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54th out of 84 books
—
292 voters
The Heir of Night (Wall of Night #1)
by
Helen Lowe (Goodreads Author)
If Night falls, all fall . . .
In the far north of the world of Haarth lies the bitter mountain range known as the Wall of Night. Garrisoned by the Nine Houses of the Derai, the Wall is the final bastion between the peoples of Haarth and the Swarm of Dark--which the Derai have been fighting across worlds and time.
Malian, Heir to the House of Night, knows the history of her...more
In the far north of the world of Haarth lies the bitter mountain range known as the Wall of Night. Garrisoned by the Nine Houses of the Derai, the Wall is the final bastion between the peoples of Haarth and the Swarm of Dark--which the Derai have been fighting across worlds and time.
Malian, Heir to the House of Night, knows the history of her...more
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
Published
September 28th 2010
by Harper Voyager
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Reviewed by Laura for Book Chick City. 7/10 on the blog.
'The Heir of Night' is the first in a new four part fantasy series. The Derai live on the edge of the world, charged with guarding 'The Wall' against the ancient and terrifying Swarm. A ferocious, demonic race.
The Derai are an uncompromising people, ruled by tough rules and routine. But their task is such a hard one, they dare not deviate from the way of life that has been followed for hundreds of years. For, legend claims that if the House...more
'The Heir of Night' is the first in a new four part fantasy series. The Derai live on the edge of the world, charged with guarding 'The Wall' against the ancient and terrifying Swarm. A ferocious, demonic race.
The Derai are an uncompromising people, ruled by tough rules and routine. But their task is such a hard one, they dare not deviate from the way of life that has been followed for hundreds of years. For, legend claims that if the House...more
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Your enjoyment of a novel is often based on your taste, so whether or not you'll enjoy this book might be influenced by a similar taste. I love:
-Both Fantasy and Science Fiction genres
-Strong female protagonist
-Lots of action
-Some romance is good (though I'm fine if it's not there - Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series fits all of four of the above)
-Originality (like George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, where there isn't a "Good vs Evil")
-Interesting politics (like Lois McMaste...more
-Both Fantasy and Science Fiction genres
-Strong female protagonist
-Lots of action
-Some romance is good (though I'm fine if it's not there - Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series fits all of four of the above)
-Originality (like George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, where there isn't a "Good vs Evil")
-Interesting politics (like Lois McMaste...more
While the world is interesting, the protagonist was not. The story and the characters in it are problematic, both from a reader's (mine) and a plot point-of-view.
The eponymous protagonist: Malian is a 12-13 yr old child, the daughter of the Earl of Night (ruler of the House and member of the Alliance). That age is not, in and of itself, a black mark. In this book, however, Malian alternates between the attitude of a 13 yr old and that of an adult. Some of this is appropriate for someone of that...more
The eponymous protagonist: Malian is a 12-13 yr old child, the daughter of the Earl of Night (ruler of the House and member of the Alliance). That age is not, in and of itself, a black mark. In this book, however, Malian alternates between the attitude of a 13 yr old and that of an adult. Some of this is appropriate for someone of that...more
The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe
Orbit
Review by Carissa Thorp
Appeared in aurealisXpress June 2012
I was completely and unexpectedly drawn into this first novel in Lowe’s Wall of Night series. Having missed it on its release a couple of years ago, I read it in preparation for reading and reviewing the second book, released in April of this year. Upon finishing it, I decided it really deserved a review of its own, I enjoyed it that much.
Malian is the heir of the Earl of Night, and in spite of a dista...more
Orbit
Review by Carissa Thorp
Appeared in aurealisXpress June 2012
I was completely and unexpectedly drawn into this first novel in Lowe’s Wall of Night series. Having missed it on its release a couple of years ago, I read it in preparation for reading and reviewing the second book, released in April of this year. Upon finishing it, I decided it really deserved a review of its own, I enjoyed it that much.
Malian is the heir of the Earl of Night, and in spite of a dista...more
It is rare that I will pick up a book based on the promotional 'guff' that is used on front covers, especially as I work within publishing and know exactly what goes into that process. However, because I worship to the goddess that is Robin Hobb, I bought it (thankfully on offer).
There are some interesting concepts at work here. I like the mythology behind the story and good characterisation of different races.
That is pretty much where the praise finishes.
For a start, the protagonists are too...more
There are some interesting concepts at work here. I like the mythology behind the story and good characterisation of different races.
That is pretty much where the praise finishes.
For a start, the protagonists are too...more
2010: Cheated is how I feel about this book. Marketed as the author's first foray into Adult fantasy, I was enticed to give it a try. To then find out that the protagonists are 12/13 years old. No, I cry and wail to the Heavens - how can this be? I don't particularly care that there are so called adult themes and the promise of growth throughout the trilogy. This is not what I wanted to read. This is not the author's fault and I lay the blame on her advisors, agents and publishers. This is NOT a...more
Out at the garrison overlooking the Wall of Night, the House of Night is attacked and its inhabitants slaughtered by a Raptor of Darkness. Our hero and heroine of this tale - Malian, the teenage heiress being groomed to inherit the House of Night, and Kalan, her male Temple trainee friend, escape the massacre and find themselves hunted by the Swarm of Dark. In doing so, Malian and Kalan both find they have magical powers. A mystery assistant from the Derai’s past comes to their aid:
“First you m...more
“First you m...more
4 Stars!
Those who like epic fantasy novels are going to probably like this new one from Helen Lowe. The magic is well integrated into the world and her command of language is exceedingly good. More Tolkien-esque than trendy and modern.
I would have given the book 5-Stars except for the fact that there is this break in the storyline that I had difficulty getting past. I actually had to put the book down for three days before I could integrate myself back into it. And if I was to try to summarize w...more
Those who like epic fantasy novels are going to probably like this new one from Helen Lowe. The magic is well integrated into the world and her command of language is exceedingly good. More Tolkien-esque than trendy and modern.
I would have given the book 5-Stars except for the fact that there is this break in the storyline that I had difficulty getting past. I actually had to put the book down for three days before I could integrate myself back into it. And if I was to try to summarize w...more
Robin Hobb says 'The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe is a richly told tale of strange magic, dark treachery and conflicting loyalties, set in a well realised world’.
And she is quite right, it is.
It is a beautifully crafted novel, the world is vibrant and so are the characters, although I must admit the characterisation sometimes left me scratching my head. I had a lot of questions as to maturity - in Malian's case - and what seemed to me to be leaps of logic. But this didn't spoil my enjoyment of w...more
And she is quite right, it is.
It is a beautifully crafted novel, the world is vibrant and so are the characters, although I must admit the characterisation sometimes left me scratching my head. I had a lot of questions as to maturity - in Malian's case - and what seemed to me to be leaps of logic. But this didn't spoil my enjoyment of w...more
The author, Helen Lowe writes traditional epic fantasy.
The Heir of Night takes place on a world called Haarth with the Derai people. The Derai have come from the stars and have fought the Darkswarm for eternity. The past has a firm hold on the present.
In the north, the House of Night stands against the Darkswarm. The House of Night is one of the nine Derai Houses, which guard the Shield-wall of Night. They are tasked with keeping the Darkswarm behind the Wall. This is a tale of two young people...more
The Heir of Night takes place on a world called Haarth with the Derai people. The Derai have come from the stars and have fought the Darkswarm for eternity. The past has a firm hold on the present.
In the north, the House of Night stands against the Darkswarm. The House of Night is one of the nine Derai Houses, which guard the Shield-wall of Night. They are tasked with keeping the Darkswarm behind the Wall. This is a tale of two young people...more
I recently read Helen Lowe's wonderful debut book, Thornspell, and now I had a chance to read the Advance Readers Edition of her second book, The Heir of Night. The Heir of Night is different from Thornspell, but it's just as good and interesting as Thornspell. Thornspell is a young adult fantasy book (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty), but The Heir of Night is a dark and complex book for adults.
The Heir of Night is traditional fantasy, but it's excellent traditional fantasy. Helen Lowe's prose fl...more
The Heir of Night is traditional fantasy, but it's excellent traditional fantasy. Helen Lowe's prose fl...more
I won and Advance Readers Edition of "The Heir of Night" by Helen Lowe. When it comes to fantasy books I don't know squat, because I don't read them. But, if this is what fantasy books are like, then I will need to read more! Helen Lowe artfully spins a complex story about a young girl, Malian, who has the fate of her world resting on her shoulders. There are elements of good vs evil, loyalty vs betrayal, youth vs wisdom, growing up and trusting others. One thing that stood out for me was the la...more
Shadowhawk reviews Helen Lowe's debut novel that won her the David Gemmell Morningstar award this year, Heir of Night, the first in the Wall of Night series by Orbit Books.
"A fantasy novel written as a grand mythology epic, Heir of Night hits all the right buttons and is another must-read of the (last) year." ~The Founding Fields
Read lots of different stuff this year, I thought back in January. Step out of my comfort zone, I thought. Honestly, nothing could have prepared me for Helen Lowe's debu...more
"A fantasy novel written as a grand mythology epic, Heir of Night hits all the right buttons and is another must-read of the (last) year." ~The Founding Fields
Read lots of different stuff this year, I thought back in January. Step out of my comfort zone, I thought. Honestly, nothing could have prepared me for Helen Lowe's debu...more
Mar 18, 2012
Cheryl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
goodreads-challenge-2012
I picked this book up at the beginning of the month after reading a blog post from Cassie about New Zealand Book Month. I'm always looking for new things to read and I was looking for something to read after finishing The Hunger Games. So why not support a NZ author this month?
The Heir of Night is the first of four books to be published in the Wall of Night Series. (The second book was just released!)
I wasn't entirely certain what to expect when I picked the book up. The differences in cover art...more
The Heir of Night is the first of four books to be published in the Wall of Night Series. (The second book was just released!)
I wasn't entirely certain what to expect when I picked the book up. The differences in cover art...more
I loved this book! If I told you what the book was about - young girl develops powers, is foretold to save the world, evil bad minions try to kill her, she must escape and hide until her powers are strong enough to fulfil the prophecy - you'd probably say you've read it before. But, Helen Lowe makes it fresh. I read a lot of books, and some are fun reads, and some are just mindless entertainment. But, when I started reading this book I found myself sinking into the story and about page 50 or so...more
I first came across mention of The Heir of Night by Helen Lowewhen it won the Gemmell Morningstar Award. I was a big fan of David Gemmell's work in my youth and still enjoy them to this day, so the endorsement carries some weight. Add to this that Lowe is an antipodean author (New Zealand based) and I was very keen to read it.
The Heir of Night is the first of a trilogy. The premise is interesting - a blend of science fiction and fantasy. Hundreds of years previously a race of warriors (the Derai...more
The Heir of Night is the first of a trilogy. The premise is interesting - a blend of science fiction and fantasy. Hundreds of years previously a race of warriors (the Derai...more
3.5 stars
Heir of Night is an interesting mix of pleasant surprises and disappointments. There are lots of aspects of this book that have a very been-there-done-that feel, like prophesies, chosen ones, royalty and the like. However, beneath all this is a very well wrought world with an impressively rich and layered history. While the protagonists are young (making me think this is more of a crossover YA/adult novel than anything else – and no, there is nothing wrong with that), it will be interes...more
Heir of Night is an interesting mix of pleasant surprises and disappointments. There are lots of aspects of this book that have a very been-there-done-that feel, like prophesies, chosen ones, royalty and the like. However, beneath all this is a very well wrought world with an impressively rich and layered history. While the protagonists are young (making me think this is more of a crossover YA/adult novel than anything else – and no, there is nothing wrong with that), it will be interes...more
I was a bit daunted when I saw how big this book was but I was brave and picked it up earlier today. It's now just gone midnight and I've just finished the book - and I only stopped long enough to feed dinner to my daughter and make sure she's ready for school tomorrow. Luckily for me, she's very forgiving of my book addiction and knows that I can be very difficult to distract when I'm lost in a great book.
And this really is a great book. While this is a lot of action, there's also a fair amount...more
And this really is a great book. While this is a lot of action, there's also a fair amount...more
Oh boy do I have a lot to say about this book. First off, if you're not a huge Lord of the Rings trilogy fan, then it most likely will not bother you. However, I found so many allusions to the trilogy that made the novel lose most of its originality, at least for me. This is the biggest factor as to why I rated it 2/5. The story itself was pretty well-written and the author does have potential to being a great author. I'm probably very nitpicky about this but I personally find it frustrating whe...more
Wow! When I tried to think of what to write about this book, the only thing that came to mind was WOW! The Heir of Night is a great start to a new series, The Wall of Night, by Helen Lowe. Her style of writing kept me up late wanting to see what happened next. The characters were very well done and I think the world building was superbly done. The only bad thing I can say about this book is that the story has been told many times before, but it's really not that bad because it was superbly done....more
Reviewed for www.bookchickcity.com (7 out of 10 on the blog)
'The Heir of Night' is the first in a new four part fantasy series. The Derai live on the edge of the world, charged with guarding 'The Wall' against the ancient and terrifying Swarm. A ferocious, demonic race.
The Derai are an uncompromising people, ruled by tough rules and routine. But their task is such a hard one, they dare not deviate from the way of life that has been followed for hundreds of years. For, legend claims that if the H...more
'The Heir of Night' is the first in a new four part fantasy series. The Derai live on the edge of the world, charged with guarding 'The Wall' against the ancient and terrifying Swarm. A ferocious, demonic race.
The Derai are an uncompromising people, ruled by tough rules and routine. But their task is such a hard one, they dare not deviate from the way of life that has been followed for hundreds of years. For, legend claims that if the H...more
Interesting premise and plot so far. It starts off a little slow -- but I assume it's a large scale plot arc -- so it makes sense.
I like the characters & the world is interesting. Something along the lines of a monster mash up -- considering two sets of aliens are fighting on a new planet. Although whether it's magic or sufficiently advanced tech really is either no longer known or not made clear at this point.
Not an instant love (ala Lorna Freeman "Convenant") -- but I do want to see where...more
I like the characters & the world is interesting. Something along the lines of a monster mash up -- considering two sets of aliens are fighting on a new planet. Although whether it's magic or sufficiently advanced tech really is either no longer known or not made clear at this point.
Not an instant love (ala Lorna Freeman "Convenant") -- but I do want to see where...more
I really loved reading this book! It is a massive epic fantasy, super long and not something you just breeze through, but it was so layered and complex and nuanced that I just loved every minute. This felt a lot like some of my other favorite epic fantasies, including Juliet Marillier and Tolkien, not to mention some Robin McKinley. However, it is unique enough that it stands separate from those. Every character felt like it had a back story and I wanted so much to know that story! It was just p...more
I picked this up to read as a favour, and so that I could write a review for a Kiwi author on our sci fi fantasy shelf at work!
I was tremendously surprised by how much I've actually enjoyed the book.
Though the characters are young, it is the beginning of the series, so I imagine we're going to follow them growing up, like in the Belgariad or the Farseer trilogy.
The world they live in sounds fascinating, and I definitely want to hear more, from different perspectives or the same, I don't mind!
H...more
I was tremendously surprised by how much I've actually enjoyed the book.
Though the characters are young, it is the beginning of the series, so I imagine we're going to follow them growing up, like in the Belgariad or the Farseer trilogy.
The world they live in sounds fascinating, and I definitely want to hear more, from different perspectives or the same, I don't mind!
H...more
Malian chaffes against some of the restrictions on her life, she really wants to stretch her wings. Her family occupy a pivotal part in keeping the tide of shadow away from the rest of the world. Her home is attacked and she flees into the Old Keep. When there she has to face up to the fact that she has power, power that demands a price.
I really enjoyed this read, I like Malian as a character and the others around here were well drawn and believable. I'm looking forward to more in this series an...more
I really enjoyed this read, I like Malian as a character and the others around here were well drawn and believable. I'm looking forward to more in this series an...more
I enjoyed reading The Heir of Night and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to join the start of a well-written fantasy saga. Helen Lowe can tell a great tale - especially when it comes to immersing readers in her created cultures, magic system and characters. There's a certain warmth to her style where the characters take on an intelligent, thoughtful approach to each other and to the world around them.
SMALL SPOILERS...
Certain scenes within the novel are truly exceptional. The chapter...more
SMALL SPOILERS...
Certain scenes within the novel are truly exceptional. The chapter...more
As a first novel 'The Heir of Night' is well written. It was recommended to me by a member of staff in Waterstones. I decided to follow his advice and at first I was unsure. As many other reviewers have pointed out this novel is not presented as though it should be in the teen fiction section. It lacks the adult element that is promised. The violence is skirted over and the fact that the protagonists are children removes any thought of a blossoming romance between them even though there appears...more
Original Post: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/06/...
“A strong opener to a series that I will certainly be reading more of despite its flaws.” ~The Founding Fields
A few days before The Heir of Night won the David Gemell Morningstar award, a copy of the novel turned up on my doorstep alongside Michael J. Sullivan’s The Heir of Novron (which will be reviewed later), and as I’d heard good things about this book, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. When I found out that Lowe’s first ‘adult fantasy’ w...more
“A strong opener to a series that I will certainly be reading more of despite its flaws.” ~The Founding Fields
A few days before The Heir of Night won the David Gemell Morningstar award, a copy of the novel turned up on my doorstep alongside Michael J. Sullivan’s The Heir of Novron (which will be reviewed later), and as I’d heard good things about this book, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. When I found out that Lowe’s first ‘adult fantasy’ w...more
Sep 26, 2012
Janet
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of L. E. Modesitt
Shelves:
wars-and-thrones
I often get bogged down in long fantasy epics, but The Heir of Night kept me immersed in the world and the action so that I read it straight through in one sitting. Helen Lowe is a master of crisp description and detailed, vivid scenes page by page. Her world building is also fully realized in its setting, traditions, ancient and recent history, and magic system.
I actually would have preferred less of the total scope of her world-building in the first novel. The combination of space travel and...more
I actually would have preferred less of the total scope of her world-building in the first novel. The combination of space travel and...more
A very stately and thematic fantasy, of the Tolkien school, full of forces, mysteries and struggles, without necessarily getting a lot done. I found it sort of tedious; your mileage may vary.
There seems to be a really interesting story in the back-end of this book, and occasionally glimpses of it were caught through the mist. I was intrigued by the deep inculcation of the warrior culture, interested in the "outsider" characters and their stories, and definitely excited by the origin tales of the...more
There seems to be a really interesting story in the back-end of this book, and occasionally glimpses of it were caught through the mist. I was intrigued by the deep inculcation of the warrior culture, interested in the "outsider" characters and their stories, and definitely excited by the origin tales of the...more
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I am a novelist, poet, interviewer, and blogger, with two novels currently published and one immediately forthcoming.
"The Heir of Night", the first of THE WALL OF NIGHT quartet, is available in the USA (Harper Voyager), UK, Australia and New Zealand (Orbit), The Netherlands (Luitingh)and is forthcoming in France (Calmann Levy)and Germany (Blanvalet) in 2012. Release day for the second novel in TH...more
More about Helen Lowe...
"The Heir of Night", the first of THE WALL OF NIGHT quartet, is available in the USA (Harper Voyager), UK, Australia and New Zealand (Orbit), The Netherlands (Luitingh)and is forthcoming in France (Calmann Levy)and Germany (Blanvalet) in 2012. Release day for the second novel in TH...more
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