Tag Archives: Elizabeth Haydon

Mar 6 2015
Image

Mini Book Review: The Assassin King by Elizabeth Haydon

Assassin KingTitle: The Assassin King

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages #6

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: The Assassin King opens at winter’s end with the arrival by sea of a mysterious hunter, a man of ancient race and purpose, who endlessly chants the names of the pantheon of demons that are his intended victims, as well as one other: Ysk, the original name of the Brother, now known as Achmed, the Assassin King of Ylorc. At the same moment of this portentous arrival, two gatherings of great import are taking place. The first is a convocation of dragons, who gather in a primeval forest glade–the site of the horrific ending of Llauron, one of the last of their kind. They mourn not only his irrevocable death, but the loss of the lore and control over the Earth itself that it represents. The ancient wyrms are terrified for what will come as a result of this loss. The second gathering is a council of war held in the depths of the keep of Haguefort: Ashe and Rhapsody, rulers of the alliance that protects the Middle Continent; Gwydion, the new Duke of Navarne; Anborn, the Lord Marshall; Achmed, the King of Ylorc, and Grunthor, his Sergeant-Major. Each brings news that form the pieces of a great puzzle. And as each piece is added it becomes quite clear: War is coming, the likes of which the world has never known.

The Mini Book Review:

Even though The Assassin King came out several years ago, I stalled on reading it until book #7 was announced. There are so many bits of brilliance within this series that the fact that it can be rather repetitive and long-winded doesn’t feel like that big of a deal. I really love where the story has developed, especially regarding the dragons. They play an integral role in the framework of this world (and always have, even when it wasn’t obvious to the reader), and I’m excited to see what impact they will have going forward. Along with dragons, these novels offer several original races that are quite possibly my favorite elements – especially since two of the main characters (Grunthor and Achmed) are of those alternate races, making them especially memorable. Overall, I enjoyed this novel as much as the ones before it. This series is not easy to recommend because the first hundred pages of book #1 are bit of a struggle to get through. However, if you have patience and are willing to wade through a lot of words for a big payoff, I think it is definitely worth your time. Especially if you’re looking for something a little different.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 12 2014
Image

Book Review: Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon

ProphecyTitle: Prophecy

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages #2

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged–three companions who, through great adversity, became a force to be reckoned with: Rhapsody, a singer of great talent and even greater beauty; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, a giant Sergeant-Major whose jolly disposition stands at odds with his deadly skill at weapons. Having fled the F’dor–an ancient, powerful evil–the three emerged on the other side of the world, only to discover fourteen centuries had passed. Their homeland had been destroyed, their people scattered across several continents, and everyone they ever knew had long since passed away…except, perhaps, the F’dor.

Prophecy continues this powerful epic. Driven by a prophetic vision, Rhapsody races to rescue the religious leader of her new homeland while Achmed and Grunthor seek evidence of the F’dor. These three may be their world’s only hope, the heroes spoken of in the Prophecy of the Three, but their time is running short. They must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all.

Prophecy

The Review:

This is actually my second read-through of this novel. Why I chose to reread one of the most long-winded fantasies out there is beyond me, but at the time it perfectly suited my mood, so no regrets. You see, back in December (yes, it has taken me that long to get around to writing this review… embarrassing) I had signed up for so many NetGalley and Edelweiss ARCs that my life pretty much revolved around “obligation” reading. I finally got fed up and picked up this 700 page behemoth and completely indulge myself in it for two whole weeks. A reading vacation, if you will. It’s not totally as random as it sounds, as I had just finished a reread of the first book for a book club about a year earlier, so I had intended on continuing anyway.

[Jump forward a few months: Haydon is once again writing, and the release of her 7th “Symphony of Ages” book, The Merchant Emperor, (which I’ve been waiting for for eight years) was finally released. So it turns out my reread couldn’t have come at a better time.]

My impressions of the book this time around are mostly positive ones, reminding me why I’d enjoyed it so much. Knowing what was going to happen obviously took away a little bit of that build up and excitement I felt the first time around, but it also freed up my attention to focus on other things. Ahem:

On one hand, I noted the excellent world building (specifically with the creation of the many nonhuman races), appreciated how thorough and rounded the plot was, and could clearly see how integrated dragons were into the story (because to me it wasn’t always that obvious). I also more than ever appreciate the excellent characters and how each of their stories culminate into a satisfying story arc.

On the other hand, I also noticed how incredibly long-winded and repetitive the writing was. I don’t remember that bothering me the first time around, but I definitely think Haydon could have shaved off a couple hundred pages of reminiscing and still had all of the things that made the story great. I don’t actually consider it a boring book, by any means – there was some really good bits of awesomeness thrown into the monotony that made reading through the rambling all worthwhile. I’m just saying I found several places where Haydon could have just cut to the chase. Furthermore, there were several instances where she would ramble on and on for dozens of pages about things that were secondary to the plot and only to skim over details of something within the immediate story. It was designed to have a more dramatic effect, but I think those moments might have been wasted opportunities to make the book more active rather than passive.

I also was a tad surprised at how confrontational and, shall I say it, downright bitchy the main character acted on occasion. I definitely don’t remember it being that prominent the first time around, but I’m thinking the overall arc of the story was so interesting I was mostly focused on that. In any case, once you get past the part where the characters are bristling at every little thing (say, the first half of the book), they mellow out a little bit and you’re really able to dive into the compelling parts of the story. 

As you can see, I’ve a bit of love/hate with this book… but am leaning more on the love side. Yes, it has some flaws, but it also has moments of brilliance to balance them out. I enjoyed every moment I spent reading it, but will probably stop my reread and jump right into the newest book next (I waited eight years, I definitely don’t want to wait any longer). If you are wondering whether or not this series is a good match for you, I’d say if you don’t mind slow fantasy reads, this book has brilliant world building, plot design, characters, and momentum, it just may take wading through a lot of words to find them.

 Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 19 2013
Image

Book Review: Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon

RhapsodyTitle: Rhapsody

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Rhapsody is a woman, a Singer of some talent, who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won’t take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half-breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage, one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world– a world so real you can hear the sweet music of Rhapsody’s aubade and smell the smoldering forges deep within the Cauldron.

Rhapsody 2

The Review:

Finishing Rhapsody was my first step towards rereading this epic series by Elizabeth Haydon. The fact that I’m doing a reread at all should say something about how much I liked this series, espeically considering how many unread ones I still have on my shelves (I don’t usually pick up books I’ve already read more than once or twice a year… unless it’s an audio). I had three motivations behind the reread: I really enjoyed it the first time around (about ten years ago), I caught wind that the author is finally back to writing the series and wanted to get ready for the next release, and I felt compelled to figure out why I seldom recommended it even though I really liked it.

And what’s not to like? This book is the gateway into an epic world filled with unique cultures and histories unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It lets us explore the world through the eyes of several brilliant, vibrant characters who are incredibly likable and memorable despite their flaws. My favorite character, Achmed isn’t even human, but it’s his personality and interactions with the main heroine, Rhapsody, makes him the most entertaining and endearing in my eyes (he doesn’t even like her much, haha). Achmed, along with most of the characters, are so rounded that you don’t even scratch the surface of the mysteries surrounding them in this first book. Learning more about them was my main motivation to keep reading this series, and I have to say it didn’t disappoint!

So, why don’t I recommend this book even though I’ve just sung its praises? Because the first hundred pages (excluding the prologue) are among the most confusing and boring-assed of any that I’ve ever read. If not for a single thread of hope and interests in what was to come, I’m not sure I would’ve made it through the first time (much less the second). I just can’t bring myself to suggest it’s to people because a 100 page courtesy is too much to ask of a reader trying to find their next engaging book. It’s a shame too, because this really is one of the most memorable, unique fantasies I’ve ever read and would love to share the story as a whole with more people.

Overall, if you have the motivation (and time) to suffer a long winded book (and series) for an epic payoff, then you could possibly get the same enjoyment out of it as I have. Otherwise, perhaps stick to the great fantasy novels that provide a more, shall we say immediate gratification.

Recommended Reading: For brave fantasy readers who aren’t scared of long-winded authors. Also for those who don’t mind sex, violence, and language, as there’s a fair bit of all three.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes