11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Where was the spirit fox?, March 1, 2000
This review is from: Spirit Fox (Daw Book Collectors) (Paperback)
I have read both Renshai series' by Ms. Reichert, and was eagerly looking forward to getting back into her writing style. However, this book was lacking something that was so eloquently magical in those earlier books.
First, I found the so called "spirit fox" to be an almost incidental part of the plot. The story hardly met the description on the back cover of a young woman sharing her physical body with a fox who will use her magic to save the world. That distinction fell to several other characters, most notably Bevin and Maddock.
The Furry Purry character was cute, but bore a suspicious resemblence to Mior, the talking cat of the Renshai Chronicles, which Ms. Reichert completed back in 1998. If the spirit link was going to be a large part of the story, I would have suggested the talking animal at least be a dog, horse or something else that didn't come across as a recycled plot element.
The system of magic started out really promising, but other than the fountain metaphor, we don't get anything but the reference to "the higher resonances..."
Finally, the Empire remained a vague entity, barely elaborated upon, and the whole ending was wrapped up far too quickly. All in all, I believe this would have been a truly masterful story if it had been stretched across a trilogy instead of being crammed all into one book. That way, all of the characters could have been developed more fully; especially the sorely neglected lead character.
Despite my problems with this tale, I will ultimately continue to remain a Reichert fan, and wish she and her co-writer luck on their next collaboration.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spirit Fox, a compelling read, March 5, 2000
This review is from: Spirit Fox (Daw Book Collectors) (Paperback)
So compelling in fact, I finished it in one day. The characters were so well developed that I found myself actually crying with their pain and laughing with their joy. The cat, with his frequent change of names, was hilarious. True, the spirit-fox part of the book was underdeveloped but it seemed an unimportant oversight as the book was rich in plot and characters enough to fill you up with delicious intrigue. A book that will sit on my favorites shelf.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent read!, January 20, 2000
This review is from: Spirit Fox (Daw Book Collectors) (Paperback)
Spirit Fox is simply a great book. It's characters are well realized and immediately engaging and, like everyone else, I am in love with the cat. The cast is broad, offering someone for just about any reader to get interested in, but handled deftly. Very involving!
Another aspect I really enjoyed was the setting--it's marvelous. I have read too many fantasy stories lately where the world seems to be an afterthought. Here it's integral to the story and beautifully drawn, full of interesting ideas and evocative cultural details.
In spite of a rushed ending (as other reviewers have pointed out), the story is otherwise satisfying and very well executed. It's a nice addition to MZR's canon and good work from newcomer Jennifer Wingert. I'm looking forward to reading more of Ms. Wingert's work in the future.
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