[Ginnie78]

YESSSS! 11 days before my birthday. That is the kewlest! :o

[~bookworm~]

September 11....youve got to be kidding me. It seems like i've had to wait forver for this book, especially with all the discussions i have to avoid here so i don't run into spoilers. But anyway, the first four chapters are GREAT! Thanks Alison.

[Laramie]

I just found this online and I thought it was really cool/sweet/nice/whatever, so I wanted to show everyone:

Have you read any of the Books Of Pellinor? They're a fantasy series that can be found in either the adult or teenage section depending on which country you're in (they could belong to either--it's one of those crossover-types). The third in the quartet, The Crow, was just released in the UK (*runs to shop*Must ... buy ... copy ... now). I can honestly say they're one of my favourite sets of books ever. The Gift (Or The Naming, if you're in the USA) acquaints you with Maerad, who goes from slave to all-powerful bard (bards are similar to wizards/witches/mages/magical-type-folks) over the course of the book. There's also Cadvan, her teacher (and one of the most fanciable guys in literature. Mmm ...) who's one of my favourite characters of all time. Together they have to stop the Nameless One who's doing the classic trying-to-take-over-the-world thing. The second book, The Riddle, follows on from that.

I can't wait to get my hands on The Crow, but unfortunately the fourth book hasn't been written yet. I can't wait for the second draft to be done, because Alison usually posts a few sample chapters on her website!

Apart from the lovable characters, the books are great thanks to their style. Alison's been a poet for years (actually living off her earnings! Wow!) and it really shows up. Not only are the poems at the beginning of sections actually good (a rare thing in fantasy books, I find. Usually the author just shoves in a really bad song *coughtolkiencough*, but Alison's are actually worth reading) but the text itself has a lyrical sort of flow that's so much better than any poetry I've ever read.

Example (not a very pleasant one, mind you--the books aren't exactly 'happy happy joy joy' all the time): "Freedom was a fantasy she gnawed obsessively in her few moments of leisure, like an old bone with just a trace of meat; and like all illusions, it left her hungrier than before, only more keenly aware of how her soul starved within her, it wings wasting with the despair of disuse."

It's a pretty long sentence, but it just seems to flow. And check out the alliteration, nifty usage of a semicolon and what may possibly be a metaphor or a simile (I'm not too great with these Englishy technical terms). And that's from the second page! There's no way I can ever match her grace with words, but I learnt a lot by reading the books. Whenever I'm erring towards writer's block, I pick one of them up, read a few pages and usually I'm motivated to write again. A single sentence from The Gift inspired the entire trilogy I'm working on, simply through evoking one emotion.

I really think anyone wanting to see a good example of writing (fantasy or not) should check out these books. I put off buying The Gift for ages because, well, I'm a cheapskate and it cost more than most other books on the shelf, but I was so glad when I finally did--I read the first book and went out to buy the second straight away. I've been almost as excited about the release of The Crow as I was about Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince (Ok, so maybe not THAT excited).

[Bree]

Haha.
That's good.

There's also Cadvan, her teacher (and one of the most fanciable guys in literature. Mmm ...)

Love it. :D

[megan196]

hahaha that is great!! most fanciable man... I soooo agree:D

[Ferlie]

one of the most fanciable guys in literature. Mmm ...

*sigh* So true...

what may possibly be a metaphor or a simile (I'm not too great with these Englishy technical terms)

It's a simile. A simile is a comparison useing 'like' or 'as'. A metaphor is a comparison without useing 'like' or 'as'. Just for anyone who might not know...:o

That's an awesome review. It's amazing how many people don't know about pellinor. *shakes head sadly*

[Bree]

*nods head*

I knew that. :D

[summer]

you missed one, a simile uses as, like or THAN;)

[Bree]

Does it? :confused:

[~*~WiShInG~*~]

yup think so....

and a metaphor says something "is" something or whats the other word erm.....can't remeber other 1 i'll hav a think but please say if u know or otherwise i'll be rackin my brain till i remeber...