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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Girding for War, April 22, 2007
This review is from: Rebel Fay (The Noble Dead) (Hardcover)
For those of you who don't know, the Noble Dead series is the story of Magiere, a dhampir (living child of a vampire), Leesil, a half-elf, a dog named Chap, and assorted supporting character. Magiere and Leesil start out in a world that resembles medieval northern Europe running a vampire scam -- scare the villagers and then pretend to kill the monsters. Only real monsters show up, one thing leads to another and the series follows the two as they become real heroes and then set out to find out who they really are. Now that I've said all of that, let me add that this is not a good book to start out your acquaintance with the series. Go find a copy of Dhampir, prepare to enjoy yourself, and dig in.
Rebel Fay is Leesil's book (except that it is also Chap's). Hell-bent on tracking down his mother and returning the skulls of several relatives, Leesil, with Magiere, Chap, and Wynn (the group's sage and general pest) brave the mountains in mid-winter so that they might enter the Elven Territories. They barely make it and they are definitely not welcome -- only full elves need apply. The find themselves pitted against a whole array of elves. Some are just traditionalists, some are interested in revenge, and a few, the Anmaglâkhs, led by the hyper-paranoid Most Aged Father, are convinced that Leesil is a traitor and Magiere is a horror so old that the entire history of it has been forgotten.
This is also Chap's book. We've always known he was more than a simple dog, but this is the first time that we get a real explanation of what a majay-hì really is. And how special a majay-hì is Chap. His role shifts from boon companion to major player in this book, and the secrets he holds are important ones.
For all that happens in this book I found it a bit slower paced than its predecessors. The Hendee's are setting up the story arc for at least the next few volumes and there is a lot of detailed information to put into place, as well as characters to introduce. However, you wouldn't be here if you weren't a fan of the series and this is a pivotal book, answering some questions and raising many more. As long as the Hendee's can continue this rich and inventive series I'm happy to put up with some slower pacing now and then. And their version of slow pacing will still keep you reading this from cover to cover.
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yeah--plot development!, January 24, 2007
This review is from: Rebel Fay (The Noble Dead) (Hardcover)
It seems I've been disappointed recently by multi-book series releasing a new title that has no plot development (Mistral's Kiss, anyone?) Not so here! The Noble Dead saga just keeps getting better, as does the writing and character development.
Magiere, Leesil, Chap and Wynn finally make it to the Elven Lands to discover the fate of Leesil's mother. During their "visit," the reader will discover more about the motives (or lack there of) of Chap's fay kin, why Leesil was trained as an assassin and the role Magiere is destined for. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger, but the story obviously will continue in the next book. I highly recommend this entire series!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
This Series Just Jumped the Elven Vampiric Shark!, April 14, 2007
This review is from: Rebel Fay (The Noble Dead) (Hardcover)
I bought this book the week of its release. It has been sitting on my night stand for four months. I spent a terrible four months slogging through its 370-odd pages. After finishing this book, I can honestly say it was a total waste. The action was boring and it contributes absolutely nothing to the series. It seems that the Hendees have gotten so wrapped up in the idea of writing a series that they padding things out by putting in episodes that have nothing to do with the main plot-line.
In the last novel, Leesil and Magiere resolved to go into the Elvin territories to confront Most Aged Father, the leader of the Elvin assassins who has started a war amongst the humans. Leesil also hopes to negotiate the release of his mother who is held prisoner in their forest. Along for the ride are Wynn and Chap. The villainous vampire duo of Chane and Westiel skulk around in the background as the undead cannot enter the Elvin lands. The novel opens up with the group lost in snow storm as they travel into the Elvin territories. Luckily, they meet up with the assassins that have been manipulating them into coming and they travel to meet Most Aged Father. The fact that the elves hate outsiders complicates matters. The group is barely tolerated but Wynn makes the mistake of wandering off by herself and traveling to the place where Leesil's mother is imprisoned. Leesil and Magiere chase after her, hoping to find her before she causes too much trouble. Unfortunately, the elves find out that Wynn was trying to spring the prisoner and that Magiere is a dhampir. They put her on trial, and Leesil has to travel to some sacred place and retrieve an artifact which will clear her. That is the jist of Rebel Fay: traveling, traveling, traveling from location to location with little or nothing getting done. After the story is over, the reader has gained nothing from the experience. We learn absolutely nothing about the shadowy Enemy with designs on Magiere that we hadn't already guessed from earlier books.
It also doesn't help that the main character just sort of fade into the background. Wynn practically dominates the novel, and she is my least favorite character. If ever there was a character ill suited for a grueling adventure, it is her. For the last two novels she has played the part of the inept damsel in distress causing more trouble than she is worth.
The vampires that have been the main antagonists up to this point get too much face time considering that they don't contribute anything to the novel. It's like there had to be periodic scene with them to remind everybody that they are still around doing stuff.
What a waste. I was excited for this book after finishing the previous novel. The next one I will not be buying in hardcover, and maybe not even in paperback. It looks like another once-favorite novel series is circling the drain.
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