Customer Reviews

Priestess of the White (Age of the Five Trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

So that Amazon visitors have a chance to hear two polarised views about this series, I thought I'd better write a review.

I enjoyed the Black Magician trilogy, and was curious to see a new series by Canavan at my local bookshop. Even though I found the Black Magician trilogy thoroughly enjoyable, I also thought it suited more of a young adult market.

I read the first chapter of Priestess of the White in the shop to see if it was worth buying. My first impression, which was sustained throughout the book, was that Canavan's writing has shifted up a gear in this series. The world and plot is rather more complex, and it suits a more mature audience. I had no trouble at all finishing the book, and was very eager to read the sequel, which I didn't find disappointing.

I would encourage any one not sure if they should buy the book because they have read poor reviews here to read the sample chapter that Canavan has online on her website as a guide to whether the style is right for you.

This is the first in a trilogy that takes place in a world where everyone has a *some* magical ability (even plants and animals), though some more than others, and has a treatment of gods and immortals that I haven't seen before (and I've read a *lot*). You can see some influence from Niven's "The Magic Goes Away" and from Zelazny's work, but the ideas are pretty original.

I read Ms. Canavan's Black Magician series earlier this year and was impressed with her originality, if not her characterization. Her books make for good reads, with interesting ideas, but the characters seem a bit too simple. They have modern sensibilities and are all very rational, and I can't figure out whether I think it is refreshing or out of place in the fantasy settings that she is using. She *is* good at drawing out mysterious motivations and keeping the reader eager to find out the details of so-and-so's secret. It's just almost PC in the lack of good/evil. Nothing like the complex characters of George R. R. Martin, who are capable of both good and evil at the same time and come off as much more believable.

Bottom line though is that I read this, read the sequel, and am waiting fairly eagerly for the last in the trilogy. :-)

Truely I was expecting more from Canavan. This book jumps around among its various characters too much, and bogs down in spots. Auraya is supposed to be a true leader and protector of her country. She has shown in the past that she carefully thinks through her plans and decisions. (That's how she saves the town at the start of the book), but she is certainly ready to write off her Dreamweaver lover awfully fast, even though she has known and trusted him for years (and can read his mind). I'm planning to read the next book, but will wait till I can buy it cheap secondhand.

Hania is ruled by the White, a religious order that worships the only five living gods remaining from the war of gods. Their given task is to form an alliance between the nations of northern Ithania and to bring all magically gifted people under their control. Small wonder they oppose the Wilds, strongly talented magicians outside the order and the Dreamweavers, who blame the gods for killing Mirar, the founder of their diminishing sect of healers.

Auraya, the youngest among the five leaders of the White, doesn't have time to accustom herself with her newly gained status or her powers (immortality, mind reading, moving in relation to the world ~ flying ...). In southern Ithania the Pentadrian cult is taking over, claiming to serve true gods while the Whites are pretenders.
Before the news spread out, that southern Ithania is readying itself for an attack, Auraya manages to form two important alliances, even though she fails at a third. Her clandestine love affair with the Dreamweaver Laiard further complicates things, as a part of his mind is inhibited by Mirar, who becomes stronger and stronger and bears little love for the Whites.

I almost can't believe that PRIESTESS OF THE WHITE was written by the same author as THE BLACK MAGICIAN TRILOGY - it's a completely different style. Admittedly I'm not the biggest authority on that area (English being a foreign language for me), but the sentences often seem awkward, short and hacked (Auraya learning how to fly: "I have to try. Me in relation to the world. I want to turn over and face upward").
It's difficult to find access to the personalities of the characters, even if they (should) experience strong emotions they seem somehow distant. Especially Auraya is a disappointment. Her amazing powers are more disturbing than intriguing and her secret love affair is about as spicy and exciting as bland noodles. (It was like this: Oh, I'm reading unexpected passion in his mind. When I think about it - let's have at it!)
The storyline isn't much better. I was bored to tears by page 50 and had to struggle to keep on. It's mainly about forming alliances and introducing different societies. The only people you gain absolutely no insight on, is the enemy that remains a threatening bloodthirsty shadow with unknown ambitions and motivations. Not until the end you get a tiny glimpse of the greater picture and you realize that there could be a deeper reason behind the amassing of allies and armies and the animosity towards the Dreamweavers. It's only sad and typical of the book that Canavan employs the typical picture of a chess board to do so.

PRIESTESS OF THE WHITE is the first novel in the trilogy AGE OF THE FIVE - a complete waste of time and money. I just hope that Canavan will provide other books that are up to the standards of the BLACK MAGICIAN TRILOGY.

While it's not the worst I've read, Priestess of the White is uninspired, flat, and uneven. The premise is interesting, but as another reviewer noted, too much explanation. The main character is unrealistic and dull -- too perfect, too wise for her years, and uninteresting to watch, reading more as a wish-fulfillment character than a real protagonist.

While I didn't find Ms Canavan's first trilogy the greatest thing since sliced bread, it was more engaging on the whole -- the main character had real obstacles, and not all motives were displayed from the first appearance of each character, so there was something to compell further reading. Not so here.

Based on my experience with Trudi Canavan, I immediately expected for the book to be great. What I was surprised at was that it was almost a different type of writing style from the Black Magician Trilogy. Often writers fall into the habit of maintaining a similar writing style throughout their books, but the similarities ended in that it was just another good book. The book itself is written well, and you find yourself sympathizing with various characters, or despising others, and it's in a way that makes you think it's what Canavan intended you to feel towards the character while she developed them. I was caught unawares when the book ended, and expected there to be more. I can hardly wait for May when the second book comes out!

I actually preferred this to Canavan's Black Magician series. She's good at develping interesting worlds and characters, but I have some serious problems with the overall intelligence of many of her characters. Occasionally they are just plain stupid and I find it annoying. This happened a few times in this series, but not as much as in Black Magician.

The whole concept of the "Gods" in this world is very interesting - as you go through the series you realize they are much more like the ancient Greek and Roman gods than any concept of an omnipotent judeo/christian/islamic God who (we presume) actually has the Greater Good of Humanity as a goal. This really provides an opportunity for some serious thought about Religion and how/what/why we choose to worship. If you do find this an interesting train of thought worth pursuing, then I encourage you to make it through the whole series. It's hardly all the series has to offer, but I think it's one of the best parts.

The world itself that Canavan creates is interesting, and fairly well rounded. The flying people and the Pentadrians are especially interesting. Auraya herself, as a previous reviewer said, is portrayed in the beginning as something of a Golden Girl who can do no wrong. She becomes much more human in as the series progresses.

The whole concept of who (or what) is evil or good (and the way we demonize or deify others) is played with thorughout the series, and I enjoyed that. All in all, this is a good book, and a good series, worth reading. The annoying bits (for me) were worth slogging through for the good parts.

Such a disappointment after the BMT. There is none of the tension of the first series and the author explains everything to death so you know what every character is thinking and planning and so does everyone else.

Maybe the author wrote this series before the BMT. It certainly reads like a much less polished effort.

This book was a disappointment after the Black Magician trilogy. I was expecting excitement and drama, but the book moved very slowly - to the point that I almost put it down a couple of times. This book is almost 600 pages long, but there seemed to be excessive time spent introducing us to the actual meat of the plot - the first half could easily have been cut in half without losing anything. The second half definitely reawoke some of my interest, to the point that I'm still considering reading the second novel and giving the trilogy another chance, but this first book was average at best, and a VERY slow read.

I must say that I read Ms. Canavan's earlier Black Magician Trilogy and enjoyed it thoroughly. This book, however, blows the earlier ones out of the water. You can tell this was written years after her first Black Magician novel, the writing is that much better. It is a wonderful combination of variuos themes in fantasy literature that culminate in a lively, fast-paced tale.

I too felt at times there was a lot of exposition setting up the scene for the future books, but this was kept to only the necessary minimum and it really did not bog the story down. If you liked Canavan's earlier books or if you even enjoy the Dragonlance series or anything remotely like it, you will enjoy this solid cast that is set in a magical and theological setting. I couldn't put the book down and I can't wait for the next in the trilogy.