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Horror/Fantasy/SF Book ReviewsPolgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh EddingsDel Rey Books., Nov., 1997.Hardcover, 643 pages. ISBN: 0345416627. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
In a world inhabited by warring Gods, proud countries ruled by kings,
priests and warriors a select few Sorcerers walk the invisible
world between humankind and the Gods. The most powerful Sorceress
of them all is Polgara - a raven haired beauty whose tresses
shine with the streak of white from her father's first touch.
The daughter of the brilliant and powerful Sorcerer Belgarath
and the shape-shifter Poledra, Polgara is marked at an early age
for her destiny as the adversary of Torak the One-Eyed Dragon
God and the guardian of the hope of the world: the heir to the
Rivan throne. Polgara's life
is told as an autobiography beginning with her days as a child
playing with her twin sister Beldaran in their protected Vale
where she begins to learn the extent of her powers from the magical,
incomparably old Tree that stands at the heart of the Vale.
With a distinctly feminist slant, Polgara tells the story of her
life as a politician, a warrior, a Duchess, an Aunt and a powerful
sorceress. Over the course of three thousand years, her life was
filled with love, triumph, intrigue, magic, adventure, pain and
sorrow, told with a sly humor that will delight Eddings' fans.
Polgara reveals one of the great sadnesses of her life; blessed
with eternal youth and beauty, she is forced to watch those she
loves grow old and die - over and over again throughout her life.
With full characterizations, vivid descriptions and a sometimes
ironic point of view, Polgara the Sorceress is a fascinating
tale
of the events of this world retold from the unique and mesmerizing
point of view of one of the most fascinating female characters in
the fantasy genre. A fitting grand finale to a brilliant fantasy
series.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Mercedes LackeyBaen., Dec., 1997.Hardcover, 432 pages. ISBN: 0671878530. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Tal Rufen, a constable, is deeply troubled by recent violent murder-suicides
in his hometown of Haldene. Several cases have occurred in which a
man kills a woman with an unusual three-sided dagger that disappears
from the scene in each crime, and then the man violently kills
himself. In each case the victims are those unlikely to be missed by
family or friends and the women all have a musical interest or
talent. Tal's superiors choose to overlook the association of the
murders so he pursues his own investigation contacting constables
in other cities to find out if similar killings have occurred
elsewhere. Tal finds that they have and that there is a definite
pattern; the killings occur for a short period of time in each town then
the killer moves on. Tal notices the next likely spot is the
city of Kingford so he travels there and consults the High Bishop
Ardis. Unlike Tal's superiors in Haldene, the High Bishop is very
interested in the cases and appoints him as her personal guard so
that Tal Rufen will have all the clout necessary to run an
investigation and discover who is responsible for these mysterious
killings. With his new title and the help of the Bishop, with whom he
is falling in love, and a bird-man named Visyr, the race is on
to discover the magical killer.
This novel by Mercedes Lackey, the fourth in the Bardic Voices series, provides wonderful detail of what life is like in Alanda while also providing a compelling murder mystery involving magic. The novel can be read as a stand-alone as well. Fantasy readers will love the characters, learning the policies and life of the Priests of Alanda and Lackey's meticulous attention to details. The Wizards of Odd: Comic Tales of Fantasy Edited by Peter HainingAce Books, Nov., 1997.Paperback, 368 pages. ISBN: 0441004873. Ordering information: Amazon.com. 
The Wizards of Odd is a collection of unusual "short short" stories in
the comic fantasy and science fiction genre. The collection includes
well-known authors including Douglas Adams, Terry Hatcher, Ray
Bradbury, Issac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. Each story also
includes a complete bio of the author that includes books and stories
they have written. Stories include a tale of a fearless brontosaurus
hunter, a tale of the future where people volunteer to die and an
amusing tale of the abduction of an earthman by a UFO and the
unexpected consequences.
This "short story" collection will definitely please lovers of the humorous fantasy genre. It also serves as an introduction to the genre to those who have until now only read more serious works of fantasy and science fiction. Very entertaining. Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of fantasy/sf books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |