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3rd out of 10 books
—
6 voters
The Seven Towers
They are seven players in a game of deadly magic— Eltiron, Prince of Sevarin; Crystalorn, Princess of Barinash; Ranlyn, the desert rider; Jermain, the outlaw; Vandaris, the soldier; Carachel, the Wizard-King; and Amberglas, the sorceress. Each of them has a secret, and each fights his or her part in the thrilling battle that has put seven kingdoms on the very edge of destr...more
Paperback, 264 pages
Published
March 1st 1984
by Ace
(first published 1984)
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Let's see here. Has it got...
...a worrywart prince investigating political intrigue? Check!
...a new royal advisor whose presence causes the king to act strangely? Check!
...and absent-minded sorceress who is actually extremely powerful? Check!
...a beautiful princess stressing over being betrothed to a man she's never met? Check!
...a tough-talking but soft-hearted soldier? Check!
...an honor-obsessed desert nomad who speaks exclusively in awkward, desert-themed metaphors? Check!
...a nebulous, "unde...more
...a worrywart prince investigating political intrigue? Check!
...a new royal advisor whose presence causes the king to act strangely? Check!
...and absent-minded sorceress who is actually extremely powerful? Check!
...a beautiful princess stressing over being betrothed to a man she's never met? Check!
...a tough-talking but soft-hearted soldier? Check!
...an honor-obsessed desert nomad who speaks exclusively in awkward, desert-themed metaphors? Check!
...a nebulous, "unde...more
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I really liked Wrede's Enchanted Forest and Lyra books (especially the Raven Ring), but here it feels like Wrede couldn't quite make up her mind whether to make this a humorous fantasy novel, like the Enchanted Forest, or a more somber fantasy novel, like the Lyra books. So, there are these serious murders/betrayals/setups for genocide right next to cutesy insults of "squash head!", and it doesn't quite work for me. Serious evil needs some serious swearing in order to be taken seriously.
I also...more
I also...more
I had a hard time getting into this book, which was strange for me as I usually enjoy Wrede's work. The story basically follows seven characters, who inhabit seven kingdoms and who are all facing the same poorly understood threat as the nomad tribes of the south prepare to come north and the matholych (some kind of fearsome monster) follows them. I think part of my difficulty came from the fact that there were so many characters, and the point of view switched back and forth every chapter or so...more
I liked it well enough but some of the main characters could have a been a little more interesting, it was not all that exciting and the ending was anti-climatic. There are seven characters that really come in play and the book is narrated by two of them. I enjoyed Eltiron's narration far better than Jermain's. Between all these characters and a few more thrown in, the characters must deduce and take risks in who they can trust. The greater enemy than those humans that cause minor annoyances is...more
Though this was another quick read (as in, I read it quickly), I didn't like it as much as I've liked her other books. I finished it with the feeling of there being plot holes, even though everything had been resolved by the end--possibly because it took so long for everything to come together. Also, possibly because the varying pieces did not seem to fit together really well, so even with the resolutions and everything coming together, it felt disjointed. I have to say, though, that I loved Amb...more
Mar 29, 2011
Natalie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy lovers aged ten and up
Shelves:
own
There is something dreadfully wrong in the kingdom of Sevairn. The king has exiled his head advisor for supposed treason, has arranged a sudden marriage for his son with a princess he has never met, and is completely ignoring the looming danger of an impending invasion. Prince Eltiron, with the help of his aunt Vendaris, a mercenary, does not believe that the Jermain, the exiled advisor, is guilty, but there is little that they can do. Jermain, who has been forced to flee for his life, is rescue...more
I enjoyed this book very much. It begins with Amberglas, a character that owes much of dialog style, I thought, to the Princess Eilonwy. However, in reading the afterward, Patricia Wrede says the character came to her as equal parts the dowager Duchess of Denver from Busman's Honeymoon and Chrestomanci of Diana Wynne Jones's books. Either way, she's a lot of fun, once you get in to the pattern of her speech and thoughts, and it's fascinating watching other characters interact with her. Who under...more
Decent fantasy novel. Plot held together pretty well, except for a few moments where the characters somehow failed to pick up on something that was obvious to the reader.
One of the characters had an odd speech pattern, and I was hoping it would turn out to be something awesome, like she was cursed to never say anything even slightly false, so she always had to qualify all her statements. But we never saw an explanation, and my current suspicion is she was just doing it to be annoying.
One of the characters had an odd speech pattern, and I was hoping it would turn out to be something awesome, like she was cursed to never say anything even slightly false, so she always had to qualify all her statements. But we never saw an explanation, and my current suspicion is she was just doing it to be annoying.
Mar 12, 2010
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
young-adult-lit
This fantasy novel had an intriguing and twisting plot, but at times it felt like it was too convoluted and confusing. It is also confused by figuring out how magic works in the land this takes place in since magic is an important piece of this story.
The characters were enjoyable. I cared what became of them. One character, Amberglas, was incredibly likeable, but sometimes mind-numbing to hear her speak. This is how many of the characters responded to her, so it helped you feel a part of the sto...more
The characters were enjoyable. I cared what became of them. One character, Amberglas, was incredibly likeable, but sometimes mind-numbing to hear her speak. This is how many of the characters responded to her, so it helped you feel a part of the sto...more
Jul 25, 2011
Mandi Ellsworth
added it
I love P.C.W. She is so much fun to read. This book is a stand-alone, which I like, since it's not a big time commitment. Ir's about a group of people who all eventually get together. They're fighting off the same "bad guy", but which one is the bad guy? It's so fun and the Amberglass is awesome. If I had magic, I'd want to be just like her. Sort of. But I couldn't pull it off.
I must confess there were a few false starts for this one. But once I stuck around, I was pleased with the plot and character development. In many ways it reminded me of Graceling - different, of course, but I think those that liked Graceling might turn to this one when looking for something else to read.
I will say that the biggest reason it took me a while to get into it was the sheer number of characters. I kept thinking of my creative writing instructor and how he'd tell us not to introduce s...more
I will say that the biggest reason it took me a while to get into it was the sheer number of characters. I kept thinking of my creative writing instructor and how he'd tell us not to introduce s...more
Eltiron, prince of Sevairn, must deal with a father who is demanding, belittling and controlled by the wrong adviser; magic in a kingdom with little magic left; an arranged marriage; threat of war; a sorceress who talks around what she wants you to hear; and an evil force moving into the Seven Kingdoms that threatens to destroy them all.
Ms. Wrede really knows how to weave a story together filled with magic and uncertainty. Really liked this book, it kept me guessing until the very end about what was going to happen to all of the characters. Lots of misunderstanding between characters, and a few loose ends at the end of the story but all in all very satisfying.
Seven people are involved to try to save the kingdoms from the magical power of the matholych. It devours people to increase in size and magic.
Each of the seven have an important role to perform, for either good or ill. (But with the best intentions) The matholych must be stopped or it will overtake and kill all in its path.
I struggled between a 3 and a 4 rating. It probably is a 3 1/2.
Each of the seven have an important role to perform, for either good or ill. (But with the best intentions) The matholych must be stopped or it will overtake and kill all in its path.
I struggled between a 3 and a 4 rating. It probably is a 3 1/2.
I loved this book just as much as love all of Patricia C. Wrede's other books. It is the perfect YA fantasy novel (the only thing missing is the dragons.) A prince and princess, a banished advisor, a scatter-brained sorceress, a cranky king, and 7 towers scatter through the realm, all make this book awesome.
I didn't realize this was a standalone; there were some elements that made it feel like part of a series. Sort of like a few things were missing, or it was building up to something without giving a real resolution. I liked it, and I'm not complaining (I generally prefer standalones), but I do think it didn't feel quite complete.
At first this started out slow and I was tempted to put it down, but I am glad I did not. It would have been interesting to see if there was a growing relationship between Amberglas and Jermain. It seemed to hint there was one. All in all it was a pretty good book.
I don't think the author could decide whether she wanted to write a serious fantasy novel or a more playful work for all ages. As it was, it felt like both, or perhaps I should say neither. Her later works (the Enchanted Forest Chronicles) are much more enjoyable to read, being firmly in the latter camp and making no bones about it.
Absolutely love this book. Its got a wide cast of characters without dragging you into too much detail like fantasy's tend too. These are unforgettable people and of course they have to try and save their world. Laughed all the way through it.
Enjoyable. Were the characters carved from fantasy cliches? Yes. Was the writing a little too straightforward? Sure, but this was one of Wrede's earlier books, and it was still a very fun, very fast read, with characters that I liked.
Such a fun book! Unlike many of the comments here, I wasn't upset at all by the mix of lightheartedness and seriousness in this novel. I thought it gave it a nice balance. I liked the characters and how it all came together. I really want a sequel.
Hmm. I liked it, though there were a few things I wish were...stronger, I guess. I wish there'd been a little more closure, and a little more depth with some of the characters. But it was a quick and compelling read. :)
Feb 08, 2010
Miss Clark
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
adventure,
fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology
I read this several years ago and I remember liking the concept a lot, but I dearly would need a rereading to tell what it was really about which is not usually a good sign for how memorable the story was.
Quite good and enjoyable - her characters are reminiscent of those in the Chocolate Pot (at least those she wrote), and the idea of good needing evil in order to be whole is an interesting one.
This book is adorable and addicting. I stayed up a bit too late reading when I shouldn't have. It is very much like what I expect a Patricia Wrede book to be, in a great way.
Very enjoyable. Good characters, good story. I particularly like that Amberglas is partially inspired by the Dowager Duchess of Denver (one of my all-time favorite characters).
I didn't feel like this was one of Wrede's best. I enjoyed some of the characters, but the beginning of the story tried to introduce too many people in a hurry, the end wasn't even a surprise for me.
It's like she took every cliche from fantasy series and threw them together in one book. No heart to it, no connection to the characters, no real excitement.
A bit cliched at times and the character development read more like a short story than a full-length book, but it was fun enough that I was more than willing to overlook its shortcomings.
I can't even describe the love. This book definitely earns a place on my "shelf of honor" and a spot on my list of all time favorites. Patricia Wrede is a genius. Period.
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Patricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her se...more
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