Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Harpy's Flight - Megan Lindholm (aka Robin Hobb)
Harpy's Flight is the first book of the Ki and Vandien Quartet. I picked up the entire quartet relatively cheaply on eBay some time ago. Again it is a rather old novel, first published in 1983.
I have started taking the occasional note as I read to try and jog my memory about what I thought of the book. When I put this down I felt vaguely disappointed as it didn't really seem to go anywhere. The characters became dull, and the interaction between the two main characters was wooden. But digging up a note from when I started the book I find this -
"Ahhh, good fantasy. I love it. The easy flow of well written prose. Nothing flowery, but smooth, sharp, succinct and easy to read. Flows through your mind like a smooth single malt across your tongue. And like a good single malt I find myself reveling. Placing the book down beside me, closing my eyes, looking to the sky and repeating the mantra - 'how good is this.' "
So I will say that this was well written, but momentum slowed considerably after the introduction. The action slows and seems to almost stop, and the apparent danger of the major character completely failed to move me. I was also back in my element after quite a long while of reading different things and may have got a little overexcited :)
The book is told from the point of view of Ki, a young female Romani (gypsy) whose husband and children are brutally murdered by Harpies. In a memorable opening scene Ki takes her revenge by slaying the Harpy family, but leaves one male behind. The Harpy's are a sentient race, one of many in the world of the novel's setting, and are in fact worshipped by some human's including Ki's husband's family.
Following the death of her family Ki continues their tradition of trading goods from a wagon. Battling painful memories she attempts to transport a shipment of jewels over almost impassable icy mountains. Here she meets Vandien, who initially tries to steal her horses but is quickly welcomed into her company. The sole remaining Harpy tracks them down, and what may have been intended to be the climax of the book peters out lamely. A confusing confrontation with the Sisters (a mysteriously life-like rock outcropping) later and the book finishes.
So what the writing and the introduction promised, the plot, characterisation and ending quickly stole away.
I have begun the second book in the quartet in the hope that the story improves, and should have the review up shortly. I think the first book was saved in part by its relative brevity. It is particularly disappointing to read a book by an author who obviously has so much talent (ie Hugo and Nebula nominations for her short fic, and her more recognisable novels as Robin Hobb), and yet fails to deliver a compelling story. I do however retain high hopes for the rest of the series.
I have started taking the occasional note as I read to try and jog my memory about what I thought of the book. When I put this down I felt vaguely disappointed as it didn't really seem to go anywhere. The characters became dull, and the interaction between the two main characters was wooden. But digging up a note from when I started the book I find this -
"Ahhh, good fantasy. I love it. The easy flow of well written prose. Nothing flowery, but smooth, sharp, succinct and easy to read. Flows through your mind like a smooth single malt across your tongue. And like a good single malt I find myself reveling. Placing the book down beside me, closing my eyes, looking to the sky and repeating the mantra - 'how good is this.' "
So I will say that this was well written, but momentum slowed considerably after the introduction. The action slows and seems to almost stop, and the apparent danger of the major character completely failed to move me. I was also back in my element after quite a long while of reading different things and may have got a little overexcited :)
The book is told from the point of view of Ki, a young female Romani (gypsy) whose husband and children are brutally murdered by Harpies. In a memorable opening scene Ki takes her revenge by slaying the Harpy family, but leaves one male behind. The Harpy's are a sentient race, one of many in the world of the novel's setting, and are in fact worshipped by some human's including Ki's husband's family.
Following the death of her family Ki continues their tradition of trading goods from a wagon. Battling painful memories she attempts to transport a shipment of jewels over almost impassable icy mountains. Here she meets Vandien, who initially tries to steal her horses but is quickly welcomed into her company. The sole remaining Harpy tracks them down, and what may have been intended to be the climax of the book peters out lamely. A confusing confrontation with the Sisters (a mysteriously life-like rock outcropping) later and the book finishes.
So what the writing and the introduction promised, the plot, characterisation and ending quickly stole away.
I have begun the second book in the quartet in the hope that the story improves, and should have the review up shortly. I think the first book was saved in part by its relative brevity. It is particularly disappointing to read a book by an author who obviously has so much talent (ie Hugo and Nebula nominations for her short fic, and her more recognisable novels as Robin Hobb), and yet fails to deliver a compelling story. I do however retain high hopes for the rest of the series.
