Donaldson created the self-destructive alcoholic private eye Mick Axbrewder. Mordant's Need is, compared to the rogue's gallery above, the most accessible thing that Donaldson has ever written. It is superficially a traditional high fantasy novel, with all the appropriate trappings of the genre. The protagonist is Terisa, a lonely woman from the 'real world'. She is drawn into a magical realm where she meets Geraden, a lowly apprentice with a heart of gold. The two discover that they have great sorcerous powers and are just what the Mysterious Prophesy required. The land is saved, etc. etc. Donaldson connects the dots in a strange ways. Mordant's Need isn't a series about dramatic action as much as it is about tense inactivity. The (Good) High King Joyse has seemingly gone mad - leaving a power vacuum as the land of Mordant is attacked from all sides. The books almost entirely take place from within the walls of Joyse's castle, with Terisa and Geraden as witnesses to countless intrigues. Terisa and Geraden scramble desperately to make sense of everything around them - no sooner are they finally sure that they're pointed in the right direction than something spins them around again. Donaldson's plots are nothing short of genius - everything, no matter how nonsensical, connects. He's generous with the exposition, but cleverly waits until the appropriate time to distribute it. The reader, like Terisa and Geraden, is frustrated and rewarded in turn. Although the convoluted plotting is worthy of mention (and praise), the heart of Mordant's Need is in its theme - that of identity. All magic in the land is done with mirrors. Terisa, who is already a little bonkers in the mundane world, is pulled through a mirror to help Mordant. As a result, she's caught in the middle of a philosophical discussion regarding her own existence. As improbable as it may seem, Terisa may not actually be real. And, as awkwardly constructed as it may make her character, Terisa spends half the time believing (or disbelieving) the fiction of her own existence. In a purely intellectual sense, the discussion of identity is fascinating, and Donaldson does a strong job of keeping the issue threaded throughout the books. Terisa is most brave, and most active, when she doubts that she is real - on the simply level, what does she have to lose? However, these periods of false bravery are rare and far-between. However empty she feels, she can't entirely shed the notion of her own existence. She is most comfortable being a passive observer or, better yet, authority-deprived object. In the former role, she's not called-upon to make a difference. And in the latter, she can be assured of her continued existence if only because things are happening to her. Donaldson's intention seems to be to make this as deliberately complicated as possible. And he succeeds. On one hand, Terisa's ongoing question of identity is infinitely more interesting (and more rewarding... and more intelligent...) than the traditional high fantasy approach of the lead character's token 'Why me?'. (Answer: Because the Prophesy says so.) On the other hand, Donaldson slightly overreaches himself with Terisa's character. Simply put, she's a woman. And, as the reader is constantly reminded, an attractive one. Her issues of identity and authority quickly become entangled with issues of sexuality. As well as being an object of magical destiny and political intrigue, Terisa's therefore also an object of attraction. This additional level could work, but doesn't. Bizarrely, Terisa spends a great portion of her time wrestling with the fact that she's attractive to the opposite sex. As a result, the reader is condemned to an endless amount of painfully adolescent 'does he really like me?' whining. Compared to the other, existential, self-doubt at the core of the book, Terisa's pubescent mewling strikes a false and affected note. Mordant's Need is an experimental series that successfully shows how fantasy tropes and archetypes can be used to explore complicated questions. Donaldson uses magic throughout the books - not to paper over any holes in the plot, but as a mechanism smoothly integrated with the overarching theme. The result is something almost (but not quite) a parable. And for pure entertainment value, it is difficult to stick with two volumes of an intentionally passive hero. Mordant's Need is a rare example of a series too flawed to be great, but too thoughtful to be discounted.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Revival of a very entertaining fantasy/fiction story,
By
This review is from: Mordant's Need: The Mirror of Her Dreams & a Man Rides Through (Paperback)
These books aren't new. "The Mirror of Her Dreams" came out in 1986, followed by "A Man Rides Through" in 1987. I was fortunate to know someone who was reading both of these books at the time, who later loaned them to me.
Recently, I came to recall these books and thought about reading them once more. I managed to pick up two used hardcover versions on "that auction site", but getting them both in this combined volume set is a little more convenient. It was great fun to become acquainted again with these characters and entertaining story. I'm not surprised that it was published again, but even more importantly as a set. You really can't have one novel without the other--the are intimately intertwined. The first book ends with a major cliffhanger, and the second one requires the buildup of the first to make any sense. Books are more entertaining when we can relate to them. What better way than to take a modern day human being and put them in an entirely different world, rather than having the main character as someone from a totally different existence? How do you survive and cope with the totally foreign situation? Who can you trust? It's not an entirely new idea. In fact, the movie "Time Bandits" did that very thing only a few years before (1983, I think). A small boy is essentially kidnapped by a bunch of dwarfs and taken from his small modern day life on an amazing journey through various points in history. Terisa Morgan is living a humdrum life as a secretary for a reverend. She is beautiful, but so withdrawn that hardly anybody notices her. In a rather lame attempt at compensation, Terisa has her apartment lined mostly with mirrors, as a reminder to herself that she exists. Little does she know how her understanding of mirrors will soon change dramatically. She is literally taken through a mirror, brought into a medieval kind of realm with astonishing qualities about it. This meek and passive woman must now become assertive, for the first time in her life. The main thrust of the story is the kingdom of Mordant that is facing various perils. The monarchy is in disarray, and there's a pressing need to find an augured champion to come to the rescue. The Conjury, a team of men who can craft special mirrors and perform image translations, was working on the idea of translating a champion into their midst and inadvertently pulled Terisa Morgan into their realm. Who is she? Is she a mistake, or does she have some special powers as yet unseen? Is she real, or just an artifact created by an imager? The two main story arcs are the concern over saving the kingdom of Mordant and Terisa either finding her purpose or her way back home. They both unfold in very interesting and unexpected ways. Although the prose is a bit too generous, at times too detailed on minor story elements, and the plots a bit convoluted, the story is gripping. There is great humor in this work as well. Donaldson blends it in very well at appropriate timings. And while mysteries are identified and revealed in time, there is a very long mystery arc about King Joyse which adds depth to the whole story. *** SPOILER ALERT *** The first volume is rather slow, partly due to the need for building up the background/setting and slowly working up the momentum of several sub plots. You will be tempted to skim at times--don't feel bad about it. The second volume picks things up a bit, although it does dodder on a few trivialities here and there, and finally wraps up the whole story with a rather large climax. It's kind of a predictable outcome, in that you have so much invested in the hero and heroine where you couldn't possibly see them fail. But how they win is what makes the story so enjoyable. *** All in all, I think this is a very entertaining work by Donaldson and would love to see it made into a movie someday.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Donaldson's first and best work to date.,
By B.K.Price "Fantasy Doctor" (Liverpool,England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mordant's Need: The Mirror of Her Dreams & a Man Rides Through (Paperback)
It you're a fan of Donaldson then I think you'll really enjoy this novel, it's more traditional Fantasy than his Thomas Covenant series. Mordant's Need is still a Portal Fantasy but as with most others in this genre you don't see much of our world, which is something i'm glad for. As you would expect from Donaldson his writing is very good and his story telling ability is way up there with writers like Hobb and Jordan. My only bone of contention is that there wasn't enough battles or action, that being said it doesn't take away from the story being told or the quality of it.
The story starts in an apartment in New York city a young women called Terisa sits in front of her mirror when an amazing thing happens. Instead of seeing her own reflection in the mirror she sees the image of a young man, suddenly the mirror breaks and out fall the young man, his name is Geraden. He has come in search of a champion to help defend the Kingdom of Mordant he finds instead Terisa, here starts their story, a story of battles against armies and magic and strange beasts from other worlds a story of good and evil. If you're a fan of Fantasy then this is a definite book to read, as are all of Donaldsons other Fantasy reads.
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