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58th out of 945 books
—
2,935 voters
The Sum of All Men (The Runelords #1)
by
David Farland (Goodreads Author)
Young Prince Gaborn Val Orden of Mystarria is traveling in disguise on a journey to ask for the hand of the lovely Princess Iome of Sylvarresta when he and his warrior bodyguard spot a pair of assassins who have set their sights on the princess's father. The pair races to warn the king of the impending danger and realizes that more than the royal family is at risk--the ver...more
Mass Market Paperback, 613 pages
Published
April 15th 1999
by Tor Fantasy
(first published July 1998)
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A close approximation of the female lead.
This has been a pretty good year for me for reading. I haven't come across that many real stinkers. I've found some new favorite books and authors, including Chuck Wendig, Ben Aaronovitch, and Guy Gavriel Kay. Lucky me.
That said, I'm sad for myself that I spent time reading this. Thankfully I bought it at a used book store, so I think I'm only out about $1.75. A lot of people are intrigued by the magic system. "Oh it's so unique!" they cry. To that, I a...more
It was "okay" but I didn't "like it". Two stars seems a bit harsh but going by the goodreads guidelines here.
I hadn't heard of this series before it kept cropping up on twitter. I thought it would be another Jordan clone of the eighties and nineties and in that aspect anyway I was surprised. It has a unique magic system reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson and must have seemed very new at the time.
Rulers enhance their abilities, their looks, speed, power, voice, hearing, sight etc., by taking the s...more
I hadn't heard of this series before it kept cropping up on twitter. I thought it would be another Jordan clone of the eighties and nineties and in that aspect anyway I was surprised. It has a unique magic system reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson and must have seemed very new at the time.
Rulers enhance their abilities, their looks, speed, power, voice, hearing, sight etc., by taking the s...more
5 likes · like · see review
3.0 stars. One of the more original "systems" of magic I have read about in some time. I thought the author did a decent job of exploring the results of the system as well though I thought the story and the prose were just okay. Still, a pretty good read.
This following review was an assignment for a fantasy literature course at BYU.
The Runelords
Author, Title, Facts of Publication
The Runelords was written by David Wolverton and published in 1998. The author used the pseudonym David Farland to market the book because he wanted it on store shelves in the F section as a marketing strategy. David Farland is a Mormon and LDS themes such as covenant making and sacrifice thread through his work.
Setting
The book takes place in the fantasy kingdom of Ro...more
The Runelords
Author, Title, Facts of Publication
The Runelords was written by David Wolverton and published in 1998. The author used the pseudonym David Farland to market the book because he wanted it on store shelves in the F section as a marketing strategy. David Farland is a Mormon and LDS themes such as covenant making and sacrifice thread through his work.
Setting
The book takes place in the fantasy kingdom of Ro...more
*NOTE: SPOILER*
Overall it wasn't that bad, but left me very disappointed. I think this was mainly due to the fact that I thought the author had some very promising ideas with a good plot, making a bad final quarter of the book leaving me feeling empty and dissatisfied.
The original 'Endowment' concept was pretty interesting. The book was too long for what the storyline required, consequently, a lot of it was a tad boring. And i didn't like how there was no victory for the 'hero'. The blurb promi...more
Overall it wasn't that bad, but left me very disappointed. I think this was mainly due to the fact that I thought the author had some very promising ideas with a good plot, making a bad final quarter of the book leaving me feeling empty and dissatisfied.
The original 'Endowment' concept was pretty interesting. The book was too long for what the storyline required, consequently, a lot of it was a tad boring. And i didn't like how there was no victory for the 'hero'. The blurb promi...more
This book was first published in 1998, but for some strange reason I had never read any work by David Farland. That omission, however, has been rectified. I am now a drooling fan!
The novel begins violently. A man is set upon and injured most gruesomely. He later dies from his injuries, and a series of events is set into motion. Meanwhile, young Runelord, Prince Gaborn Val Orden of Mystarria has traveled to the kingdom of Heredon with the intention of winning the hand of Princess Iome Sylvarrest...more
The novel begins violently. A man is set upon and injured most gruesomely. He later dies from his injuries, and a series of events is set into motion. Meanwhile, young Runelord, Prince Gaborn Val Orden of Mystarria has traveled to the kingdom of Heredon with the intention of winning the hand of Princess Iome Sylvarrest...more
Synopsis: Gaborn Orden, the next King of Mystarria is headed to the kingdom of Heredon to ask the lovely Princess Iome for her hand in marriage. Castle Sylvarresta however is under attack by the evil Raj Ahten, the Runelord of all Runelords. With thousands of endowments taken from other men and women he is truly a man among men and takes over Castle Sylvarresta without a single drop of blood being shed. Gaborn however can see through this ruthless man. Endowed with the Gift of the Earth and deem...more
This series has been on my radar for many years but for some reason I never got round to starting it.................oh, you foolish, foolish person! Turns out I've been missing a real treat.
Although the story is fairly standard fantasy stuff there are two things that really stand out;
1) The magic system, whereby people can be empowered by taking enhancements from people - making the person recieving the the enhancement more powerful but leaving the donor a wreck. At times this can be quite hor...more
Although the story is fairly standard fantasy stuff there are two things that really stand out;
1) The magic system, whereby people can be empowered by taking enhancements from people - making the person recieving the the enhancement more powerful but leaving the donor a wreck. At times this can be quite hor...more
Having read this over 5 years ago its hard for me to say that I like it now. At the time my mind was maybe a little more open to the concepts and my teenage mind reveled in its fantasy glory. But now I think I would find it a little too cliche, (a term I hate to use) perhaps it was aimed at the younger market of reader, in which case it is spot on and deserves 5 stars! But as a now 20-something reader it is hard to imagine that I would fall for Farland's ideas of love at first sight and heroic s...more
I think I have tried to read this series before a few years ago and couldn't get past the magic system. I think that I may even have tried to read it when it first came out and was just pissed off by the system at the age of 18 when it hit back in '98 to give it a fair shake. Now don;t get me wrong the magic system here is very unique and well created but I can see the younger version of my self just getting irrationally angry at these characters for how they drain from other characters for thei...more
This one turned out not to be as bad as I feared. The concept is creative and the fantasy world building was on par. The weakness for me was the editing. There are easily 150 pages that could have been cut and scenes that could have been shortened. The thing was just too long winded for me.
The characters had no energy. They never left the page. I did, however, come to care for them and their struggles. There were some I wanted to see survive but there weren't that many. Most of them just came a...more
The characters had no energy. They never left the page. I did, however, come to care for them and their struggles. There were some I wanted to see survive but there weren't that many. Most of them just came a...more
Such a good premise, so poorly executed. The basic notion of the world is that people can grant their own strength, speed, wit, etc. to another. This leaves the dedicate an invalid, but creates people with twice the strength/speed/wit etc. of a normal person. Or 10 times that strength if they have 10 dedicates. This changes warfare, politics... well, everything. It has so much premise.
But the characters are bland and change personality depending on the needs of the story. Basic facts change as...more
But the characters are bland and change personality depending on the needs of the story. Basic facts change as...more
This is a marvelous start to the Runelords epic fantasy series. The series begins by exploring a potentially troubling question: How much do we value people based on their physical atrribubes? In this society, people have figured out a way to magically transfer endowments--such as glamour, wit, metabolism, and stamina--to others. A king from a southern land is taking endowments from thousands of his subjects in order to turn himself into the "sum of all men". He tells everyone (and might even be...more
Minor spoilers may be present, of the breed that you don't realize you've been spoiled until you've actually reached that point in the material.
3.25 stars, actually. I dub this book 'okay'. I probably would have liked it more if it were half as long (seriously, there was not enough story there for 600 pages), and while I admire it for plunging smartly into the meaty content, I feel the loss of that first act, particularly in how I feel about the characters, which is best summarized as 'ehh'. In...more
3.25 stars, actually. I dub this book 'okay'. I probably would have liked it more if it were half as long (seriously, there was not enough story there for 600 pages), and while I admire it for plunging smartly into the meaty content, I feel the loss of that first act, particularly in how I feel about the characters, which is best summarized as 'ehh'. In...more
Feb 04, 2010
{eri}
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in fantasy epics
Recommended to {eri} by:
GoodReads peeps
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I found the concept of endowments, forcibles and Dedicates very interesting and took an interest in several of the characters. I have not read many fantasy epics and would like to start. So I may in time come back and look upon this novel less favorably in comparison, but for the time being I enjoyed it. Not as much as Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses series...but I highly doubt I will ever favor ANY fantasy novel series as much. What a wonderful find...more
David Farland here creates a fantastic world that revolves around the notion of Kings and Castles and the typical fights for land. The idea of endowments is one that really works well and is interesting to think about concerning Wit, Metabolism, Grace, etc. It also opens up an immediate series of questions about morales and ethics which are repeatedly brought up. The underlying story of the Prince trying to win over the affection of a Princess takes a format that everybody is used to and adds to...more
I don't know at all what to think about this series.
There's its basic concept of people being used like livestock to give superpowers to a few boneheads. It does dwell on the...DUBIOUS morality, but not in a way that really provokes any thought or reaction.
There's the naturalist religion that is SORT OF a counter to the rampant rune use and possibly a stand-in for christianity. But then it veers off into fairly arbitrary moral standards and inconsistent miracle-work (okay, maybe that reinforces...more
There's its basic concept of people being used like livestock to give superpowers to a few boneheads. It does dwell on the...DUBIOUS morality, but not in a way that really provokes any thought or reaction.
There's the naturalist religion that is SORT OF a counter to the rampant rune use and possibly a stand-in for christianity. But then it veers off into fairly arbitrary moral standards and inconsistent miracle-work (okay, maybe that reinforces...more
3 likes · like · see review
In 'The Sum of All Men', book one of the long-running 'Runelords Saga', David Farland delivers a masterpiece of epic fantasy writing. Set in the backdrop of Rofehavan, a land full of men, wizards and fantastical creatures, Prince Gaborn val Orden must overcome extreme odds against beasts, sorcerers, politics and his own inner morals in order to save the land from the tyrannical wolf-lord and fulfill a 2000 year old prophecy.
The superbly original magic system of endowments, mental and physical ab...more
The superbly original magic system of endowments, mental and physical ab...more
This book had an interesting concept and decent plot, but suffered from the author leading the characters around by the nose. That is, he had them doing things for the plot, not because the action was an organic growth out of the character's personality. It's entertaining enough, though, and the "endowment" concept was interesting and lent an original conflict to the story.
This is book one of The Runelord Series, a fascinating look into the human condition, how good people can do evil in the name of good. It speaks to the conflict inherent in each of us.
In this book, a young prince, Gaborn Val Orden of Mysteria, travels throughout the land in disguise. His purpose: ask for the hand of Princess Iome of Sylvarresta. While stopping at a tavern, they discover a plot to assassinate Iome’s father. As they journey to warn him, the learn that more than just the king and h...more
In this book, a young prince, Gaborn Val Orden of Mysteria, travels throughout the land in disguise. His purpose: ask for the hand of Princess Iome of Sylvarresta. While stopping at a tavern, they discover a plot to assassinate Iome’s father. As they journey to warn him, the learn that more than just the king and h...more
5 starts without a doubt. There wasn't a single part of this book that I found boring or irritating - actually, I found the main bad guy VERY irritating but I'm pretty sure that was Farlands intention - the story moved at a good pace with plenty of action and fantastic characters. I have a weakness for books that have a clever villain that challenges the spirits and wits of the good guys. This book was cleverly plotted and the bad guy was more than devious. I couldn't say who was the main hero i...more
Good but not great. The concept of endowments was interesting and the characters were deep enough, but they kept doing things that seemed only intended to bring about a sequel. I strongly feel that there could have been more resolution at the end. The author sometimes seemed to get lost and confused in his own story. Many times I had to go back and re-read because there would be two or three people in a scene, and then a conflict would arise from outside for one of the characters to handle alone...more
A great example of how magic should have rules. The magical system in this book was unique: kings and queens take elements such a glamour, brawn, wit, or grace from their people to fight the otherwise unbeatable enemy. Farland is a huge advocate for worldbuilding and he absolutely does it in this book. It was also fun to read this after reading Sanderson's stuff since Sanderson was Farland's student.
I grew to love the characters and loved the sad/shocking moments of the book. I especially though...more
I grew to love the characters and loved the sad/shocking moments of the book. I especially though...more
As a writer who reads rather critically, I often find myself guessing the ending of a book, and sighing in disappointment as the plot plays out exactly as I'd expected, or worse, falls apart into meaningless mush. Well, not so with this book!
Farland really is a master writer. There's no wasted exposition. The setting is alive with details. Each character was expertly drawn and different from every other character in ways important to the story. Their lives intertwined with purpose, and their re...more
Farland really is a master writer. There's no wasted exposition. The setting is alive with details. Each character was expertly drawn and different from every other character in ways important to the story. Their lives intertwined with purpose, and their re...more
Runelords is a solid fantasy book, based on a world with a solid magic system that isn't just glazed over the story, but is an integral and riveting part of the whole novel. David Farland is an author who doesn't shy away from making his characters experience the full scope of life, from joy to despair. Even better, he doesn't shy away from killing them off either, and nothing makes a story more interesting then knowing that good won't necessarily always prevail, and not everyone is always safe!...more
Wow! I picked up this book after a rather disappointing read and was a little skeptical about this book. After inheriting it from my aunt during her move this summer, I was pretty skeptical of all the old fantasy books she gave me, but this one turned out worth the time.
The story details the struggle of kingdoms against a foe who seeks to become The Sum of All Men. Though the story's wizards are the standard earth, fire, water, air elemental wizards, they feel fresh still with descriptions that...more
The story details the struggle of kingdoms against a foe who seeks to become The Sum of All Men. Though the story's wizards are the standard earth, fire, water, air elemental wizards, they feel fresh still with descriptions that...more
I will admit that Dave is a personal friend of mine and I read this book in manuscript form about a year and a half before its publication. From what I remember, the draft I read was a bit more dark and gritty than the book that eventually came out in print. I think I liked his original draft more than the finished product. It seemed the editors at TOR kinda had him lighten the tone and ending a bit. I could be wrong, it's been about 13-14 years since i read both the manuscript and the published...more
basic take: ...a soon to be classic of the fantasy genre, comparable to the likes of tolkien, eddings and salvatore. i like the added influence of adding attributes (glamour, voice, stamina, etc.) to oneself by 'branding' (transferring) the powers from another, which heightens the typical, albeit fun aspects of wizardry and the chivalry of the sword found within the realm of fantasy.
philosophical: ...not too surprising that the author is a Mormon with the influences of good v. evil blazenly appa...more
philosophical: ...not too surprising that the author is a Mormon with the influences of good v. evil blazenly appa...more
An Amazon Review:
The Runelords is that rare book that will remind you why you started reading fantasy in the first place. Much of the setting--and even some of the story--is conventional fantasy fare, but David Farland, aside from being a masterful storyteller, has built his world around a complex and thought-provoking social system involving the exchange of "endowments." Attributes such as stamina, grace, and wit are a currency: a vassal may help his lord by endowing him with all of his strengt...more
The Runelords is that rare book that will remind you why you started reading fantasy in the first place. Much of the setting--and even some of the story--is conventional fantasy fare, but David Farland, aside from being a masterful storyteller, has built his world around a complex and thought-provoking social system involving the exchange of "endowments." Attributes such as stamina, grace, and wit are a currency: a vassal may help his lord by endowing him with all of his strengt...more
The world of The Runelords runs on a system called endowments, in which someone siphons an attribute (usually a stat that you'd find in an RPG) into themselves. For example, you could literally have the strength of 3 men, as long as you could find 2 donors. However, this is a direct transfer, and leaves the donor (or Dedicate in Farland's terminology) an invalid, bereft of that attribute. If he dies, you lose the endowment, so taking care of a Dedicate becomes both a practical and moral issue. F...more
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| Runelords: How will it end? | 1 | 2 | Jun 29, 2012 11:03am |
David Farland is the author of the bestselling Runelords series, including Chaosbound, The Wyrmling Horde and Worldbinder. He also writes science-fiction as David Wolverton. He won the 1987 Writers of the Future contest, and has been nominated for a Nebula Award and a Hugo Award. Farland also works as a video game designer, and has taught writing seminars around the U.S. and Canada. He lives in Sa...more
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The magic system was unique; I have never read anything quite like it. This novel...more
Sep 26, 2012 11:06am
Sep 26, 2012 11:15am