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Paperback
Publisher: Dark Forest Press
First Summer's Eve has come and all elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It is also Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. With it come two extraordinary and dangerous surprises: a Wyrd Stone, its silvery heart a window into a world of dreams and nightmares, and a Blade Dancer, dreaded protector of the Faelands, who bears a dark message. Instead of celebration, Luthiel is given a terrible choice: if she does nothing, someone she loves deeply will die. Or to save a life, she can break the most perilous law of the Faelands, and venture alone to the Vale of Mists. If she chooses the journey, she must race Othalas -- eldest and most feared of all the werewolves -- past great back spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, through glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh, and at last into death by the teeth of dark and ancient Vyrl, who feed on the blood of elves. Either choice will bring death -- unless Luthiel can find the secret in her remarkable Stone, a secret that even the nightmares fear.
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| Beautifully sculpted world. |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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This is one of the most original fantasy worlds I've seen in years. Elves mixed with vampires and werewolves... and many more creatures. But the story has been told and retold since King Author: orphan finding out they are royality. The only thing that kept this from a five star rating is the lack of growth of the romantic aspect. The two characters could have been developed better from that standpoint to give them more depth. For kids and the men who do not want a lot of male-female interaction, this book is excellent. The simple plot:
It is First Summer's Eve. Every year the elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It also happens to be Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. Luthiel's sister, Leowin, gives her a rare and magical Wyrd Stone. Luthiel is reluctant to accept it since Leowin stole it from a dark sorcerer. Yet Leowin insists that the stone belongs to her. Luthiel had been found, abandoned, as an infant and raised with Leowin's family. The stone had been with Luthiel at that time and the sorcerer had taken it from her. Knowing this, of course Luthiel accepts the Wyrd Stone. Shortly thereafter, a Blade Dancer arrives in the village. They are the solitary guardians of the Minonowe. A Blade Dancer always brings bad news, normally the name of the Chosen. The Chosen is the one elf each year that is taken from his family to the dark and ancient Vyrls who feed on the blood of elves. But this year, three, instead of one, has been Chosen. And the arrival of the Blade Dancer means there has been a fourth elf chosen.
The Chosen is Leowin. The Blade Dancer tells Luthiel in confidence that she has a choice. Luthiel may do nothing and Leowin will be taken to the Vyrls. Or Luthiel can break the highest Faeland law and venture alone to the Vale of Mists to offer herself in her sister's place. If Luthiel chooses to confront the Vyrls, she must hurry. Othalas, the eldest and most feared of all the werewolves, is en route to pick up Leowin. Luthiel will need to meet with a powerful sorcerer, somehow past huge, intelligent spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, and travel through the glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh. Only then will she reach the Vyrls. Either choice will bring death.
But Luthiel is stronger and braver than she could possibly imagine. Good thing, because it will take everything Luthiel has to learn the secrets about her Wyrd Stone.
~R~
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| Book One |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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It is First Summer's Eve. Every year the elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It also happens to be Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. Luthiel's sister, Leowin, gives her a rare and magical Wyrd Stone. Luthiel is reluctant to accept it since Leowin stole it from a dark sorcerer. Yet Leowin insists that the stone belongs to her. Luthiel had been found, abandoned, as an infant and raised with Leowin's family. The stone had been with Luthiel at that time and the sorcerer had taken it from her. Knowing this, of course Luthiel accepts the Wyrd Stone. Shortly thereafter, a Blade Dancer arrives in the village. They are the solitary guardians of the Minonowe. A Blade Dancer always brings bad news, normally the name of the Chosen. The Chosen is the one elf each year that is taken from his family to the dark and ancient Vyrls who feed on the blood of elves. But this year, three, instead of one, has been Chosen. And the arrival of the Blade Dancer means there has been a fourth elf chosen.
The Chosen is Leowin. The Blade Dancer tells Luthiel in confidence that she has a choice. Luthiel may do nothing and Leowin will be taken to the Vyrls. Or Luthiel can break the highest Faeland law and venture alone to the Vale of Mists to offer herself in her sister's place. If Luthiel chooses to confront the Vyrls, she must hurry. Othalas, the eldest and most feared of all the werewolves, is en route to pick up Leowin. Luthiel will need to meet with a powerful sorcerer, somehow past huge, intelligent spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, and travel through the glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh. Only then will she reach the Vyrls. Either choice will bring death.
But Luthiel is stronger and braver than she could possibly imagine. Good thing, because it will take everything Luthiel has to learn the secrets about her Wyrd Stone.
***** I stress that this is the first book in the Luthiel's Song series. Though the story will end in a good spot, there will be many questions left unanswered and many future tasks left to achieve. However, everything in my synopsis of this story is completed by this book's half-way point. So much more happens than I can tell without some major spoilers (for this book and the future ones).
I am very happy to say that the story is excellent! There are so many creatures, twists, surprises, and adventure. Author Robert Marston Fanney's imagination is a deep well of fantasy mysteries. I can hardly wait to see where he takes me next! *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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| Luthiel's Song, a re-immersion into fantasy. |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Being a Terry Brooks fan among others, and having reviewed within the romance and mystery genres for quite a few years away from the fantasy/science fiction genre, it was a refreshing and unexpected delight to read such a well done tale of fantasy! Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale is light and dark, with a heart-felt touch of character dilema sandwiched inbetween. It's Luthiel's fifteenth birthday upon which her sister Leowin presents her with a wonderful gift; a Wyrd Stone. But the treasure is not the only thing that comes to Luthiel upon the day of her birthday. A Blade Dancer comes bearing a dark and very disturbing message. A message meant for one Luthiel holds dear in her heart. So disturbing and dark is the message the Blade Dancer bears, Luthiel is faced with a horrifying choice. Should she do nothing and wait for death to steal away a cherished loved one, or does she go against the most sacred of laws and make a journey alone into one of the darkest places known to her kind? Death lays in wait which ever way she chooses. But whose death will she choose? Only her Wyrd Stone, a window into the world of dreams can help her avoid the inevitable choice. But will she find the secret the stone holds before it is too late? Find out as I did, and read this wonderful first book from author Robert Fanney. My appetite for fantasy is now hungry for more! Very well done!
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| I wanted to give it more stars, but 5 was the limit |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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One of the absolutely best written fantasy books of all time. What I liked about it, everything. What I disliked about it, nothing. Ok there was one thing, none of my local book stores carried it, but fortunetly Amazon had it and for a very good price. If you have kids get this book for them but make sure you read it first or get 2 copies so you can enjoy reading it, because once you give it to your kids you won't be able to get it out of their hands.
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| Luthiel's Song |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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A thoroughly enjoyable book. Mr. Fanney's characters, creatures, and storyline made the book hard to put down. And unfortunately, when I did put it down (three days after I started it), I quickly went to Robert Fanney's myspace, I thanked him for Luthiel's Song, and asked when the next addition to Luthiel's story was coming out.
There are few authors who's books I've read more than once (Tolkien, Kurtz, King, and Eddings), Robert Fanney is the newest author on that list.
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