189th out of 966 books
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4,854 voters
Lion of Senet (Second Sons Trilogy #1)
On the world Ranadon there is no night as both suns shine brightly. The intervention of Belagren, High Priestess of the Shadowdancers, and the sacrifice of a child of royal blood, has banished the Age of Shadows from the skies. Belagren's position is unquestioned . . . until circumstances begin to tip political rivalries into a deadlier game altogether.
A volcanic eruption...more
A volcanic eruption...more
Mass Market Paperback, 558 pages
Published
2004
by Spectra
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Favorite Fantasy Novels, BESIDES those by J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis
119th out of 722 books
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This is one of those books that's fun to read, but has little else going for it. If you're a hardcore fantasy fan looking to kill some time, you could do worse, but in general I would not recommend.
Lion of Senet is an unusual epic fantasy in that not only is it decidedly not a Tolkien knock-off--no orcs or elves in sight--but there's no magic, no drawn-out journeys and no epic battles. Instead, the plot is driven by political manuevering (perhaps better termed "interpersonal manipulation"), and...more
Lion of Senet is an unusual epic fantasy in that not only is it decidedly not a Tolkien knock-off--no orcs or elves in sight--but there's no magic, no drawn-out journeys and no epic battles. Instead, the plot is driven by political manuevering (perhaps better termed "interpersonal manipulation"), and...more
I'm not a regular critic or anything, I just enjoyed this series so much I had to leave a comment.
I randomly picked up the second book in this trilogy "The Eye of the Labyrinth" mostly because I was getting it at a bargain price. The author does an amazing job of pulling you into the story. I didn't really know what was going on (because I hadn't read the first book) but that didn't matter because the story and the way it was told was quite compelling for me. The suspense kept you on edge. Even...more
I randomly picked up the second book in this trilogy "The Eye of the Labyrinth" mostly because I was getting it at a bargain price. The author does an amazing job of pulling you into the story. I didn't really know what was going on (because I hadn't read the first book) but that didn't matter because the story and the way it was told was quite compelling for me. The suspense kept you on edge. Even...more
(Re-posted from http://theturnedbrain.blogspot.com)
It pleases me to see that Australian author Jennifer Fallon is slowly starting to receive some well deserved international attention. Her recent ‘Tide Lords’ quartet garnered a couple of positive reviews, and I’ve seen some blogs posting about her latest series ‘The Undivided.’
But I want to talk now about one of her older, less known, set of books; The Second Sons trilogy, comprising of 'The Lion of Senet,' 'Eye of the Labyrinth,' and 'Lord of t...more
It pleases me to see that Australian author Jennifer Fallon is slowly starting to receive some well deserved international attention. Her recent ‘Tide Lords’ quartet garnered a couple of positive reviews, and I’ve seen some blogs posting about her latest series ‘The Undivided.’
But I want to talk now about one of her older, less known, set of books; The Second Sons trilogy, comprising of 'The Lion of Senet,' 'Eye of the Labyrinth,' and 'Lord of t...more
Feb 08, 2011
Jennifer Jacobs
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who likes political, fantasy thrillers, also anyone who loves Code Geass.
This is the first of an excellent trilogy full of twists and turns as the second generation born to main players of an old war are forced to take up the fight that their parents could not finish. The main character is a young man named Dirk Provin, who has his entire life turned upside down by the revelation that his father is not truly his father, and that he's actually the son of a diposed king who has been labeled a villian and traitor.
Their world of Ranadon is ruled under the satin-gloved, i...more
Their world of Ranadon is ruled under the satin-gloved, i...more
The Lion of Senet has been recommended to me a few times, and has glowing reviews here, so I decided to pick it up. I do not mind a fantasy book without magic one bit, so I had no trepidations about reading this book. The novel started off nicely introducing us to some teenagers throughout the world and the major power players on the story. I could tell that their paths were converging ever so slowly, and things were looking good. At around page 200 my annoyances with the book really started to...more
Fantasy novels of this type often get off to a slow start as the foundation is built, the world established and the characters introduced. The world Jennifer Fallon has created in this novel is dark and oppressive. Religion is being used to exert power over the people and those who wield it are desperate to hold onto it.
I liked Dirk, our young hero, instantly. He is a smart and kindhearted boy forced to grow up fast. He is put in very difficult situations, his will and moral character tested. Ti...more
I liked Dirk, our young hero, instantly. He is a smart and kindhearted boy forced to grow up fast. He is put in very difficult situations, his will and moral character tested. Ti...more
I bought this book on a whim one day. For the first half of the book I kept asking myself why the hell I was reading it. By the end of the book, I wasn't really sure exactly how I felt about it. The book certainly picked up after the half-way point, but I certainly wasn't overwhelmed. I decided that I really didn't care enough to finish the series. However, in the coming days I kept thinking about the characters. I kept wanting to know what the hell happened to them next. I'm profoundly glad I d...more
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May 06, 2009
Glitterfairy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like politics-driven fantasy
Shelves:
fantasy
I guess this is 'fantasy' but it's not your classic myth and magic story - fairly grounded in politics and reality, actually. And this is where this trilogy truly shines.
This isn't Fallon's best trilogy - I feel that ball lies well in the Hythrun Chronicles court - but in terms of plotting and "oh my god, you know what? I really have no idea what's going to happen next" it's unbelievably good. In terms of morality and fate it's also a bit bleaker and harder than the Hythrun and Medalon - more Ho...more
This isn't Fallon's best trilogy - I feel that ball lies well in the Hythrun Chronicles court - but in terms of plotting and "oh my god, you know what? I really have no idea what's going to happen next" it's unbelievably good. In terms of morality and fate it's also a bit bleaker and harder than the Hythrun and Medalon - more Ho...more
There was no adrenaline-charged action in this book, but there was enough suspense to keep me interested. The characters are engaging, and I was drawn into the story very quickly. Fallon is great at writing natural-sounding dialogue (and there's quite a bit of humour in the dialogue, which I loved) and the book focuses just enough on the politics to make it intriguing rather than boring. And, while the main conflict tends to boil down to faith vs science, it didn't come across as being preachy.
S...more
S...more
This was my second read-through. Normally, that's when I take my time and really sort out what works and what doesn't for me; where I find all those special lines and fantastic scenes that really grab me.
Not so, with this book.
I started out good, working slowly through the beginning with my usual care. Then, and I can't tell you exactly when, I found myself sucked back in. Just like the first time. Exactly like the first time.
"Oh no! Something bad happened! How is Dirk going to get through this...more
Not so, with this book.
I started out good, working slowly through the beginning with my usual care. Then, and I can't tell you exactly when, I found myself sucked back in. Just like the first time. Exactly like the first time.
"Oh no! Something bad happened! How is Dirk going to get through this...more
Jennifer Fallon as one of the most unique voices in fantasy fiction, as she creates full characters, and takes intelligent plotting to a whole new level in order to establish unparalleled complexity in plot and story lines.
How do you kill a religion? If your world was going through a cataclysm and a priest, in this case a priestess, told you and it worked what would happen? A young genius learns that everything he believes is a lie, an evil lie, and the absolutely exquisite way he gets revenge....more
How do you kill a religion? If your world was going through a cataclysm and a priest, in this case a priestess, told you and it worked what would happen? A young genius learns that everything he believes is a lie, an evil lie, and the absolutely exquisite way he gets revenge....more
Aug 10, 2011
Mary B.
added it
For some reason I imagined the setting of Volcanoes and two suns to be in a landscape of bleak desert-like awfulness. And this made the book very hard to get into. But once I changed that landscape in my head to one much like Hawaii then it got a lot better. This book is rather formulaic, I can easily see how this is one of Fallon's earliest works, she definitely got better over time. However I still enjoy the typical characters: Dirk (the noble, gallant, genius), Kirsh (the noble but corruptibl...more
It took reading a few chapters before I started fully getting into the story, and once I did, it was very hard to put down! After I was halfway through the book, I took the advice of one of the other reviewers and bought the second and third book of this trilogy because there was no way I could wait patiently for the book to arrive if I ordered it after completing the first book. I haven't read a good fantasy series in a long time. After I finish with this trilogy, I hope to find something even...more
I'm classifying this as science fiction but it has a Pern like twist, if you know what I mean. I'll say more about it when I'm finished!
Okay, finished and completely in love with the twists and turns Fallon took me on while reading this book. I cannot wait to see where it is all going and I know I will find satisfaction in the various twisting intrigues.. or at least I hope I will.
I hope to see the fall of the Shadowdancers and the High Priestess in the books to come! As well as the downfall of...more
Okay, finished and completely in love with the twists and turns Fallon took me on while reading this book. I cannot wait to see where it is all going and I know I will find satisfaction in the various twisting intrigues.. or at least I hope I will.
I hope to see the fall of the Shadowdancers and the High Priestess in the books to come! As well as the downfall of...more
Vicious, no holds barred fantasy. I was surprised at how dark this trilogy was, although it's tastefully executed. The plot leaves you guessing, Dirk is an excellent example of a morally ambiguous protagonist, and the setting is unique and adds flavor to the hanging guillotine of impending apocalypse that characterizes the emotional tone of the books. There's a lot of cleverly done intrigue and politics, though if you're expecting gratuitous action and violence look elsewhere. Or play a video ga...more
Should I read it? I'm not sure. If you don't mind reading "safe" books, you'll probably enjoy this. If you want a book that challenges you in some way, either by way of its characters, plotting, or world-building, you may be better off finding something else.
What's the short and skinny of it? The Lion of Senet is about dark ages both literal and figurative. It's about those with knowledge and power controlling those who are ignorant, as well as about skeptics finding themselves in danger, even i...more
What's the short and skinny of it? The Lion of Senet is about dark ages both literal and figurative. It's about those with knowledge and power controlling those who are ignorant, as well as about skeptics finding themselves in danger, even i...more
Details at my blog
A brilliant mathematician calculated when the second sun would disappear, vital information for keeping the religious establishment in power. In the midst of war, he vanished without telling anyone when the Age of Darkness would begin. But High Priestess Belagren has found another gifted mathematician in seventeen-year-old Dirk Provin, and even though his mother is a political dissident who hates the High Priestess and everything she represents, Belagren's determined to have hi...more
A brilliant mathematician calculated when the second sun would disappear, vital information for keeping the religious establishment in power. In the midst of war, he vanished without telling anyone when the Age of Darkness would begin. But High Priestess Belagren has found another gifted mathematician in seventeen-year-old Dirk Provin, and even though his mother is a political dissident who hates the High Priestess and everything she represents, Belagren's determined to have hi...more
Jun 20, 2008
Eric
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy fans, Robin Hobb fans
Recommended to Eric by:
Nick Bozenko
Shelves:
fantasy
This book caught my attention when I opened the cover flap and saw praise for it from one of my favorite fantasy authors, Robin Hobb. One of the reasons I really like Hobb is that her style is cerebral, with the focus being on the political intrigue and emotional relationships between the characters, rather than hacking and slashing of an evil horde of underdeveloped minions.
Jennifer Fallon's Lion of Senet fit that style and pushed it even further. Where most fantasy involves magic spells, myth...more
Jennifer Fallon's Lion of Senet fit that style and pushed it even further. Where most fantasy involves magic spells, myth...more
I've been wanting to reread this series for a few months now and its just as good as I remember it. It's more political and religious intrigue rather than straight up fighting which makes it more interesting (at least for me).
Lion of Senet sets up the world where everything takes place, who's in power, who's not in power, how and why. Then the author throws a wrench into the works and upsets the entire dynamic and spends the next two books fixing everything.
I will be reading this series again.
Lion of Senet sets up the world where everything takes place, who's in power, who's not in power, how and why. Then the author throws a wrench into the works and upsets the entire dynamic and spends the next two books fixing everything.
I will be reading this series again.
A good, solid fantasy novel set in a fascinating world with two suns and no night. The political machinations are well done and most of the characters are appealing - those that aren't honestly shouldn't be, so the author does a good job there as well. At times, a few of the characters are pretty annoying, although in their defense, these characters are invariably teenagers who are insane to begin with so that's easily ignored. Overall, a very positive read.
I'm loathe to admit it, but I'm a sucker for the soap-opera style novels that Fallon writes. Her Harshini/Medalon series hooked me a few years ago, and The Second Sons trilogy is promising to be equally good (but oh so trashy). I strongly recommend this series for someone looking for an easy read, but most especially for anyone who loves to read about intrigue, gossip, and the sheer cruelty that human beings are capable of when it comes to love, war and betrayal.
This is book one of the Second Sons trilogy. I really enjoyed this series. The book sweeps along at a wonderful pace and the story is intricately woven using the characters innate motivations. I think if I was not so invested in the characters (even the ones I dislike) there would be no hope in following the complicated plots and schemes. I seldom find a book that truly surprises me, but Jennifer Fallon will get me again and again.
Read this really recently. This is book one of a trilogy, and all three are pretty good if you're into escapist stuff that doesn't tax your brain too hard... much more thoughtful themes than the majority of fantasy (dirty politics and manipulation through religion) and still has a fast-paced, exciting plot, without one dwarf. Yay.
I think Jennifer Fallon is simply brilliant. I adore this trilogy, I couldn't put it down and have already re read it once. I anticipate many more readings. I read somewhere that her advice to writers was never create a character smarter than yourself. Well if she is even half as brilliant as Dirk she's doing well.
The Lion of Senet and its two sequels make another of Fallon's epic fantasy trilogies. As always, the best part is the politicking. Strangely, however, the second best part isn't her loveable characters. TLoS is an okay beach read (which is where I read it), but don't bother if you're looking for something brilliant.
This trilogy was a bit fo a surprise to me, I'm not use to fantasy books without magic in them, so at first I was a little hesitant. However, I did really enjoy the concept. Some parts annoyed me a little bit, just how some characters were, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. The world was set out very well, and the hierachy used in it was really interesting to me. After finishing it I was satisfied with how it ended, I'm not sure if I will re-read it, but I do think of the series often an...more
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Jennifer Fallon was born in Carlton (a suburb of Melbourne, Australia) and lived in Caulfield until she was 11 when her father, a senior public servant, transferred to the national capital, Canberra. She lived in and around Canberra for about 8 years and went to school at Catholic Girls High School (now Mercy College) in Braddon. She is the ninth child in a family of thirteen girls.
In 1995, after...more
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“And try to stay out of trouble with the ladies. Remember, they all have fathers and brothers and some of them have armies. ”
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“It was almost as if he enjoyed the fact that the more agitated his opponent was, the more serene he became. Belagren's thoughts about Antonov in The Lion of Senet”
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Mar 20, 2013 08:48pm
Mar 20, 2013 09:47pm