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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A more accessible, digestible, and enjoyable fantasy,
By
This review is from: Trek to Kraggen-cor (Silver Call Duology) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien. However, if you have read the Silmarillion, you know how tedious parts of his stories can be. As I read parts of his stories, such as describing generation after generation of elves, I become bored or frustrated and jump forward until I'm through it. Maybe he wanted to create an aura of mystery. What it reminds me of is the begats from the bible: Abraham begat Issac, Isaac begat Jakob, Jakob begat, begat, etc, etc...enough already.
McKiernen's stories don't go this far, his are much more accessible and fun to read. I have read all his books, most of them many times. My favorite is the Iron Tower. I think of McKiernen's books more as a place I like to visit, than as a book I read. One of the things I like best about McKiernen is how he actually builds strengths into his 'little people', that normal people can identify with. The Warrows remind us of the people we would like to be; we can respect them regardless of their size. They make the difficult decision, help their friends, and do the right thing when times are hard. While Tolkien's Hobbits are resilient and durable, so is a kickball, but that doesn't make it interesting. I especially like how the Warrows are physically quick, and able to learn skills that make them a valuable warrior in times of strife. They are sometimes the most fearless characters in the story. When McKiernen writes about the Dwarves, I am reminded of Klingons from the Star Trek stories; warriors made of iron, fearless in battle, and always ready to die. Stiff, predictable, and greedy creatures, yet interesting too. The Silver Call is an entertaining story, with all sorts of trials, tribulations, and nearly impossible tasks. If you like Tolkien, I recommend you check out The Iron Tower. If you like the Iron Tower, or any other McKiernen books, you will probably enjoy this story. A story does not have to be an absolute masterpiece to be enjoyable, interesting, and entertaining. Take pleasure in what it is, that should be more than enough.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Return to Mithgar,
This review is from: Trek to Kraggen-cor (Silver Call Duology) (Mass Market Paperback)
While the "Iron Tower" trilogy was published prior to publication of the "Silver Call" duology, the duology was actually written first. Was McKiernan's first-written book, "Trek to Kraggen-Cor," better than the ones published before it? In a word, no. It's still a poor clone of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterful works, full of weird writing and annoying characters.
Perry is the descendent of the great Tuckerby Underbank, living in the Boskydells. As a rather nerdy scholar, he dreams of battles and adventures -- and his fantasies come true when Lord Kian and two Dwarves show up on his doorstep. They need help reclaiming the ancient Dwarf citadel of Kraggen-Cor from the evil Spawn that have invaded, and Perry has memorized the old maps and directions. Perry's thrilled, but his handyman Cotton Buckleburr isn't that thrilled. They travel with Kian and the Dwarves, training and learning to fight as they go, and soon meet up with their allies, the Dwarf army and the Vanadurim. But Perry is about to find out that what's ahead is not a glorious battle, but a horrific slaughter... "Trek to Kraggen-Cor" is the sort of writing generally classified as "fanfic": stories written by fans of a TV show, movie, or book. McKiernan is clearly a huge fan of "Lord of the Rings"; how else could he have taken so many details from Tolkien's masterful epic and transplanted them into a similar backdrop? The whole thing stinks of Middle-Earth. Even small details -- such as the little silver horn or the mushrooms -- were written by Tolkien first and best. Very little actually happens in this book; most of it is talking, travelling, or both at once. The travelling is excruciating; McKiernan gives us every dull detail. The dialogue is a little better, but there's too much melodrama (and, in Cotton's case, poorly-written country-Brit dialect). The preoccupation with clothing details, hysterical laughter, and to-be-continued sign on the end make it even more frustrating. Perry is apparently supposed to be a naive yet plucky hero; he merely comes across as a drip who has no contact with reality. Cotton's folksy attitude wears thin, but he's an acceptable character; Kian really isn't very interesting, nor does he seem very bright. He's basically on it for the adventure. The Dwarves are all utterly interchangeable, including Borin and Anval. The first is not always best, and such is true with "Trek To Kraggen-Cor." Only if you liked his excruciating "Iron Tower" trilogy will you like the travesty of Dennis McKiernan's first duology.
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