mte@busch.UUCP (Moshe Eliovson) (06/24/85)
The Doomfarers of Coramonde - Brian Daley - 1977
If you have been looking for a good storyteller who does not
get bogged down in detail this book is for you. Daley's story
is well written with a good vocabulary. The wording is not
quite as exotic as Donaldson's words (the dictionary please...)
but offers some intelligent stimulation.
The thing I liked most about the book was that it didn't follow
the back cover. He does not go into boring background detail,
but rather tells us enough and goes on with the plot. The sub-scheme
from the back cover is done with after the first hundred pages or so
(out of 344) and the story continues.
The setting is another world. Magic is prevalent but secondary to
the plot. The characters are unique and flavorful. Basic plot:
throne usurped. pretender seeks allies, regains crown, baddy escapes
for sequel - The Starfarers of Coramonde.
Problems: it doesn't keep you into it all the time, I put it down and
came back many times. You can see where he plants the seeds. The
scenes of magical description are too brief and there aren't enough
of them. Sometimes his lightness creeps in and he doesn't seem to
take his story serious enough.
Moshe Eliovson
..{allegra, ihnp4}!we53!busch!mte