Fortress in the Eye of Time (Mass Market Paperback)

by C. J. Cherryh (Author) "Its name had been Galasien once, a city of broad streets and thriving markets, of docks crowded with bright-sailed river craft..." (more)
Key Phrases: master crow, horn panes, gray place, Heryn Aswydd, Mauryl Gestaurien, Orien Aswydd (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Despite a few brief, shining moments, Cherryh's (Foreigner) new fantasy novel (her latest SF novel is reviewed below) proves an overwrought concoction. After a moderately interesting foray involving Mauryl, the aging wizard who conjures a "Shaping" named Tristen, the meandering of the nearly empty-headed Shaping takes center stage for far too long. Tristen sets off upon a quest knowing neither who he is nor what he seeks. Fortuitous happenings eventually bring him to Cefwyn, a prince in line to rule the land, and to Cefwyn's wizard, Emuin, himself a former student of Mauryl's. (The villains here are of two types: nebulously motivated men and erotically minded women.) A series of escapades involving prosaically presented political machinations leads to an inevitable final battle?and to the likelihood of a sequel. Several plot threads, such as Tristen's similarity to a golem and an invocation of the "Thirty-Eight," indicate that Cherryh is leaning on texts of Jewish mysticism here, but it's unlikely that even the most diligent of kabbalists would have the patience to wade through this substandard work.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
I have to admit that, until now, I have never read any of C. J. Cherryh's work. A sad oversight on my part and one that I intend to remedy. After reading just one page it was easy for me to see why Cherryh had won three Hugo awards. I fully expect her to win many more inthe future. While there are many good authors inthe field of fantasy and science fiction it is rare to find one with such a powerful grasp of the english language, or one whose skill as a world builder could set her so far above the rest of us. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Eos (April 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061056898
• ISBN-13: 978-0061056895
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #379,758 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most beautiful stories I've ever read., September 29, 1997

By A Customer

I knew, before picking up this book, that Cherryh is an amazing writer. Her first book that I ever read was "Faery In Shadow", and it absolutely completely bowled me over, and not just because I'm obsessed with Celtic history!! But this book exceeded my expectations. It's an exceptional, really lovely piece of storytelling. If I had to choose words to describe the way she writes I'd pick "beautiful", "ethereal", "compelling", "haunting", "poignant"...it's just one of those things that have the power to move you beyond words. I absolutely loved the whole thread of the story. It's amazing not least because the idea itself is surprisingly simple and tame: a classic story of good versus evil. And yet the way Cherryh develops the whole plot is really remarkable. I fell in love with Tristen very early on into the story, and have never let go of him since. The story is even more wonderful in that Cherryh does not succumb to the usual neat formula of fantasy novels which seems to INSIST that there must be a love interest. I hate it when my enjoyment of a good fantasy is spoiled by romantic involvement. In this book you only get a mere whiff of that, and it involves someone other than the main character. And even that is played out in a wonderfully pleasing, satisfactory way. The ending was a bit too neatly put, but surprisingly enough I liked it just the way it was, unlike most other books I've read. In the end, though, I have to give it less than 10 because there are other mysteries, hints and innuendoes which are not properly tied up. In a way I like it that Cherryh left them that way, but a part of me is just begging to see everything played out to the end. From the feel of things it seems like she intended this book to be a stand-alone story, yet it practically cries out for a sequel (just like "Faery In Shadow"!). On the other hand, I think I'd rather prefer it if she just left it this way, so that I can deliciously contemplate the beauty of this one story without having to worry about other issues nosing their way in. I do wonder if she plans to put out a sequel, but if she does I hope she focuses more on Cefwyn and Ninevrise this time. Tristen's story has been told, and although some would think he needs more things to happen to him, I think he should be let alone. I'd like to just dote over this book and hoard it away as One Of The Greatest Stories I Have Ever Read. Magnificent. I said it before of Agatha Christie, but now I must say it again: I now worship C.J. Cherryh.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A completely different slant on an old story line, November 22, 2006

By	J. Hulet "Fantasyliterature.net Reviewer" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I loved this book. To be honest, the first half of the book doesn't move very fast, but you come to appreciate how the author controls the flow of the story based on the progress of the main character. It's a very interesting technique that takes a little patience to enjoy.

The story centers around a young man called back from a distant past and who's soul has already lived a life. His challenges in adjusting to life with no real past are very well written and yet his native intelligence and personality begin to grow quickly.

The characters that surround the protagonist are fairly well written and far from perfect themselves. For me the frailties of people are often neglected in most fiction unless it is overly depicted in the bad guy. In this case the author is very effective when describing the different supporting cast and creating reasons for them to be who they are.

The story follows the political manuevering of a Prince and various factions who either want him dead or simply out of the way. The culmination of the story when the Main Character begins to experience the depth of who is will be is very exciting.

On a final note, I think that the author does a good job of describing conditions that people live in without wasting too much time on trivia. It makes for a more believable read when life is a little rustic, even for the nobility.

Read this book!! The next three in the series are a worthwhile reward.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for fantasy nerds, August 18, 1999

By A Customer

For the first time since her Morgaine series C J Cherryh has managed to create something which goes beyond the good, though at times over stretched intermediary works such as Rusalka - Chernovog - Yvgenie, Ealdwood, Farey in Shadow, and The Goblin Mirror. In this book she has combined elements from them all, bringi9ng her fantasy work in line with the qualities that mark her Sci-Fi stories: the ongoing Foreigner series especially, which would warrant the rather OTT statement on the back cover of this being her `high fantasy triumph'.

Parts of the narrative don't work as well as they could, some sequences requiring a little more stretch in them in order to add more credibility - the part where Tristan is so keenly welcomed into the Royal fold so soon after getting to town standing out the most, with a few others rushed in comparison to the length of the build up. There is also rather too much dashing about the countryside to add an element of overt action.

Even so, Ms Cherryh - like Carlsberg is to lager - is probably the best writer in this genre; her combination of literary technique, and attention to detail within context outstanding in its appeal to those who want to read something more involving than is usual.

And look out for the others in this set: Fortress of Eagles, Fortress of Owls, etc.