Rifkind's Challenge (Tom Doherty Associates Books) (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: kind nodded, ward signs, lower hall, Bright One, Bright Moon, Lord Ejord (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Sanctuary

“Fans of Thieves' World will relish this sprawling epic, rich with sword and sorcery...and after ten years, the gates to this famed city are reopened, assuring all that more adventures are just around the corner.”--Publishers Weekly

“Good news for all heroic fantasy fans.”--Booklist

“Although this is primarily an adventure story, and a pretty good one at that, it is also a richer and more detailed novel...the book is both more ambitious and more rewarding than most similar fantasy adventures, as well as providing a nostalgic return to the Thieves' World.”--Science Fiction Chronicle

Praise for Thieves’ World

“The longest-running and in many ways the best shared-world anthology.”—Booklist on Storm Season

“Brilliantly conceived.”--C. J. Cherryh

“All the things that make fantasy worth reading.”--Booklist

Product Description

In a desert world ruled by men, Rifkind has always been one apart. A chieftain's daughter, she learned to wield a sword while all other women were bound by tribal custom to children and the cooking fire. But when her clan was massacred, she set forth on a quest for her destiny in savage lands ruled by magic and the sword.

For a while she had thought that she had found a home. She practiced the healing arts and raised her son.

But now she has once again heard a personal call to arms, a call to leave behind the safety of her home. She will once again take up the way of the sword, the way of sorcery. And this time she is not alone.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765313464
• ISBN-13: 978-0765313461
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,833,404 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Try the Rifkind's Challenge Taste Test!, June 14, 2007

By	Michael & Angela (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rifkind's Challenge (Mass Market Paperback)

We've known and heard of fantasy author Lynn Abbey for quite some time, but had never read any of her books for some reason.

And even though Rifkind's Challenge seems like a continuation, it is still a stand alone novel unto itself. Not only did the beautiful cover design and cover art by one of the best fantasy artists working today, Julie Bell, captured our eye, but the back cover story sounded intriguing, too.

And what we found was a worthy, well-rounded, strong character driven fantasy novel full of magic, adventure, action, and interesting and believable characters that had us turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. Rifkind is a challenging figure of a woman, a healer with magical powers, but also a deadly swordswoman when needs arise.

And they arise aplenty!

The huge rift between Rifkind and her estranged son, Cho, is written beautifully, creating a dynamic in which the reader is driven to turn the next page, wondering if and when or how these two will ever see eye-to-eye on anything, and if they will ever become mother and son again.

And mixed in with the drama is world-building writing at it's finest, chock full of nomads and and raiders, dangerous magical creatures and beings that will surely keep fantasy enthusiasts at the edge of their seat. Lynn Abbey proves here that she is comfortable in her fantasy realm, creating memorable characters and not one-dimensional hero's that are easily forgotten.

There is no challenge in reading this one. Just a challenge to see whether you can put it down or not.