Legend states that there exists a mighty sword that makes its possessor invincible to his enemies. But there is a curse on anyone who lifts the swo...
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reviews
Jul 07, 2007
O'Donovan
rated it: 
I've been a big fan of fantasy -- especially teen-appropriate fantasy, the kind without the classic "rape 'n' revenge" or "big guy with sword/buxom woman who does something non-violent" themes --- since I was a kid myself.
I don't remember who recommended The Seer and the Sword to me, but I owe him or her a plate of homebaked cookies. It's nice to see some classic but well-written and interestingly plotted YA fantasy that's not about (a) werewolves, (b) vampires or More...
I don't remember who recommended The Seer and the Sword to me, but I owe him or her a plate of homebaked cookies. It's nice to see some classic but well-written and interestingly plotted YA fantasy that's not about (a) werewolves, (b) vampires or More...
Apr 22, 2008
Alisa
rated it: 
King Kareed conquers Bellandra and brings his daughter, Torina, two prizes from the war: a crystal ball and the son of the conquered king, Landen. He gives Landen to Torina as a slave, but Torina frees him. Torina witnesses the murder of her father and has to run away to save her life. Landen also has to run away because he is accused of the murder. They live under false names and both become valuable to the high king, Dahmis. Dahmis unknowingly reunites Landen and Torina.
I can More...
I can More...
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Sep 13, 2011
Levina
rated it: 
Nothing new. A hero; a fiery, spirited princess (with red hair too, how original); a mythical sword (that is never actually used); a totally evil villain plotting to be king; a pseudo-Medieval European setting; the only thing sort-of fresh was the fact that the princess had a crystal ball that showed her the future. And even that's been done before.
There's nothing wrong with being derivative. I mean, look at Harry Potter. The ultimate example: a trio of friends with the main hero; th More...
There's nothing wrong with being derivative. I mean, look at Harry Potter. The ultimate example: a trio of friends with the main hero; th More...
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Jan 12, 2012
Ms. Library
rated it:
Where did I get this book?: I got it from a used book store. It looked interesting, so I went for it.
Plot: Torina is granted two gifts when her father comes back from war one day: a crystal and a slave boy named Landen. Landen is the prince of the kingdom her father has defeated, and Torina immediately frees and befriends him. She also discovers she can see the future in the crystal she carries. Years pass, and suddenly people are saying Landen is going to kill her father. How c More...
Plot: Torina is granted two gifts when her father comes back from war one day: a crystal and a slave boy named Landen. Landen is the prince of the kingdom her father has defeated, and Torina immediately frees and befriends him. She also discovers she can see the future in the crystal she carries. Years pass, and suddenly people are saying Landen is going to kill her father. How c More...
Oct 25, 2011
"En 2004 Ediciones SM publicaba esta aventura medieval en su colección El Navegante Fantasía. El escaso éxito de la colección llevó a su casi total desaparición hace varios años, pero algunos de los títulos que se editaron en ella valían mucho la pena y merecen ser rescatados. Es el caso de La vidente y la espada, que nos cuenta la historia de la princesa Torina y del príncipe Landen, un relato de batallas y traiciones, de secretos y profecías, pero, sobre todo, de una amistad que se co
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Mar 20, 2011
Denae
rated it:
I just re-read this book after not reading it for a long time. All I could remember was that a princess and prince were exiled but they fell in love and there was this crystal the girl used to tell the future. And I knew I liked the book.
Wow! Even though the book covers ten years, the passage of time is handled very well and the characters change and grow (although there were many times I wanted to shake Torina), and I loved the way the author dealt with different povs. VH skipped some More...
Wow! Even though the book covers ten years, the passage of time is handled very well and the characters change and grow (although there were many times I wanted to shake Torina), and I loved the way the author dealt with different povs. VH skipped some More...
Feb 24, 2011
Bt
rated it:
Over time, I've read a lot of a lot of novels in this genre - renaissance, fantasy, royalty, "swords and sorcery," etc. After a while, they all start to become the same. I see plots repeated over and over and similar characters, and things start to get predictable. This was just another drop in the bucket with all those others. While it was a good book, it wasn't particularly unique. Had I not read so many similar novels, I might have liked it more.
I did enjoy it relatively well, More...
I did enjoy it relatively well, More...
Sep 29, 2010
Maureen
rated it:
by Victoria Hanley
Opening line--"In the castle of Archeld, Queen Dreea sat at her loom."
Sometimes I go through Amazon's recommendations page, just to see what they think I would like. Every so often something catches my eye and I put it on the TBR list. That was the case with this one.
From the front flap: "Princess Torina lives a charmed life in the kingdom of Archeld. Then her father, King Kareed, seizes the peaceful kingdom of Bellandra--and i More...
Opening line--"In the castle of Archeld, Queen Dreea sat at her loom."
Sometimes I go through Amazon's recommendations page, just to see what they think I would like. Every so often something catches my eye and I put it on the TBR list. That was the case with this one.
From the front flap: "Princess Torina lives a charmed life in the kingdom of Archeld. Then her father, King Kareed, seizes the peaceful kingdom of Bellandra--and i More...
May 11, 2010
Kailey
rated it:
What month did you read this book for? April
Title: The Seer and the Sword
Author: Victoria Hanley
Date started/date completed: April 11- may 5th
Total Pages: 341
Rating of book (1-10): 4
Briefly summarize the book:
The story opens with the spirited young princess Torina of Archeld, a beautiful and strong kingdom -- of which she is the only heir, More...
Title: The Seer and the Sword
Author: Victoria Hanley
Date started/date completed: April 11- may 5th
Total Pages: 341
Rating of book (1-10): 4
Briefly summarize the book:
The story opens with the spirited young princess Torina of Archeld, a beautiful and strong kingdom -- of which she is the only heir, More...
Apr 28, 2010
Margaret
rated it:
Princess Torina is the seer, who glimpses visions in a crystal given to her by her father, the king of Archeld, who wrested it from the conquered kingdom of Bellandra. Along with the crystal, the king took Bellandra's legendary sword and hid it -- but he also took the prince of Bellandra, Landen, who longs to recover the sword and his kingdom. Eventually, Torina's fate is woven with Landen's, as her kingdom is endangered as well and they must turn to the high king, Dahmis of Glavenrell, for help
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Aug 16, 2011
Kate
rated it:
Check out my full review of this novel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd8U0YqFw...
This is one book that I put off reading for years. The cover art just didn't appeal to me. And while I know it's terrible to judge a book by it's cover, I couldn't seem to help it.
I'd heard wonderful things about it and finally gave it a chance. And the instant I did, I was in love. It had been a very long time since I'd read a book with such excitement and gusto as I did this novel. It wa More...
This is one book that I put off reading for years. The cover art just didn't appeal to me. And while I know it's terrible to judge a book by it's cover, I couldn't seem to help it.
I'd heard wonderful things about it and finally gave it a chance. And the instant I did, I was in love. It had been a very long time since I'd read a book with such excitement and gusto as I did this novel. It wa More...
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Jul 29, 2011
This was way better than i was expecting it to be. I went into this expecting a somewhat watery, hackneyed plot line with a few good twists and characters if I was lucky, but I found myself completely hooked as soon as I started reading. Although it's still definitely not the most original story ever, Hanley's writing style and vibrant characters make the story come alive. The backstory was well-developed, and the main plot and the characters' behavior were consistent with it. Almost all the
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Feb 19, 2011
Emma
rated it: 
The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley, 340 pages ★★★★☆
Torina Kareed is a princess in Archeld who would rather learn how to shoot an arrow than to stitch embroidery. She is a very adventurous young lady who is friendly, brave, and strong. Whenever anyone sets their eyes on her for the first time, they can’t help but notice how beautiful she is with her flaming red curly hair and deep, sea colored eyes. As a result of her good looks, many men find it hard not to fall in love with her, b More...
Torina Kareed is a princess in Archeld who would rather learn how to shoot an arrow than to stitch embroidery. She is a very adventurous young lady who is friendly, brave, and strong. Whenever anyone sets their eyes on her for the first time, they can’t help but notice how beautiful she is with her flaming red curly hair and deep, sea colored eyes. As a result of her good looks, many men find it hard not to fall in love with her, b More...
Sep 30, 2011
Aeslis
rated it:
So yes, this is a story that has little that's especially new about it. That doesn't stop it from being charming. It was a very fun read, and I found I couldn't put the book down. I read until the wee hours of the morning, and finished it before I went to sleep.
It's a quick book, and paced very well. However, the language of the writing could have been much stronger. Oftentimes the reader is told what happens, and what a character is feeling, bluntly and quickly. We are often tol More...
It's a quick book, and paced very well. However, the language of the writing could have been much stronger. Oftentimes the reader is told what happens, and what a character is feeling, bluntly and quickly. We are often tol More...
Jun 16, 2008
Michaela
rated it:
This book was amazing!! it had everything a fairytale lover could want! there's deffinately romance and adventure, and suspense, and fighting and death, and the villian is actually someone you really dislike a lot.
The author does an amazing job at describing death, the first time i read it it was actually kinda creepy.
This book just makes you feel exited and really wanna read more!
The author does an amazing job at describing death, the first time i read it it was actually kinda creepy.
This book just makes you feel exited and really wanna read more!
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Sep 16, 2011
Rue
rated it:
This is probably one of my favorite young adult book. When I first picked it up as a kid, I didn't think it would have been a good read just by looking at the cover. However, I was totally wrong which just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover.
The storyline was refreshing and well written and not predictable. The characters were strong and deternmined and not annoying at all. Non good books always have the tendency to start out good but then the character would have a More...
The storyline was refreshing and well written and not predictable. The characters were strong and deternmined and not annoying at all. Non good books always have the tendency to start out good but then the character would have a More...
Mar 08, 2011
Michaela
rated it:
All right, I won't lie: I honestly have no idea how "good" this book is. This, to me, is pure nostalgia, with a dtwist of soul-food. Every time I read it again (frequent) attempting to determine the book's true "quality", I'm swept away by waves of love. Given the other ratings it's garnered, I suppose it must actually be well written. I'm glad, but I don't really care. This was the very first book of a significant length I read and was the first 'real' I'd ever owned (I
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Feb 02, 2011
Chelsie
rated it:
Young Princess Torina is given a gift from her father as he returns from conquering the legendary kingdom of Bellandra, a slave. Prince Landon is shoved to his knees in front of her when he hears the her ask her father if she can do anything she wants with him. Thinking that making the heir to Bellandra a slave in his kingdom he laughs and tells her yes. "Then I set him free," she says with stubborn lift of her chin, her red hair blowing in breeze like her untamed spirit.
T More...
T More...
Nov 20, 2008
Lia
rated it:
I think I don't really want to get into the reasons why I didn't like this book. I griped about it to my husband for a while after I read it. Both too tangled and too neat. Obnoxious. Oh well. Lots of other people liked it, so I will leave it to them.
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May 15, 2008
Twilightopal
rated it:
This book was totally awsome!! It is an awsome fantasy, complete with a horoine princess. There is fighting, betrayal, romance and above all........a wonderful story. It is kind of fast pased, but it is still one of my favorite books ever!!
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Mar 14, 2009
Komal
rated it:
Wonderful book! I've read it twice before when I was much younger, but still enjoy re-reading occasionally. I think this is probably Victoria Hanley's best book so far (in comparison with The Healer's Keep and the Light of the Oracle). While there are some flaws, this is a fairly well-written young adult fantasy novel, especially since this was her first novel. I enjoyed the characters of Torina and Landen, Hanley did a great job developing both of their characters and the relationship between
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May 04, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
Adventure! Intrigue! Warring nations! Murdered kings and kidnapped princes! Seers! Swords! Grown men crying! Grown men requesting friendship in exchange for swords!
What’s not to love about this book?
And according to most reviews floating around the WWW, I’d say this is a much beloved book for many many people. Me, on the other hand, thought it was just aight. 2.5 stars.
There were several little annoyances in the book that I could forgive, if it weren’t so More...
What’s not to love about this book?
And according to most reviews floating around the WWW, I’d say this is a much beloved book for many many people. Me, on the other hand, thought it was just aight. 2.5 stars.
There were several little annoyances in the book that I could forgive, if it weren’t so More...
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Feb 04, 2011
Annette
rated it:
Pleasant fiction. The characters weren't terribly complex, the events rather predictable, but I still enjoyed the story's motion and action. I liked that the author introduced minor characters let them disappear from the story and then come back again in very natural ways. The growth of Torina wasn't well explored, not enough for me to feel the change. And in general there was a lack of strong female roles. But this is teen fiction. And from that perspective I'd gladly let my daughter read
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May 10, 2008
Shelbi
rated it:
I read this book for a Book Challenge. This is a tale fraught with adventure, romance and the "super-natural". A book I would read again and again .
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Nov 07, 2008
Morag
rated it:
This book made me feel like a kid again. It had a very satisfying, simple story line, and some wonderful characters. A very easy and satisfying read.
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Mar 02, 2009
Liz
rated it:
I really liked these books. I love a good young adult fantasy book as long as the love story is still convincing even though young adult tends to be watered down. Plus the plot can't be too simple, or too predictable. I wasn't disappointed with any of these books. Great stories all around. They aren't a series, but they take place in the same "world" and some of the characters overlap in very minor ways. What I loved about each book was that I was interested from the first chapte
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Apr 17, 2008
Kayla
rated it:
A most excellent read for anyone who enjoys fantasy. the irony of the sword is a good twist and the end leaves me wanting more.
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Sep 19, 2011
Chanae
rated it:
I knew that in the end Princess Torina and the ex-Prince Landen would get together but I was disappointed in how that relationship turned out. The first part of their relationship they are becoming friends - but it skims over it pretty fast. Then Torina ignores him and he leaves. Only later when Torina is alone does she realize she loves him - and then finally in the last few chapters of the book are they reunited. So I knew they would get together but I didn't really care if they did. At one po
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Jul 02, 2008
Koohiki
rated it:
This is the first book that i just picked off the shelf and randomly read. I loved it! I loved it! I loved it!
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Apr 03, 2008
Catherine
rated it:
Great youth fantasy - the political machinations are much more fun than what one usually finds in youth fiction.
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