The Book of Eador, Abjurations 12:14, is very clear: Suffer ye not the life of a witch. For a thousand years, the Church Knights have obeyed that commandment, sending to the stake anyone who can hear the songs of the earth. There are no exceptions, not even for one of their own.
Novice Knight Gair can hear music no one else can, beautiful, terrible music: music with power. In the Holy City, that can mean only one thing: death by fire—until an unlikely intervention gives him a chance to flee the city and escape the flames.
With the Church Knights and their witchfinder hot on his heels, Gair hasn’t time to learn how to use the power growing inside him, but if he doesn’t master it, that power will tear him apart. His only hope is the secretive Guardians of the Veil, though centuries of persecution have almost destroyed their Order, and the few Guardians left have troubles of their own.
For the Veil between worlds is weakening, and behind it, the Hidden Kingdom, ever-hungry for dominion over the daylight realm, is stirring. Though he is far from ready, Gair will find himself fighting for his own life, for everyone within the Order of the Veil, and for the woman he has come to love.
Songs of the Earth (The Wild Hunt)
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From Booklist
Orphaned as a newborn, Gair was raised in the Holy City by the church. Although he respects and believes the church’s teachings, he hides a dark secret: he hears the music of the earth. There are those who believe the music of the earth is natural, intertwined with the fabric of creation, and others who believe those who hear the music must be burned at the stake as witches for the sake of creation. However, unknown to each side, the Veil between kingdoms is weakening and will soon undergo an assault by a very dangerous mage turned reiver. Gair’s power is strong, and he stands positioned to either be humanity’s savior or its condemnation. Will the respected mages judge him capable to work the power of earth, fire, air, and water, or will dark magic infiltrate his mind and tear him apart from the inside out? Drawing on themes from many popular fantasy works leads to a formulaic story arc; however, this is an engaging first installment from a new author. --Alison Downs
Review
"Fans of Karen Miller, Emily Gee and Patrick Rothfuss will all welcome Ms. Cooper to their shelves." PORNOKITSCH "Songs of the Earth is a fascinating and thoughtful fantasy debut quite unlike many others in the genre and the author has a unique voice that separates her from the competition." WALKER OF WORLDS
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Exquisite. A near perfect blend of fantasy, action, adventure and magic. Finely imagined and beautifully told, Songs of The Earth by Elspeth Cooper is one greatly enjoyable and entirely captivating debut fantasy novel. I had a wonderful time reading it. Thanks to Cooper's excellent and engaging storytelling, it didn't take long for me to become totally immersed in the plot. All the characters were carefully depicted, with a mixture of qualities and flaws that really made them jump off the page. The settings were vivid and painted with an exceptional care for details. I could almost feel the cold wind on my skin and hear the glorious song of power and magic. And it felt amazing. And it made me crave more. Mesmerizing - that would be the word. But also adventurous, at times scary and disquieting, thematically poignant, moving, even slightly philosophical. Beautiful. It was, in every sense of the word, an epic story and an exciting beginning to a promising new series.
Suffer ye not the life of a witch and shun ye all works of evil lest they imperil thy soul.
Gair can hear the Song. Which basically means he is a witch. He can touch the songs of the earth and weave magic. Unfortunately, the world he's been born into is a cold and unforgiving one, where practicing magic equals besmirching the sanctity of the Suvaeon Order and is punishable by death. And no one cares about Gair's loyalty to the Lady and his many years of service to the Church. All that matters is that he has performed acts of witchcraft for which he must be punished. Burned. While Gair is doing his best to stay alive, the magic inside him is breaking free and he has to do something with it, has to learn how to embrace it and get it under control, otherwise he'll burst. His only hope lies in the Guardians of the Veil, a secret and well-hidden society that holds the knowledge of the Song. In order to learn how to master his gift, he has to find them, and he has to do it quick. And that's only just the beginning of the many dangers and adventures he'll have to face.
This was, hands down, one of the most wonderful fantasy books I have read in the past few years. I wasn't even 50 pages into this book before it downed on me that I am beginning something truly extraordinary. And the feeling stayed with me all the way to the end, leaving me impressed, amazed, slightly dazed and ultimately satisfied. Cooper's writing style is nothing short of spellbinding. It draws you in, holds your attention, gets you emotionally involved in the characters' story and leaves you breathless. And begging for more. There's no denying the fact that this lady have nailed her debut in a way that you really don't see very often. For that, and for the way she she brought all her characters to life and made me care about them, I am giving her a well-deserved standing ovation.
I'm not even sure what I loved more about this book - the way the story was driven by the beautifully fleshed out, convincing characters, or the way the events smoothly unfolded, allowing me to take pleasure in exploring all the intricacies of the plot. Or maybe it was the whole new concept of magic that won me over, or perhaps the chilling witch hunts and inquisition. Or maybe I'm just a total sucker for thrilling adventures and epic quests, sprinkled with danger and occasional humor. Whatever it was, it was good.
Gair's journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance was also very interesting to read about. His whole life he's been taught that magic is a sin. Every prayer he has learned was meant to steer him away from it. But when he heard the music, he couldn't resist opening his heart to it, it felt too good, too euphoric not to give in. And he struggled with that a lot. When we meet him, he's still not entirely sure whether he's a sinner, well-deserving of the punishment he's about to receive, or just an innocent victim with a gift. He has to face the cruelty of the world around him, all the while battling demons of his own. Trying to find his place in the world. And it was absolutely fascinating to be able to accompany him on this journey and see him transform from a scared, confused man with not much hope for the future, into a strong, confident, powerful character, ready to take on whatever new challenges are thrown his way.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Songs of The Earth and I hope you realized by now that this is a title that simply must be on your shelf. I can't wait for the next installment!
Suffer ye not the life of a witch and shun ye all works of evil lest they imperil thy soul.
Gair can hear the Song. Which basically means he is a witch. He can touch the songs of the earth and weave magic. Unfortunately, the world he's been born into is a cold and unforgiving one, where practicing magic equals besmirching the sanctity of the Suvaeon Order and is punishable by death. And no one cares about Gair's loyalty to the Lady and his many years of service to the Church. All that matters is that he has performed acts of witchcraft for which he must be punished. Burned. While Gair is doing his best to stay alive, the magic inside him is breaking free and he has to do something with it, has to learn how to embrace it and get it under control, otherwise he'll burst. His only hope lies in the Guardians of the Veil, a secret and well-hidden society that holds the knowledge of the Song. In order to learn how to master his gift, he has to find them, and he has to do it quick. And that's only just the beginning of the many dangers and adventures he'll have to face.
This was, hands down, one of the most wonderful fantasy books I have read in the past few years. I wasn't even 50 pages into this book before it downed on me that I am beginning something truly extraordinary. And the feeling stayed with me all the way to the end, leaving me impressed, amazed, slightly dazed and ultimately satisfied. Cooper's writing style is nothing short of spellbinding. It draws you in, holds your attention, gets you emotionally involved in the characters' story and leaves you breathless. And begging for more. There's no denying the fact that this lady have nailed her debut in a way that you really don't see very often. For that, and for the way she she brought all her characters to life and made me care about them, I am giving her a well-deserved standing ovation.
I'm not even sure what I loved more about this book - the way the story was driven by the beautifully fleshed out, convincing characters, or the way the events smoothly unfolded, allowing me to take pleasure in exploring all the intricacies of the plot. Or maybe it was the whole new concept of magic that won me over, or perhaps the chilling witch hunts and inquisition. Or maybe I'm just a total sucker for thrilling adventures and epic quests, sprinkled with danger and occasional humor. Whatever it was, it was good.
Gair's journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance was also very interesting to read about. His whole life he's been taught that magic is a sin. Every prayer he has learned was meant to steer him away from it. But when he heard the music, he couldn't resist opening his heart to it, it felt too good, too euphoric not to give in. And he struggled with that a lot. When we meet him, he's still not entirely sure whether he's a sinner, well-deserving of the punishment he's about to receive, or just an innocent victim with a gift. He has to face the cruelty of the world around him, all the while battling demons of his own. Trying to find his place in the world. And it was absolutely fascinating to be able to accompany him on this journey and see him transform from a scared, confused man with not much hope for the future, into a strong, confident, powerful character, ready to take on whatever new challenges are thrown his way.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Songs of The Earth and I hope you realized by now that this is a title that simply must be on your shelf. I can't wait for the next installment!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Mark Chitty
Format:Kindle Edition
I've never hid the fact that I am a sci-fi reader before a fantasy reader, but every now and then a fantasy book comes along that I look at and just want to read. Songs of the Earth is just such a book, not as hefty as some other novels in the genre but the blurb makes it sound interesting, the fact that it's the first part of a planned trilogy even better. I won't lie, this one has a lot to live up to even before opening the page, the publisher declaring it as the fantasy debut of 2011. However, for me Songs of the Earth hit the spot and delivered the kind of story that makes me want to read more fantasy - a rare thing indeed!
Gair is a witch, awaiting execution at the hands of the Church. For many years he has hid the truth about his magical skills while learning about the religion and fighting methods from the scholars at the Church, and he knows full well what they do with magic users. However, at his trial the Preceptor, an old and frail man, grants him a lifeline in the form of exile rather than the death he - and everyone else - was expecting. But not everyone is willing to accept this and a witchfinder is quickly dispatched by opposing members within the Church to carry out the execution as intended. Fortunately for Gair he falls into the company of Alderan, a wise old man who hides more than he lets on, but the offer he makes Gair is irresistible: travel with him to a place where he can improve and master his talents among others like him. And his journey begins...
Songs of the Earth may be a fantasy tale with magic, strange creatures and a hidden world beyond ours, but it's the characters that drive it forward. Gair is, of course, the hero of the tale, and one that is exceptionally strong at what he can do. However, he's got the recognisable background of orphan who doesn't know his parents - a sure sign that he's destined for greatness. But Gair is an interesting character, one that has never had a home and has had to hide his magical powers from everyone around him, keeping a secret that could (and does) cause great problems for him. He's not the only character I liked either: you've got Alderan, the wise mentor; Ansel, the old and determined Preceptor of the Eadorian faith; Aysha, the crippled shape-shifter. There are many more I could go on about, but that would just ruin it for you. The bad guys are also interesting, although we don't get quite as much depth to them as we do the good guys, something that I hope is improved on in the next novel.
The world building is also a good aspect of Songs of the Earth, but not one that is deeply explored. Cooper manages to create a very real world for the story to take place, and done so without much info-dumping, but I would have liked to have found out a little bit more. There is a fine line between not enough details and too much, and while the balance isn't quite right, it's pretty close. But then again I do like a good bit of world building in my stories, so this is very much personal taste talking.
The magic is also another aspect of Songs of the Earth that I very much enjoyed, the way that a person uses song to create the magic, hearing the different tunes and managing to craft them into different things. It's not a system that is precisely laid out either, but one that you get a feel for as the story progresses and you see more of it in use. It's interesting and adds a good element to the story, another aspect that I hope to see further explored in the next two books.
Above all else Songs of the Earth is a damned fine novel. It tells the story in an interesting way, and while it may not be bringing new groundbreaking stuff to the genre, for me it's exactly the sort of book I want to read. It manages to shy away from some typical fantasy elements, but it also incorporates much of what I expect from a novel in this genre.
Debut of the year? Hard to tell at the moment, but boy is it one hell of an entertaining read!
Gair is a witch, awaiting execution at the hands of the Church. For many years he has hid the truth about his magical skills while learning about the religion and fighting methods from the scholars at the Church, and he knows full well what they do with magic users. However, at his trial the Preceptor, an old and frail man, grants him a lifeline in the form of exile rather than the death he - and everyone else - was expecting. But not everyone is willing to accept this and a witchfinder is quickly dispatched by opposing members within the Church to carry out the execution as intended. Fortunately for Gair he falls into the company of Alderan, a wise old man who hides more than he lets on, but the offer he makes Gair is irresistible: travel with him to a place where he can improve and master his talents among others like him. And his journey begins...
Songs of the Earth may be a fantasy tale with magic, strange creatures and a hidden world beyond ours, but it's the characters that drive it forward. Gair is, of course, the hero of the tale, and one that is exceptionally strong at what he can do. However, he's got the recognisable background of orphan who doesn't know his parents - a sure sign that he's destined for greatness. But Gair is an interesting character, one that has never had a home and has had to hide his magical powers from everyone around him, keeping a secret that could (and does) cause great problems for him. He's not the only character I liked either: you've got Alderan, the wise mentor; Ansel, the old and determined Preceptor of the Eadorian faith; Aysha, the crippled shape-shifter. There are many more I could go on about, but that would just ruin it for you. The bad guys are also interesting, although we don't get quite as much depth to them as we do the good guys, something that I hope is improved on in the next novel.
The world building is also a good aspect of Songs of the Earth, but not one that is deeply explored. Cooper manages to create a very real world for the story to take place, and done so without much info-dumping, but I would have liked to have found out a little bit more. There is a fine line between not enough details and too much, and while the balance isn't quite right, it's pretty close. But then again I do like a good bit of world building in my stories, so this is very much personal taste talking.
The magic is also another aspect of Songs of the Earth that I very much enjoyed, the way that a person uses song to create the magic, hearing the different tunes and managing to craft them into different things. It's not a system that is precisely laid out either, but one that you get a feel for as the story progresses and you see more of it in use. It's interesting and adds a good element to the story, another aspect that I hope to see further explored in the next two books.
Above all else Songs of the Earth is a damned fine novel. It tells the story in an interesting way, and while it may not be bringing new groundbreaking stuff to the genre, for me it's exactly the sort of book I want to read. It manages to shy away from some typical fantasy elements, but it also incorporates much of what I expect from a novel in this genre.
Debut of the year? Hard to tell at the moment, but boy is it one hell of an entertaining read!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In many respects, Songs of the Earth is a fairly standard, traditional fantasy novel. There's a young boy, he's an orphan (I know, I know... but there's an assurance that Gair does not have an extraordinary, aristocratic background that will be revealed later, but, well, we'll see...) who has just discovered that he has uncommon hidden powers. Sure enough those powers are tied to the pagan powers of nature - Earth, Water, Fire and Wind - and as such, they are not only mistrusted by the religious authorities that run the Holy City, but anyone possessing such magic powers is persecuted and killed as a witch.
Gair is rescued however by a man who will prove to be his mentor and help him come to learn how to handle the powers that he has been gifted with (you're thinking Gandalf and Bilbo/Frodo, and you'd be on the right track). This is fortunate, because it's clear that those powers that the Church distrusts (and some other powers that Gair possesses which have yet to be fully revealed), will be of vital importance when it comes to dealing with an age-old conflict that seems to be brewing among the infidel races, and also help restore the Veil which is breaking down between the real world and a dark Hidden Kingdom.
So far, so much standard fantasy scenario, but at the very least Songs of the Earth is very well written and sufficiently involving with strong characterisation. It doesn't pull out too many surprises at this stage, the first book in the inevitable trilogy clearly doing all the scene setting, but striking a good balance between Gair's coming-of-age story and keeping up the key players and developments in the various locations. At the same time it avoids the worst sword and sorcery excesses and medieval "forsooth" dialogue of the genre, feeling fresher and much more naturalistic in a setting that is historically familiar (hints of witchcraft, inquisitions and crusades), but also has resonance with present-day religious fundamentalism. A good start, an enjoyable read, and now that the setting has been well-established, there's the promise of a lot more to come.
Gair is rescued however by a man who will prove to be his mentor and help him come to learn how to handle the powers that he has been gifted with (you're thinking Gandalf and Bilbo/Frodo, and you'd be on the right track). This is fortunate, because it's clear that those powers that the Church distrusts (and some other powers that Gair possesses which have yet to be fully revealed), will be of vital importance when it comes to dealing with an age-old conflict that seems to be brewing among the infidel races, and also help restore the Veil which is breaking down between the real world and a dark Hidden Kingdom.
So far, so much standard fantasy scenario, but at the very least Songs of the Earth is very well written and sufficiently involving with strong characterisation. It doesn't pull out too many surprises at this stage, the first book in the inevitable trilogy clearly doing all the scene setting, but striking a good balance between Gair's coming-of-age story and keeping up the key players and developments in the various locations. At the same time it avoids the worst sword and sorcery excesses and medieval "forsooth" dialogue of the genre, feeling fresher and much more naturalistic in a setting that is historically familiar (hints of witchcraft, inquisitions and crusades), but also has resonance with present-day religious fundamentalism. A good start, an enjoyable read, and now that the setting has been well-established, there's the promise of a lot more to come.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
absorbing adventure
Great characters with depth, story to get lost in, tale gripping with absorbing twists and turns, read the next and now waiting on the 3rd instalment.
Published 5 days ago by crebra
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read!
I like well-written adventure stories with compelling characters. This book met my expectations. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Published 1 month ago by C. Deards
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it! Love the series and can't wait for the third one!!
As I impatiently wait for Winds of Winter and Doors of Stone, I've been checking out other series! This one is fabulous! Read more
Published 1 month ago by CoolGeekyGirl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!!
I really enjoyed this book, and I'll probably start the second one in the series tonight! You won't be disappointed, buy it!
Published 2 months ago by B. LeBlanc
3.0 out of 5 stars
Comfort Reading
Stereotypical sword and sorcery book, has many editorial slip-ups, uses too many tropes, but still redeems itself somehow. Comfort reading.
Published 3 months ago by uberschizo
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fun read with an interesting magic system.
Well worth the time to read though I wish the price was lower for the e-book version. Looking forward to the next installment .
Published 5 months ago by Robert L. Gagnon
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good book but a bit formulaic
Only a brief blurb on this. I enjoyed the book on the whole. Read through it in three nights. If you're a fantasy fan, you'll find plenty to like. Read more
Published 5 months ago by robert placek
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
It annoys me when authors (and editors) miss language that is unique to our lifeworld, and not that of their fantasy realm. Read more
Published 6 months ago by pennae
4.0 out of 5 stars
Songs Of The Earth: The Wild Hunt Book 1 - Elspeth Cooper
Songs Of The Earth: The Wild Hunt Book 1
Elspeth Cooper
Orion
Caught practising using magic, Gair is condemned as a heretic by the church and tortured to make him... Read more
Elspeth Cooper
Orion
Caught practising using magic, Gair is condemned as a heretic by the church and tortured to make him... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jan Butterworth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome. :D
AWESOME!!!! It made me cry at the end though... But that's the mark of greatness! I can't wait for the sequel!!!! Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ashira Brooke
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