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The Gifting (Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy #1)

by Anne Brooke (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 11 ratings · 9 reviews

The mind-dwellers of Gathandria are under siege. For two year-cycles their people have been decimated, their beautiful city ruined. Legends tell of the Lost One who will save them from their enemy - the mind-executioner. Time is running out. Johan and Isabella journey to the Lammas Lands searching for their cousin and lowly scribe, Simon Hartstongue. The elders hope that h...more

Paperback, 298 pages

Published May 11th 2011 by Bluewood Publishing Ltd

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Jun 04, 2012 Tahlia Newland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The Gifting is a unique fantasy where mental and physical worlds merge in a flight of unrestrained imagination. Unlike much fantasy I’ve read lately, this book soars with hope. It’s a story of redemption gained through a mystical journey through earth, air, fire and water that tests the deepest recesses of a man’s soul.

From the blurb: The mind-dwellers of Gathandria are under deadly siege. For two year-cycles they have suffered: their people decimated, their beautiful city in ruins. Their once...more The Gifting is a unique fantasy where mental and physical worlds merge in a flight of unrestrained imagination. Unlike much fantasy I’ve read lately, this book soars with hope. It’s a story of redemption gained through a mystical journey through earth, air, fire and water that tests the deepest recesses of a man’s soul.

From the blurb: The mind-dwellers of Gathandria are under deadly siege. For two year-cycles they have suffered: their people decimated, their beautiful city in ruins. Their once peaceful life has descended into chaos and misery. Legends tell of the Lost One who will return at such a time to save them from their mortal enemy – the mind-executioner.

Johan and Isabella journey to the Lammas Lands in search of the one they think might be the Lost One, a distant cousin and lowly scribe, Simon Hartstongue, but Johan has his doubts because Simon is a coward and a murderer. How can such a person be the one who will save their country?

They find Simon and the book tells us the story of their journey to Gathandria interwoven with stories from Simon’s past. Through the stories, Simon comes to understand himself, and through the deadly challenges posed by their journey, he and his companions comes to discover his deeper qualities. The results are surprising for them all.

The mind-executioner who has absolute power with a stolen mind-cane tracks them throughout their journey, always just behind them and intent on killing Simon. When the cane strikes Simon, it should kill him, but it doesn’t, and eventually Simon comes to realise that he has a powerful gift. However, in order to use it he needs a strong, pure mind. At Johan’s request, Simon tells his stories, going deeper into his past as the story progresses. The storytelling cleanses and protects them, a wonderful theme that parallels the healing affect of recounting one’s childhood traumas for a councillor or psychiatrist.

The character development is exemplarity. It’s rare that you see characters grow so deeply and well supported by the action.

The story is told from four points of view, three on the journey and one in Gathandria. The chapters are divided into sections, sometimes very short, labelled with the name of the character whose viewpoint that section is written in. At first, these quick changes were a little disconcerting, but it soon became part of the rhythm of the story, and some of the surrealistic action might have been confusing without the different viewpoints.

What was even stranger was the occasional use of present tense at the beginning of a change from one point of view to another. Tense is a risky thing to play with and it did jolt a little, but it also highlighted aspects of the action. I think the author pulled it off, but others may disagree. The story would have read more smoothly without it. I’m giving it 4 stars and I recommend it for anyone who likes something different and especially if they like a bit of psychological depth in their reading.
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Aug 23, 2011 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Gifting is a journey for both the characters and the reader. It is the story of a brother and sister who set out on a mission to find the Lost One, the man who will help vanquish the enemy and restore peace to the land of Gathandria. They must travel to the Lammas Lands, through trials and hardships, to find a distant cousin, Simon Hartstongue, a simple scribe who has no idea who he is, nor has any inkling of the power he possesses.

Theirs is a journey of magic and mayhem, of betrayal and dec...more The Gifting is a journey for both the characters and the reader. It is the story of a brother and sister who set out on a mission to find the Lost One, the man who will help vanquish the enemy and restore peace to the land of Gathandria. They must travel to the Lammas Lands, through trials and hardships, to find a distant cousin, Simon Hartstongue, a simple scribe who has no idea who he is, nor has any inkling of the power he possesses.

Theirs is a journey of magic and mayhem, of betrayal and deception, of treachery and vengeance. The cousins, along with a little boy who has become Simon’s pupil and one true friend, trek through a land of enchantments, through earth, air, fire, and water, through danger and subversion, as a traitorous heart lurks among them, set upon destroying Simon before he can fulfill his destiny.

Simon’s journey began with the death of his mother, branded a criminal and outcast, rejected and scorned because of his abilities. His gifts led him to the arms and bed of Ralph Tregannon, Simon’s Overlord and protector—his Lord, Master, and lover. Becoming a pawn in a wicked game of power and deception, Simon is seduced into using his magic to help execute the innocent. Branded a murderer and coward, and ultimately forced to answer for those crimes by the one person on whom he thought he could depend, Simon is forced to flee for his life, with the strangers who’ve come to his rescue.

Sometimes pragmatism is branded as cowardice. Sometimes love and the need to be loved make a man commit cowardly acts. Sometimes cowardice is nothing more than a healthy and innate sense of self-preservation. Sometimes courage can be found in compassion, in friendship, and in the desire to right the wrongs of the past. Courage is facing and conquering fears, against all odds, for the good of others.

The Gifting is merely the introduction to the Gathandrian Trilogy; it’s a big world, filled with intrigues and magic, loss and redemption. It’s a fantastical place where almost anything is possible, where a coward can become a hero, where the promise for more excitement and enchantment are guaranteed, and I look forward to seeing where Anne Brooke will take us next, as well as discovering what Simon’s future holds.

Reviewed By: Lisa(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Nicci rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Original review at: http://twlibreviews.com/2011/08/revie...

What I like about the The Gifting by Anne Brooke is the imagery of the Kingdom of Air where the ravens resided and protected Simon. It was the ultimate test. It brings Simon hope, for he had been forbidden his history and what he was. It was also a place of renewal where Simon dares to step to the plate and grant something precious to the Boy, the only person in this story I could redeem Simon for his past actions.

I could not fully inve...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Nithu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this first installment and I'm really looking forward to the second book in the trilogy. The world Anne has created is interesting and I loved the legends and stories that go with it, eg, the different constellations and their meanings.

The only niggle I had was the multiple POVs. This is something I always have mixed feelings about. I love knowing what is going on in eveyrone's head (I am one of nature's nosey parkers!), but usually find it a wrench when the POV is switched to a...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Chas is currently reading it

Shelves: first-reads

This is a Goodreads.com First Reads giveaway. Looking forward to receiving it!

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Dec 02, 2012 Lynn Worton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is a fantastic fantasy that kept me glued to the pages! I loved it!

Johan and Isabella are brother and sister. They are complex characters. Johan is a man of pure spirit; he is kind and considerate. Isabella has a secret, and is willing to kill to protect it. They have been sent on a mission to find Simon, in the hopes that he will be The One to stop the mind-executioner, Gelahn.

Simon is another fantastic character...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Helen Thompson rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'm afraid I found this enormously derivative. While I have to admire someone who has the skill to write and has the patience to do it, I really don't think this is going to cut it in the world of fantasy fiction. There are just so many better books out there in my view.

The characterisations were not bad but I found the dialogue pretty stilted and the whole "executioners mind cane" premise contrived. It may work for others but certainly not for me.

Writing less than favourable reviews is tough...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Danalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book in a First Reads contest! The Gifting was written in an interesting way in which the author wrote from each character's point of view with a title beforehand so that the reader would be clear on who's "voice" they were reading. I have never seen this style before, and was unsure at first if I would like it, but I actually found it enjoyable. It was interesting to hear different points of view on the same situations from the various characters. I believe this was the author's...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

As ever with Anne Brookes, she achieves the unexpected. This is an unusual fantasy with a compelling 'hero' and a beautifully realised world. Far from reverting to the usual and familiar in fantasy Brookes gives us a cast of unforgettable characters and an adventure that is at once a physical and spiritual journey. This is a story that lingers in the mind - I am so looking forward to the next instalment!

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About Anne Brooke

Anne Brooke’s fiction has been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Novel Award, the Royal Literary Fund Awards and the Asham Award for Women Writers. She has also twice been the winner of the national DSJT Charitable Trust Open Poetry Competition.

She is the author of six published novels, including her fantasy series, The Gathandrian Trilogy, published by Bluewood Publishing and featuring gay scribe...more

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The Gifting (Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy #1)

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