Customer Reviews

The Wings of a Falcon (Point Signature)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I must somehow acquire the hardcover edition of this book, because all I have now is the paperback, and I have gripped it so tightly and opened and closed it so many times that I have broken the binding.

The Wings of a Falcon is one of the key books of my life. It takes elements of traditional fantasy -- a journey, friendship forged in adversity, legendary lands -- and weaves them into a character-driven novel that transcends these components so utterly that they disappear seamlessly into the story. The book is, in fact, not fantasy in any definable way -- no fabulous creatures or supernatural forces appear -- but it retains the sense of wonder and exploration that is at the core of what draws readers to the fantastic.

Cynthia Voigt accomplishes this sublime transcendence by keeping the focus on the characters, with the faintly fantastic elements judiciously employed as background and environment. The emphasis here is on human interaction, and Voigt describes that interaction carefully and naturally. The structure of the story is such that the two main characters come into contact with various others under various circumstances and thus assume various roles: slave, stranger, captive, lover, leader. Voigt is able to clothe her characters in many habits without obscuring their fundamental personalities, the foundations which underlie all of the attitudes they assume.

Ultimately, the environments through which the characters travel, and the situations they find themselves in, are not as important in themselves as in how they illuminate the characters. By watching as the two companions move from one place and one set of people to another, we see them from different angles, and in the end we are presented with character portraits breathtaking in their complexity and completeness. (Though it pains me to lend legitimacy to petty complaints by addressing them, I must add that "the plot twist" referred to so derisively by various readers is just such a thing: an event whose causes and effects reveal things about the characters.)

Books as perfect as this are rare. I have read The Wings of a Falcon at least four times -- maybe more -- and each reading has been a fulfilling rediscovery of its delicate power. It's one of my favorite books of all time.

I give this book 5 stars because it is a compelling, well-written, engrossing novel, not because I like it. For the first 25 chapters I loved this book and its main character, Oriel. I read it voraciously, eager to witness the adventures of this brilliant, indomitable soul and his wise friend and (at times) conscience, Griff. However, after reaching the "plot twist" contained in chapters 26 and 27, I quickly lost all interest in the story. I only continued reading so I could see how the author attempted to redeem this unholy mess. As was perhaps inevitable (given the circumstances), the concluding chapters turned out to be predictable and unsatisfactory. I do not argue with an author's right to defy convention or to shock his or her readers; however, an author's "surprises" ought not to ruin the rhythm of the novel, nor should they seem artificial or forced. Sadly, this particular plot twist was guilty of the above charges. After reaching chapter 27, I could see how the novel must end; I realized how conveniently the preceding chapters had placed each of the characters in preparation for the "unexpected event"; I could divine what touching messages of hope, friendship, etc. the rest of the book had in store for the reader; and I gritted my teeth. I could feel no sympathy nor affinity for characters the author had never bothered to develop -- characters who, in the absence of the one person who had breathed life into this story, now seemed like static, uninteresting puppets whose only purpose was to plod along to the story's unsurprising, yet self-satisfied, conclusion.

But despite all these failings, I am compelled to give this book 5 stars. A character as brilliant and vital as Oriel deserves no less.

This book is really indescribable, but I'm going to try anyway. It is moving, touching, heartening, heart-breaking, real, and pretty much everything I could ask for in a book. And thank you on behalf of all the people who haven't read this book yet to the braniac a few reviews down who decides to give away pretty much the most shocking twist in the book (Hint: don't read Emilyjane's review!!! Stay away if you're planning on reading the book!) Also, I have to disagree with the person who says that reading the other two books in the series, Jackaroo and On Fortune's Wheel, doesn't make reading this one more fun. The three books are VERY loosely connected, and she's right that the book is great on its own, but when you've read the other two books, it creates an entire world and you really get to know it well. It makes it all the more real. You can't just dismiss is a "just a book" when you've been completely wrapped up in Cynthia Voigt's universe for three whole books. Also, if you read carefully, you can pick up subtle refererences to the other books that you will really love. It's kind of exhilerating to recognize an allusion to a character you absolutely loved and thought you would never see again (eg: Orien). I can't reccomend this book enough. Reading it is an adventure. I promise.

The Wings of a Falcon is the third book in a series of highly acclaimed heroic adventures that began with Jackaroo and continued in On Fortune's Wheel. This book was written by Cynthia Voigt who is a renowned author of books that revolve around the heroic theme. Although relatively difficult at places, The Wings of a Falcon shouldn't be missed by anyone who is remotely interested in a book that illustrates friendship, courage, and loyalty.

As a boy with no name, no family, and no love, he only knew how to obey and stay loyal to the sixth Damall. Under cruel and unreasonable treatments, he remained strong and eventually earned the honorable position of seventh Damall. Just when everything is set, he escaped the Damall's island with his only friend Griff, the falconstone called Beryl, and a name. From war torn cities to steep steps of the snowy mountain, he and Griff conquered numerous challenges and after each exhausting day, their hearts slowly began to unite as one. When fate brought them to the mysterious Kingdom, a devastating tragedy struck and Griff's responsibility and unwavering loyalty will be severely tested.

The book is very well written and it is obvious that the author imputed a lot of energy on small details that would enhance the final product. There are definitely enough cleverly used sensory details to give readers a clear picture of the subject, and even better, the sensory details never bogged down the pace of the book and readers would never feel overwhelmed by hordes after hordes of figurative languages. The characters featured in this novel all have distinct personalities and complex ambitions, and at no where in the book did the author just simply introduces a character. All characters came into their roles mysteriously and some character's true backgrounds are never revealed. The different parts of the book are all connected to each other seamlessly, and the book flows along smoothly. With crystal clear sensory details and complex character build-ups, the Wings of a Falcon also has a twisting plot that will puzzle and surprise even the most advanced readers.

It is hard trying to pick weak points from such a wonderful book, but The Wings of a Falcon isn't perfect. The most evident flaw is probably the fact that the book is a bit too difficult to understand at times, and the twisting plot would constantly confuse readers. Some of the things in this novel should be filtered out to make it more exciting and less repetitive, and some moments should be emphasized more to make it stand out and memorable. The author could have added some funny moments to make this book more entertaining and the unexpected ending could depress and disturb some readers. But these are just minor pitfalls that are barely worth mentioning in front of all the strong points of this book.

Overall, The Wings of a Falcon is a fantastic book that tells about courage, friendship, and loyalty. While it definitely has some problems, its unparalleled depth, engrossing details, and clear descriptions are more than enough to overshadow it. With a whopping of nearly 500 pages and about 30 chapters, it will be both a long and entertaining read. Some of the strong points mentioned above could be view as weak points and the weak points could be viewed as strong points. It all depends on what kind of reader is reading this book. In the end, this epic novel is strongly recommended to everyone who will not get easily confused and depressed by disturbing masterpieces.

The Wings of a Falcon is the third book in a series of highly acclaimed heroic adventures that began with Jackaroo and continued in On Fortune's Wheel. This book was written by Cynthia Voigt who is a renowned author of books that revolve around the heroic theme. Although relatively difficult at places, The Wings of a Falcon shouldn't be missed by anyone who is remotely interested in a book that illustrates friendship, courage, and loyalty.

As a boy with no name, no family, and no love, he only knew how to obey and stay loyal to the sixth Damall. Under cruel and unreasonable treatments, he remained strong and eventually earned the honorable position of seventh Damall. Just when everything is set, he escaped the Damall's island with his only friend Griff, the falconstone called Beryl, and a name. From war torn cities to steep steps of the snowy mountain, he and Griff conquered numerous challenges and after each exhausting day, their hearts slowly began to unite as one. When fate brought them to the mysterious Kingdom, a devastating tragedy struck and Griff's responsibility and unwavering loyalty will be severely tested.

The book is very well written and it is obvious that the author imputed a lot of energy on small details that would enhance the final product. There are definitely enough cleverly used sensory details to give readers a clear picture of the subject, and even better, the sensory details never bogged down the pace of the book and readers would never feel overwhelmed by hordes after hordes of figurative languages. The characters featured in this novel all have distinct personalities and complex ambitions, and at no where in the book did the author just simply introduces a character. All characters came into their roles mysteriously and some character's true backgrounds are never revealed. The different parts of the book are all connected to each other seamlessly, and the book flows along smoothly. With crystal clear sensory details and complex character build-ups, the Wings of a Falcon also has a twisting plot that will puzzle and surprise even the most advanced readers.

It is hard trying to pick weak points from such a wonderful book, but The Wings of a Falcon isn't perfect. The most evident flaw is probably the fact that the book is a bit too difficult to understand at times, and the twisting plot would constantly confuse readers. Some of the things in this novel should be filtered out to make it more exciting and less repetitive, and some moments should be emphasized more to make it stand out and memorable. The author could have added some funny moments to make this book more entertaining and the unexpected ending could depress and disturb some readers. But these are just minor pitfalls that are barely worth mentioning in front of all the strong points of this book.

Overall, The Wings of a Falcon is a fantastic book that tells about courage, friendship, and loyalty. While it definitely has some problems, its unparalleled depth, engrossing details, and clear descriptions are more than enough to overshadow it. With a whopping of nearly 500 pages and about 30 chapters, it will be both a long and entertaining read. Some of the strong points mentioned above could be view as weak points and the weak points could be viewed as strong points. It all depends on what kind of reader is reading this book. In the end, this epic novel is strongly recommended to everyone who will not get easily confused and depressed by disturbing masterpieces.

Cynthia Voight has a rather unique style. Her writing can be a bit hard to pierce at first, because she makes use of an uncommon style of allegory. In this tale, we get a glimpse of what its like to live without an identity and to be given one. Through, literary fiction author's book provides a rare glimpse into the world of the masculine, the world of men and boys.

Though female, I couldn't help but think that the author did her research as much of what she writes thematically alludes to what real life is for those of us who are male. And though there are some clearly fictional elements, the truths in the tale ring universal.

As you can see, I didn't reveal any plot points, since I think one owes it to the reader to discover this on her own. But, I will say this: this book is not for everyone. If you want the traditionally scripted story where there's a clearly determined ending and everything is happy go lucky with the main characters as they struggle to obvious obstacles, then this book is not for you. In fact, it may be a bit frustrating. But, if you enjoy reading literature of all types and have an open mind to how a story is weaved together, then you'll enjoy this book. I surely did.

Well, I see that the views are mixed but I loved this book! I actually read it a few years ago and it's still my favorite book of all time. It's more action packed than most Cynthia Voigt books I've read and that's what I like. The book is well written and I really liked the main character (who's name I don't want to give away.) I thought that the book was amzing and I've read it a number of times and every time I seem to discover something new and I've never gotten bored of it. There're so many things that happen--betrayals and trickery and something's always going on. I absolutely loved this book and to be honest I'm not sure why. I didn't like the plot twist but it seemed pretty inevitable. One of the things I really liked is how it's in a series but I actually read The Wings of a Falcon first...then I read the 2 books before it and reread it and it was kind of like I was being let in one personal jokes although it didn't change my understanding much. I enjoy this book so much because it's action/adventure but I think it takes a good look at friendship, trust, betrayal, and many other debatable topics. It's a great book, that's really all there is to it! There isn't mushy love but there's some romance--not too much tho--and it doesn't turn out like a fairy tale or Disney cartoon.

The Wings of a Falcon is about a young man learning how cruel and interesting the world can be. He grew up on an all boys island, the Damall's Island, where he can't show emotions, he must have a heart of stone. He's put to tests and baited to show his weaknesses, but he won't. He escapes the island with his friend Griff, after taking and then passing on the role as Damall. They finally reach the mainland, where they find out everyone is fighting and no one should be trusted. After a while they're caught by Wolfers, and must learn how and when to escape and then what to do with their freedom.
The Wings of a Falcon was a good book because of the dangers the characters facd. They always had to be careful no to show emotions, get caught, trust the wrong person or do something else that could turn out badly. There's always someone or something in the way of thier freedom and happiness. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure adn constant excitement.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I read this book awhile ago and I still put myself in the main character's place. It's amazing in how Griff (the main character's best friend) and the boy with no name (later Oriel) escapes to only find that it is no better anywhere. I loved this book, and I strongly recomend reading the other books in the series. Those are Jackaroo, and On Fortune's Wheel. Even though The Wings of a Falcon is long, I didn't regret getting the book when I was in the middle. This is a hard-to-put-down book, though maybe boring for a few pages pages, but then it is exciting again. It is 467 pages, and 31 chapters, but it only took me 5 days to read it. That is really how exciting it is.

I thought this book very compelling. It is set in a pseudo middle ages period. The characters build character by confronting hardships and meeting new people. They come to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. The romance is believable. The female lead, Beryl, is a strong woman who loves wisely. A great summer read for 12+.

Although Voigt wrote "Jackaroo" and "On Fortune's Wheel" to preceed "The Wings of the Falcon", it doesn't matter in what order you read these books or really matter if you read the others in the series at all. It does make reading "The Wings of the Falcon" more fun if you read the others.