Monday, January 28, 2013

Fortress in the Eye of Time by C.J. Cherryh

First sentence: 

"Its name had been Galasien once, a city of broad streets and thriving markets, of docks crowded with bright-sailed river craft."

Description:

"Deep in an abandoned, shattered castle, an old man of the Old Magic muttered almost forgotten words. His purpose -- to create out of the insubstance of the air, from a shimmering of light and a fluttering of shadows. that most wondrous of spells, a Shaping. A Shaping in the form of a young man who will be sent east on the road the old man was too old to travel. To right the wrongs of a long-forgotten wizard war, and call new wars into being.

Here is the long-awaited major new novel from one of the brightest stars in the fantasy and science fiction firmament. C.J.Cherryh's haunting story of the wizard Mauryl, kingmaker for a thousand years of Men, and Tristen, fated to sow distrust between a prince and his father.

A tale as deep as legend and a intimate as love, it tells of a battle beyond Time, in which all Destiny turns on the wheel of an old man's ambition, a young man's innocence, and the unkept promised of a king to come." -- from the back cover

My thoughts:

Overall I liked this fantasy epic featuring the innocent Tristan trying to understand his purpose in the world. Sometimes, however, I wish there was a list of characters and their connections as many of the names were similar and I found it hard to keep track of who was who. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Fortress of Eagles.

Date read: 1/27/2013
Book #: 1
Series: Fortress, #1
Rating: 3*/5 = good
Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0061056898
ISBN-13: 9780061056895
Publisher: HarperPrism
Year: 1995
# of pages: 773
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
LibraryThing page