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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good fun (3.5 stars), August 14, 2002
This review is from: Sorcery Rising (Fool's Gold, Book 1) (Hardcover)
"Literary fantasy" it isn't, but if you're looking for some good, fast, fun adventure, this is the book for you. This book moves along at an incredibly rapid clip. There are quite a few characters, but the author doesn't sit with any one of them too long; she cycles through the characters quickly enough that you never get bored with any of them, and in such a way that the plot moves right along. The characters themselves aren't particularly deep or complex, but they are all well-defined and act consistently, and are mostly quite likeable. Also, there are thankfully no "Good" or "Evil" characters, just people who are living their lives. An interesting twist that's not found in too many fantasy novels is that the different characters in the book are from very different societies, meeting at the "Allfair," rather than a group of people all hailing from the same village/region, which adds some interest to their interactions. Additionally, the banter/dialogue between the characters tends to be quite entertaining. This novel is clearly the opening to a bigger story, a prologue really, written mainly to establish the characters and world. The series title, "Fool's Gold," is apt, but it's not what this particular book is about. This book is about the re-emergence of magic. At the beginning of the novel, magic really is a non-issue in the world, but as the book progresses, simple charms and spells start working far too effectively, as the characters realize that the magic of the world is "re-awakening." Not an entirely novel idea, but it's presented in a fun way. Overall, this is fun fantasy. If you want dark, realistic, complex nitty gritty, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for something along the lines of Farland's Runelords or Haydon's Rhapsody (minus the angst), then this is the book for you. A solid, if not perfect, debut novel. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stereotypes Rising, September 26, 2004
This review is from: Sorcery Rising (Fool's Gold, Book 1) (Hardcover)
This book annoyed me enough to pull me out of the story from time-to-time. As other reviewers have said, this book is definately a set-up for the series. For watchers of anime series: this is the Carnival episode! (The episode where, in a long storyline, everyone goes to a carnival and mayhem ensues, but very little happens in the way of plot advancement.) In other words, I found it hilarious that this story took place over four days of the "Allfair."
This book also has the stumbling block that the three main cultures were derived from earth: Gypsies (Footloose, which meant I had the popular 80s anthem running in my head non-stop - ugh), Norse (Eryans, complete with battle axes and sword-weilding women), and the Arabs (Istrians, with veiled women and laughable misogyny in which they claim that it's a women's privledge to be veiled.) The males thought about sex non-stop. Saro, one of the Istrians, seemed disillusioned with his culture, which naturally made him one of the good guys. So, as a good guy, he had to fall in love with Katla (our heroine) practically at first sight.
Katla, as the main character, is a little bit of a drag. She's bossy, imperious, pig-headed (as the author informs us more than once), and is written as a Mary Sue, despite all these shortcomings. She's a fast runner, the greatest swordmaker at the Fair, an amazing rockclimber, and it looks like she's getting some strong magical powers thrown into the mix. Ugh. When ill befell her, I found that I didn't care too much. Let's add to this that a enormous number of male characters are in love with her. Blargh.
Then there's the Rosa Eldi, the Rose of Elda, a nameless amnesiac who fills men with overwhelming (plot-driving?) lust.
Personally, I preferred Selen, the Istrian daughter of a nobleman. Her struggles and emotions seemed realistic. Eron too seemed like a decent character - not too overdrawn, with a personality that seemed feasible. In fact, the minor characters of this book may have been the strongest points - Katla's father with his wandering soul, brave Tor, sensitive Saro, narrow-minded and fanatical Fent.
The endless references to sex, as mentioned by another writer, were awfully funny. I realize that these are 'barbaric' cultures, but they might think of something else once in a while. There was also an enormous amount of unrequited love, which was annoying.
Despite all this, I really loved some of the lesser characters enough to get book 2 and find out what happens to them. The climax of the book is interesting and exciting, even though it takes ages to get there. Some of the subplots held a lot of promise. It'll be interesting to see how this author handles the threat of war and the return of magic to the world. I'd recommed this author before Anne Bishop but left in the dust by Carol Berg. Give it a try and make up your own mind.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love these characters!, July 8, 2002
This review is from: Sorcery Rising (Fool's Gold, Book 1) (Hardcover)
I must say I started reading SORCERY RISING with a few misgivings: I so rarely find fantasy that really excites me any more, it all seems to be a mishmash of the same old plots and characters, same old quest-structure, same old quasi-Tolkien set-up. And I can't say this one is all brand new, either - there's lots of familiar territory, including a Viking-style culture in the north and a Roman/Mediterranean culture in the south that reminded be a little of some of Guy Kay's work; but the characters just had me hooked! I defy anyone to read this and not love Katla Aransen: she's the feistiest, funniest, most headstrong and contrary female fantasy character I've encountered in years. The Rosa Eldi, that strange, magical creature abducted first by a mage, then by his apprentice, to wreak havoc in the world, is deliciously intriguing, and Selen Issian takes on the role of oppressed women the world over (how interesting that the Istrian women's 'sabatkas' so resemble Afghan 'burqas'; yet this must have been written before the light shone on recent events in that part of the world). This is not to say Fisher goes light on the guys: she offers a wide variety of male characters all the way from utterly vile...(Tanto Vingo and Tycho Issian) to adorable (Saro Vingo and Erno Hamson). Other people have talked about the plot, so I won't go on about that. All I can say is I couldn't stop reading, and that I'm desperate for the next volume. If you like Robin Hobb and George RR Martin, this is next best thing while you're waiting for their new books!
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