Customer Reviews

No Quarter (Daw Book Collectors)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book picks up almost where it's predecessor ("Fifth Quarter") left off. Vree and Gyhard have left the Empire and traveled to Shkoder in the hopes that a young and promising healer named Magda can find Gyhard a body without killing someone to claim it. If Gyhard ever kills again he will immediately come up under charges and be executed. Our initial conflict comes with with a jealous and emotionally wounded Bannon who will go through any length to steal back the life he and Vree shared up until Gov. Aralt's appearance.

"No Quarter" finally intermingles the plot lines of the characters from "Sing the Four Quarters" and those of "Fifth Quarter" as we meet a grown up Gerek and his little sister, Magda who are charged of taking care of a homesick Vree and a nervous Gyhard. Gerek has grown up to be a dashing romantic, while Magda inherited an iron will and streak of independence not uncommon in her family.

While the bards of Shkoder are marveling over Vree and Gyhard's "two kigh in one body" news comes in that points toward a reemergence of the walking dead, and therefore of Kars. Vree/Gyhard and Magda go off to finally put a stop to him, but they're not alone as Bannon and Gerek are quickly sent off to retrieve them.

All in all this book was so much fun to read! It may have used a well-worn plot line (oops we didn't kill *insert problem character here* the first time, but we'll get 'em now!), but the bits and pieces that Huff added to it to make it her own completely distance it from anything approaching banality. Huff's story is lively and engaging. I found Bannon's immature reactions in "Fifth Quarter" annoying at best, and downright painful to read at others. Luckily Vree/Gyhard are the main characters in this story, and Bannon gets to grow up a little towards the end. Huff chose wisely when she made the semi-romantic couple the lead characters for this book as they both have interesting backstories to deal with and plenty of room and need to grow as people.

The ending is a bit contrived, but the feeling of resolution it gives makes that small fact easy to overlook. I highly recommend this book as a lively, character driven fantasy novel to enjoy during a weekend read. It's best in one long sitting rather than multiple shorter ones as the sense of urgency is dimmed when you pick it up and put it down over and over.

I love the character development and the changing relationships between the characters. Tanya Huff gives us a lot of action, suspense, and different forms of love: romantic, sibling-love, friendship, and love twisted by madness & bitterness. The writing is deep without being overtly philosophical. No Quarter is a fast-paced, edgy story about Gyhard, a man without a body of his own, sharing the flesh of Vree, the woman he loves. Vree is a former assassin, pursued by her brother, who wishes them to return to the army--and who wishes to kill Gyhard. And in the middle of this turmoil, an ancient, insane murderer walks, raising the dead around him. The old man still loves Gyhard, but the only way he could get Gyhard to stay with him would be to kill Gyhard and Sing his living kigh back into his dead body...

A truly excellent read.

I didn't think it was possible for Tanya Huff to write a book better than Fifth Quarter. Boy, was I wrong. This book was outstanding. End of story. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, read it again! The thing I like best about this book and Tanya Huff's style in general is that her characters are always well developed and very believable. And they all grow. Vree and Gyhard's relationship really develops in this book and by the end you are very satisfied. Don't, of course, read No Quarter until you've read Fifth Quarter, which is equally compelling.

What can I say, I love a good book. This by far, is a great book. I'm someone who reads Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton, Garth Nix and Tanya Huff. Gyhard and Vree, quite possiably a couple who would die for each other if things ever came to it. Its a great suspense, Tanya keeps things in perfect unison with her stories, entwining the lifes of tons of well developed characters. Its definatly a page turner, and once I started reading her books, I was prone to go out and buy all of her others. If your in the mood for a well-written story, Tanya Huff is definatly the author to look into...

I doubted that No Quarter could possibly be as wonderful as Fifth Quarter, but I was wrong. This book is interesting, a real page-turner. The characters maintained their personalities, something some authors fail to do. The action was surprising when it appeared, completely unexpected at times. This is a thrilling book!

I completely loved this story and did the first time I read it when it was originally published. The quality of the book sent to me was as good as if I'd bought it as a new release in a book store. Tanya Huff is an author that draws you into the world she's created with well written characters and a storyline with a completely fleshed background including religious dogma and a belief system that is believable.

I first saw this book sitting on the shelf at my local wal-mart (go figure. wal-mart has everything). i read the back about fifty times before i finally broke down and bought it. i'm so very glad i did! i enjoyed the whole friggin' thing! i got curious about the implications made to Fifth Quarter and so, i went along my merry little way to try and find it. i did and i enjoyed both books so very much that i'm trying to get my grubby little paws on the first one.

Keep in mind that this review is from someone who reads Regency Romances as well as SF&F, but if you are in the mood for a fascinating spin on the four-elements theme and a realistic look at what happens when cultures and customs clash, this three book series is for you. Not to mention the love story (which spans the last two novels), which keeps you on absolute tenter-hooks until the very last page of No Quarter. A bit melodramatic at times, but Huff's taut characterization and wonderful sense of pacing make you more than forgiving. Vree and Gyhard are *almost* my favorite pair of lovers - but they have to lose out to Tess and Ilya. Two thumbs sky high.

i found this book at the library at was hookd at the first page. i found Vree's and Gyhard's co-exictance, sigh, romantic. Vree's learning to trust and except her own emotions tought me how to deal with my own. I have recomended this book to several people and they have all come back to me asking fo more recommendations. Hope to see more people read Huff in the future, shes a great author

Loved it, loved it, loved it. My favorite out of the Shkoder series - and the rest of the series is equally good. My only complaint - what's with the cover art? Vree looks like Pat Benetar on one of her early album covers. Normally I love this particular artist, but . . . blech.