chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach) (04/04/84)
Bard by Keith Tailor (Ace Fantasy $2.75)
Bard is a fantasy set in the early days of Britain (about AD400) just
prior to the days of Uther Pendragon and Arthur. The Bard is an irish
magician/storyteller travelling England and the adventures that befall
him. It is a straight fantasy, and I found it was quite well done.
People who are not as interested in early day England may not like it
as well. Highly recommended. (*** of 5)
The Many Colored Lands by Julian May (Ballantine $2.95)
A while back I posted a review of this book where I panned it and left
it unfinished. At the suggestion of a few people whos taste I respect,
I finally picked it up again. If you can get past the first hundred
pages or so, this is quite a good book. There is way too much
introductory material (the first 100 pages or so) that moves much too
slowly, and doesn't really mean much to the story itself. It could have
been much better if it was cut by about 50%, and since the book is 425
pages, it wouldn't have made things too short. A better alternative
might have been what Chris Stasheff did with 'The Warlock in Spite of
Himself (highly recommended!)' by placing the details of the history of
everything in its own book (called 'Escape Velocity', also
recommended). There is definitely enough material here for a book of
its own, and I think it deserves its own focus. Here it gets in the way
of a really good fantasy story.
The many colored land is the story of three fighting factions, set back
in the time of the Pliocene stage of earth. Human misfits wishing to
drop out of society are allows to travel back in time on a one way
journey to this time in a attempt to find their version of paradise.
When they get there, they are enslaved by an alien life form that uses
them for their own purposes. This story is the story of the the start
of the war between these aliens and those that would bring down their
civilisation and the slavery they bring to the humans. Once the story
gets going, it is quite well done, and Julian (a quite nice lady, by
the way) is very good at creating interesting and attractive characters
that make you care about them. This is the first book in a trilogy, so
the climax of the book isn't as big as it might be, but it is quite
satiisfying and the book ends at a very appropriate place.
(*** of 5, four if you skim the first 100 pages).
--
From under the bar at Callahan's: Chuq Von Rospach
{amd70,fortune,hplabs,menlo70}!nsc!chuqui (408) 733-2600 x242
A toast! To absent friends... {clink}syali@alberta.UUCP (Sy Ali) (04/07/84)
<> Just a note to tell those intrested that "Bard II" is out. It's fairly good, although (in my opinion not as good as its predessor). Same harpist main character (whose name escapes me), in different locales, with some weird bad guys. Sy Ali (...!alberta!syali)