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87th out of 173 books
—
241 voters
Hero's Song (The Songs of Eirren #1)
by
Edith Pattou
Collun has always been happiest working in his garden. But his peaceful life is shattered when his sister, Nessa, mysteriously disappears. He sets off to find her and soon realizes that he and his traveling companions, including the feisty young archer Breo-Saight, have become involved in something much larger and more sinister than he had imagined.
Paperback, 348 pages
Published
September 1st 2005
by Graphia
(first published 1991)
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87th out of 128 books
—
77 voters
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This is not Edith Pattou's best work ever but you still need to read it in order to fully apreciate the next book, Fire Arrow, which is just flat out spectacular.
This is the story of a boy named Collun who desperately needs to get over his cowardice in order to save his kidnapped sister from who knows what? As he journy's to find her he troups up with a wizard out to help, a fenale archer with a firey disposition and a thing for revenge, an old witty friend, and a mysterious elf like fellow w...more
This is the story of a boy named Collun who desperately needs to get over his cowardice in order to save his kidnapped sister from who knows what? As he journy's to find her he troups up with a wizard out to help, a fenale archer with a firey disposition and a thing for revenge, an old witty friend, and a mysterious elf like fellow w...more
A fun read. Best written? no. A pleasurable fun fast journey? yes. What i liked best about this book was the various types of monsters we were introduced too and also the fact that the author used names and "persona" of several Irish Legendary Characters...she kept their architypes, but did not limit their contribution in this story to just their known myth. She had them act as HER characters behaving how they likely would behave based on what we think we know about them. This was fun for me, ha...more
This book for middle-graders probably would have appealed greatly to me at age 11, but I could never quite get into it. It felt like Hero's Song did its utmost to hit every fantasy cliche down to the cast: the humble gardener, the tomboy archer, the bard, the elf, the old wizard as the mentor, the bad guys who are absolute evil without any nuances. It felt like it was trying to be Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, but without that charm and sparkle. The plot is also predictable, and I think...more
During his journey to rescue his sister who has been kidnapped by Bricriu, a spy for the Queen of Ghosts, Collun begins to unravel a past of mysteries that ultimately lead to him saving his home, the kingdom of Eirren. Edith Pattou adopts fantasy elements likened to the that of J.R.R. Tolkein as the world of Eirren is broken into various races with various abilities such as Ellyl and Morgs. As the reader encounters all these elements they are transported to Eirren and develop connections to the...more
This is a great heroic story. I really enjoyed the sense of adventure and epic journey feeling. It similar to Lord of the Rings storyline, and there was similarities between the two stories. Unlikely hero, a fellowship, mystical monsters, epic battle scene, etc. The only thing I did not like, was the writer used made up words that were part of that world, but not ours. She didn't explain them or use context where I could understand, which made me feel lost sometimes.
Overall I liked the book, an...more
Overall I liked the book, an...more
East was such a fabulous, intriguing read that I couldn't help but be disappointed by Hero's Song . Since it is Pattou's first book, my discomfort at her complete theft of LOTR's plot lines, character types, names, silly elf languages...has been replaced with a kind of resignation to the fact that writers tend to improve drastically with experience. But there's nothing that kicks you out of a narrative quicker than a cloned novel.
Oct 08, 2010
A. G.
added it
I really enjoyed this book. When Collin's sister Nessa dissapears while visiting a relative Collin goes on a quest to search for her. Although as time goes on more plot lines are reveavled and twists and turns are taken in it. I loved the loyalty of the friends and Collin to his sister. Along with some of the amazing places they visited. Just goes to show that an old fashioned quest never goes out of fashion.
I really enjoyed reading East, another of Edith Pattou's books. This is the first in a series, which I plan to continue. It is interesting, easy to read and clean. I really like the characters in this story, especially Crann. In this story, Collun learns to overcome his fears and finds the strength within to save the ones he loves.
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The writing wasn't quite as suspenseful or unpredictable as I would have hoped for...but it would be perfect for an eight year old or around that age. Action and adventure without anything really scary. I'll still gladly read more books in the series, but it's not an intense kind of series where you just can't wait to get the next book. aka good, but not amazing.
Edith Pattou was written wonderful books from East to Hero's Song. I kind of expected this book to become an book that I would have liked to read over and over. Despite the fact it was a little run on exspecially with the main character. I thought this book would be like East where there would be diferent characters thoughts in each chapter or so.
Eh. While there were a few things I enjoyed about Hero's Song (Collun's love of gardening and knowledge of herb lore, Brie, the mystery behind Collun's weird family), for the most part I found it...uninteresting. It's a very typical journey/quest fantasy story, but not a particularly well done one. The main word that comes to mind here is clumsy. The dialogue is stiff, and the characters don't feel fully-formed, and it seems like things fall into place too easily at times, or are just too obviou...more
I wanted to like this book. It was readable and had all the elements of a good story. But the character development was lacking. I never really felt any kind of sympathy or bonding with any of the characters. The storyline also was not particularly fluid--things happened simply by chance more often than they occurred due to active participation of the characters. A nice bit of fluff to while away a couple hours but not a book I'm likely to reread.
This was a solid YA fantasy, a bit of a mix of Irish legend and the Hobbit. It was a little jarring when some chocolate showed up! Things were left open for the sequel, but I'm not tempted.
I liked it but the writing wasn't super. Clean, no swearing or sexual themes. A lot of things "fell" into place which got a little annoying. Good ideas and some dramatic parts. Some likeable characters.
I guess this was her first book. It wasn't nearly as good as EAST. I was disappointed, thinking it would be like unto East. Anyway I finished it. Guess thats what counts...right?
Maybe this is really more of a 3.5 stars, but I'm nice and I did enjoy it. It was just slow going for me at first, however, I would recommend it generally. I want to read the next book.
I read this book after i read East and liked it, and this one was not as good as East but I still read through it. Cant really rememeber that well because it was a long! time ago.
I just finished reading this book for the second time. This is a great adventure book, filled with comedy, valor, and a hero who doesn't particularly want to be a hero at all (who discovers what being a hero means). My only issue with this series is that it isn't longer!!! :)
Your typical quest story. Lacked a little in continuity--the main characters seemed to randomly move through the story encountering obstacles that didn't have any real meaning.
The story was good, but I felt like there was a lot of descriptions in the middle of the book that were not necessary. I was able to skim over some parts without feeling like I was missing anything.
A novel that I did not originally edit, but that I reissued with some slight changes and improvements when I edited the second book in this series.
Pretty good. She actually has a similar writing style to, well, me. So that was a little weird. The story was what kept it from being a 5. I think more could have happened.
I liked Hero's Song very much. It is an easy-paced, Irish fantasy, full of fairytale elements. The hero, Collun, is not your ordinary young man - he's gentle, wise, and though he thinking himself a coward, his courage runs deep. (view spoiler)...more
Sep 29, 2011
Jeanette
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those who find interest in Irish myths
I loved the use of Irish mythology in this book. It's also quite unique, well written, and the characters are relatable.
I really like Edith Pattou's writing. This story is very engaging. I liked this one and East more than Fire Arrow.
Oct 03, 2009
Molly's Sister
added it
I never quit books.
However, I am quitting this one. I really wanted to get into this book but I just couldn't get into it.
Maybe someday I'll restart it
However, I am quitting this one. I really wanted to get into this book but I just couldn't get into it.
Maybe someday I'll restart it
Fun adventure book for children. Not sure I'll read more in the series, but I liked it well enough.
This was a solid YA fantasy, a bit of a mix of Irish legend and the Hobbit. It was a little jarring when some chocolate showed up! Things were left open for the sequel, but I'm not tempted.
A little awkward in places and no real romance or anything but a good solid adventure/quest story.
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| What's The Name o...: Fantasy book from past [s] | 8 | 162 | 15 déc. 15:03 |
Edith Pattou is the author of several fantasy novels, including East, an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. She is a graduate of the Francis W. Parker School, Scripps College (B.A., English), Claremont Graduate School (M.A., English) and UCLA (M.L.I.S.). She is married to Charles Emery, a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University. They have one child, a daughter.
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