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The Bridge of D'Arnath #1
Son of Avonar
A violent fugitive who cannot speak, who has no past. A disgraced noblewoman who would rather forget her past. And a world of magic that has turned against both of them. Seriana Marguerite, daughter of a warrior house, once believed that intelligence, determination, and love could avert the consequences of youthful rebellion. She was wrong. Violating the singular tenet of the Four Realms—that sorcery and all who practice it must be reported and exterminated—brought torment and death to those closest to her. Only her family’s influence preserved her own life, a mercy for which she has never been thankful. Over the years Seri has adapted to poverty and exile, far from royal intrigues and the politics of power. But her bitter peace collapses on the day she encounters a half-mad fugitive—a man incapable of speech, yet skilled at violence. The discovery that one of his dead-eyed pursuers is the man responsible for the horrors of her past forces Seri onto a path of anguished memory and ancient riddles, a race to unravel the mysteries of the fugitive’s identity, his mission, and a looming danger that could shatter the very foundation of the world. "Berg exhibits her skill with language, world-building, and the intelligent development of the magic that affects and is affected by the characters. The first book of the Bridge of D'Arnath launches a promising new multivolume work that should provide much intelligent entertainment."—Booklist "This is excellent dark fantasy with a liberal dash of court intrigue. Highly recommended."—Broad Universe
471 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2004
55 people are currently reading
2814 people want to read
About the author
Carol Berg
33 books1,128 followersCarol Berg is the author of the epic fantasy
The Books of the Rai-kirah, The Bridge of D'Arnath Quartet, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winning Lighthouse Duet - Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone - the standalone novel Song of the Beast , and the three novels of the Collegia Magica.
Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Colorado. Before writing full-time, she worked as a software engineer. She lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and is the mother of three mostly grown sons.
The Books of the Rai-kirah, The Bridge of D'Arnath Quartet, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winning Lighthouse Duet - Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone - the standalone novel Song of the Beast , and the three novels of the Collegia Magica.
Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Colorado. Before writing full-time, she worked as a software engineer. She lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and is the mother of three mostly grown sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
January 8, 2012
I have to give Carol Berg credit for her female protagonist. Seri is in no way your typical fantasy heroine. She's neither young nor blond, she's not virginal or a doormat. She's a middle-aged widow who's borne a child. She's cynical and she shows her age. I liked her because, unlike too many women in fantasy novels these days who are little more than cardboard cutouts, I could identify with Seri; she was *real*.
But on the other hand, there's D'Natheil. He's nothing more than a childish bully for more than half the book. I realize that there was a reason he acted that way, but it didn't make him any less annoying. There's very little attractive about a "hero" who gets needlessly violent and then sulks or pouts and throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way.
It actually gets worse when the "secret" of his past is revealed. Instead of feeling happy for both he and Sari, I had much more of a, "...the hell?" reaction, because there'd been no build up. Out of the blue, it seemed, we're presented with this fact and expected to accept it. I didn't buy it. And it seemed like a complete dues ex machina, even with Dassine's explanation at the end.
Supposedly this whole thing was foreshadowed by Sari "reacting" to D'Natheil, but that still makes no sense. I, and I imagine many other people, just assumed that she was finally moving on from her husband's murder. Because, despite what the romance novels and poetry try to insist, there is life after death where love is concerned; most people can move on with their lives and find romance/love again. I thought that's what was happening here. What it actually turned out to be, well, that made very little sense.
One of the book's other main problems is in the beginning. Nearly every other chapter was a flashback to Sari and Karon's life together. This is one case when I would actually advocate telling instead of showing. The constant, prolonged flashbacks may have set the stage for later events, but they badly broke the narrative and took away from what was happening at the present time. And they were boring. Dry, dull and after a while, I just started skimming them until the book got back to the interesting parts of what was happening in the present. What those flashbacks were there to do could have easily been accomplished with a few well-placed paragraphs in the present, maybe a remembrance of Sari's or something in the narrative. Anything but what was actually done.
I'm still willing to give this book three stars despite those glaring faults, mainly because the first person narration of Sari 's made up for D'Natheil's dreadful characterization and once those awful flashbacks were out of the way, the story flowed well. Particularly near the end where it raced its way towards the climax. That was very well done.
I doubt this is a book I'd read a second time through or actually recommend to anyone, but I've read many worse.
But on the other hand, there's D'Natheil. He's nothing more than a childish bully for more than half the book. I realize that there was a reason he acted that way, but it didn't make him any less annoying. There's very little attractive about a "hero" who gets needlessly violent and then sulks or pouts and throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way.
It actually gets worse when the "secret" of his past is revealed. Instead of feeling happy for both he and Sari, I had much more of a, "...the hell?" reaction, because there'd been no build up. Out of the blue, it seemed, we're presented with this fact and expected to accept it. I didn't buy it. And it seemed like a complete dues ex machina, even with Dassine's explanation at the end.
Supposedly this whole thing was foreshadowed by Sari "reacting" to D'Natheil, but that still makes no sense. I, and I imagine many other people, just assumed that she was finally moving on from her husband's murder. Because, despite what the romance novels and poetry try to insist, there is life after death where love is concerned; most people can move on with their lives and find romance/love again. I thought that's what was happening here. What it actually turned out to be, well, that made very little sense.
One of the book's other main problems is in the beginning. Nearly every other chapter was a flashback to Sari and Karon's life together. This is one case when I would actually advocate telling instead of showing. The constant, prolonged flashbacks may have set the stage for later events, but they badly broke the narrative and took away from what was happening at the present time. And they were boring. Dry, dull and after a while, I just started skimming them until the book got back to the interesting parts of what was happening in the present. What those flashbacks were there to do could have easily been accomplished with a few well-placed paragraphs in the present, maybe a remembrance of Sari's or something in the narrative. Anything but what was actually done.
I'm still willing to give this book three stars despite those glaring faults, mainly because the first person narration of Sari 's made up for D'Natheil's dreadful characterization and once those awful flashbacks were out of the way, the story flowed well. Particularly near the end where it raced its way towards the climax. That was very well done.
I doubt this is a book I'd read a second time through or actually recommend to anyone, but I've read many worse.
May 13, 2014
This book made me weep as I have never weep in all 16 years of my existence.
For yet another time, I realized what a great talent and a pen could do to twist and weave words until they become as painful and as vivid as reality itself. This book is soo good i want to yell HALLELUIAH!!! everytime it's mentioned.
The Son of Avonar was the reason why I was still awake at dawn, my eyes red and puffy and mountains of used tissue paper lay on the side of my bed. Never have I read greater love and loss than the story of our heroine. Maybe I have but Carol Berg, bless her mind, have a great skill in making the readers walk through a painful torture and still ache and long for the next.
My God, this is one talented author. From the first page until the last, I was bewitched and so enchanted I could barely look up from my ebook reader. I would sing praises about this book forever if the author asks me too! I have felt nothing but sorrow and anticipation as I scroll down a page to the next.
Ms Carol Berg is one of the rare authors I know that can work time shifts between the past and the present so well that I was as thrilled to read about the past as I am to know about the present. I never liked time shifts. I don't care much about the past and what author would really think that it's as exciting as the present? This book proved me wrong. Just as I was getting so into the past, the present takes in and I'm again hooked. I was like a fish being dangled into two hooks. You don't just have to read it, you want to read it. They are both so interesting!
The hero was, my God, a real hero! Is it so bad to want him for myself? And the heroine, no matter how much I envision myself in the heroes arm, they just fit each other. At the end of the book, I just want to get inside the story and chain them to each other forever. Oh such love!
Reality, thou art a cruel, unfair bitch. Where do you suppose I can get a man like that?
The Son of Avonar is the true definition of an Epic Fantasy and I thank Carol Berg for making me weep buckets of tears and shredding my heart into pieces like no one and nothing have ever before.
For yet another time, I realized what a great talent and a pen could do to twist and weave words until they become as painful and as vivid as reality itself. This book is soo good i want to yell HALLELUIAH!!! everytime it's mentioned.
The Son of Avonar was the reason why I was still awake at dawn, my eyes red and puffy and mountains of used tissue paper lay on the side of my bed. Never have I read greater love and loss than the story of our heroine. Maybe I have but Carol Berg, bless her mind, have a great skill in making the readers walk through a painful torture and still ache and long for the next.
My God, this is one talented author. From the first page until the last, I was bewitched and so enchanted I could barely look up from my ebook reader. I would sing praises about this book forever if the author asks me too! I have felt nothing but sorrow and anticipation as I scroll down a page to the next.
Ms Carol Berg is one of the rare authors I know that can work time shifts between the past and the present so well that I was as thrilled to read about the past as I am to know about the present. I never liked time shifts. I don't care much about the past and what author would really think that it's as exciting as the present? This book proved me wrong. Just as I was getting so into the past, the present takes in and I'm again hooked. I was like a fish being dangled into two hooks. You don't just have to read it, you want to read it. They are both so interesting!
The hero was, my God, a real hero! Is it so bad to want him for myself? And the heroine, no matter how much I envision myself in the heroes arm, they just fit each other. At the end of the book, I just want to get inside the story and chain them to each other forever. Oh such love!
Reality, thou art a cruel, unfair bitch. Where do you suppose I can get a man like that?
The Son of Avonar is the true definition of an Epic Fantasy and I thank Carol Berg for making me weep buckets of tears and shredding my heart into pieces like no one and nothing have ever before.
May 27, 2008
This is the first Carol Berg book I've read, but after finishing this last night I know it won't be the last. First I have to finish this quartet!
The Lady Seriana has exiled herself from all she knows and all she is accustomed to, though with good reason and no hesitation. Her husband Karon was brutally tortured and murdered for being a sorceror, and all their friends too. The only reason she was not also burnt at the stake was because her brother Tomas, the best friend and Champion of King Evard, has done that much for her. He did, however, murder her new-born baby. After all this tragedy, getting as far away from the city is the least she can manage. After ten years spent quietly at a cottage in the country, eating what she can grow, wearing the same clothes every day, her peaceful existence is shattered by the appearance of a man, naked and injured, mute and without memory, running from the King's lieutenant Darzid and the soulless Zhid who come from another world.
Grudgingly, she helps him, discovering enough to make her sure he is not a horse thief, and soon steps over the line from helping him to get rid of him to activily choosing to assist him, determined that this man would not go the same way as Karon. But what she learns about the man's origins opens up a whole new sleigh of questions, and creates in her a cruel hope.
Son of Avonar is told from Seri's perspective, and jumps back and forth in time as she tells the story of her past and what happened to Karon - whose fate we learn early on - and the "present day" and her journey with the stranger. This is the perfect way to tell this story, and I don't think a linear narrative would have worked at all. It's also very important to know about Seri's past in understanding her present. She's a strong, intelligent woman who uses her skill with words where others use brute force. I loved that in Jennifer Fallon's Second Sons Trilogy, and it's used well here too.
The world Berg has created here is very real. It's also very cruel - but that, too, is a part of the story. I had the same feeling of tension I felt while reading Outlander, caused by the knowledge that awful things do happen to these people, that friends are enemies and love can be split asunder. It's not that the plot is complicated - it's not, though it is original and extremely well dished out - but the characters are what drive the story.
There's rather a lot of detail, again like Gabaldon it makes me impatient, especially towards the end. However, it's rarely superfluous, so I couldn't skip any or I would lose the plot. My main quibble is that, in telling the story of Seri's past and how she met and came to love Karon, and their short marriage before he is discovered, I would have liked more evidence. It's not that I doubt their love, I just wanted to feel it. I think that in the next two books I will get that, but since so much hinges on the relationship between Seri and Karon, I think taking the time to really explore the depths of their love for each other, rather than sort of skim over it or tell us it is so, would have made this a truly satisfying read.
The Lady Seriana has exiled herself from all she knows and all she is accustomed to, though with good reason and no hesitation. Her husband Karon was brutally tortured and murdered for being a sorceror, and all their friends too. The only reason she was not also burnt at the stake was because her brother Tomas, the best friend and Champion of King Evard, has done that much for her. He did, however, murder her new-born baby. After all this tragedy, getting as far away from the city is the least she can manage. After ten years spent quietly at a cottage in the country, eating what she can grow, wearing the same clothes every day, her peaceful existence is shattered by the appearance of a man, naked and injured, mute and without memory, running from the King's lieutenant Darzid and the soulless Zhid who come from another world.
Grudgingly, she helps him, discovering enough to make her sure he is not a horse thief, and soon steps over the line from helping him to get rid of him to activily choosing to assist him, determined that this man would not go the same way as Karon. But what she learns about the man's origins opens up a whole new sleigh of questions, and creates in her a cruel hope.
Son of Avonar is told from Seri's perspective, and jumps back and forth in time as she tells the story of her past and what happened to Karon - whose fate we learn early on - and the "present day" and her journey with the stranger. This is the perfect way to tell this story, and I don't think a linear narrative would have worked at all. It's also very important to know about Seri's past in understanding her present. She's a strong, intelligent woman who uses her skill with words where others use brute force. I loved that in Jennifer Fallon's Second Sons Trilogy, and it's used well here too.
The world Berg has created here is very real. It's also very cruel - but that, too, is a part of the story. I had the same feeling of tension I felt while reading Outlander, caused by the knowledge that awful things do happen to these people, that friends are enemies and love can be split asunder. It's not that the plot is complicated - it's not, though it is original and extremely well dished out - but the characters are what drive the story.
There's rather a lot of detail, again like Gabaldon it makes me impatient, especially towards the end. However, it's rarely superfluous, so I couldn't skip any or I would lose the plot. My main quibble is that, in telling the story of Seri's past and how she met and came to love Karon, and their short marriage before he is discovered, I would have liked more evidence. It's not that I doubt their love, I just wanted to feel it. I think that in the next two books I will get that, but since so much hinges on the relationship between Seri and Karon, I think taking the time to really explore the depths of their love for each other, rather than sort of skim over it or tell us it is so, would have made this a truly satisfying read.
May 19, 2021
Not as good as some of her other books I loved. A solid 3 ⭐
October 24, 2011
This book is a long one but I read it straight through in two days--during which I should probably have benn doing something else. Although the plot is pleasingly exciting, the strength of this book is in its characters. Even the villians and minor characters are three-dimensional, and the heroes are very likable but realistically flawed. The world building is very robust as well--the world described in this book feels real, without the author having given a lot of needless details.
The one criticism I have is the names of several of the characters, which were similar enough to be confusing. I sorted them out eventually.
I very much enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
The one criticism I have is the names of several of the characters, which were similar enough to be confusing. I sorted them out eventually.
I very much enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Currently reading
December 25, 2008I usually am completely in love with Carol Berg, but this book isn't doing it for me. The characters are sharp and interesting, the plot is full of adventure and spicy twists and turns, the setting is full of danger and intrigue....but the story itself starts ten years after a big occurence and then spends more than half of the book explaining the background. It's really awesome that the author spent the time to come up with a detailed history for this world, but I don't necessarily want to read everything about it. I think this is going to be the first time in my life I don't finish all her books in the series. Please, Carol Berg, in the future give me less background and more plot!
September 23, 2011
I can't say how much I loved this book! Carol Berg's writing style is fantastic, and you can't help but fall in love with Seri and Karon. The author establishes the reader's interest in the "present" then cuts back to Seri's past and develops her changes and growth from a young woman, through love and tragedy, intercut with the "present" and the mysterious new sorcerer in her life. Carol Berg cleverly reminds you of the years as they pass through the past, giving a countdown to the inevitable tragedy, and even though you know what is coming you still hope that it can be averted. This is a fantastic read!!
May 31, 2009
The novel starts with a bang. I look forward to finishing this series.
May 12, 2023
Now this is what I call fantasy as it should be written.
Best book of the year so far.
Read in a wonderful BR with the totally awesome ladies from Fantasy Buddy Reads
FRTC
Best book of the year so far.
Read in a wonderful BR with the totally awesome ladies from Fantasy Buddy Reads
FRTC
own-but-unread
February 25, 2021Adding to my BookMooch inventory 2/25/2021: http://bookmooch.com/m/inventory/jonmoss
Condition Notes: Good to fair condition; purchased entire series (shrink wrapped) from a used book store. Would prefer NOT to break up this set. If you request all four books, I will smooch you back one point.
Condition Notes: Good to fair condition; purchased entire series (shrink wrapped) from a used book store. Would prefer NOT to break up this set. If you request all four books, I will smooch you back one point.
March 2, 2015
I actually read this a couple of years ago, but I just did a reread/relisten in preparation for finishing the series.
I always love Berg's characters and emotions -- they are vivid and engaging -- and the general atmosphere she creates. OTOH, with every book I find plot holes or plot points that I simply don't "buy". So I think plotting is her weakness, but since I care more about character than plot I am willing to overlook them.
The narrator of this first book in the series, Angele Masters, is very good, and she's a fine teller of the tale. Be warned, though, that the rest of the series has multiple narrators -- which irritates the heck outta me.
I always love Berg's characters and emotions -- they are vivid and engaging -- and the general atmosphere she creates. OTOH, with every book I find plot holes or plot points that I simply don't "buy". So I think plotting is her weakness, but since I care more about character than plot I am willing to overlook them.
The narrator of this first book in the series, Angele Masters, is very good, and she's a fine teller of the tale. Be warned, though, that the rest of the series has multiple narrators -- which irritates the heck outta me.
October 9, 2009
Son of Avonar is an amazing fantasy, written in a Lord of the Rings style but with its own special twist. The descriptions are amazing, and the characters are detailed enough that you want to stay with them for another three or four books. It is a little hard to get into at first, but once you pass the first couple of chapters it's more than worth it. The way Carol Berg combines two storylines about the same person while keeping the reader gripped on both is marvelous, and she flows smoothly from one story to the other. Anyine who enjoys fantasy will love this novel.
December 30, 2010
Not as good as her more recent Lighthouse books, but it was a good solid fantasy with an interesting protagonist. Kept me sufficiently distracted from annoying people on the daily bus commute and from this wretched sniffing sneezing cold. I'll agree with another reviewer that names are a problem in this series; excessive Z's, V's and apostrophes in the foreign names and a typical French root for domestic aristocracy and Italian root for peasantry. Not saying I could come up with anything better, but it does strike me as silly enough that it dampens the threat of the antagonists a bit.
November 25, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. It was unusual, in that it was a fantasy book written from a first person point of view. I enjoyed the detail and texture that the first person narrator brings to the story. All the characters are rich in personality, revealing many different layers through out the story. I must admit that I did not like the ending, but that I think is personal choice and not a writing flaw.
July 17, 2008
I love well-written fantasy that has it's own twist, and Carol Berg does an excellent job of building believable worlds with people you want to follow through three or four books. The first two are the best in the series, with the third one requiring a bit of commitment to get into it, but ultimately worth the read, as you've come to love the characters. I'm working on the 4th one now.
October 13, 2022
While I loved the MC of this book, I felt meh about the book overall. MC was an interesting 35yo woman who makes clear choices. (It's nice to read about a character who isn't just reacting to everything/doesn't feel pushed around by the plot.)
My main issue with the novel was the way it was constructed. After a fascinating opening, we're taken back in time for chapters upon chapters. This happened frequently throughout the book and I did not find the flashback chapters as interesting, particularly since you already know the outcome. It really made the book drag for me.
I also didn't much like the twist, though you could tell for a while it was coming.
My main issue with the novel was the way it was constructed. After a fascinating opening, we're taken back in time for chapters upon chapters. This happened frequently throughout the book and I did not find the flashback chapters as interesting, particularly since you already know the outcome. It really made the book drag for me.
I also didn't much like the twist, though you could tell for a while it was coming.
Read
May 11, 2020I think after starting this nearly three years ago, having checked it out of the library twice, last time having to return it when I was at page 169 and never picking it back up... this is a DNF.
No fault of the book, I just lost interest.
No fault of the book, I just lost interest.
October 24, 2021
“Life, hold. Stay your hand. Halt your foot ere it lays another step along the Way. Grace your daughter once more with your voice that whispers in the deeps, with your spirit that sings in the wind, with the fire that blazes in your wondrous gifts of joy and sorrow. Fill my soul with light, and let the darkness make no stand in this place.”
September 13, 2017
I'm in a bit of a reading slump, so this is a bit hard for me to rate accurately. I've waffled between 3 and 4 stars. There were definitely aspects of the book that I didn't really care for. However, there was a certain compulsion to keep reading that I associate with higher ratings, so I ended up going for the 4 stars.
This is another book that I've had in my possession for more years than I care to admit. I really loved Berg's Books of the Rai-kirah, so I think I was a little intimidated to read this new series, perhaps with good reason. I did not care for this book nearly as much as those. However, I do think that the story had a lot of potential, and I'm eager to see where the second book will take events.
First, the positive. I really enjoyed the main character, Seri. I felt like her emotional journey was the best thing in the book. She starts the story as bitter and wounded, with no hope for the future. How do you motivate a character like that? As this story shows, very delicately, and often with negative emotions rather than positive. As with the other books I've read by Berg, she does not go easy on her characters, and Seri is no exception to that. I think that is a big part of what made me want to go back to reading whenever I put this book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Seri.
I also really liked the world-building. Often sorcery is portrayed as predominantly good and accepted in fantasy literature, but this book presents a much darker view. In this world, past sorcerers looked at the world around them and thought that they could make it better by ruling in the place of the current corrupt warriors. However, power corrupts, as we know, and they ended up doing heinous things to the people that they ruled, leading to a massive uprising and the outlawing of sorcery and the burning of all suspected sorcerers. I thought that this was a truly fascinating take on things.
On the less positive side, I had some issues with the structure of the book. There are a ton of flashbacks, and I sincerely struggled with that. We are told right in the beginning what the result of those flashbacks will be, which is a technique that I hate. I find it so hard to read a story when I know how it's going to turn out. I end up just emotionally detaching myself from that part of the story, which is not a way that I enjoy reading. And considering that these flashbacks are a huge part of the emotional backbone of the story, that really detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
I also am very divided on the ending of the book. First of all, I saw through some of the big twists, which I don't normally do. So they ended up being less of a surprise and more a source of frustration. Second, I really can't decide how I feel about a certain pivotal event. Part of me feels like it's cheating, and the other part feels like it's pretty clever, if unethical. I don't know. I guess I'll have to reserve judgment, as I'm sure that the second book will have to spend a lot of time dealing with this issue.
This is another book that I've had in my possession for more years than I care to admit. I really loved Berg's Books of the Rai-kirah, so I think I was a little intimidated to read this new series, perhaps with good reason. I did not care for this book nearly as much as those. However, I do think that the story had a lot of potential, and I'm eager to see where the second book will take events.
First, the positive. I really enjoyed the main character, Seri. I felt like her emotional journey was the best thing in the book. She starts the story as bitter and wounded, with no hope for the future. How do you motivate a character like that? As this story shows, very delicately, and often with negative emotions rather than positive. As with the other books I've read by Berg, she does not go easy on her characters, and Seri is no exception to that. I think that is a big part of what made me want to go back to reading whenever I put this book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Seri.
I also really liked the world-building. Often sorcery is portrayed as predominantly good and accepted in fantasy literature, but this book presents a much darker view. In this world, past sorcerers looked at the world around them and thought that they could make it better by ruling in the place of the current corrupt warriors. However, power corrupts, as we know, and they ended up doing heinous things to the people that they ruled, leading to a massive uprising and the outlawing of sorcery and the burning of all suspected sorcerers. I thought that this was a truly fascinating take on things.
On the less positive side, I had some issues with the structure of the book. There are a ton of flashbacks, and I sincerely struggled with that. We are told right in the beginning what the result of those flashbacks will be, which is a technique that I hate. I find it so hard to read a story when I know how it's going to turn out. I end up just emotionally detaching myself from that part of the story, which is not a way that I enjoy reading. And considering that these flashbacks are a huge part of the emotional backbone of the story, that really detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
I also am very divided on the ending of the book. First of all, I saw through some of the big twists, which I don't normally do. So they ended up being less of a surprise and more a source of frustration. Second, I really can't decide how I feel about a certain pivotal event. Part of me feels like it's cheating, and the other part feels like it's pretty clever, if unethical. I don't know. I guess I'll have to reserve judgment, as I'm sure that the second book will have to spend a lot of time dealing with this issue.
October 5, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. I have some criticisms. That I still give it three stars despite those criticisms should tell you something about the book’s strengths. After finishing book one there is no doubt that I will read book two. I give Son of Avonar three stars because I want to see what happens next.
Our protagonist is very human. Seri is smart, stubborn, cynical and proud, but she has kindness in her as well. I like how sharp her tongue is and how she uses logic and reason as a weapon.
I did not appreciate being hijacked by a tragic love story. I was looking for a magic story, not a gut wrenching, heart breaking love story. It is so well written though, that I didn’t mind it by then end. I guess even old, jaded hearts like mine can be touched by a powerful accounting of true love and hope.
The flashbacks are a little annoying and gave a discordant feeling to the first half of the book. I understand why they are there and I appreciate how they help weave the story together, but it was a chore getting through some of it.
The supporting characters were interesting, but underdeveloped. I like Paulo, the most excellent ferocious boy, and Kellea, the hostile herbalist.
The magic is interesting, but vague. There were a lot of really huge magical events I do not feel were adequately explained. Maybe we are just supposed to accept it as mysterious magics and let it go at that.
The magic system isn’t the only thing with holes in it. I feel like this story is precariously balanced and the plot could easily fall to pieces. I hope it goes the other way. I hope Carol Berg dazzles me with a masterfully woven tapestry of words in book two.
Our protagonist is very human. Seri is smart, stubborn, cynical and proud, but she has kindness in her as well. I like how sharp her tongue is and how she uses logic and reason as a weapon.
I did not appreciate being hijacked by a tragic love story. I was looking for a magic story, not a gut wrenching, heart breaking love story. It is so well written though, that I didn’t mind it by then end. I guess even old, jaded hearts like mine can be touched by a powerful accounting of true love and hope.
The flashbacks are a little annoying and gave a discordant feeling to the first half of the book. I understand why they are there and I appreciate how they help weave the story together, but it was a chore getting through some of it.
The supporting characters were interesting, but underdeveloped. I like Paulo, the most excellent ferocious boy, and Kellea, the hostile herbalist.
The magic is interesting, but vague. There were a lot of really huge magical events I do not feel were adequately explained. Maybe we are just supposed to accept it as mysterious magics and let it go at that.
The magic system isn’t the only thing with holes in it. I feel like this story is precariously balanced and the plot could easily fall to pieces. I hope it goes the other way. I hope Carol Berg dazzles me with a masterfully woven tapestry of words in book two.
November 13, 2008
Here's the start of another great series by Carol Berg. One thing I like about her is that she is not afraid to make her characters suffer. Their lives are not always nice. Not that these are books that end with you dispirited and unsatisfied. Good things happen to the characters too, but by the time they do, they're really well deserved. Premise in brief: We've got our main lady Seri who was a happily married noblewoman until it was discovered that her much-loved husband was able to use magic, which is a death sentence for him. FYI, Seri knew about the magic-using business all along and knew the danger of it, so she's not really blindsided by these turn of events. However, she understandably hates the government that killed her husband, and she she retires to a small farm off by herself in the country, reputation ruined. Anyway, 10-20 years later or so, she's out there on the farm when this one guy ends up on her farm fleeing men on horseback and she keeps those men from finding him. When they leave, she finds out that the man doesn't understand language and doesn't seem to remember who he is. Seri doesn't want to get involved in his troubles, so she tries to take him somewhere to get him started away from her, only to get completely involved in his troubles and find out that this new fellow has something to do with the kind of magic her dead husband used. Adventure!
January 23, 2010
My favorite thing about Carol Berg's fantasy is her characters. She is wonderful at creating complex, multi-dimensional personalities that never feel fake or forced. They act in ways that make sense with the situations they are in, and while they may not always be likable they are always realistic. The plot of Son of Avonar is intriguing and keeps just the right pace - never a dull moment but never feeling rushed. Berg provides just enough clues in the build-up to lead readers along in big reveals, creating many "Aha! I knew it!" moments without any of the "What?!? Where did that come from?" type moments.
My main complaints with this novel are the heavy use of flashbacks, particularly in the first half of the book, and the lack of explanation for the magic system. Flashbacks are typically my least favorite tool for exposition; however, in this is a first-person narrative, Berg is skillful enough to make most of the flashbacks seem plausible as the narrator becoming lost in thought or reminiscing about the past. The system of magic is interesting but many terms are introduced without being explained (some are clear enough - Healers heal, Horsemasters are skilled with horses, but what exactly does a word weaver do? a speaker?). Overall a great read, and definitely gets me excited to see what happens next in the series.
My main complaints with this novel are the heavy use of flashbacks, particularly in the first half of the book, and the lack of explanation for the magic system. Flashbacks are typically my least favorite tool for exposition; however, in this is a first-person narrative, Berg is skillful enough to make most of the flashbacks seem plausible as the narrator becoming lost in thought or reminiscing about the past. The system of magic is interesting but many terms are introduced without being explained (some are clear enough - Healers heal, Horsemasters are skilled with horses, but what exactly does a word weaver do? a speaker?). Overall a great read, and definitely gets me excited to see what happens next in the series.
April 12, 2010
This was the second Carol Berg book that I read (I read and commented The Song of the Beast).
Son of Avonar is a great book. Her story is so beautiful and you can fell the love of the main characters leave the pages and reach your heart. I start a fantasy book thinking that was another story of magic and fantastic worlds… well this is a fantasy book, but also a unexpected romantic book.
I’ll certainly read the book 2 of The Bridge of D'Arnath serie.
High point of the book: the journey of Seriana with her friends to find the bridge was amazing. I love all the betrayers or unpredicted new friends that help them.
Low Point of the book: the chapters of flashback. I like when a book have flashbacks but this book is more interesting when they finish and the story stay only at the present time of the characters. Maybe a less chapter of the Seriana past, or start telling that part of her live, would be better. The problem was not the number of this chapters, but the position between the present chapters… you finish a great action chapter and start a slow flashback one. The reading became much more easy (and interesting) when all the Seriana past was told.
Son of Avonar is a great book. Her story is so beautiful and you can fell the love of the main characters leave the pages and reach your heart. I start a fantasy book thinking that was another story of magic and fantastic worlds… well this is a fantasy book, but also a unexpected romantic book.
I’ll certainly read the book 2 of The Bridge of D'Arnath serie.
High point of the book: the journey of Seriana with her friends to find the bridge was amazing. I love all the betrayers or unpredicted new friends that help them.
Low Point of the book: the chapters of flashback. I like when a book have flashbacks but this book is more interesting when they finish and the story stay only at the present time of the characters. Maybe a less chapter of the Seriana past, or start telling that part of her live, would be better. The problem was not the number of this chapters, but the position between the present chapters… you finish a great action chapter and start a slow flashback one. The reading became much more easy (and interesting) when all the Seriana past was told.
August 5, 2016
Picked this up at my favorite hole-in-the-wall used book story, near my house. I remembered reading Berg's trilogy Rai-Kirah and liking it.
A couple unusual approaches here for the fantasy genre... first perspective, as told by a female protagonist. Also appreciated the sorcerer-as-persecuted-minority here, some parallels to the persecution of Jews or the Gypsies through our own history: attempts to exterminate them, using them as scape-goats for whatever problems the ruling class had.
I lost interest though with the frequent flashbacks at the beginning, where basically every other chapter was a flashback. I wasn't sure where the focus was supposed to be, and by the time the two story lines had resolved, my interest had waned. Also there was a lot of foreshadowing towards the end, spoiling a couple surprises.
The story wraps up nicely for a 1st book in the trilogy, letting the reader walk away with a sense of completeness, should they choose not to keep going. Not sure what my choice will be on that.
A couple unusual approaches here for the fantasy genre... first perspective, as told by a female protagonist. Also appreciated the sorcerer-as-persecuted-minority here, some parallels to the persecution of Jews or the Gypsies through our own history: attempts to exterminate them, using them as scape-goats for whatever problems the ruling class had.
I lost interest though with the frequent flashbacks at the beginning, where basically every other chapter was a flashback. I wasn't sure where the focus was supposed to be, and by the time the two story lines had resolved, my interest had waned. Also there was a lot of foreshadowing towards the end, spoiling a couple surprises.
The story wraps up nicely for a 1st book in the trilogy, letting the reader walk away with a sense of completeness, should they choose not to keep going. Not sure what my choice will be on that.
September 9, 2013
One thing that sets this series apart from other fantasy series is how the books are written. Son of Avonar could very well sit as a stand alone book, tragic and heart breaking, but complete if you know nothing about the following books. The story jumps around a bit, chronologically, but it all makes sense is the end. It may not be the conclusion that we *want*, but, it works.
The following books change that by giving us multiple point of view characters throughout the series. We learn that where once we thought we were dealing with one world we are, in fact, dealing with two — if not more — and nothing happens quite the way we expect it would.
I love, love Carol Berg’s writing. She convinced me with her novel Transformation and she really hasn’t stopped since. The Bridge of D’Arnath has to contend with her Lighthouse Duet for my all time favorite, but the cast of Bridge may win, in the end. So many amazing, larger than life people to adore, with such fascinating stories.
The following books change that by giving us multiple point of view characters throughout the series. We learn that where once we thought we were dealing with one world we are, in fact, dealing with two — if not more — and nothing happens quite the way we expect it would.
I love, love Carol Berg’s writing. She convinced me with her novel Transformation and she really hasn’t stopped since. The Bridge of D’Arnath has to contend with her Lighthouse Duet for my all time favorite, but the cast of Bridge may win, in the end. So many amazing, larger than life people to adore, with such fascinating stories.
March 14, 2010
This book like any other of Carol Berg, has the deep insigt in human emotions that I love her for. The charcters are deep and interesting and the story moves ahead in an amazing speed. She always seems to be able to write things exactly the way I like it. The endings, the realtionships with love in, and now also female main-charatcers. I usully dislike reading from a female point a view for even the strongest females alwasy seems to end up depend on someone och do everything becuase of love or something like that. Well perhaps there is't some much different here, but the way Carol writes makes Seri strong, even when she needs someones help, the help she takes is somewhat natural and of common sense, "You can do this better than me so do it" Instead of, "Oh, I'm so weak please do this for me" that I feel I always come across.
November 9, 2012
The last 1/3rd of this book really is awesome...the first 2/3rds are a bit torturous to get through. The author sets up this exciting story in the NOW and then has a million flashbacks that are super long and break up the momentum of the plot she set up. Everything is beautifully written don't get me wrong..the flashbacks are great but if they were linear in the plot i think i would be better. I kept wanting to get back to the real story and was really tempted to skim and skip through them. Im glad i didn't because they were heart-wrenching. I can only hope that the next book is a bit more linear than this one. I started this book a while ago and put it down right before the good stuff started happening so i recommend not doing what i did. If you don't like the flashbacks stick it out and u will be glad u did.
June 14, 2016
I really enjoyed Son of Avonar, its combined complex, authentic and emotionally vibrant characters with a story that was intricately tied to those characters. The world they inhabit is imaginative and clear with a mixture of both darkness and light. The prose is strong and description good, if occasionally long-winded at the expense of momentum. It is, however, a slower book and, while I prefer my books like that, you might like a quicker pace. what this slower pace does, is it allows the story to hit a wide spectrum of emotions ranging from joy to misery, for the characters, and, as the reader, I felt almost all of them.
All of these things, combined with a notable villain, made for a very fullfilling experience.
All of these things, combined with a notable villain, made for a very fullfilling experience.
August 11, 2015
I absolutely loved this book. Admittedly, it started off a little slowly for me. The story, however, built and built, growing in both complexity and character development. The central character came completely alive to me. Perhaps Seri is a woman after my own heart: independent, driven, intelligent, passionate, more than a bit head strong, compassionate, and curious. The flash-backs were perfectly woven into present time storytelling. This is High Fantasy at its finest: a believable, fully-conceived world; developed characters; compelling plot; perfect balance of narrative and dialogue. All around excellent, and I will absolutely be continuing with this series.
September 22, 2016
I think the characterization was fine; I agree with other reviewers - it was very refreshing to have an older (as in, not-teenager) woman character who wasn't (by the time I stopped reading) a special snowflake. The story was engaging, when it was set in the present. It was terribly sad, but I would have kept reading except... the flashbacks ruined it for me. This book might work better if you have a long time to sit down and read it. I read in hour-increments on the treadmill every day, and I could never keep track of which time we were in (and once I established that we're back in the past, was this before or after the last flashback?).
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