Customer Reviews

The Spirit Lens: A Novel of the Collegia Magica

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In Carol Berg's The Spirit Lens, the first novel of the Collegia Magica trilogy, no one is as they seem and a pretty face may be a mere illusion masking a wicked heart...

Portier de Duplais, former student of magic, current head-librarian and obscure relation to Phillipe, the King of Sabria, is summoned unexpectedly and charged to discovery who is behind an attempt on the King's life. In his new position as agente confide, Portier is unable to trust anyone, even his fellow agentes. Unfortunately, the mystery isn't so simple as an assassination plot. It involves the abduction of Phillipe's closest friend, the acquisition of three very strange magic objects taken from Phillipe's would-be assassin, necromancy, multiple murders, untimely accidents and a network of intricate deception. With all fingers pointed accusingly at Philippe's wife, the Queen Eugenie, Portier must uncover who among the growing list of suspects masks their evil intent and who is truly innocent before his own life (and soul) becomes forfeit to the long-buried magic uncovered by his probing.

At first, The Spirit Lens is a barrage of names that I found to be a bit overwhelming. However, as the book goes on, each and every one of these seemingly innocuous people has great relevance to the plot. The Spirit Lens is a plot-driven tale with allot of ground to cover, and there is absolutely no time for dallying. In the prologue Portier is handed the Problem at Hand and from chapter one to its conclusion, we are hurtling together down a twisting path to solve that problem. As the reader, I was kept guessing, making hypothesis, and forced to change my mind when a lead didn't follow through--much like Portier.

There are two points that prevented me from giving this book a five-star review, though. First: While I found Berg's side characters interesting from the get-go, it took nearly half the volume to warm up to Portier. I just couldn't get a firm grasp of the kind of person he is. This is very surprising after reading books such as Berg's Rai-Kirah trilogy and the Lighthouse Duet, both narrated by men with very definitive points of view.

Second: The mystery is the driving force behind the novel and is unquestionably gripping (I devoured the entire novel in two days). However, because of the rapid pace of the book, I felt that I never got a firm grasp of the world that Sabria resides in. Once again, this was disappointing because in the aforementioned books by Berg, the world-building is expert. In those books I felt I had a firm grasp of the cultures, the time-periods, everything. The series are steeped in definitive moods that are unique to their individual stories. In The Spirit Lens, I didn't have that strong sense of place and time. Certainly, the characters have french-sounding names and their mannerism hint toward Renaissance-era Italy, but those connections are not very descriptive of the world Sabria rests in.

The conclusion of The Spirit Lens sets up nicely for the next book,with some loose threads neatly clipped and others left flapping in the wind. There is much promised for book two and I hope further volumes will expand upon this world Berg has begun to create, and bring Portier's personality out. Despite my complaints, I imagine the revelations in store will continue to surprise. I eagerly await the next volume of the Collegia Magica trilogy.

I feel like a broken record every time I sit down to write a review of another one of Carol Berg's books. I'm convinced at this point that she's the best fantasy author working today. Her plots are consistently excellent, her protagonists fascinating, and her world-building superb.

This novel introduces us to three new heroes: Portier, librarian turned sleuth, tasked by the king to investigate a lethal magical conspiracy; Ilario, the queen's half-brother and court fop; and Dante, a mage of tremendous ability and uncertain temperament. Watching these three interact is worth the price of admission all on its own. Unlike an earlier reviewer, I found Portier to be an extremely engaging narrator, and was right there with him as he doggedly wrestled with the crippling aftereffects of a decade-old trauma. As with all of Ms. Berg's heroes, he and the others possess an innate decency that it's impossible not to respond to. (Even Dante, I think, in spite of what he finds it necessary to do to further their investigation.)

As for the plot--Ms. Berg is careful to seed the ground with a maddening array of clues regarding what the conspiracy is aiming for and who might be involved in it, without giving very much away. I have a feeling that all of this is leading up to what will eventually be a tremendous finale, and I'm already impatiently awaiting her next volume.

Highly recommended. Really, you can't do better than this if you're a fantasy fan.

While in many ways this story had many of the "usual suspects" I feel that Ms. Berg has woven them together in just the right way as to make them new and interesting. The world of "Spirit Lens" is a lovely mix of science and magic on the verge of change. Feeling very much like fithteenth century Europe without being an "alternative history".

As always Ms. Berg has masterfully used the first person voice weaving a tale that feels as if you are hearing it from a good friend. She builds the tension constantly and you come to suspect everyone; even after you've finished reading. Which leads to my only complaint - that I have to wait for the next book!

This books is closer to the feel of her The Bridge of D'Arnath books rather than the Lighthouse series.

Let me start by saying I really enjoy Carol Berg as a writer. I absolutely loved her Transformation (Rai Kirah) series and also loved the Cartamandua Legacy (The Lighthouse Duet). But, for some reason, I had a very difficult time with this book. I didn't care about the plot, did not like the characters, and struggled through each page.

This book is about Portier de Savin-Duplais; a failed magical student who is called upon to help solve the mystery of an attempted assassination of the king. Joining him in this investigation are a foppish Noble named Ilario de Sylvae and brilliant (but grumpy) sorceror named Dante.

The premise sounded excellent and I really did enjoy Berg's intricate descriptions of the surroundings and the intricate magic system. I also enjoyed that this book is written in at a higher literary level. That being said I only read to page 100 and had a lot of problems even getting that far into this book.

I was not drawn into the mystery to find out who wanted to assassinate the King. The King was not likable, and to be honest, I really didn't care if someone assassinated him or not. He doesn't seem to do that good of a job running the kingdom, so I just didn't care. The mystery behind the Spirit Lens was intriguing but not intriguing enough to keep me hooked on the story.

I also did not enjoy the characters. Portier is so self-deprecating and spineless that I was kind of hoping for something (anything) to happen to him; he just never stands up for himself and bumbles through the book. Ilario is over stereo-typed as a pompous noble fop, I think he was supposed to add humor to the story, but for me he feel flat. Dante is the only character that redeems this book; the portion of the book where he was introduced into the story was entracing, but then he is not the focus anymore and I lost interest again.

This book is very long-winded. I loved beautiful descriptions, but that was taken to the extreme in this book. I found myself skipping full paragraphs and was still able to follow the story fine. Then I would stop back-up and reread what I had skipped just to confirm I hadn't missed anything (I hadn't). Around the point where I stopped more and more Frenchlike noble names are being thrown at the reader. All these names refer to characters that I have no frame of reference for, can't relate to, and can't remember.

In the end I just lost patience with it all. I was having a lot of trouble keeping my eyes open to read more than a page or two at a time. I know Berg's books are set up very deliberately, but for some reason I just can't handle it with this one. I really wasn't enjoying it and I have a ton of other books to read so I stopped.

Overall this book just was not my thing; which is not to say it was poorly written...at times the writing was quite beautiful. I was just not drawn into the plot, did not like the characters, and thought the pacing was way too slow. If you are into deliberately paced fantasy mysteries this may be the book for you. If you like your plot a bit more frantic with deep characterization I would look elsewhere. If you are interested in reading books by Berg I would start with the Rai Kirah series; that characters and plot were much more engaging.

I am consistently impressed by Carol Berg's skill at crafting deep, intricate worlds full of mystery and intrigue, with memorable, unique characters and unpredictable plots. "The Spirit Lens" is no different. Like most of her previous novels, it is told from a first-person perspective by a narrator who is shamed, fallen, and largely overlooked by the world around him. It also continues Ms. Berg's engaging tradition of protagonists pursuing answers to deep, complex mysteries and antagonists of unknown identity; indeed, this novel is the most direct "detective" story she has written to date. Portier de Savin-Duplais, distant cousin to the king, is charged with discovering the truth behind a failed assassination attempt. He is aided by the queen's foppish half-brother and a wildly independent mage.

From the start, we are drawn into a world of dangerous duplicity, where no one can truly be trusted, not even the fellow investigators. The characters are all very vivid and fully rendered, with flaws and complexities that make it difficult to label anyone unequivocally "good" or "evil." Some of the mysteries turn out just the way we expect them to, others surprise us completely, but in a believable way. In other words, this is a very well-crafted mystery that keeps the reader guessing.

One of the strengths of this story, compared with some of Ms. Berg's other works, is that we are eased into the world at just the right pace. In the past, I have been somewhat overwhelmed by the myriad names of people and places, as well as other intricacies of the world of the books--especially in the first several chapters. "The Spirit Lens," while maintaining a quick and engaging pace, manages to introduce people and places gradually, allowing us to keep them all straight without difficulty. In addition, the larger, deeper mysteries to be solved--also a staple of Ms. Berg's books--reveal themselves gradually, which also helps keep the plot from getting overwhelmingly complicated.

Lastly, I am impressed by the ending of the book. When reading the first book of a trilogy or series, I always fear that I will be left feeling unsatisfied by its conclusion, with a compelling cliffhanger but no sense of resolution. Fortunately, "The Spirit Lens" manages to wrap up enough of the threads of its plot arc to feel largely resolved, but leaves plenty of mysteries still to be solved in the coming books. I eagerly await the next installment, and I do not feel cheated with an incomplete story.

My recommendation: For anyone who has read and enjoyed books by Carol Berg before, this one will surely not disappoint. It remains to be seen whether this will become my favorite Carol Berg series, but it definitely has potential. For those new to her novels, I think this is as good a place to start as any--that is, unless you just don't have the patience to wait around until the remaining books are published to find out the rest of the story. Happy reading!

Just finished Carol Berg's Flesh and Blood and it's sequel Blood and Bone. I'd read Spirit Lens and it's sequel and went looking for her other books. These were better than I'd hoped/expected.
I wasn't actually that pleased with the start of the first book. I found Valen unlikeable. But he became engrossing as he worked his way through his transformation. He is a complex and compelling character. As are all Ms Berg's people. Each passionate, deeply commited to the version of right they had been taught. Sometimes the most painfull heartfelt sacrifices do great damage. Sometimes healing is refused because it's source is disdained. This is Valen's story but the others are not just "bit players."
These books were from the library. But I'll be buying my own copies as I expect I will be revisiting then often!

This is one of the best-written books in fantasy. Not a word is out of place or strikes a sour note. The pacing, the plot, the characterization are all spot-on. Ms. Berg paints her characters in clear, vivid colors, and they live and breathe, from the major characters down to the occasional housekeeper or servant. Ilario recalls Leslie Howard's depiction of the Scarlet Pimpernel; Portier is, as Dante describes him, an honest man, yet with courage and passion that are slowly revealed as he unwinds the tangled plot against the king. Dante is harder to grasp, his power, violence and deep silences hiding something that you can only get glimpses of.

The conflicts here are between magic, science and faith as much as they are between men and women. The lines where they blend, merge or clash are explored and woven into the characters' motivations and into the plot itself. There are secrets everywhere, and wonderful, beautiful passages like this, in which a woman speaks of her missing husband: "I have walked this land, touched its living bones, felt the sunlight that clothes it, listened to the music of wind, star, and beast song. But the universe no longer speaks love's name to me." Delicious. But this is only the first book of three. While the major events in this book are satisfyingly concluded, enough of the mystery is left for the second and third.

Like Portier when experiencing magic that he has not created, I "bleed envy."

As a new reader of Carol Berg's works, I wasn't sure what to expect since this was my first foray into her writing. The Spirit Lens had been recommended to me here on Amazon due to past books I had read and enjoyed and I wasn't disappointed.
I do have to admit that it took me just a little time to get into the story, a great deal of characters are introduced in a very short span of time and as this is a fantasy some of Berg's words are of her own creation, but I quickly became captivated by the world of Sabria, its magic and intrigue.
I adored the idea of a failed magician as the hero of the tale. Librarian to the illustrious Collegia Magica (College of Magic), Portier De Savin-Duplais who is also a distant relation to the king serves as a fair and objective story teller. He bares the mark on his hand of one who carries the line of magical blood in his veins, though he has proven to be magically impotent. He is enlisted by his powerful relative, the King who disdains magic, to uncover the persons behind the plot to kill him when his original investigator goes missing. Sworn to secrecy and unable to reveal his role as investigator, Portier must navigate the false and treacherous waters of Sabria's court all whilst peeling back the layers of secrecy contained there. His chief suspect is the Queen, whom his cousin insists is innocent. Needless to say, Portier soon finds himself tangled in a very tricky web and in great personal danger.
Many unpredictable twists of plot unfold and interesting characters are revealed, making this a very enjoyable and rich book.
As a side note, after reading this tale, I went on to read Berg's Transformation (a much earlier work in a different series) which I loved, though it is completely different from the Spirit Lens in many ways. I highly recommend the Spirit Lens if you like magic, fantasy and adventure, just give it a chance to captivate you and I am certain you won't be disappointed. I am very glad I gave it a chance.

This novel combines fantasy and mystery (my two favorite genres), and it does it beautifully. The characterizations are vivid and original - they all feel like real people, and act in realistic ways. Some reviewers mention that it takes a while to warm up to the main character, Portier; to me this is a tribute to the author's art. Portier is a reserved, cautious, and highly analytical person; not the kind of guy you could warm up to in five minutes. He struggles with self-doubt because he has failed at the one goal most important to him, but he clings to the hope that he still has a purpose in this life, and doggedly tries to find what that purpose might be. A very human character, and for me one of the highlights of the book.

The setting is wonderful and beautifully drawn, kind of Italian Renaissance with magic woven in. The excitement of new scientific discoveries and the struggle of new paradigms with old is well captured. The language of the book is part and parcel with that setting - somewhat old-fashioned and courtly. If you can read Tolkien or Arthur Conan Doyle without tearing your hair out, it should be no problem for you. For me it complemented the setting nicely, and gave Portier an authentic voice.

As a mystery it was well-plotted, never lagging in the pacing despite being somewhat densely written (lots of names and places in this one, you have to pay attention). All clues were properly spelled out for the reader (sometimes too many of them), and the solution followed logically from known information. Enough ends were wrapped up to make a satisfying conclusion; enough were left loose to suggest the possibility of another book.

I read this book on the Kindle, and found no problems with the formatting or the table of contents. My one quibble is that the Kindle version did not have the gorgeous cover shown above. I love to ogle book covers after I've read the book; getting a simple text cover was disappointing.

It's always a joy to discover an author that a) excels, and b) has already published lots of books. Ms. Berg will be getting much Kindle custom from me in the near future. :)

I have to add my praises. Carol Berg does it again. Or more accurately, she does it again even better than before. At first, I wasn't sure about this one. I had to work hard as I read, the style seemed cumbersome and contrived, and it only flowed for me when there was dialogue. I would have put it down, but I was completely intrigued by story and characters and so I plodded on. Against my better judgement, I persisted and continued to read. And suddenly, I'm not sure when, I became so involved that I loved the style, and marveled at her use of language. By the time I reached the last few pages, I read slowly and carefully, trying to make it last. I sat for a long time after reading the last page, savoring the
story, the characters, the mood, the language, the style, the brilliance of her story and her story telling. Wow!! How does she do it?? Well, needless to say, I can't wait for the next installment. For a few evenings,snuggled in my bed, by the light of my reading lamp, I was totally transported, intrigued, delighted, moved, in fact, I was spellbound. Who can ask for more from an author? This is a hard act to follow. I don't think I can begin to read anything else and as I never go to sleep without reading I may, in fact, just have to pick it up again, begin at the beginning and read it once more.