How We Found Alison's Books

**firelily** · June 28th, 2005, 02:39 PM

hehe. I just had to make this thread..
So how did everybody first find The Naming?
I found my copy while I was strolling through Chapters

the day before yesterday. At the top of the Fantasy section, there were are bunch of books that I guess were a part of some sort of contest where the reader writes a review about it. Anyways, right in the center of the shelf happened to be an incredibly beautiful book with a gorgeous cover =) called,,, drum roll, The Naming!! I read the back of it and was instantly drawn!

I ended up reading it all night up until 4 in the morning.. and seriously, I haven't been able to get it out of my head!! Even listening to music, reading other books and going places won't help :P Guess I'm just a little too attached to it

But really,, it'd an amazing book and I'm SURE it will be a hit!!

By the way, this is the review written by the contest winner:

Junior Booklover Contest Winner Katrina, 14, from Winnipeg, MN

Okay, this is seriously one of THE coolest books I've ever read! It was slightly hard for me to get into, but once I did, I could not get it off my mind! After reading the forward and learning that I was about to read a story about an actual ancient civilization, I just knew, even if this book didn't turn out to be the greatest, I still had to read it all (because the topic is just so…cool!). I was not disappointed!

The Naming, the first book in what I'm sure will be a dazzling quartet, starts off with a powerful introduction of a slave girl named Maerad who is our incredible heroine. Living in an unfair situation from unfair circumstances (having her family slaughtered in war), Maerad has no clue about her past. It is only when a traveling Bard, Cadvan, comes across her path, does she begin to learn things about herself and her heritage. Thus begins this tale in the Third Age of the lost continent and civilization of Edil-Amarandh.

Travelling through the wilderness and lands of Annar, Cadvan takes Maerad on an epic adventure. Maerad learns about Bardic Culture and heritage - her culture and heritage, and also learns of the great power she holds deep inside her. Stopping in gorgeous cities along the way, and meeting memorable characters, this beautiful story is not without tragedy and hardship. On the contrary, this story is filled with the growing suspense of what was to come - what may have brought the whole continent to their knees, to their destruction. Or so it is so far into this saga.

Throwing in totally surprising details, Alison Croggon writes an astounding, lyrical tale of the history of something that deserves just this. Her characters are ripe, real and refined - so completely likeable! Cadvan has officially taken over the top spot for wise teacher (sorry Gandalf!) and has taught me as valuable of lessons as he taught Maerad. And Maerad! In times of books written with strong male heroes, Maerad shines through as an entirely amazing woman of strength and humanity. She is uncertain, and searching, always searching, to find her real self - much like many of us.

Not only has the history of the plot, and the characters of this story managed to captivate me, but just the poetic beauty of the scenery had me mesmerized from day one. When I first started to read this book I was thinking: all right, a book following the typical hero/adventure path…sounds good to me! Now I'm left in awe of this original work of art - it's just all together a stunning book. I can't wait until the next one!

**Silvia** · June 29th, 2005, 12:19 AM

hehehe I saw it in the library and my mum said she thought I would like it I had like 20 other books to read and it was the last one read out of them but MY GOD I didnt regret it love the book and I love the riddle too.

Now Im going to nitpick in that reveiw the reader states she is reading about an acctual ancient civilisation when in truth it is made up from alisons own imagination and the stuff at the start is not true...

**Gemini** · June 29th, 2005, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by firelily

The winning review..."After reading the forward and learning that I was about to read a story about an actual ancient civilization"

*cough*made-up*cough*

Originally Posted by Alison

Author Note: By the way, over the past couple of years so many people have asked me where they can read the Annaren Scripts that I feel obliged to confess that it is a fiction. So my apologies to anyone who has spent their time looking for books which don't exist outside my imagination! (If you have a close look at the footnotes, you will notice that all the authors have names beginning with A, J or C - which not uncoincidentally are my initials. Any book by someone with other initials is an actual book.)

However, this doesn't mean that the books aren't real. As every reader knows in his or her heart, there is much more to truth than mere fact.

"Hi, my name is Gemini and i'm a nit-picker"

Sho yeah, i found the Gift in my school library during one exteremly boring RE lesson all the way back in 2003. I actualy thought it was the book that the Cate Blancett(sp?) movie was based on, oh how wrong i was.

I read the book in about a day (i was burning the midnight oil too

) and as soon as i finished it, i went straight the computer to see if the rest of the series was released yet. Oh the pain when i found out i had to wait a whole year for the Riddle, but i pulled through and while waiting for the Riddle i found this little den of pellinorishness to eat away the tedious hours...

**Bridie** · June 29th, 2005, 11:24 AM

my mum bought me the gift two days before we went on holiday in the may it had come out. i read the blurb and thought "meh it will do" so i started reading and after the first page i was in love with the book. its was so well written and enchanting that after just 4 days of owning it id read it all. as soon as i came back from holiday i went on alisons webi 2 find out when the riddle came out and to my horror i had over a year to wait! but then i found this forum and that made it easier to wait. and now im waiting for the crow!

**Becks** · June 29th, 2005, 11:46 AM

Yeah it is made up, good though ain't it!!!!

I first picked up Ali's books was a year or so before I actually bought it, I'm glad I did this though, or I would have had to wait for ages for the riddle to come out.

I picked it up b/c I was bored!!!!! But I was bored at the begining, but that was only the first 10 pages me thinks, the rest I couldnt stop readin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**firelily** · June 29th, 2005, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by Silvia

hehehe I saw it in the library and my mum said she thought I would like it I had like 20 other books to read and it was the last one read out of them but MY GOD I didnt regret it love the book and I love the riddle too.

Now Im going to nitpick in that reveiw the reader states she is reading about an acctual ancient civilisation when in truth it is made up from alisons own imagination and the stuff at the start is not true...

gah,, i wish my mom would buy me books,
I got to buy them all myself.. but it's worth it of course!!
haha, I didn't notice that ancient civilization thing!!!!
nice nit-picking guys

**bai_xu** · June 30th, 2005, 07:47 AM

So, u guys mean that in Cadvan's Thread, the letter from the prof from this unversity ( I really can't remeber the name) was made up? It was Alison who thought up the tale of Cadvan's dark childhood???

Utterly confused!!!

**bai_xu** · June 30th, 2005, 07:48 AM

Oh, yeah, by the way, I found The Gift in my local library, and I'm so glad I picked it up!

**Jane Drew** · June 30th, 2005, 11:00 AM

I think I said earlier somewhere that I picked the book because of it's nice green color. I became obsessed, much like the rest of you and HAD TO HAVE THE SEQUEL IMMEDIATELY. So I paid way too much money on ABEbooks to have it shipped to me from Australia (its the first thing I ever got from australia so it was really cool).

After I read both books, and before I found this web site, I felt a great need to share my INSANITY about the world Alison created. I gave both copies of my books to different people. They won't give them back. I want them back.

**bai_xu** · June 30th, 2005, 01:16 PM

lol, aww.... You know what you should do, Jane? You should go up to these people and scream at them : GO AND GET YOUR OWN BL**DY COPIES OF THE WONDERFUL, ADDICTIVE, IMAGINATIVE, EXCITING AND ROMANTIC BOOK THAT DRIVES ALL PEOPLE WHO READS IT INSANE BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO GOOOOOOD, AND GIVE MINE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I was joking, I don't want you to scream at them really...

**Bridie** · June 30th, 2005, 01:29 PM

ask politley for them back and if they say no then you should annoy them about it. then if all else fails scream at them. or take something of theirs hostage and tell them that if they dont give back your copies of the books then their precious item will be incinarated! *laughs evily* lol

**Becks** · June 30th, 2005, 01:42 PM

Now thats just shockin!!!!

**yodee** · June 30th, 2005, 02:44 PM

I actually read the gift by taking it off my sister

she had borrowed it from her friend.....and then I just had to go and buy the book myself even though I had read it. Both of my books are out on loan at the moment