Another book I chose by its cover (I like purple). Isn’t that just the most intriguing painting? There was also a strong quote on the back ‘As lightning, men flicker into being, cut a single stroke into the earth, and are gone. A brief instant to find one’s place in a story that may last a thousand years.’ And then of course there is the endorsement by Stephen Donaldson ‘A master of intelligent fantasy – subtle, well-crafted and gripping’ followed by Robin Hobb saying ‘Magic and mystery blend in abundance with an intricate cast of characters – an engrossing read.’
As a fantasy reader, how do you refuse a book like that? A strong dramatic descriptive opening page, and I’m sold on it. And it’s 700+ pages! Delight!
There is an elegance to the story arc – the opening story only really returned to and concluded in the last chapter of the book. The questers beginning in a country village and being drawn inexorably down towards the greater conflicts by the river Wynnd, which as its name suggests, takes them on a winding path through many difficulties whilst all the time moving towards its destination.
The writing is efficient without seeming at all hurried. The narrative is rich with legends of the land, and we learn a lot as we go along but it doesn’t slow the story down too much. This is hard to achieve.
I love the imagery of the flowing river, and the stories which are almost living things, bubbling up from the waters and affecting the travellers with their melancholic moods.
The most brilliant character is an uber-villain, a sorceric knight named Hafydd, who is very disturbing because of the ruthlessness he displays in the story, and it is completely believable that everyone holds him in mortal fear. Superb!
