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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Different from the others, but still good, April 16, 2001
After reading the first two books in the series, I was eager to get my hands on the third and, though I thought it was still worth the wait, It was not up to my expectations. In this book Farland seems to draw out the plots and situations just to fill the book, which is shorter than the other two. Still, I can't be too critical about it as it introduces some enjoyable new characters and uncovers some new and unforseen twists. In this book, Gaborn, still recovering from the diminishing of his Earth Powers, struggles to eradicate the force of reavers that attacked Carris. While this is happening, the girl Averan uncovers a plot of the reavers that could end the world. To stop this, Gaborn must travel to the underworld and confront the one true master, the greatest of all reavers. This book also looks more closly at the characters of Gaborn Raj Aten and we discover much more about them. Even though this book was not up to my expectations, I still thought it was a good book and would recommend anyone who has read the previous books in the series to get this book. For those who havn't read the others, I suggest you do!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well, its officially not a trilogy, March 10, 2001
Normally when I get the newest book in a series, I re-read the previous books just to refresh my memory and get in the proper mood. With Wizardborn, the third book of The Runelords, I skipped that step in my desire to read it. You see, I really, really enjoyed the first two volumes of this series, and I must admit that at first glance this one appeared somewhat disappointing. It looked a lot thinner than the previous volumes, and the cover was not great. But the slenderness of the book, it turned out, was due to thin paper and not low page count, and realizing this I set to on what fortunately turned out to be another great jaunt through Farland's world. Admittedly, this book does take a very different approach than the first two books. In Book 1, Raj Ahten was the threat to the world, and there was lots of cool action. In Book 2, it was revealed that the *real* threat was the Reavers, and Raj Ahten merely a superpowered inconvenience. Again, there was lots of action punctuated by great battles. In this third book of the series, however, the focus is more on character and plot development rather than moving forward substantially in the story. Taking place over the course of two days, Wizardborn lacks the urgency and immediacy of Runelords, and the scale of Brotherhood of the Wolf. Gaborn, with his army, is chasing the surviving Reavers from Carris, while Raj Ahten is headed south to save his people from another huge Reaver attack. Borenson, coping with his new status of eunuch, resumes his quest to find Daylan Hammer, the Sum of All Men, but is now joined by his wife Myrrima. Averan finds out that that she is an Earth Warden, and apprentices herself to Binnesman, but her ability to eat Reaver brains and learn from them turns out to be essential to Gaborn's quest to stop the beasts. As I have noted already, the focus of this novel is more on character than action. There is one major battle even bigger than any we have seen before, but it serves more as a conduit to explore Raj Ahten's character than as a battle scene. In addition, there are several skirmishes with the retreating Reavers, who are devising tactics for better killing humans. There are several revelations, or possible revelations, in this book about the nature of the Days, but those thoughts do not really go anywhere. However, there is a lot more humor than in previous volumes, especially concerning Borenson and his "walnuts." There is also a potentially extremely interesting new character, Baron Waggit, a halfwit who, after distinguishing himself in battle, is given an endowment of wit so that he is just like a normal man. On the down side, there is very little in this book about Foul Deliverer, Fair Destroyer (or Spring). As a previous reviewer noted, the Reavers are not just monsters anymore - they are now significant characters in their own rights, with motivations and feelings. The elemental of the Darkling Glory from the previous book is back, and we find out that it was a really big player in the netherworld, an elemental that has helped in the downfall of various other worlds. In this volume, to put it simply, the plot thickens, disparate elements start to connect, and the end begins. Moreover, by the end of the book, there was no doubt in my mind that Raj Ahten's final showdown would be against Myrrima, not Gaborn as I had thought through books one and two. Read and find out. According to Gaborn's predictions, and assuming the author keeps going at two days per novel, this series should not last more than 2-3 more books. This book, while not quite as intense as the previous volumes, is a very good addition adding lots of characters, situations, and original ideas to the mix. Definitely worth reading, despite the typical cover art.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than you might think, November 12, 2001
In reviewing "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" - a book I praised rather highly - I wondered whether "Wizardborn" (the third installment in Farland's "Runelord" series) really is as disappointing as some reviews contested. Having now read it, I'm happy to say that, to my mind at least, it isn't. Some have remarked on how "Wizardborn" is very different to its predecessors. It isn't. The events of this book are again condensed to just a few days; things still move at a breakneck speed. Yes, there is a greater focus on the character of the young girl, Averan. But it would be incorrect to say the story swivels away from its central plot to shed more light on her. The opposite is true: Averan becomes sucked into the maelstrom, accompanying Gaborn as he and his army pursue the reaver army fleeing from the battle at Carris. Yes, Raj Ahten is presented in a slightly more sympathetic light. But this is entirely consistent with the earlier volumes. Like the reavers, he flees the destruction at Carris, only to find his own kingdom is now besieged by reaver hordes. Suddenly, he's very much on the defensive. For once, he's trying to save, not destroy. Yes, Farland does focus less on the ethical dilemmas of the giving or taking of endowments. But there's no reason he should; the plot doesn't call for this. Instead (in the characters of not just Averan and Raj Ahten, but also Borenson and Myrrima) new questions are raised and answered. Although this might be a little presumptuous, I feel that some of the less complementary reviews aren't due to the issues raised by the reviewers but by something else. "Wizardborn" is clearly an interim novel. It's exciting, but it doesn't end with a great bang. It ends before the bang: before Gaborn enters into the reaver lairs to seek out "The One True Master"; before Raj Ahten's destinity is revealed; before Borenson comes closer in his quest to seek "The Sum of All Men". That makes it less satisfying than "The Brotherhood Of The Wolf" (and the first volume, "The Sum Of All Men", even though I felt that book to be plagued by uneven writing), but it doesn't make "Wizardborn" bad by any means. This isn't one of those books where the plot is left simmering on the backburner. Things are gearing up, and I for one would be very surprised if the next volume wasn't something of a scorcher. In short: if you liked both earlier volumes, I see no reason whatsoever why you shouldn't like this one.
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