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Rating: 
Summary: Cliche, but still very good
Review: I've read more than my share of fantasy books, and at first, this one didn't seem much different from anything else I've seen on a shelf. But, as the characters develop more, and the plot thickens, you get sucked into this incredible world that Kate Constable has created for you. If you've read fantasy before, you'll know it's not very different from any other fantasy book, but once in while (especially with this book), it's good to get back to the bare essentials of fantasy. The heroine has a compelling and realistic personality and the storyline never stops catching your interest.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Read
Review: If it were possible to rate something a three and a half, so I would have rated this. Since I cannot, I went with the higher number."Singer of All Songs" is a wonderful introduction to the fantasy genre (though I would not go so far as to say it's on a par with the Golden Compass). I especially love Constable's emphasis on music in the world of magic, as they're something I've often felt go hand in hand. Hardcore fantasy readers may find that some of the elements are overused (which is difficult to avoid in fantasy), though it's still an entertaining read. My main complaint is that, as the book progresses, there seems to be a lack of development as far as the laws of the magic go. I began to feel as if pretty much anything were possible, which is a nice idea until one realizes that there can be no real challenges for the characters to overcome if they can do everything. The magic in the story is not consistent with what the author wants us to believe. For instance, in the beginning we are lead to believe that learning the different chants and magical modes is something extremely difficult and rare. Yet, Calwyn runs into so many master enchanters completely at random, and then herself learns so many modes in a matter of days and with little effort, that one begins to doubt that there is any difficulty to learning the chantments at all. In a nutshell, Constable is a little to impressed and self-indulgent with her characters to fully satisfy those readers who look particularly close at the story and are not satisfied with being only partially convinced (me). That being said, I feel I should point out that the above is a magnified close-up of my critical opinion, and the book is by no means lacking merit. It kept my interest the entire way through, the descriptions were good, and it was overall an enjoyable book. And I would certainly be interested in reading the next book in the trilogy... when will it be published?!
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant but Short
Review: The Singer of all Songs is a pleasant story about a young ice priestess, Calwyn, who has been sheltered for almost all of her life within the cloisters of her religion. All countries within her world have a singing power which their natives may learn, and enable them to control a certain element or power, such as ice, fire, beasts. Calwyn is learning to sing for ice, meanwhile getting herself into trouble, and tending to the bees. When a young man, Darrow, is found on her side of the wall, she takes care of him. Poorly injured, he fears someone who he claims will come after him. Sure enough, this person does, and Calwyn and Darrow flee. They travel to different countries in an attempt to keep from their pursuer, Samis. In going to the different countries they begin to learn their different songs and make new friends. This story was good and pleasant, but I don't think it was worth paying $17 for the hardback edition. It is much better to buy as a paperback, for it will probably become a fairly good series. However, I thought it was too short and a bit simple. But it was full of fantasy and had a likeable heroine, as well as a likeable hero, and the premise is fairly original.
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