Review - Shadow Swarm by D. Robert Pease

Aberthol Nauile doesn’t know that he once led legions in a war that had raged since the dawn of time, against an enemy that could not be killed. He doesn’t know that he rode on a dragon with his father, or that his mother died while giving birth to him. He doesn’t know that he once saved his great, great, great grandfather by defeating the black enemy on the slopes of a volcano.

Aberthol doesn’t know that he beheld the creation of the world, as his grandfather eight generations before took the planet, ravaged by a war of the gods, and began anew.

All he knows is that he awoke in a coffin deep within a tomb, and now the whole world thinks he is their savior. All he really wants to know is his name, and why he keeps hearing voices in his head.

Can you imagine waking up in a tomb, not knowing who you are, where you are, or why you're there? That's how Shadow Swarm by D. Robert Pease begins.

Aberthol is told that he is king and that this is basically his "rebirth". Everyone expects him to have all the answers. But he doesn't. What's worse is that mere moments after being presented to the city that has waited for him for hundreds of years, or at least... to an empty courtyard in the city, tragedy befalls and people are killed. With the help of the granddaughter of the man who was supposed to help Aberthol remember who he was and the history of his family, he manages to escape.

First, I would like to say that I looked back through my books read this year and noticed I haven't really read an epic-like fantasy all year. I've read paranormal books, fairytale retellings, and science fiction... but nothing with dragons and people who fly and a king who's a descendant from a Creator. It was about time I remedied that.

It was an easy enough story to get drawn in to. I mean, it starts out a complete mystery. We find out the details of Aberthol and how he began where he did right along with him. However, it lost me for a bit. From the names that looked like someone just ran their fingers across the keyboard so they were impossible to pronounce to a song Elise sang that went on for pages and pages... I was worried I wouldn't finish it.

Elise is captured, however. And who attempts a rescue? Why, Aberthol and Elise's very own dead-but-not-dead father. WITH the aid of a golden dragon that I picture MUCH larger than the one on the cover of this book. Haha. He is a handsome thing though isn't he? Moving on... in their quest to rescue Elise, Aberthol and her father discover that myths passed down from generation to generation are, in fact, truth. And that truth ends up needing to be rescued and fought for just as much as the kingdom that Aberthol has been told he's in charge of.

I think that's something everyone has dreamed of at one time or another right? That something they thought was merely fairytale or folk lore would end up being true? Aberthol allies himself with dragon and people who can fly.

The more I read this the more I picture Avatar the Last Airbender. That's how I see Aberthol. Latest in a long line of this particular type of man who is supposed to be the good in the world. Who has the power to heal and kind of journeys in to his own "spirit world" seeing visions of the past and visions of things that could have been or of people who he has never truly known but are as real to him as he is.

It's a good story. I'm glad I stuck it out. The imagery and description in this book is just absolutely amazing and almost lyrical in how it's portrayed and delivered. Things are described in such detail that I can picture them in my mind as I read them. And with fantasy stories that's always one of the best parts.

I'd have to say one of my favorite characters is the dragon, Dwairomore. He is ancient and wise and friendly. And I loved the way that he spoke.

"No one that doth achieve great things ever sets out to do them. Only when thou dost think thyself worthy of greatness will all hope be lost... Remember, thou needs only to call and I shall come."

It's extremely poetic and something I haven't seen done in any other book that I've read (the Bible aside).

If you're like me and have yet to read a true fantasy novel this year, this one is for you. If you like tales of magical and mystical things like people with wings and dragons and kings of old this is for you. If you like quests and battles and good vs. evil this book is definitely for you.

Stacking the Shelves #4

Thank you to Tynga's Reviews for hosting STS every week!

So, I haven't gotten much in the way of books. I don't anymore because my bookshelves are finding themselves almost maxed to capacity.

Thank you to my lovely library and their once a month sales, I was able to get a copy of each of the first 3 books (still hoping the 4th will be published one day) of the Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey. I've had all of them before but through moving several times, a couple have gone missing. Nice to have them back together again.

Two masters of epic fantasy have combined in this brilliant collaboration to create a rousing tale of the sort that becomes an instant favorite. This is the story of Shana, a halfbreed born of the forbidden union of an Elvenlord father and a human mother. Her exiled mother dead, she was rescued and raised by dragons, a proud, ancient race who existed unbeknownst to elven or humankind. From birth, Shana was the embodiment of the Prophecy that the all-powerful Elvenlords feared. Her destiny is the enthralling adventure of a lifetime.

The powerful magic of ruthless Elvenlord masters has for centuries rules the world. Even Shana, the legendary Elvenbane prophesied to deliver the oppressed into freedom, is helpless before such power. She and her ragtag band of outcasts, half-blood wizards, escaped human slaves, and free-thinking dragons have gained only a token victory against the mighty lords. Only the long-forgotten Iron People, a band of human nomads, have escaped the tyranny of the reigning wizards. How have they survived through the centuries? As the winds of change sweep the world, and as tensions seething beneath the surface of Elven society threaten to break into open revolt. Shana meets the ancient tribe. Could an age-old secret free Shana and her people...or will its discovery call down their doom.

In this long-awaited new novel in The Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the enthralling story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted. Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers. For the sons of the most powerful elvenlords, the Young Lords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest--resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world. As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.

I also got a book called Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen. Pretty cover and it sounds interesting enough. Sort of a re-telling of Snow White.

With her black hair, red lips, and lily-white skin, Summer is as beautiful as her father's garden. And her life in the mountains of West Virginia seems like a fairy tale; her parents sing and dance with her, Cousin Nancy dotes on her, and she is about to get a new baby brother. But when the baby dies soon after he's born, taking Summer's mama with him, Summer's fairy-tale life turns grim. Things get even worse when her father marries a woman who brings poisons and magical mirrors into Summer's world. Stepmama puts up a pretty face, but Summer suspects she's up to no good - and is afraid she's powerless to stop her.

What did you all get this week?

Review - Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (audio CD)

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

I have to say... most of Inheritance by Christopher Paolini did not disappoint. I was looking for an epic conclusion to the series and epic is what I got.
I have never heard a more descriptive story in all my life. It may not have been as grotesque in some spots if I'd read it instead of listened to it, but the lovely Gerard Doyle read the whole thing to me. I mean it went in to great GREAT detail about the horrific deaths of certain people and it turned my stomach.
So in this final installment of the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon has to find a way to defeat Galbatorix and keep the Varden and his family alive. He faces the sick and twisted priests of Helgrind who are looking to sacrifice him to their "gods" as a form of punishment. And he fights against soldiers who feel no pain and are protected from magical use and therefore are incredibly hard to kill unless you can get close enough to kill them by hand. He goes on a journey to find his true name in a last ditch effort to find a way to end the reign of the cruelest king Alagaesia has ever seen.

There are definitely tests of will in this story. Tests of courage and heart, love and loyalty. It had a lot of surprises, some good some not. And it focused, not only on Eragon, but on Roran (his cousin) and Nasuada (leader of the Varden). Roran seems to have grown leaps and bounds from the young man he was at the start of Eragon into a man who has earned the respect of the entire village he came from along with the rest of the Varden and it's leaders. And we find out Nasuada has an iron will that not even the strongest evil can break.

I enjoyed the book a lot. Minus the grotesque parts that I had a hard time listening to (and I have a strong stomach). The only thing I DISLIKED was the end. And I'm not going to tell you why. You'll have to read it or listen to it to find out.

I'd recommend this book, obviously first and foremost to fans of the first 3 novels in the series. To epic fantasy lovers. Fans of dragons and elves. Maybe not for younger people... as in 13 or under. But it should be ok for an older crowd.

Teaser Tuesday #38

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week!
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from Luthiel's Song: The War of Mists by Robert Fanney.

"It's not worth it. What if the next one is you? Or Othalas? Or Melkion?" She wanted to throw the sword away. It was supposed to be her promise against death, sacrifice. Instead, sacrifice had become a part of it. But it was a link to her blood father. Even now, its song hummed just beyond understanding. Was it his voice that made the music? she wondered.

I absolutely loved book one when I read it back in... 2005. I've waited forEVER to read book number two! It's definitely starting out great

Review - The Elvenbane by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

My dad bought me The Elvenbane (and Elvenblood and Elvenborn ) by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey so that I would have something to read on my plane ride up to Maine in 2008 for a job interview. Used from Amazon they only cost about $6 a piece so it was a wicked good deal. And I was excited to read them.

I know I say this about a lot of books and on a pretty regular basis, but I loved it!

Shana is a halfbreed. Elf father. Human mother. Something that was seriously frowned upon as humans were looked at by the elves as no better than animals. They were kept as slaves and concubines. Shana's mother, Serina, is exiled and dies giving birth. But not before coming across a pregnant dragon who's sunning herself disguised as a boulder.

If the beginning of the story wasn't enough to draw you in the rest of it sure is. Shana is raised alongside dragons, believing she is one stuck in human form. She doesn't know she's the subject of a great prophecy that terrifies the all-powerful Elvenlords. This book follows her on her journey to discover exactly who and what she is. Along the way she's helped by races of people and creatures that either no one knew existed, or that had been thought to be eradicated.

It was exciting and fun to read, and full of intrigue and wonder. I couldn't put it down. I mean, how often are elves more or less BAD guys and dragons are shapeshifters, ya know? I read through the other two as quickly as I could and then searched and searched for book number four only to find out that it had never been compelted, as, sadly, Andre Norton had passed away. I still hold out hope that eventually, it will be finished and published and then it can sit on my bookshelf after it's read. Right where it belongs.

This one is definitely recommended for anyone who loves fantasy. This is fantasy at its finest.

Review: Eragon (Audio CD) by Christopher Paolini (narrated by Gerard Doyle)

So in anticipation of the final installment in the Inheritance Cycle, I re-listened to the audio CD version of Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I think I said in a recent post that this audio version is narrated by Gerard Doyle and I have to say I think he is just fantastic. He is tied with Jim Dale who narrates Harry Potter (and has played parts in movies like Pete's Dragon). 

Eragon has been one of my favorite series and I think the narrator plays a big part. I love Saphira's voice and honestly, I can't figure out how he does it without destroying his throat.

Now, there are times when Christopher Paolini goes in to TOO MUCH detail, and it kind of drags on when you're reading, but when you listen to someone else read it, it's not so bad. It's entertaining and best of all, it keeps my GIRLS entertained too. Which is generally a hard thing to do.

I love the series and really wish it had ended with Brisingr, but I understand there was just too much to fit in to one book. But he sure has taken his sweet time letting go of this fourth one. A lot of people say the series mimicks Lord of the Rings with the Urgls being like the Orcs and what not. But really, I don't care. Everyone gets their ideas from someone right?

I definitely suggest everyone who's read the book pick up the audio CDs. Even if you haven't read it and hadn't planned on it, you should pick up the audio CDs. Let someone else do the reading for you.