Customer Reviews

The Song of Homana (Chronicles of the Cheysuli, Book 2)

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

 

 

This is easiest my favorite novel in the "Chronicles of the Cheysuli" series. This novel provides a certain turning point for character appreciation (specifically with respect to Carillon) and also acts as an incredible catalyst for the time progression in the books to come. I don't want to spoil it for those who have no read it yet. Oh, and don't forget to read "Shapeshifters" first.

For five long years the land of Homana had been strangling in the grasp of a usurper king- its people ravaged, by strife, poverty and despair; its magical race, the Cheysuli, forced to flee or face extermination at the hands of their evil counterparts, the sorcerous Ilhini. The time had come for Prince Carillon, Homana's rightful ruler, to return from exile with his Cheysuli shapechanger liege man, free his land from the evil domination of the tyrant Bellam and his villainous magicians, restore the Cheysuli to their rightful position of grace, and claim his birthright. To do this, he would not only have to raise an army, but overcome the fear and prejudice of an ignorant population and answer the call of a prophecy he never chose to serve! Book two of the dynastic fantasy epic of the magical Cheysuli race and the compelling prophecy which ruled them!

After reading "Shapechangers", I was pretty confident that I wasn't going to continue reading books in this series.. it was average at best, and did very little to compel me to continue. The second book; however, was much more entertaining, and steered clear of most of the silly melodrama that so marred the first installment.

The plot was definitely superior in part 2, and dealt with Carillon's war to reclaim his stolen throne. The actual "action" sequences in the novel are still not well developed.. i.e. you'll end a chapter before a battle, and the next chapter will begin immediately after the battle. This gets a little annoying, but the story moves at a fast pace and is entertaining enough to at least keep the pages moving.

Still not major earth shattering high quality fantasy, it's an fun enough read if you've already finished up with George R.R. Martin and Tolkein, and need something to while away a rainy afternoon. For simple enjoyment, it's not bad at all. Don't expect it to change your life... it won't.

The sequal to Shape Changers, The Song of Homana is a very good read. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that it's really good, and not confusing. If you like this book you should also read Sword Dancer, which is also by Jennifer Roberts, but takes place in a differnt world.

This book (and, taken in combination, its predecessor) have some disturbing things to say about male/female relations. Apparently it's not rape if you use mind-control instead of physical force. If you hold a struggling woman down and she bites you, it's just a sign that she really wants you. Making plans to 'bed' a woman by any means necessary when you've just met her is perfectly reasonable. Killing a woman's father and forcing her to marry you is a logical way to get what you want. (Of course, if a woman has ever had sex with someone else, she's a dirty [...].) Women can *never* be given positions of power under any circumstances, and the birth of a daughter is cause for enormous dismay. Your wife is far less important than your spirit-bound animal and can be lied to or even mentally altered for your convenience and her 'own good'. And a grieving widow should agree to marry another man just because he wanted her and she owes it to him to satisfy his desires because she wouldn't sleep with him when they were teenagers.

To be fair, the women of the book don't appreciate being treated like this and are often angry and struggling and trying to break out on their own. However, they're generally not successful. Terrible things happen to anyone who ignores custom and tries to follow her heart. And one of the male characters being an insane jerk IS THE HERO.

So maybe the author was trying for complexity, trying to write characters who are not perfect and make mistakes, but the end result is that almost everyone comes off as unlikeable. Who would want to live in this world?

Oh, and I almost forgot - intentionally causing the death of an unborn child is fine and dandy if you're male, but a pregnant rape victim never even considers getting rid of the baby?

As a sequel to Shapechangers (the first in the series), I think Jennifer Roberson did a fairly good job in keeping interest and the plot going. I like it that she wrote this book in the first person - it created some changes with the first book. However, i think the story was too much focused on Carillon. THe book was written from his POV, and although some scenes were very well done, I wanted to hear more of Alix's story. Shapechangers, which is definitely my favorite in the Cheysuli series, made me love Alix's character, and that she was almost a side character and of only minor importance (except at the end) in this book bothered me. But overall, I thought this was a good book - there are some unexpected plot twists and changes which make you keep reading, despite how much you like or dislike the book.

Roberson doesn't break much new ground in this book. The characters and plot are standard fantasy material; a young prince intending on reclaiming his usurped throne; an evil sorcerer standing in the way; the beautiful, haughty daughter of the usurper. These, however, are not criticisms. I didn't want to stop reading. Roberson takes these standard themes and employs them expertly, and even manages to introduce a few twists. What's lacking in originality is made up for by the detail and the slow, steady development of characters. In the fantasy genre, I would not go so far as to call this a classic, but Roberson's unique use of such typical themes puts it on a special level apart from the other cliches.

I have rarely been more offended and disgusted by a female author before. I can't believe the number of high ratings this book has received. I can't believe anyone liked this thing.

There are certain things heroic characters do not do. Things that make them, in fact, a villain. Things like telling a woman you're going to kill her father and then force her to marry you. This is something the most despicable of villains does. This is also something Carillon does. And despite my clinging to the hope that he'd have a moment of sanity and realize that his plans made hima disgusting, deplorable human being, he carried through with these plans.

I feel nothing but utter contempt for this character, and for the author who expects readers to like a book about a man who is nothing better than a rapist.