Songs of Earth and Power: 'Infinity Concerto' and 'Serpent Mage' (Legend Books) [Import] [Hardcover]

Greg Bear (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 694 pages
• Publisher: Legend (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0712653260
• ISBN-13: 978-0712653268
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Greg Bear is the author of more than thirty books, spanning thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy, including Blood Music, Eon, The Forge of God, Darwin's Radio, City at the End of Time, and Hull Zero Three. His books have won numerous international prizes, have been translated into more than twenty-two languages, and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Over the last twenty-eight years, he has also served as a consultant for NASA, the U.S. Army, the State Department, the International Food Protection Association, and Homeland Security on matters ranging from privatizing space to food safety, the frontiers of microbiology and genetics, and biological security.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Fantasy work with a fun history behind it, April 14, 2000

By 

Bruce Ewing (Eugene, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs of Earth And Power (Mass Market Paperback)

This work combines 2 previous LONG books. I have read the 2 separately, and am combining the reviews here. This book has got to be huge. My detailed rating for Infinity Concerto separately is 4.1, and The Serpent Mage is 4.5. The essential story of Infinity Concerto is very simple. The main character (Michael) is forcibly drafted by the Elves (Sidhe) to learn magic. It's a traumatic experience. But that's not the strength of the book. Bear generally writes fairly hard SF. The magic here has some interesting physics to it! But the best thing is the history. Bear provides a detailed history starting at the beginning of time. Not exactly with quarks either. This extremely complex history of the 5+ sentient races on Earth drives the whole story, and you learn that history a piece at a time through the two books. Why is Michael drafted by the elves? You find out by the middle of the second book. In The Serpent Mage, Michael has completed his magical training, and now he has to use it. There is lots more of a story to this book compared to the first. What with meeting a nice girl, training an apprentice Sidhe, trying to force a peace between Sidhe and humans, and trying to save the world, Michael has much to do. The main problem in the book is that the Realm, created by Tonn as a home for the Sidhe, is literally falling apart. So everyone there needs to find a new home, quick! And considering the history of this universe, there will obviously be cosmic problems with that. The book also includes a lot of film/film score/classical music scholarship. It doesn't interfere TOO much with the story. The book DOES answer some questions -- what IS the Loch Ness monster? But at the end I still have a few. What happened to Michael's horse? Why did saving Tonn's wife fall to Michael, not the Crane Women, or the Ban? In any case, this pair of books is quite satisfying when you reach the end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How fantasy should be., May 21, 2005

By 

Ms. H. Sinton "dragondrums" (Ingleby Barwick. U.K.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Songs of Earth And Power (Mass Market Paperback)

Originally two separate books, Greg Bear's `Infinity Concerto' and `The Serpent Mage' are brought together in one volume renamed `Songs of Earth and Power'.

The story revolves around Michael Perrin, a young poet who is searching for meaning in his life but with no direction. When he befriends Arno Waltiri an elderly neighbour who is also artistic (a composer), it is a meeting of minds and Michaels life changes forever. Unfortunately Arno dies soon after meeting Michael but leaves him a key to an old abandoned house. What Michael is about to discover is that this house is a gateway to another realm, the Realm of the Sidhe, a realm that is both compelling and dangerous, a realm that is difficult to escape from.

Greg Bear's land of elves is not the pretty, enchanted place of so many fantasy novels but is an oppressive, menacing land of cruelty and fear, ruled by the unfeeling Sidhe. His brilliantly descriptive narrative draws the reader in until you feel part of this world. It is a difficult book to put down. Songs of Earth and Power isn't an easy or comfortable read but it is one that is well worth the effort. It's definitely one of the better novels in the fantasy genre and it's a great addition to the bookshelf of any lover of fantasy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful read, April 25, 2002

By 

Eric J. Kristoff (Chicago, US) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Songs of Earth And Power (Mass Market Paperback)

This is actually the first of Bear's works, though published as a unit much later. It is essentially a work of fantasy, but written with the underpinnings and attention to detail and consistency only a true hard-SF author would give attention to. If you've ever wondered if faeries were real, or if a myth really were true, what would the world be like, this book is for you. He treats these ideas seriously without taking himself too seriously. It -is- a long book, but you will feel enriched for reading it. A very personal afterword by the author is quite endearing and makes the novel even more enjoyable after the fact. Get the book, take your time, and read it. This is a book to be savored.