[net.sf-lovers] RIDDLE OF STARS

MATHEY@SANDIA.ARPA (07/08/83)

From:  Evelyn Mathey <MATHEY@SANDIA.ARPA>

Daniel Dern asked about this trilogy.  It is one of my favorites.  So many
things have been written that are poor imitations of Tolkien, that it is
great to find a fantasy that has a fresh point of view.  RIDDLE OF STARS
has several new ideas.  I particularly like the idea of the LAND LAW where
the ruler of an area has an affinity with his realm.  These are different
in different realms - in HED where the people are farmers this affinity
is literally with the land, he is aware of the soil, the flow of the rivers,
the growth of crops.  In another realm people don't seem to stay decently
dead and the king must know and control all the ghosts(most of whom are
ex royalty and want to carve up the realm and get their piece).  Another
king lives in a mountain from which all sorts of gems etc are mined.  His
affinity is with the earth, the minerals, the trees.  When the ruler of
a realm dies his/her heir knows because he/she suddenly acquires the Land
Law.  It also makes disputs about who is to be the next king unheard of.

The books are extremely sensitive and beautifully written.  The growth of
the main characters as they, and you, become aware of the unrest in their
land is beautifully shown.  This world is not quite as consistent as Tolkien,
but in some ways it is more mature.  Nothing is wholly good or evil, that
which is most evil is oftan most beautiful.  The Prince of Hed does not
take a stand with "right" and then fight for it.  Time and time again he
makes choices for or against.  Time and time again he asks himself what
his responsibilities are, if he must accept a role forseen a thousand
years ago, and if the Prince of Hed, the gentle land of farmers who know
nothing of warfare, must fight for his world.  The trilogy is available
in one volumn from the Science Fiction Book Club.  If you prefer 'hard'
sf then this is not the book for you, but if you are interested in the
interactions of people, how power is gained, lost, and ethically (or
unethically) used, and questions of responsibility to others and to
yourself then I highly recommend it.  It also has interesting ESP/magic
types of growth.

I also recommend the Science Fiction Book Club.  I do not always take
their monthly selections, but I have found their service excellent and
their prices reasonable.
---Evelyn Mathey
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jjm@hou5e.UUCP (07/11/83)

	I hate to disagree with the original review of these books,
	because the author clearly enjoyed the series greatly.

	However, I disliked these books with an equal intensity.

	I don't mind stories where there is word play, but it has to
	be done playfully and it must fit in with the tone of the 
	story.  These "serious" books actually have a villain named 
	"Deth"... and a volume entitled "The Heir of Land and Sea"
	(Air, <Earth>, <Water>...)

	I found that poor word play such as this detracted from the 
	story.  I could just never take it seriously, and it didn't
	succeed as a farce.

	Jim McParland
	American Bell - Holmdel
	hou5e!jjm