Nightseer

Rating:
Summary: Stunningly real and human
Review: I was one of the fortunate few that actually bought this book new. I've never been disappointed by Laurell's books, but this one struck me more than the others. Though not my favorite of her books, I think it shows that human element better than the others. The heroine is definately fallible. A woman with noble intentions still slipping ever so slightly to the "Dark Side". It seemed like the book started in the middle of a chronicle and it should continue on. I pray that this story continues. It is truly a work of art

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT BOOK
Review: I was lucky enough to come across this treasure in a used bookstore the other day. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put it down. The characters are what kept me glued to the story. Please let there be a sequel

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: I found this book in a used book store, and had the hardest time putting it down. I eagerly await a sequel

Rating:
Summary: A must have for any science fantasy collection!
Review: Make sure you have time to read this book in one sitting. The action starts and does not stop until the final paragraph! This is the book that got me hooked on reading anything published by Laurell Hamilton. Unfortunately she has not written a sequel. I keep hoping that she will eventually continue with this series. Keep an eye out for this one in the used book stores but if the others are like me you'll have a hard time finding it because my copy will not be showing up there

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I purchased this book a couple of years ago, and have been hoping for a sequel ever sincel. It is well written; and the story is fun and exciting. I couldn't put it down

Rating:
Summary: awesome awesome
Review: this book was the best book I've ever read from her. super fantastic!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing debut...
Review: I'd looked forward to reading Laurell K. Hamilton's debut novel for as long as I could remember. However, I was disappointed with Nightseer. This lackluster, over the top novel is about Keleios and her many powers. She is a witch, sorceress and enchantress all rolled into one. She is also a prophet, something that does not sit well with her, for she foresees unpleasant events by way of dreams, one of which is her mother's death. But when she harnesses demonic powers, she is able to protect the lives of her fellow witch friends and apprentices and, more important, avenge her mother's death in the hands of Harque the witch...

I saw some similarities between this novel and the Anita Blake series. First of all, Keleios is a badass fighter with pretty much the same hang-ups, double standards and self-righteousness as Anita. Keleios is also very protective of the people she cares about, just like Anita. I also noticed that Eduard, the journeyman herb witch, is identical to Jean-Claude in physical description, dress sense and dark demeanor. It is obvious to me, especially judging by the slight cliffhanger, that this novel was going to be extended into a series, but perhaps LKH decided to abandon this storyline in favor of the Anita Blake one, taking a lot of the elements of this story into the other one. I for one am grateful for that. This novel just didn't do it for me. I didn't like the third person narration, the fanciful, over the top wordiness and the overall plot that reminded me of a video game my brother and I used to play when we were kids called The Legend of Zelda. There is a lot of action and suspense in this novel, especially toward the end, but it did little to spark my interest. You can tell this was Hamilton's first effort because she tried too hard with this novel. Die-hard Laurell K. Hamilton fans might want to give Nightseer a whirl, but they'll either love or hate it. I didn't like it, but at least I got to read Hamilton's first effort.

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointed Fan
Review: I am a big fan of LKH, so I got this book thinking it would be written in a style along the lines of her other dozen or so. Boy was I WRONG!

It starts out ok, but soon it's as if the reader is plopped in this crazy foreign world with no knowledge of terms and no idea what the heck's going on. The reader is supposed to just KNOW all the terminology, history, etc. of this world with little help from LKH in deciphering it. On top of the tons of characters we're supposed to keep straight (all of which are pretty poorly developed), there are the gods and goddesses and their relationships to keep track of. I know it all had some bearing on the storyline, but darned if I could keep it straight.

There are some definite parallels in this book and the AB series: the heroine is a hard core, badass, emotionally distanced, multi-magically talented mix of things that no-one's ever heard of before, definite tension between the heroine and her intended (sexual? and otherwise), and bad guys and blood galore.

The biggest problem I found with this book is that the plot is so poorly developed that there are many questions/storylines raised but no answers given. Just when the story starts levelling out and getting halfway decent, the book ends. It reads like it was to become a series but never happened, which made me want to rewrite the thing, edit it, something to get some closure. Maybe AB popped in & took over LKH's time and efforts. If that's the case, I'm glad there weren't anymore in this series to take away from AB, because I do love that series! (ok, so Obsidian Butterfly wasn't exactly a fav, but that's not for review here!)

Overall, I have to agree with the person that suggested renting it from your library or picking it up at a yard sale, flea market, or somewhere that offers it reeeeeeealy cheap, because I really found it more frustrating than fun.

Rating:
Summary: Hamilton's Unspectacular Debut Novel
Review: Laurell K Hamilton is author who I would have said two years ago could do no wrong. I absolutely loved the first six books of the Anita Blake series, but after that her books started to stink. I found this book at the library (no way I'm paying 8 dollars for the reprint that is something like 250 pages long) and was hoping that Nightseer would be a return to the Hamilton I used to love. Unfortunately, while it has Hamilton's spectacular action and creative ideas in spades, it is also unfocused and under-developed.
Keleios is a phrophet and a sorceress studying at a magic academy that trains nobles and peasants alike. Keleios is tainted by a demon's mark and a thrist for vengence against the witch, Harque, that killed her mother. One night she has a vision that the school will be attacked and destroyed and her rival Fedelis (and somehow Harque) is behind it all. She also has to worry about Lothor, the Black Healer, who wants her to be his wife, whom she really dispises. The school's attacked and there is a hundred page long action scene and Lothor, Keleios, and some pals wind up conveniently on Harque's island and then there is some more fights.
That's Nightseer's main problem. Developement is pushed aside to have long fight scenes and it plays out like an RPG. Many times did I think about the similarities between Nightseer and the Final Fantasy games. It's like- Oh, look a fire demon. Better equip a knife with ice atributes. Oh No! Our white mage is out of magic points, better summon Shiva, the ice elemental. Yea! The boss monster is dead. On to the the next dungeon, but be careful. The monsters here are so powerful that the guide book doesn't even say how many life points they have!
Plus while Keleios brave and strong, she has Anita Blake's annoying tendency to judge the people who love her harshly even when she is even less of a saintly humanitarian than they are.



Rating:
Summary: awesome awesome
Review: Of course after enjoying most of the Anita Blake books (the first 10 are fantastic), I was delighted to find something else by Ms. Hamilton. It was obvious that the publishers printed this work just because it was a Hamilton work, albiet an early work, and they shouldn't have.

Writing was okay, but I kept thinking that with all the references to earlier actions by the character that there was another book prior to this - which there isn't.

This is a good idea that was written by a freshman writer. Unclear plot and poorly structured.

Borrow it from the library and save your money for other books by this author.