Customer Reviews

Myrren's Gift (The Quickening)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

As with most, I'd have to agree that the strength of this novel is its premise of the Quickening, a magical gift possessed by the protagonist which is either gift or curse, depending on how you look at it. What it does is lend the novel a definite twist that is not quite like anything I've read before. At first, this makes things almost too tidy. But by the end, things are anything but.

But if unpredictability is the strength of this novel, it is also its weakness. First off, the magical power is a latent one; the wielder does not control it as much as he is controlled BY it. Perhaps that is the arc of the story that lies ahead. But for now, it weakens the hero, for rather than overcoming obstacles, he consistently succumbs to them. For only in succumbing does the magic manifest. Second, in terms of unpredictability, is that of the narrative flow. Characters are constantly making very strange decisions in this book which seem completely out of character with what we know about them going in. It happens suddenly, joltingly, which keeps the story moving forward in fits and starts. Sometimes, explanations come later which help to smooth these rough spots. But seldom are they completely satisfying, and often they come not at all -- or at least, not in this first volume.

Another thing that struck me is the amount of scheming done by some of the characters. I love intrigue, but there are a couple of problems here. One is that the "genius" plans our heroes come up with are often the most obvious solution to be found -- one that any 4-year-old might devise. This is fine, but in that case, get to it quickly. Don't build it up for page after page as "Oh, whatever will we do?" followed by "Wait, I've got just the genius plan!" followed by a slow reveal that was obvious quite some time ago. The second issue I had with the machinations in this story is that some are very convoluted -- which is good. But it seemed that every time this happened, a rival, halfway across the world, guessed the plan perfectly! Rather than being befuddled by a mystery and lack of evidence, the opponent simply unraveled it in his or her mind, twists and all. In other words, the guesswork was at times WAY too good.

It may sound like a lot of gripes, but it was still an engaging story, so for all of that, I deducted only one star. The other deduction comes because I don't like stories in which the point of view bounces around from one character to another within the same page and paragraph. I love hearing a story from multiple points of view, but I feel the author should do her best to stick to a single POV for each scene. In this one, we're in and out of characters' heads at the drop of a dime, which I find very disorienting. Reminds me that I'm being told a story by a narrator, rather than letting me engage in it through the eyes of the viewpoint character.

The language is good, if a bit repetitive at times. Most writers tend to overwrite their earlier works, so no major complaint there.

Bottom line, in my opinion, is that this is a terrific premise that could stand to be just a little more focused in its presentation. Should the characters and plot settle down and be a little less erratic, I'll enjoy it much more. Then again, if chaos and unpredictability is your style of choice, you could do much worse than Myrren's Gift.

Fiona McIntosh crafts an amazing world filed with exciting characters, brave heroes, sadistic villains, captures, escapes, double-crosses, love, betrayal, and even death. This is one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read. What a pure joy to read.

Mrs. McIntosh's style and obvious skill draw the reader in and make the story come to life. Myrren's Gift is book one of The Quickening trilogy and I am eager for the next two books!

Myrren's Gift is a wonderful, detailed story that any fantasy fan will find worth the time. Bravo Mrs. McIntosh!!

Pre script: I just finished writing my review and it came out longer than I expected. If you don't want to read the whole thing here is the gist: I didn't like the three books of the Quickening. I regret the time and money I spent reading them.



Maybe it's against the rules but I feel compelled to give a rating for all three books of this series.

I actually enjoyed Myrren's Gift and tore through it so quickly that I had to rush out and buy the second and third book so that I could find out what happened. Myrren's Gift wasn't perfect but it was built on an interesting idea and there was a fair amount of action that moved it along. As other reviews have mentioned, the characters were inconsistent and made strange decisions, but I was willing to give McIntosh the benefit of the doubt, assuming that things would be explained further in the story.

No such luck. I was about half way through the second book when I had to acknowledge that it was a mess and increasingly unsatisfying. It became harder and harder to identify with the characters and to forgive them for their ridiculous mistakes. This might not seem like a big deal but when one of McIntosh's characters makes a mistake the repercussions are horrible. People die. Many people. Innocent, helpless people. They die after being raped and tortured or watching their loved ones raped and tortured. It became so relentless and predictable that I was surprised if a scene didn't end with someone dropped ass-first onto a spike or slowly crushed by a giant stone.

Despite my growing distaste for the story I had already bought the third book and just wanted to get through it to see how it ended. I wish I hadn't bothered. In the final book McIntosh seems desperate to convince us of the nobility and grace of her struggling characters. She repeatedly describes people as courageous and marvelous and strong, without any evidence to back it up. You can call someone marvelous but if they act like an idiot I'm not going to believe you. By the end of the story I despised all of the characters. I felt that they deserved the horrible fates they suffered and I was ready to skewer them on a spike myself if it would silence their self-obsessed mewling.

Aside from all of the bloated adjectives that readers have to slog through, we are also subjected to countless descriptions of people bathing. A crisis will be reaching a crescendo of urgency and one of the characters will pause to take a bath. Not because they are covered in blood but because they are a little dusty from riding a horse. McIntosh is also fond of pausing to eat or drink or try on a dress. If there's an important conversation to be had it can wait until everyone is clean and well fed and wearing new clothes. If all of the bathing had been cut the series could have been completed in one book.

I'm tired of reading books that seems to be strung along just to get another $7.99 out of me. I don't trust authors and editors and publishers to tell good stories anymore. They seem more interested in telling long stories. This is a long story with very little value. Be warned.

Bought the first 2 books in this series. Myrren's Gift is an original spark of an idea and suprises you when you find out what it is. The book isn't too bad but I can't fathom some of the choices the characters makes at all. Just when things are going well, there's sadistic executions, deaths and all goes awry again. You're just getting to like some new good characters when they're torn away, tortured ( count the number of good guys tortured then killed, or just killed brutally, it's unbelievable! ) and left to to rot while she goes back to her main character Wyl. As one other reviewer said, it's like she was making it up as she goes along and the threads of the plot just unravel on her and don't tie up. The main character lets slip the name of a destination which leads to more carnage and then does it AGAIN in book 2 even though he's twigged what he caused the first time !! I'll go on to review book 2 now....don't think I'll be buying any more, pity there was a third..I was hoping to struggle to the end of the second one, Now I'm thinking of not bothering. The good characters don't seem to have a brain between any of them, they're always reacting and aren't capable of plotting any revenge bar putting a severed head in the post, oh how headless they are !! Enjoy :~)

This book is about the best fantasy novel I've read in a long time. It's a great new twist in a genre that is filled with hackneyed story lines. The characters are wonderfully and completely developed. Just make sure you don't start reading this book when you have something else to do such as sleep; all I wanted to do was keep reading to find out what happens next! The second book, Blood and Memory is also great and completely lives up to the first book.

The Lands of Fantasy are full of rare and wondrous creatures...and another one has just been discovered.

What makes Fiona McIntosh such a rarity is that she's a storyteller first, and an author second. This is not to say that she lacks anything in style or technique or knowledge of her craft, but what makes you keep turning the pages, (and believe me, you do,) what forces you to have just one more cup of coffee and stay up for just one more hour, (and believe me, you will,) is that she quite simply tells what used to be described as 'ripping good yarns'.

A unique and addictive blend of Yin & Yang, Venus & Mars, Romance & The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there's enough blood, violence and general mayhem in her stories to keep even the most desperate action-junkies sated...yet...there's an authentic tasting depth to the relationships between her characters that is probably long overdue in the genre.
Reality has come to Fantasy...and that's definitely long overdue.

If Fiona ever read "The Rules and Regulations concerning the writing of High Epic Fantasy", she pays it scant respect. (She's probably using it to prop open a door someplace.) You will not foresee where her stories are going, and as for predicting the endings...Forgetaboutit !
She's brave, unpredictable and she takes chances, and, she is immensely satisfying.

Do you remember when you first started reading Fantasy? How everything was new and fresh and exciting? Well, prepare to be delighted all over again.
Her work is lean and mean and surprising and shocking. So, brew a BIG pot...for there are few rest stops on the paths down which Fiona McIntosh will take you.

All fantasy books should be as good as Myrren's Gift! The pity is, however, that very few are. Myrren's Gift is Book One of a series the author titles "The Quickening," and I for one can't wait to read the next, and all of the following books, as soon as Eos puts them on the shelves.

The characters are strong and well developed, the setting real and colorful, and the plot deviously well crafted. The story revolves around two neighboring, and often warring kingdoms: Morgravia, and Briavia, as well as their relations to a wild northern territory whose borders they share called "The Razors."

At the story's beginning, Wyl Thirsk, the hero, becomes the hereditary general of the Morgravian army upon the sudden death of his father. Wyl, at fourteen, is brilliant, but not seasoned enough to take on the mantel his family, and the King expect him to wear. Besides General of the Army, Wyl is expected to become as close a friend and advisor to Celimus, the Crown Prince as Wyl's father was to Celimus' father, King Magnus.

Celimus, however, has other ideas. He is the spoiled, devious son of a woman, now dead. Celimus hates his father, and by extension hates the attention the King pays to Wyl. As Celimus matures, his dislike for Wyl grows, as does Celimus' capacity for torture and cruelty.

Celimus forces Wyl to witness the brutal torture and killing of Myrren, an accused witch. As Myrren's torture stuns Wyl, he takes pity on her. In return, as Myrren dies, she entrusts her dog, Knave, to Wyl, along with a "gift" that Wyl does not realize at the time changes his life forever.

Swordsmanship, magic, adventure, and romance. What more can a fantasy reader wish for? Stir in a plot that twists and turns in unexpected, though realistic, fashion, and you have a winning formula. Grab Myrren's Gift now before everyone else catches on to this great new series.

I was attracted at first instance to this book's cover and purchased it having read only the first page in the bookstore. It was engaging, easy to read and I found myself intrigued by the Thirsk legacy and how the King would drive a wedge between this great alliance.

If only I had known then what I know now.

I can honestly say that I cannot in all my years recall having ever read a book populated with so many alternately stupid or brilliant, one-dimensional people. Our hero Wyl falls into so many blatantly-obvious traps (traps that anyone old enough to read this book will see coming from a mile away) that quite frankly you'll either be laughing or tearing your hair out by the end of the book. I counted Wyl fell into, on average, 1 trap per 100 pages. If someone ever does a study on modern fiction's stupidist protagonists, Wyl has my vote for a top 10 finish. In fact, there could even be a medal.

After Wyl, there are the very bad guys, the rogues with the hearts of gold and the tom boys who populate this work with it's gallery of stereotypes. Oh, and don't forget the super genius toilet boy and psychic dog. No, really.

And quite beyond the cast of cardboard actors, the outline of this fantasy setting might have been scribbled on the back of a post-it, with room to spare: "Two kingdoms. Warring. Civilised barbarians to the north. Distances deceptive. Disregard time and space for pace." One chapter they're in the south, the next in the north, then they're in the east before a quick jaunt to the south brings them back to the east. Okay, there is fast paced and then there is this! If you didn't want to get bogged down in the details of every tall oak or leafy shrub by the by, you could have at least tried to flesh the story out a little so the heroes didn't have to traverse the continent 5 times in the space of the first novel. Or, how about just writing a stand alone novel? If you're story doesn't have the stamina for a trilogy, please don't pad it with irritating plot twists and trite encounters designed only to kill a couple of chapters. It's a novel, not a game of D&D. Or if you honestly have to pad, take a leaf out of books by the greats. Describe the minutiae and give the world some depth. You'll get a couple of books by us then before we complain about your padding.

Is it all bad? No. There is an interesting premise here which regrettably Ms McIntosh has decided requires her protagonist be an imbecile to showcase. Further, this book has all of the core requirements of a good fantasy novel. Unfortunately, they are not at all fleshed out or given real life. Sacrificing depth for pace, the book just darts from one scene to the next without any narrative flow or grace. I agree with a number of other reviewers who have said this book feels as though it was written on the fly. It may work for Stephen King. It doesn't work here.

If not for the gruesome torture scenes, this book belongs with the children's fiction. Adults who have experienced good fantasy will be quickly frustrated.

Better left on the shelf.

Fiona McIntosh is making a name for herself in Australia, where all three volumes of "The Quickening" already have been released. This first volume, MYRREN'S GIFT, which recently hit shelves here in the U.S., is a stunning stateside debut that will keep you proclaiming "just one more chapter."

Fergys Thirsk is the revered general of the army of Morgravia, the sworn enemy of Briavel. The friendship between Fergys and his king, Magnus, is as close as anyone could ever dream. When Fergys is mortally wounded, Magnus promises to raise young Wyl Thirsk with a twofold purpose: that Wyl will be properly prepared to take over as general of the Morgravian army, and that Wyl will form a similarly close bond with the future king, Prince Celimus.

Where Wyl is reserved, quiet and thoughtful, Celimus is equal parts boastful, dashing and spiteful. To the dismay of King Magnus, he knows that no such friendship will occur. In a show of great respect, Wyl vows that although he personally detests the future ruler, he will, in all ways, remain loyal.

Celimus, however, has other plans. He seeks war with Briavel, a forced marriage with Princess Valentyna whereby he will control all of the land south of the mountains, and he seeks to have Wyl killed. In an effort to demean his general, he forces Wyl to witness the torture and killing of Myrren, who has been accused of being a witch. Wyl, ever the chivalrous knight, seeks to ease her suffering and as Myrren is about to be burned at the stake, she grants her "gift" to Wyl: a great power to overcome death and seek justice.

What follows is nothing short of astonishing. McIntosh weaves a captivating web of action, escapes, and intrigue from which you cannot break free, and she hurls you forward with great skill and clarity.

What is great about this work is the completeness of the characters. Each of them seems to have full life, and their thoughts and actions on the page feel, ultimately, real and genuine. You are with Wyl as he endures the brutality and murderous bloodlust of Celimus just as much as you are when he weeps as he is held by Valentyna. Wyl is a true hero, living by his sense of duty and his desire for the right to be right and the wrong to be punished.

Celimus is everything you can wish for in revulsion. Though physically alluring, his soul, if he actually has one, is black and nothing short of evil. You know him to be a savage and heartless man and yet you still are taken aback as his plans begin to unfold. And those plans feel more sinister when he undertakes them with such joyousness.

There is a cast of assorted characters, including Valentyna, the young princess who must quickly grow into a woman, as she is thrust into the role of the sovereign before her time. She is a character who grows in strength as the story progresses, and as a reader you fear that Celimus will overtake her at every turn. Though young, she is not without skill, and her companions aid her along the way as they seek to save Briavel and foil Celimus.

To be sure, there is no one in this novel who does not suffer. Wyl suffers more than he should while Celimus doesn't suffer enough. But all of that is, no doubt, to plan, and will be meted out in proper fashion come the conclusion of the trilogy.

Having climbed to #1 bestseller status in Australia, Fiona McIntosh has written a truly inspired opening volley that will leave you itching for the second volume. For her U.S. fans (and she will have them), they will be pleased to learn that the remaining two volumes of this superb trilogy will be released before the end of the year. The wait mercifully will be short and yet well worth it.

MYRREN'S GIFT is a refreshing breath of fresh air in a genre that is becoming stale and clogged by multi-volume series. And if this book is any indication, Fiona McIntosh will be enjoying success throughout the world well beyond this series.
[...]

This is a top notch fantasy/adventure.

I must admit the beginning was a little slow to get going, but once into this novel, I found it hard to put down. Some of the reviews on the covers described it as a real pager turner and I'd have to agree. It was one of those books that I really looked forward to getting a few minutes to read a few more pages.

The novel has all the ingredients for an intriguing fantasy story; there is magic, betrayal, love, unspeakable cruelty, true kindness and friendship and some unexpected sudden changes in circumstance; . (in some ways reminded me of George Martin's "Fire and Ice" series). You will find that Myrren's "gift" adds a definite twist in the genre of average fantasy tales.

One of the other reviewers mentioned that the writing quality was not great, and, to a certain degree, this may be true, but the story itself is so interesting, you become deeply immersed in it before you realize what's happening. I felt the quality of the book and story telling improved as the novel progressed and at the end I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I neared the riveting conclusion of this book.

All in all, good fantasy reading; I'm looking forward to Book II