false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174407956m/393146.jpg 393146 8 Note: Published as <i>The Gift</i> in Australia. Australian poet Alison Croggon brings an eye for sensual detail to this heroic fantasy that follows the genre's familiar formula: A humble person is caught up in extraordinary events and led (or sent) on a journey by a wise figure, only to discover eventually that he/she is destined to save the world in an ultimate confrontation between the powers of good and evil. In this case the young person is sixteen-year-old Maedra, who is rescued from slavery by the Bard Cadvan. They share an exhausting journey toward Innail, one of the Bard schools and strongholds that govern the land, and Maedra grows to trust Cadvan as he reluctantly reveals his magical powers in several ambushes from evil creatures. But under duress she, too, begins to discover that she has a Gift--and more. After she has learned to read, ride a horse, and handle a sword at Innail, they set out on another dangerous trek to the prestigious city of Norloch, where Cadvan hopes to consult with his mentor Nelac to confirm his conviction that Maerad is the One who was Foretold. Many other characters and creatures come into this tale, as well as mystical intimations and dreams, and lavish descriptions of landscape, food, clothes, and room furnishings. In the tradition of Tolkien, a whole history of an ancient language and culture undergirds the story, and Croggon has even provided appendices of that history, a pronunciation guide, and an invented bibliography of her sources. Die-hard fantasy fans who can forgive its slow pace will enjoy this richly imagined story and look forward to its sequel, <i>The Riddle</i>. (ages 12 and up) <i>--Patty Campbell</i> 382708 2001 The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor total:1658|5:677|4:607|3:285|2:75|1:14| 1658 6832 2419 324 2 4 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 06 16:17:55 -0700 2008 Sat Jul 26 15:11:12 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 3 false false Fri Feb 22 06:24:54 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 22 06:26:12 -0800 2008 5 2 false false Fri Nov 09 04:58:30 -0800 2007 Mon Nov 12 05:26:03 -0800 2007 ...The "chosen one" is raised in a secluded farm, identity hidden...The girl was trained in musicianship by the local bard, ...more...]]> 5 2 true false Sat Jan 31 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 03:26:35 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 04:15:31 -0800 2009 1 more...]]> 2 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 13 09:39:58 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 13 09:45:39 -0800 2008 1
I didn't feel like I knew or understood the world very well by the end. We're told a great deal about t...more...]]> 3 1 false false Fri Aug 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 22 06:44:42 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 22 07:08:09 -0700 2008 ...more...]]> 4 2 false false Wed Aug 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 28 09:20:34 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 13:44:56 -0700 2008
This is a fantasy/adventure novel that reminds me in many ways of The Lord of the Rings...more...]]> 3 1 false false Sun Jun 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed May 28 22:41:34 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 11 10:13:43 -0700 2008
The story is about Maerad, who we meet as a slave in Gilman's Cot. Maerad wasn't always a slave though. She was born in a place called Pellinor, but Pellinor was ransacked and lost, and she and her mother were taken as...more...]]> 3 1 false false Sat Mar 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 03:27:42 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 27 03:05:23 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Mar 08 13:46:51 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 10 14:14:59 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Mar 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 16:46:06 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 23:27:57 -0700 2009
I have to disagree with a review stating that it was another Lord of the Rings with a hero...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 10:51:48 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 01 19:25:58 -0800 2009
The story of The Naming (more so than the other two currently published in the series)...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Dec 25 00:19:50 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 25 00:27:26 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 20:28:42 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 19:49:08 -0700 2009 This was a book that I have mixed feelings about. It was a good standard fantasy book. The characters are interesting. Maybe it’s my age but realizing it’s the first book in a series of four and looking at it’s oversized status and that it’s nearly 500 pages, I’m left thinking do I r...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Aug 30 16:48:59 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 17:20:24 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Dec 06 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 28 08:26:22 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 06 17:59:19 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jun 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 05 09:31:22 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 14 12:29:11 -0700 2009 1
The keyword for this book is slow. Everything about this book is very slow paced. Now, I don't always mind a slower pace, as long as we're given ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri May 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue May 12 08:13:30 -0700 2009 Fri May 22 17:36:16 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false true Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 17 07:18:09 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 01 20:22:43 -0700 2009 Once
I'll try to summarize my problems into 10 main points.

1) The characters are iffy. Maerad isn't necessarily a bad character;...more...]]> 0 0 false false Wed Sep 30 12:41:56 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 12:41:56 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=393146