The Riddler's Gift (Tales of the Lifesong, #1)

The Riddler's Gift (Tales of the Lifesong #1)

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3.96 of 5 stars 3.96  ·  rating details  ·  154 ratings  ·  40 reviews
In a time when the world was ravaged by chaos, one kingdom remains; ordered, isolated, protected. Then Tabitha Serannon awakens an ancient power and the world begins to change.

She is hunted for her talent. The Shadowcasters whisper in her ears as their evil closes around her. Soon the Riddler walks beside her, but is he on her side?

She has a moment to learn the magic befor...more
643 pages
Published (first published June 1st 2007)
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Lu (Sugar & Snark)
My Rating:

7/10

My Take:

I won this book, and I'm so glad I did!

Tabitha Serannon has a hidden power, but to access this she needs to go through many trials and tribulations to discover her inner strength. With the help of an unlikely friend, she has to find her way. Darkness stands in the path she must follow, but so does love.

This book was really gripping and one I did not want to end! It was extremely hard to put down and when I finally did, I could not stop thinking about it!

I cannot wait for t...more
Laura Howard
I really give this 4.5 - there are a lot of "amazing" moments. I have this on my list to get the next book. I don't think I can add much that I haven't already seen in the other reviews, but here are my personal takes:

I felt the book told me enough of a complete story that I didn't feel I had to grab up the next immediately. It wasn't actually until the end that I realized there was a lead-in during the beginning which give me an idea of the bigger story. It went from broad to focused very comfo...more
Melody Armstrong
What were the main themes of the book? I think that the main themes are self-discovery and personal strength.

Describe 2 different settings or locations. One - "The distance in his voice drove the tears into her eyes before she could resist them. The precipice loomed before her." Is seeing really believing or does it merely gives us the chance to face our fears instead of running away?

Two - “It’s not something which telling shall ease, but it’s a burden nonetheless, and it must be told, for you...more
Sleepydormouse
As I started the book several things jarred, town names like Flowerton just felt a little bit Enid Blyton, the story felt rather a lot like one I had read before (Rhapsody:Child of Blood, by Elizabeth Haydon - a singer who has to always tell the truth and works magic with her music). Also there were times when during reading I would suddenly be told things like the heroine, Tabitha, was lying in snow, but there had been little reference to the snow before, making me feel a bit like I was walking...more
Bob & Eliza  Richardson
Cover - The cover fits the story and I liked it very much.

Formatting / Appearance - There were no issues at all and I especially liked the font that was used for the chapter titles. Very detailed and it seems very little has missed this author's eye.

Content - First Tale of the Lifesong is an appropriate title because Tabitha appears to be singing for her very life. My book club members and I did notice that Tabitha appears to be the central character, but isn't quite the central point of the st...more
TC
I get lots of requests to review fantasy books and I decline more than I accept, but this one piqued my interest. This is a long book, approximately 650 pages, and could fairly be described as a fantasy epic. The author has created a kingdom with it's own lore and history, and pits the Lightgifters against the Shadowcasters. With the dark on the verge of obtaining the upper hand Tabitha becomes crucial to the survival of Eyri.


While the story is primarily one of good versus evil there is also ro...more
Ravina Andrea Kurian
I love it when authors create a world of their own and take readers along for the ride. In this book readers are introduced to the Kingdom of Eyri.

Don't be fooled by its length, it's way more than 600 pages and you will expect the story to drag, but it doesn't. Every page offers a little excitement.

I would have liked for Tabitha's character to have been more developed. I felt like she and her actions weren't explained as much.

Would I recommend this read? Oh yes, definitely.

Overall assessment:
Con...more
Andrew
I'm in two minds about this book. I love the main storyline and how it's set in a world that's on the brink of annihilation. I enjoyed learning about the wizards and their magic, and the evil characters really worked for me. I can't remember the last time I read a book where the evil characters were so good at being bad!

The main let down for me though was Tabitha. Rarely has a main character in a book infuriated me as much or as often as she. It seemed like she just wandered from one situation t...more
Angela
The wizards believed in Order but then one defied the rest and brought Chaos, threatening to destroy the world. One sanctuary remains, a safe haven where one special person can develop the magic that might save them. When Tabitha Serannon takes a ring that isn't hers and sings an ancient song, she releases a power that she doesn't understand and cannot control. Will she learn to balance the Light and the Dark before it is too late? Or will the entire realm fall under the rule of the Darkmaster a...more
Eero
I am vacillating between 3 and 4 stars. This was a very readable fantasy, even though it started with a long exposition which might not have been necessary. Perhaps it would have been better to start with the characters and then fill in the background in smaller doses.

Also I was sort of hoping it would turn out to be a sort of Clarke's Law type of thing, but it didn't go there, although the magic had a bit of a "scientific" flavour. Maybe that wouldn't have worked anyway. The characters could ha...more
jD
Perfect except for the partical ending. Not a cliffhanger but an ending that desperately needs an epilogue. My only crique.
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
When I read a really good book, it's hard to write a review, because my words don't measure up to what I have read as an example of good writing. But, I do my best. Let me make it clear that I'm hardly a critical scholar when it comes to fantasy. Before I added this to my epic fantasy shelf, I checked out the definition of epic fantasy. As I read the description of epic fantasy elements, I ticked off a mental checklist, and this book fits all the descriptions of epic fantasy. Of course, as I sai...more
Tom Coakley
The author is so word heavy and slow in development that I almost quit the book around 150 pages in. Around 300 pages in I knew I would finish, but figured I would slam it a bit in review. I am so glad I stuck it out as this was a really great concept. The plot is actually a plot within a plot, very creative and thought out.

I do recommend the book, but it really should have been about 150 pages shorter than it is. Rather than just say something lasts a long time the author will actually describ...more
Manny
Nov 29, 2010 Manny rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like heroic fantasy and aren't too fussy about style
That night, Tabitha had a strange dream. She was on a long, winding road high in the Zunskar Mountains when she came to a little tavern. The inn-keeper welcomed her and gave her good meat and drink, which she was grateful of, for she had travelled far. When she had eaten and drunk her fill, he asked her if she was Tabitha Serannon, the singer.

"I am," she replied shyly. She had still not become used to her new fame.

"Then there is someone here that I think you will want to meet," said the inn-keep...more
Elondel
Sep 24, 2010 Elondel rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: own
Life isn't fair. When one takes the time to think things over, he can come up with a thousand ways to illustrate this. One of them should be that Greg Hamerton isn't a well known author of fantasy literature, cause he sure deserves to be.
I discovered Hamerton with a little bit of luck. I stumbled upon the Fantasy Book Critic-blog and right around that time, they published a very positive review of his second book. Triggered by that and the positive comments on the first, I purchased both books o...more
Dave Wagner
Other than 'The Heroes', by Joe Abercrombie, this book (The Riddler's Gift) by Greg Hamerton is the most enjoyable fantasy book I've read in the past year. That includes noteworthy books by the likes of GRR Martin, Pat Rothfuss, Peter Brett, KJ Parker, John Scalzi, Brandon Sanderson, etc. All of them. I'm belaboring this to let you know that I am not saying this lightly, or off-the-cuff.

The Riddler's Gift has many character types and fantasy tropes that one would expect from a (shall we say) "tr...more
PaulineMRoss
At first glance, this is a very traditional fantasy story about a magic ring which slips away from its evil owner at a critical moment, and finds its way into the hands of the most unlikely person imaginable. There’s a benign wizard acting as mentor and guide, there’s an evil wizard spreading darkness over the land, with the help of some evil minions, and there’s a collection of good guys uniting to defeat evil. You might think you’ve read something with a plot not a million miles from this one...more
Karen
Wow, what a plot! The main character, Tabitha Serannon is a charming young girl, a tavern singer with an amazing voice and a Truthsayer with aspirations of becoming a Lightgifter and healer like her mother, but then she hears the Lifesong and her whole life changes. Suddenly we are thrown into this magical world of Dark and Light fighting to rule the Kingdom of Eyri. Tabitha has to find the wizard who owns the magical ring she bears as she becomes aware of it's and her own capabilities and the p...more
Sam
Won this in the GR giveaways and my god I'm glad I did. Hamerton is well on his way to creating a fantasy series that could very well rival Tolkien in it's skill and imagination (and I don't make that comparison lightly, I can tell you). He has the dry wit and humour, moments of heart-warming tenderness and the magic, mystery and that little bit of mayhem that made Tolkien the world's first and greatest fantasy writer, and Hamerton is definitely following in those footsteps.

The story starts in O...more
Liviu
Excellent fantasy debut set in an alternate Earthlike domain called Eyri which was isolated and hidden with strong magic from the rest of the planet by a cabal of 8 wizards called the Gyre.

The Gyre is facing the most powerful Chaos wizard ever Ametheus who brought destruction and misery to the rest of the planet, but they are not strong enough to fight him directly.

Setting up Eyri and introducing a magical artifact and an wizard observer/adviser, they hope to nurture new wizard blood away fro...more
Beth Erwin
This book gets off to a slow start, but very quickly you become engaged in young Tabitha's struggles. I was ultimately glad the story was so long, as it gave time for the characters to develop and the plot to twist a bit. The addition of the Riddler make the story! In the tried adn true method for fantasy novels, the heroine gets suspicious looking 'help' from a shad and often hard to find character who shows up when trouble is at it's peak.

I really enjoyed this book, and am hoping there is a s...more
Shelley
I have some mixed feelings. The story was compelling and enjoyable to read- lots going on, but it was predictable as well. I just never really loved the Characters enough to invest myself. They were likeable, or dis-likeable( the evil ones) but were very average in the personality department. I am not a fan of torture and rape, which was a recurring theme. Having said that, I will probably read the next book just to see where he takes the story.
Scott Bickford
Something feels off to me as the story progresses. The heroine failed to capture my adoration, the characters felt like their stories couldn't keep up with the plot. It really kept this book from becoming a "You must read this!" recommendation for me.

It isn't bad...but it isn't good either in my opinion.
Millie Burns
I enjoyed the Riddler's Gift very much. A classic good versus evil fantasy, with a high amount of tension that kept me turning pages. Well drawn world, and powerful imagery, what's not to like. I'm looking forward to reading more about Tabitha and The Riddler.
Weepingbeauty
Magic and music from this Cape Town author. This is the first in the Lifesong cycle. Good to find South African fantasy authors. However, he is a fan of Terry Brookes, and i got irritated at times when i realised where the story threads came from.
Eileen
I enjoyed this world of the Riddler - and really looking forward to the sequels. It is a fantasy world that made sense because of the skill of the writer, and the "lifesong" music of the Riddler world touched the "music" we have in this world.
Nikki
I got this through the goodreads giveaways, oh-so-long-ago. I've been meaning to get round to it for, literally, years. I read a section ages ago, and then never picked it up again, which should perhaps be indicative. So, I'm going to confess: I've never finished reading this, and I don't think I'm going to. I've read enough fantasy in my life that I'm quite cynical about it, and you'll have to give me something newer and fresher than the plot/characters in this book to keep me happy (most of th...more
Taekwondodo
Jan 17, 2010 Taekwondodo rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adults interested in magic
I won this book through a first-reads giveaway.

Although I technically finished it today it would probably be more accurate to say I finished it last night! Damn you Hamerton, I need my sleep! During the final, climactic battle I literally could not put it down. A spellbinding (pun intended) read, if a little sticky at parts. Not one I would have read normally but I'm glad I did.
Jesslyn
EDIT: Free for Kindle users (4/25/13)

I really disliked the Swordmaster and couldn't feel any type of sympathy for him. I also felt that too much power was given to the Dark side without a valid balance on the Light. Thus the 4 start rating, which in my mind is really a 4.5.

This is epic fantasy with some nice twists. There is NOT a cliffhanger, and the 2nd book has been published.

Note to Kindle users, you can borrow these books for free if you have a Prime account. I started the 1st book for free...more
Viloshani Matadin
I simply loved the story. My heart really went out to the Sword Masterwho was forced to choose between duty and love. Simply fantastic!
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The Riddler's Gift (Lifesong, #1)
The Riddler's Gift (First Tale of the Lifesong, #1)
The Riddler's Gift - First Tale of the Lifesong (ebook)
The Riddler's Gift: First Tale Of The Lifesong (Part One)
The Riddler's Gift: First Tale Of The Lifesong (Part Two)

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I'm an outdoor enthusiast and have been an active paraglider pilot since 1992. I find it essential to get away from the office on the weekends, and you can't get much farther away than high above the ground, looking down at the mountain peak beneath your toes.

My primary school was artistic. We made up stories. We painted things. We acted out Norse Mythology. It was great, and it's probably the rea...more
More about Greg Hamerton...
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