Customer Reviews

Nameless Magery (del Rey Discovery)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In a genre so laden with heavy, solemn tales that take themselves far too seriously, this engaging, lighthearted tale sparkles. Lack of depth? Well, the last few chapters are a bit rushed, but a good part of this book's appeal is precisely that it *doesn't* drag you down into deep, philosophical questions and world-shattering revelations. Instead, it makes you laugh out loud.
Lisane is a wonderful heroine, a spunky teenage mage who just happens to be the uncrowned queen and goddess of a conquered people. Needless to say, when she is thrown into a world where all of the mages are male, and intent on teaching her rules and skills contrary to the beliefs of her people, her stubbornness comes out. Surrounded by maddening males- sensitive Simon, vicious Detter and the compelling Master Kaihan, among others- she has to find her way through this strange alien world, and maybe even save it from the terrible fate of her own home.
Turner's use of language and linguistic concepts is brilliant. Not only is the book itself wonderfully written, but a number of contrasts between Lisane's old and new worlds are emphasized through their respective languages, not the least of which is her use of a whole seperate pronoun, lle, to address and describe the magical currents- which is risky, and a tad confusing at first, but she pulls it off.
Yes, there is sex in this book- a fair bit of it in the middle chapters. But to call it explicit, compared with some of the other books on the shelves these days, is just silly. And I don't really understand all of the complaints about the cover art. Sure, it doesn't come close to being typical, but then, neither does the book. It doesn't really say anything about the story, but it's kind of an interesting, if girly, image.
Nameless Magery is clever, original, and refreshing. A nice break from the thick, dark, multivolume epics that make up the bulk of popular fantasy.

"Nameless Magery" is one of kind: the heroine practices a sort of Samoan magery. She finds 'mana' (or 'ller' as it is called in this book) everywhere, and comes from a world where the king reigns for a single year and is then killed and eaten by his successor. Her planet is invaded and she escapes to a world where magic is viewed as a power that can only be controlled by a few (male) mages. It makes for a wonderful conflict between the heroine, Lisane and the male mages and wannabe mages who feel an obligation to 'train' her. Once I started reading "Nameless Magery" I couldn't put it down, and read through to the end. I hope there is a sequel for Turner's idiosyncratic, uninhibited, and squabbling magicians to once again display their very special magic. Thank goodness for a wise-cracking, sensible heroine who isn't afraid of losing her magic if she loses her maidenhead!

The author's fresh voice made this book shine. _Nameless Magery_ is a fun little book about a girl surviving among baffling strangers, trying to adapt to her new situation while keeping her personal ethics. This is fantasy on a personal scale, not a Grand Scale, which is just the way I like it. Lisane, our grouchy heroine, does not set out to save the world, but to live in it.

For persons reading some other reviews of this book, I would also like to state that I did not find this book to be "R-rated." What a silly concept, to rate books in this manner.

This slim 231 page book has more ideas and better developed charactors then most of the recent 600 page + tomes that weigh-down the book shelve. However, it is not a quick read. There is a lot to absorb and many of passages were so well worded that I found myself re-reading sections for sheer enjoyment. At it's heart this is a coming-of-age story, told in the first person. My only gripe with the book is that it is the kind of story in which you don't know what it's about until the end. There is no strong plot line, but rather a series of events that wind up coming to a close. I don't think that there enough was put into the early story to make the events at the end satisfying. They just sort of happened. I also didn't care for the romantic entanglement at the end, nor the fact that there is no real ending. Still the writing is compelling enough to keep you turning the pages. It will interesting to see where the tale goes from here.

Lisane has spent her whole life training for her eventual role as the living goddess of her planet, and all that comes to an end when the Enforcers destroy her world and take her people. She escapes and ends up on a world where the only mages are male and no one seems to have the proper reverence for magic. Young mages are dangerous (every student at the school is there because he killed someone when his powers came into being), and the school Lisane stays at also functions as a kind of prison. Many students don't survive the methods used to teach them, but Lisane is determined to get through it all and find a place for herself on this backward planet.

Although this isn't a ha-ha sort of book, like, say, the Discworld series, the author has a sense of humor and it shows. Lisane's observations about this new culture she's found herself in are highly amusing. The author did a great job writing characters that, although not always likeable, were fascinating the read about. The book drops in quality at the end, when the author condenses a planet-wide event/conflict into about 15 pages. The author didn't spend nearly enough time fleshing out the character Kaihan, considering how much larger his role in the book gets near the end. In spite of all that, I love this book and plan on reading it again any time I need a good snicker along with an interesting fantasy environment and plot.

I enjoyed this book but it could have done without some of the sexual scenes.It had good characters,an awesome story,and lots of twists in her life.She is a strong woman with a confusing past and future . She has to figure out what she wants and what she needs to do.It was great but different.I totally recommend it for people into the fantasy romance deal.

Great read. The best thing, as in all good books, is the author's voice. Consistent, knowing, genuine. The plot was captivating and had plenty of surprises. Lots of interesting ideas about magic and about the development of a young girl. Great characters, plenty of squabbling. I actually found it hard to put down (and I can be very jaded). Loved it. Two snaps up, with a twist. Hope she writes another soon.

This book grabs you from the very beginning. The twist and turns of the plot kept you guessing on what the character will do next. It has something for everyone. I love this book. I cannot wait until she writes another book. I hope it will be a sequel to Nameless Magery.

This book proves that in the hands of a good writer the old tropes of fantasy (a Pricess with Powers, a quest, a beguiling old mage) can be fun and fascinating. Turner's style and her complex, fascinating characters make this story a page-turner. The plot is a tad weak in the second half, but the characters are so compelling one doesn't want to put the book down. I plan to keep an eye out for this author--and I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read that stands out from the dull generic fantasy too common these days. (And don't be put off by the godawful cover art.)

It is an interesting world and some great characters. But there are sections that are very abrupt (could be a much longer book) and the ending is too abrupt and apocalyptic. I think a more experienced author could have made a good trilogy out of it. Definately worth reading, but it leaves you wishing for more (and as far as I can tell there isn't more to be had).