Reviews by Crooty

This is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a well-off, quiet little halfling (a Hobbit) who'd never wanted any adventures in his life, and of how he became the reluctant participant in a perilous treasure hunt.

It all began one afternoon, when Gandalf the wizard came knocking at the round door of his cosy Hobbit Hole. The next morning, thirteen dwarves were crowding his living-room and enrolling him to steal the gold guarded under the lonely Mountain by Smaug, the last of the great dragons.

So off he went, through forests old and mountains cold, deceiving trolls, solving riddles in the dark, escaping from goblins and elves, and most of the time rescuing the dwarves from the many perils he himself inadvertenly put them in, thanks to a magical ring he found in Gollum's cave, a ring that has to power to render him invisible.

This was the second time I read The Hobbit, and looking at it now with the critical eye of the (amateur) reviewer, I'm afraid to admit I was somewhat annoyed at the beginning by Tolkien's paternalistic tone, by how he sometimes addresses the reader and makes references to the real world, or hints at what's coming up later in the story. This makes the book seem clearly targeted to a young audience, and indeed, The Hobbit would be perfect for reading aloud to a child. However, this tone changes in the course of the story, and especially during the final Battle of the Five Armies, where it reaches a more epic scope, more suitable for young adults. Mark you, I'm not saying I didn't like it, but was just slightliy disappointed not to enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Oh, the heresy!

The Silmarillion is a quick glimpse into Tolkien's life's work, into his Creation. It tells of the making of Arda by Ilúvatar and the Ainur, of the coming of the Elves and Dwarves and Men to Middle-earth, but also of their corruption and the great battles that lead to the downfall of their civilization.

I read the Silmarillion for the first time 7 years ago, and I must admit my English wasn't good enough then, so I really struggled with the language. I wasn't as familiar with Tolkien's world as I am now either, having only read the Lord of the Rings in French two years before, so it only seemed to me like a confusing succession of names. I didn't enjoyed it.

Now, after a second attempt, I'm proud to announce I changed my view. Even though of course the Silmarillion still ressembles much more a history book than a novel, and even though I still found it hard to concentrate at times, and even though I still mixed all the characters' and places' names, I could match the words with John Howe's illustrations. Therefore everything took colour and became three-dimensional. And I even drew some of the scenes myself.

And now I want to read it again... so that must be a sign, right?

It's been a year since the Challenge, and Sonea is finally treated with some respect by the other novices.

This third and final volume first concentrates on the mysterious murders that have been recently committed in the city of Imardin. One thing is certain, Black Magic has been used to kill these people. Aware of the High Lord's secret knowledge of this forbidden power, Administrator Lorlen and Lord Rothen's are more and more lead to think that the murderer might be Akkarin.

However, Sonea knows these dead are actually Sachakan slaves sent by their master to kill the High Lord, so the latter was merely defending himself. But she still finds it hard to feel at ease around her Guardian, and Akkarin needs her trust. He has no choice but to share his secret story with her, telling her of Kariko's desire to avenge his brother Dakova's death, and of his impending invasion with other Ichani, outcast Sachakan black magicians, each a hundred times stronger than several Guild Magicians. As utter destruction threatens the city of Imardin, Kyralia and the rest of the Allied Lands face reduction of its entire people to slavery.

In the meantime, Cery has earned respect among the Thieves, and befriended a Sachakan woman who says she can help him predict the next murders. As for Ambassador Dannyl, he's back in Elyne to investigate on a band of rebel magicians.

I absolutely loved witnessing the evolution of Akkarin's character, as well as that of his relationship with Sonea. Their trek in the mountains created images that reminded me of the Kalbarri and Karijini gorges in Australia, the ambush in Calia was in the vein of a great Clint Eastwood Western, and the final chase in the twisted streets of Imardin was like a giant game of hide-and-seek. My only regret is I wish there were more loose ends tied up after the grand finale, which concludes a little too abruptly in my opinion. Otherwise it's a fantastic series, a very engrossing story.

Now that Lord Fergun has been sent into exile, Sonea is starting her first year as Novice at the Magician's Guild University, under Lord Rothen's guardianship. She's eager to learn, but being a slum girl she knows it won't be easy to be accepted by, not to mention make friends with, her wealthier and nobler classmates from the Houses. However, she far from conceives the depth of their scorn yet. Indeed one of them, Regin, probably because he simply can't stand a mere slum girl outdoing him, will rally the others and gang them up against her, bully her constantly, play pranks on her, repeatedly ambush her to exhaust her strength and destroy her notes. In other words, make her life hell.

In the meantime Lord Dannyl has taken up his new role of Second Guild Ambassador to Elyne. After an adventurous sea voyage, and after sorting out some of his appointed duties in the capital Capia, he finally has some time to himself to investigate Akkarin's journeys. Indeed, Administrator Lorlen, who suspects the High Lord of performing Black Magic, which is forbidden by the Guild's laws, has asked the young magician to retrace Akkarin's footsteps, ten years earlier. Doing so, Dannyl meets Tayend, a scholar who works at the Great Library and has an amazing memory. The handsome lad will aid him in research and they'll become close friends.

This middle novel is very exciting, I just couldn't put it down. All the loveable characters from the first volume are back, with the exception of Cery, whom we almost hear nothing of. Replacing Fergun, Regin is suitably despicable and irritating, and you can really feel Sonea's frustration when she can't find proof enough to expose him. The High Lord, although first depicted as the ultimate invincible villain, becomes more three-dimensional throughout the book, and I'm looking forward to reading the thrid installment to discover what his real motives are.

It's the beginning of winter in the city of Imardin, it's the day of the Purge. Like every year for thirty years, the streets are being cleared of beggars, homeless vagrants and suspected criminals, and Sonea, her aunt Jonna and uncle Ranel have just been kicked out of the stayhouse they've been living in for years. Sonea has been sent ahead to see if they can get a room at their old place before the guards and magicians drive them beyond the Outer Circle.

Reaching the North Square where a large crowd has gathered, she meets some street youths, among which her friends Cery and Harrin. As a row of Magicians begin to push people forward, the young boys start their yearly sport of throwing stones at them, the missiles expectedly bouncing off the invisible magical shield. When she hears a fair-haired, well-groomed magician insulting them through the barrier, Sonea's hand tightens around the rock in her pocket. Holding her breath, she watches as the stone flies through the air and in a flash of blue light, slams into the magician's temple.

Bedazzled, she quickly understands there can only be one explanation to what just happened: she used magic. She has to hide.

The first half of the book describes Sonea's flight through the city streets, convinced that the magicians want to punish her for hurting one of them, and because surely no "dwell" may use magic, it's reserved for the wealthy families of the Houses.

Her friend Cery will convince the Thieves to help her, but as she tries to master her newly discovered powers, they only grow stronger, uncontrollable and very dangerous. Fearing for the safety of the neighbourhood, the Thieves finally turn her in.

In the second half, Sonea is at the Magicians' Guild, under the guidance of the Alchemist Lord Rothen whose job is to teach her Control before she decides to stay and maybe later become a Healer, or leave and go back to the slums with her powers blocked forever. In the meantime Lord Fergun, the Warrior magician who was hit by the stone, is planning his revenge.

After reading several reference books and standalone novels, it's good to be back with a good old fantasy trilogy! Although the story is rather linear and straightforward, the intrigue woven into the plot makes it a real page-turner. As a whole, the book is not extremely mind-boggling, but all the same very enjoyable and entertaining, with loveable characters such as Sonea's friend Cery, or Lord Rothen and his former pupil Lord Dannyl. I'm excited to read the second volume: The Novice.

If you've read Watership Down (and no doubt you loved it), this collection of short stories is a must have! Meet Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and the rest as they tell each other stories of El-ahrairah (and some other stories that are really very funny) and discover what they have all become since their return from Efrafa.

Watership Down tells the story of a bunch of rabbits (Hazel and his brother Fiver, Bigwig, Silver and others) who are forced to leave their warren as Fiver's sixth sense tells him great danger is coming. As they look for a place to settle down, not only do they encounter many enemies along the way, but also other rabbits with different ways of living, and who can sometimes be particularly unfriendly.

They finally find an idyllic place to live: on Watership Down. As they settle down, they suddenly realise they've forgotten about something: females!

The story goes on to describe their raids to capture does and bring them back to their new warren. They first manage to get a hutch female rabbit from a nearby farm, but soon realise that just one female is not enough.

So they make for Efrafa, a warren not far from theirs, only to discover it is run by a certain General Woundwort, a tyrant who thinks of his rabbits as an army. In fact, these rabbits are prisoners, unhappy and unable to escape.

So Hazel, Bigwig and their friends devise a plan to rescue some does, risking their own lives in the process.

From this brief outline of the plot and even from the cover of the book, Watership Down may look like a children's book. Do not be fooled: this book is full of violence and cruelty, not just between rabbits and their natural foes, but also among themselves. And you realise early on that, somehow like in George Orwell's Animal Farm, it's fundamentaly a critical view of our own human society, a way of showing us how we also can behave in a barbarous way.

Anyway, I think the book is still suitable for children who will love this great adventure, as Watership Down is aslo full of suspense and once you've started, it's "unputdownable"! Moreover, its characters are very interesting and well developed, and in the end it's extremely amusing, especially when these rabbits take a look at us human beings...

This book is not just for bunny lovers so hop along and get yourself a copy quick! And don't forget its companion: Tales from Watership Down.

Homecoming is the diary of Lady Carillion Carrock, a Jamaillian noblewoman and artist, recounting the events as she, her husband and their three children are sailing to the Rain Wilds in exile. Used to riches and comfort, at first she mainly complains about the lack of it and the fact that she has to live amongst mere commoners. But it's about to get worse as the hull of their ship cannot stand the acidic waters of the Rain River and they are forced to disembark, rescuing their supplies as best as they can before the ship is definitely lost, and to make camp in a very hostile, swampy environment. Soon she will have no choice but to adapt.

In the beginning, Lady Carrock is so spoilt, I wanted to slap her. But as the story unfolded and she evolved, I grew fonder of her. Some passages reminded me of the Myst computer games, others, especially when their dwellings are sinking in the mud, of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. And of course the story's slightly connected to Fitz's. A slightly different style from your typical Robin Hobb novel (probably because of the format itself), but great all the same. What? Only 80 pages and I was hooked. More, please?

Inheritance tells the story of Cherry, a young woman who comes across an ugly wooden pendant that used to belong to her deceased grandmother. She puts it on and as she's leaving the house of her brutal grandfather and greedy cousins for Bingtown, the small wizardwood face on the pendant starts talking to her. It tells her of her grandmother's youth as a respected Bingtown trader and of how she fell in love with Howarth, a poor young man who ended up stealing all her wealth and marrying a Jamaillian woman. The pendant will help Cherry avenge her grandmother's honour.

All I can say about this short story, is that it was... too short!

This is the third and final book in the Tawny Man trilogy (after Fool's Errand and the Golden Fool).

Now that Dutiful has accepted the Narcheska's challenge, everyone is getting ready to sail to ice covered island of Aslevjal to slay Icefyre, the last male dragon. But the Fool wants to bring dragons back to the world and so he's strongly against the killing of Icefyre. Fitz is now torn between his duty to his future King and the love of his best friend the Fool. To cap it all, the latter has told him he's foreseen his own death on the glacier. Fitz and Chade have to do everything possible to prevent the Fool from accompanying them to the Out Islands.

The sea voyage to the city of Zylig, their first stopping place on the Out Islands, is not a pleasant one. Thick gets seasick and ill, and takes it all out on an already much guilt stricken Fitz, who's in charge of him. Day after day, the simpleton's Skill-music dampens the crew's spirits and threatens the whole expedition. Fitz will ask Nettle in her Skill-dreams to help Thick go through his ordeal.

They finally arrive at destination, to discover that the Out Islands political system is strongly matriarchal, with customs much different from those of the Six Duchies. There Prince Dutiful meets the hetgurd, a council of warrior clan chiefs and learn that they too are against the slaying of the dragon. Why then does Elliania want the dragon killed? Dutiful faces a terrible dilemma. Must he risk a political blunder? Finally the Prince decides be true to his word to his fiancée, and so they all set out to Aslevjal for a long trek to the heart of the glacier.

Again, what a fantastic, wonderful, amazing story! Of the ones that makes me wonder at the magic of books, and Robin Hobb's in particular: my eyes were following the words and lines and paragraphs, but my mind's eye was always elsewhere, holding on to the railing of a ship, walking on field of bright white snow, taking care not to fall into crevasses, in cold caverns of blue ice... I was seeing the events thought the characters' eyes, living the same emotions. I laughed, I cried of joy, I cried of pain and grief, I suffered with them. Like Fitz I grew fonder of Thick, I wanted to know more about Nettle... and I'm deeply in love with the Fool.

Oh Megan, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!