Customer Reviews

Royal Exile: Book One of The Valisar Trilogy

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

 

 

Well, previous reviewers seem to have enjoyed this a lot more then I did. I really enjoyed some of the author's previous work, she writes fantasy with a real dark edge and when she pulls it off it really works. Here it didn't come together for me, I found the pace a little slow and lacking the inventiveness previously displayed by the author. While the dark violent side is there, it just didn't engage me sufficiently to keep turning the pages. This is the first part of a trilogy and I'm sorry to say I shall probably not bother with the next two.

After enjoying her Quickening series I was hoping and expecting another nice fantasy series. Instead I could barely wade through this book. I read a lot of fantasy and I can't recall another book where the characters simply are so unrealistic and where it just stands out. Maybe it's the dialog. At some level the characters have to have some relationship to what real people would do - whether they are heroes, cowards, villains, kings or servants. However tenuous. Not in this book. I want to believe in the Loethar character but for all I know the next page he'll pop out in a Groucho Marx imitation.

Using strategy that makes no military sense, tribal warlord Loethar and his deadly barbaric horde easily conquered Dregon and Voragan while Cremond capitulated without a fight. He now invades the final land in the Denova Set, the Kingdom of Penraven with once again little successful opposition. The flesh eaters easily slice their way to conquest defeating everyone who dares to face them. King Brennus is frustrated and worried, but will soon be dead as Loethar fearing nothing has every member of the renowned ruling family the Valisars killed although the king and queen go willingly so that one member of the royals can escape and insure Loethar fails to have access to their power.

The Champion of the Cohort Gavriel De Vis escorts away from the castle the first born son of the Valisars, young Prince Leo, whose special skills unlike that of his father and forefathers back eight generations has failed to surface. He seeks allies, but few sign up to join his noble but seemingly helpless cause. Not only has his talent remains dormant, but Loethar is too powerful and malevolent to fight against anymore; evil has won as the side of good allowed complacency and egotism to leave them unprepared leading them to defeat.

The first book of the Valisar trilogy occurs in the same world as the Percheron Saga, but is a different age and place. Readers will relish the return to Fiona McIntosh's fantasy realm as the opening act proves to be a worthy successor. The story line is fast-paced from the onset as the kings wonder how they could fall so fast to the blitzkrieg of Loethar. Leo is a wonderful wannabe hero, but his coming of age has a long way to go (two more novels) while Loethar is a fascinating in a macabre way villain who we meet early on after he has drank blood and looks forward to sharing a drink with King Ormond of Barronel. Ms. McIntosh opens her latest fantasy with a terrific thriller.

Harriet Klausner

After reading another fantasy series (Night Angel trilogy), I read this one; however, compared to the great series I just completed, this one fell short. It didn't get interesting until i was nearly 3/4 of the way through. If it wasn't for the cliffhanger of an ending, I wouldn't have even bothered with the second or third book.

The barbarian horde of the Likurian Steppes moved from the east and conquered the Denova Set. Cremond, Barronel, Gormand, Dregon and Vorgaven fell before Loethar's barbarian army. Penraven, the most powerful kingdom of the Set is the the last one standing, however the end is near. King Brennus of Penraven has to take difficult decisions in order to preserve the life of the only Valisar heir, Prince Leonel.

I hadn't read any of Fiona McIntosh's books before and I was pretty excited when I received a review copy of Royal Exile. As I've been reading the books of the Malazan of the Fallen series, I'm always looking for interesting books to alternate between two Malazan books. So I was hoping to find an interesting story in Royal Exile. Especially when I read what Robin Hobb had to say about Royal Exile, it raised my expectations for Fiona McIntosh's work.

Fiona McIntosh's style is very smooth and easy to get used to. That makes the book very easy to read. The first hundred or so pages, the introductory chapters, went without much excitement. Just when I was getting worried that it was going to be a story full of clichés and not enough action, things sped up and the book gained a steady momentum. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the pages were turning fast with my desire to know more.

I love complex world building in fantasy & sci-fi books. However the world building in Royal Exile is probably done at a bare minimum to keep the story going with some hidden secrets left for the future. I'm hoping to hear more about the Set and its surroundings in the future installments.

My feelings towards the characters in the story have been very mixed. I cared for a few of them. Some others didn't seem believable enough. In more than one occasion, I scratched my head asking myself "would I or anyone do that in the same situation?" On the other hand, I welcomed the late-introduction of other protagonists, and interesting ones in that, who promise a superior upcoming book. Royal Exile started mainly with a single story thread, however, to my joy, Fiona McIntosh carefully crafted multiple parallel threads in the second half of the book.

Royal Exile is a well-written, easy-to-read book. Its plot is captivating despite the shallowness of the world building and of most of its characters. The first book of the Valisar Trilogy is a promising one and I, for one, am looking forward to read the second book.

This is my first book i ever read from this author. And i loved it so much.there are several thing i like about her. the first thing is that she has dark edge description which other authors are lacking. Most fantasy are for kids to read, and most book don't have that edge description as you like. Mainly because the author are aware of the children reading the books, and they make sure that there is not that much violence in them. BUT I ALWAYS SAY THAT "WHY DO I HAVE TO BE PUNISHED" for being an adult, - that likes fantasy book. =) So people if you guys like fantisy books and you are an adults person please consider reading some of Fiona McIntosh books.

Thanks for reading Emily

This is the first book by McIntosh that I have ever read but it sure won't be my last. The cast of characters here is really riviting. Black, white and gray characters really add depth to her story. I can't wait to see where she goes from here.

It's a good read. If you've read any of her other books it is more of the same. Entertaining and engaging. But here is my caveat emptor: I've got to note this was released in mass market paperback first, without having had hardcover version first. So if the 2nd one comes out first in hardcover, then in trade paperback and only after that in mass market paperback. Then it is a bait and switch marketing ploy (frankly I'm tired of those) and if so I will skip the rest of the series.

Fiona's first book in the Valisar Trilogy is "Royal Exile". Just as the title states, the Royal is exiled. In the beginning of the book we meet Loethar who is a tribal warlord with such a hatred towards the Valisar's that in order to ensure all are wiped out he moves across the Denova Set killing and conquering each state until he reaches his desired destination of Penraven.. He has conquered all of the previous states so that not one of them could rise to save Penraven. Penraven expects his coming yet is still taken by surprise. With many surprising and often gut wrenching effects Loethar is sitting as the reigning superior to Penraven. The King and Queen are no longer with us, the Queens still born baby girl's ashes have been thrown to the wind, young Prince Leonel is assumed to be dead and their mentally challenged adopted son Piven, has been taken as a "pet" to Loethar. That is until Loather's lover Valya states that she spied Prince Leonel running from the Kingdoms grounds with a companion.

Loethar with the help of his blood thirsty older brother Stracker, command the help of locals gifted with special powers to hunt down and kill all of the boys age 11 in the surrounding states until they locate the missing young Valisar, Leonel.

Leonel is the next king in a long line of Valisar Kings, yet he is to young to over take Loethar and regain all that the Valisar's have lost. The meat of the book is made up of Loethar and Gavriel's travels north in order to find an ally in Kilt Faris and his men, who previously were outlaws of the Valisar kingdom. Through their travels we find that Leonel's father had foreseen much of what is currently happening and had made preparations ahead of time, thus helping Leonel in his plight. Each of the Valisar individuals seem to have a mystical element to them, even as far as Loethar's raven.

Fiona's book has great detail concerning the surrounding's young Leonel finds himself in during his journey. Many important details were shared as the book closed, which left me with more questions than answers, which of course leaves me wanting to read the second book in the Valisar Trilogy