Children of Amarid (The Lon Tobyn Chronicle, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

by David B. Coe (Author) "Gerek awoke with first light, rose, and dressed quietly..." (more)
Key Phrases: lean mage, blue ceryll, two young mages, Great Hall, Theron's Grove, Summoning Stone (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
In his first novel, historian Coe has crafted an elegantly written fantasy. The Children of Amarid, mages who have protected the people of Tobyn-Ser for a millennium, may be behind the brutal attacks by their avian familiars. When Jaryd joins the mages, he discovers the traitor responsible for the atrocities. Recommended for fantasy collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
First of a sword-and-sorcery series in which, a thousand years ago, Amarid and Theron founded a magical order whose new members become mages by acquiring bird familiars (necessary for the magic to work), staffs, and ceryll crystals, which focus and project the magic. Now, someone impersonating a mage is spreading death and destruction across Tobyn-Ser, so confidence in the real Children of Amarid collapses. The mage Baden, accepting his nephew Jaryd as apprentice, heads for a big meeting of the Children, hoping to discuss the matter and determine who's behind it. But the mages are argumentative and complacent, agreeing on little, so Baden arranges a dangerous trek to consult Theron's huffy ghost (a task no one has survived). Afterward, the powerful mage Sartol, a traitor secretly in league with invaders using advanced technology to counterfeit magic powers, claims that Baden's the traitor and that Jaryd was killed by Theron's ghost! The birds are merely a nuisance; otherwise, this hardworking if glum and unambitious debut might just--but only just--keep a nostril above the flood of mediocre fantasy currently sloshing about. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 591 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy; First Paperback Edition edition (June 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812552547
• ISBN-13: 978-0812552546
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #429,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good writing, but too stereotypical, May 11, 2002

By	not4prophet (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

The first thing you notice when reading "Children of Amarid", by David B. Coe, is that this guy can actually write. He has talent for describing beautiful landscapes and writing exciting action scenes that actually make sense. Throughout the book, you feel that the environment is real, and you understand the effects that is has on the moods and actions of the characters. One problem that plagues a lot of current fantasy is that the authors feel that they need to imitate language from earlier eras, so they throw in a lot of distracting, archaic words and phrases. Coe writes in a modern, straightforward manner. He also gives his characters names that are original, but still easy to pronounce.

The problem with this book is its unoriginal plot and characters. It deals with a band of powerful mages, known as the Children of Amarid, whose are supposed to use their power to protect the people of Tobyn-Ser. Unfortunately, one of the strongest mages decides to betray the order and use his abilities to take over the land. (Don't you just hate it when that happens?) Luckily, we have a young hero named Jaryd who sets out on a quest to protect Tobyn-Ser. He's accompanied by a wise old mentor, needless to say. And there's a young female mage whose job is to fall in love with the hero. And there are many other boring characters and predictable plot events, but nothing that doesn't give you the feeling that you've read it or seen it many times before. The only original touch in this novel is that each mage is required to form a mental link with a hakw or owl, which then helps them in battle. Unfortunately, the birds are barely mentioned during the second half of the novel, so Coe doesn't really explore the possibilities presented by this concept.

I'm not saying that "Children of Amarid" is a bad novel. It's an easy and entertaining read, and you shouldn't be intimidated by the 600-page length. It's a perfectly good way to waste a couple of lazy summer afternoons. It just isn't a memorable work of fantasy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Debut Novel in years, January 14, 2005

By	Patrick St-Denis (Laval, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Truth to tell, I don't remember how long it's been since I've read such a good debut novel. This great yarn appears to have been written by a seasoned author.

Fantasy awards generally don't mean anything, as far as I'm concerned. I'll soon be writing a post on this subject. . . But Coe has won the William L. Crawford Award, for best first fantasy series. And based on this first volume, it was more than deserved.

I have no wish to include some spoilers in this post, for I do not want to deprive anyone of the pleasure of reading this wonderful book.:-) Suffice to say that you should all buy it!;-) Having said that, however, there is still a lot I can tell you about.

To begin with, the characterizations are excellent. Coe has created a number of three-dimensional characters. Some endearing and engaging, others less so; but all of them "real."

This series is also much more mature in its writing style. Which makes this a book destined for adults. I'm not saying that a younger crowd will not enjoy it. Far from it. But if you're someone who's eagerly awaiting R. A. Salvatore's next book, with all those choregraphed battle scenes and little substance, then this is probably not for you. . . No offense to Mr. Salvatore, but this story is not for the same sort of fantasy fans.

Plus, Coe's worldbuilding is distinctive and more than a little impressive for someone's first novel. The imagery is arresting, showing that the author has a good eye for details. The magic system offers a new twist, with mages bound to animals and the use of crystals. The myths and legends of the land, of which we only get a little glimpse in this novel, make you want to discover more.

The pace of the book keeps you turning the pages, even if it's far from being a thriller. In addition, Coe's prose is well beyond what we have come to expect from most fantasy novels. Children of Amarid is elegantly written, making it a wonderful read.

The author also tackles a traditional fantasy theme: Sorcery vs Technology. We only see a little of this in the novel, but a lot more appears to be in store in the next installment.

All in all, a very, very good book. It leaves you wanting to read more about Jaryd, Alayna, Baden, Trahn, Orris, and the rest of the characters. It leaves you wanting to learn more about Theron, Phelan, and the rest of the Unsettled. It leaves you wanting to learn more about Sartol. In short, it leaves you with a strong desire to return to the land of Tobyn-Ser. And to discover what lies to the west, in the technological world of Lon-Ser.

The only negative thing I can mention about this book concerns what little we learn about Sartol and how he came into power. But I have a feeling that it is something that will be addressed in the next 2 volumes of the series.

I commend this one to your attention. Novels with so much promise are few and far between.

In light of all this praise, I believe that Children of Amarid is a great addition to any fantasy collection.

Check out my blog: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Spring Board For Any RPG, April 28, 2000

By	Christine Herbert (Brighton, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

I read this book and I own all three books in the whole series. This book was very good and sets the stage for a very intriguing story. There are many twists and turns with loveable and hateable characters. There is a uniqueness that any RPGer would love and I currently have several handles from this book.