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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Beginning the Rhapsody series. Enjoyable epic fantasy title. Gets a little too romantical at times for my taste (it is a woman author), but it makes up with decent actions scenes and great characters. Haydon does a great job with character development that continues throughout the series.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It2 of 3 members found this review helpful “Blecch. This book proves that just because a person has the technical ability to write doesn't mean that they _should_. This writer has nothing new to say. She blends fantasy & romance. Well, woo. Both genres are better off without this blending. I've read all the elements of this story somewhere...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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Lyra Rose wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Beginning the Rhapsody series. Enjoyable epic fantasy title. Gets a little too romantical at times for my taste (it is a woman author), but it makes up with decent actions scenes and great characters. Haydon does a great job with character development that continues throughout the series.”
Chad R wrote this review Thursday, November 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is my favorite of the series, I have read this book a few times and I dont get bored with it”
Sun wrote this review Sunday, October 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A decent book, my favorite part actually happened near the beginning when the lead female is in the Root. The rest of the book was...alright. I felt the *ahem* intimate scenes were paragraphs on the lengthy side of what I normally read, but it was simple enough to skip over. I felt after she left the tree, the book meandered, with no clear reason why she was going where she went. I enjoyed the writing style, however, and will probably be finishing the series, just for completion's sake.”
Patti C wrote this review Tuesday, October 6 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This series started off strong for me then got less interesting. There are some dark, complex characters but they seemed lost at times behind the soap-opera plots. It's worth a read. Maybe it's just me...”
Kelly D wrote this review Saturday, September 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Rhapsody, a Singer on her way to becoming a Namer, finds a slight miscalculation catapults her into the journey of her life. For Brother and Grunthor, on the run from troubles of their own, Rhapsody is an unwelcome addition. The demon that pursues them will stop at nothing to find them, and they can afford nothing that would draw its attention. But they need Rhapsody, as much as she needs them, and the three of them have stepped into a world much bigger than any of them imagined.
Aelvana wrote this review Thursday, September 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Rhapsody's biggest draw is its characters. From the fiery Rhapsody herself to the cheerful Grunthor to the sarcastic Brother, the book delights in all of the little things that make the characters real people. Brother's sense of humor was my favorite part; he finds plenty of material in Rhapsody herself. And though he remains fairly close-mouthed about himself, he's far more than a ruthless assassin without ever sacrificing that dangerous edge. Grunthor, the walking weaponry, is a perfect complement for Brother, and his eternal cheerfulness nicely offsets Brother's tendency to gloom. And Rhapsody isn't without her own share of surprises: her former profession has left her with a hard-bitten view of the world and a ferocious commitment to telling the truth---a truth she manipulates as freely as she can.
In addition, Rhapsody lays out a sprawling world rich in history and texture. Myths and legends distort history. The desires and conflicts of those alive hundreds of years ago shape and split the world as it is at present. In addition to national histories, the individual stories are just as vibrant. Rhapsody, Brother, and Grunthor aren't the only ones with complicated pasts; those they meet all have their own stories, regardless of how much is revealed.
There were a few things that detracted from the otherwise very good story. The scenes at the beginning take a while to tie together: one of them isn't referenced again for another three hundred pages. This made the beginning feel a bit disjointed, and when the scenes finally do tie back in, almost require going back to re-read them.
In addition, Rhapsody's incredible beauty and compassion for children sometimes got annoying, particularly with Jo, whose every sin could be forgiven because she had been a child of the streets.
Finally, although the end ties up thematically with a lot of good references both in structure and content to the beginning, the high points of action and plot finished well before the book was over, so that it felt like the lull before the next chapter and not the end of a book. The sudden appearance of the dagger felt contrived, particularly since its discovery was reported after the fact.
Overall this is an incredible read, anchored in a concrete world with wonderful characters. The epic story remains personal and meaningful. Pick this up with the second book on hand, as the ending naturally flows into opening a sequel. I rate this book Recommended.”
“This book was pretty badass. I love the world and a lot of the characters I meet in it. The whole idea is also pretty cool. Rhapsody, however, I think is one of the worst characters I've ever read. I find her very unbelievable and almost like a fanfiction's Mary-Sue. Despite that though, I still think it's a really great book, the world itself saved it. ”
Brittany wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Elizabeth Hayden is one of my all-time favorite authors.”
Snooky wrote this review Saturday, September 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“good book a mature one to”
bilbo baggins wrote this review Monday, August 31 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
