Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoProphecy: Child of Earth by Elizabeth Haydon
Tor, August, 2001Paperback, 800 pages
ISBN: 0812570820
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Prophecy is the second book in the high fantasy
trilogy which began with Rhapsody: Child of Blood.
Prophecy continues the story of the three
companions: Rhapsody, the Namer, who has
great powers of music, herb-lore and fire;
Achmed the Snake, the deadly assassin who is now the
king of the mountain-dwelling Firbolg and
Grunthor, the gargantuan warrior who fights at their
side and who has a soft spot for Rhapsody. With Achmed
ensconced as king, Rhapsody leaves on a journey to return
an artifact to a powerful dragon. Her companion is Ashe,
who never shows his face and hides in a cloak which seems to
be composed of water and mist. After visiting the dragon, Rhapsody
trains with a great swordmistress to learn to wield Daystar
Clarion, the
sword of fire that she must use to defeat the demon F'dor
whose goal is the destruction of the world. With the help of
Achmed, Grunthor and the mysterious Ashe, Rhapsody
begins the search for the F'dor -- a quest which will
test Rhapsody and her friends to their very limits, and
cause them to suffer great loss in pursuit of their goal to
save their world from destruction.
The Rhapsody trilogy is a powerful and moving fantasy story which has music woven throughout the story. In this universe, music can be magic, as can the ability to name things by their true names. The three companions are an unlikely combination, and the interaction between the always rude Achmed, the eternally optimistic Rhapsody, and the gruff Grunthor is always entertaining. Haydon skillfully takes the reader from the heights of joy to the thrills of adventure as the story plays out. This is a lengthy tale (eight hundred pages) and it's worth every minute you'll spend reading it. Part fantasy, part mythology and part romance, this series crosses genres effortlessly; readers will be happy to fall under the spell of Elizabeth Haydon. Highly recommended.
Reunion by Alan Dean Foster
Del Ray, June, 2001Hardcover, 327 pages
ISBN: 0345418670
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Phillip Lynx (or Flinx) is human, but he was raised offworld.
A product of banned genetic experimentation by the
Meliorare Society, he has hidden from the
authorities all his life. His unusual abilities such as
telepathy and empathy are starting to take a toll on
him; he has increasingly painful headaches. So Flinx
and his pet mini-dragon, Pip, head to Earth to find
out more about his past and his genetic makeup.
On Earth, Flinx manages to trick a sophisticated AI
program into revealing classified information about the
Meliorare Society. Barely one step ahead of the authorities,
he manages to get offworld to follow the trail given to him
by the AI before he had to leave the top secret installation
in a hurry. The trail leads Flinx and Pip into Aann space,
a place ruled by a hostile reptilian race. But Flinx has
more to deal with than the Aann. He's about to meet up
with one of his worst nightmares from his past: and
she's clearly going to be nothing but trouble.
It's been five long years since fans have been able to enjoy another adventure in the Commonwealth universe. Reunion is a fast-paced, light-hearted adventure which is over all too soon. Flinx finds out much more about his origins in this book, and his powers seem to be growing. Alan Dean Foster has a deft hand with dialogue, an imaginative vision of future worlds and his sly wit makes for very enjoyable reading. Let's hope that it's not another five years until we find out what happens next.
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