Customer Reviews

The Road to Underfall (Loremasters of Elundium, Book 1)

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

 

 

I think what the reviewers who rated this book poorly, calling it 'dull & uncaptivating' & 'dont waste your time' are forgetting is that this books is meant for readers U16. The hero is a child, and if you're a child who reads this book, it is simply amazing: There's pretty graphic magic & action sequences, hero's, villians, treachery & love. And a boy who, against all odds (with the aid of friends) becomes all he can be & leads the fight against evil. I read this book when I was 14. It was amazing. Much better (at that age) than Tolkien, who I thought spent too much time describing the countryside than advancing his plot. For children, this should be next in line after Harry Potter.

It's basically a good book if you like traditionalist fantasy. But I give it only two stars because the characters seem more like archetypes than real flesh and blood people (The Wizard, The Chancellor, The King, The Lady in Distress, etc.) For a good read for me, the book would've had to have at least one good and decent Chancellor, and at least one bad and greedy Hand ;-)

I would not call this book a work of fantasy art by any means. The storyline is rather unimaginative and follows the same paths as many fantasy stories written before. It's barely entertaining enough to compel you to read to the end. I finished it out of sheer strength of will.

What I want to know is what other works have these other reviewers been reading to find this book such a work of great fantasy fiction? And to even suggest this comes close to a league with Tolkien is blasphemy!

I should qualify my title. I liked this trilogy while in my early twenties. Over a decade later I go back to find a great concept poorly executed. There is next to no description, the character names and dialogue are infantile, and each event in the story is predictable. I think Jefferies has envisioned an interesting reality here, but he hasn't translated it very well. I really want to like this book (and the trilogy), but I can't. Just the grammar and punctuation errors make me want to scream.

I read this series about 8 years ago, and it was amazing.These books have been the only ones thus far to keep me on edge and into it. I dont care to read, but these were well worth reading twice. Would highly recomend the series to anyone.

Once a person embarks upon this book they will not be able to put the book down until it's finished. This is the story of a young boy who is of humble origins. His prescence brings old legends to life as the great war horses, battle owls, and border runners are seen for this first time in an age. He shows the making of the one who will rescue Eludium, however people fear what they fail to understand and he is exiled to a dark fortress where he rises to power. The fate of all Eludium is held in the sword arm of a young boy who was driven into exile. If you have not read this book you haven't really lived.

In my early teens I devoured the Hardy Boys series. Recently I reread one of them : how simple and predictable it was! So too with this story. Likely it will appeal to those on a seventh grade reading level, where descriptive writing, basic character development, a creative plot, and an attentive editor's red pen are secondary to simple action. The writer seems to have just plowed along with his tale, and whenever he ran into an intractable situation he'd just pull out another Deus Ex Machina to resolve matters. I mean, who put that first saddle on Esteron?

If improbable happenstance jars you, avoid this book. If you're uncritical in your reading and like your fantasies quick and easy, enjoy!

This book held me captive from the beginning. The characters came to life and the story line was great. A disadvataged youth called Thane holds the future of the world in his hands. This book has it all: treachery, heros, evil, kings, wizards etc.

an excellent fantasy novel to be placed up with the greats. Why tolkein's books with thier boring traveling scenes are more fameous then these is unbelivable. Learn It, Live It, Love It: fantasy.

Fight the nightbeasts, win. Fight the nightbeasts, win. Fight the nightbeaasts, win. Fight the nightbeasts, win. Fight the nightbeasts, win. Fight the nightbeaasts, win. Fight the nightbeasts, win. Fight the nightbeasts, win. Fight the nightbeaasts, win.

Get the idea? Perhaps a little too trite. Look elsewhere.