Elegy for a Lost Star

Rating:
Summary: Good but lacks emotional punch of other books in series
Review: After their great victories, Rhapsody, Ashe, Achmed, and Grunthor should be able to rest--but their enemies just won't stay beat, the evil f'nor fire demons continue to plot their escape, and now Rhapsody's pregnancy, with a dragon-child, threatens her survival. ELEGY FOR A LOST STAR combines four story lines--the amnesiac dragon, Anwyn seeks Rhapsody's name and destruction, the transformed sea-man, Faron, goes on a rampage when his magical card/scales are taken from him, Rhapsody and Ashe bicker about Ashe's plan to build a magical device--a Light Catcher--that just might end the entire world, and the Emperor-Elect Talquist of Sorbold plots his schemes to subvert the church and go on a wave of conquest.

Fans of the wonderful Rhapsody series will be overjoyed to see their favorite characters back in action. But ELEGY is not on the same monumental, and emotional, scales as the earlier works. The dragon's quest seems strangely empty, the bickering between Rhapsody and Achmed seems more than a bit artificial--why don't these people talk, explain their positions, rather than simply take offense and say terrible things to each other? You'd think after spending fifteen hundred years together, they would do better. As for Faron, his motivations and decisions are hard to rationalize. Only Talquist makes a really interesting story--but Talquist is only on a few pages.

All of this doesn't mean ELEGY is a bad book. It's an important connecting book, it does advance the story, and we do get to read author Elizabeth Haydon's wonderful writing. After the powerful and emotionally rich Rhapsody series, however, ELEGY is a bit of a let-down. I think the one thing it needs most is the vital emotional impact that each of the other stories held. Certainly Haydon tries for this with Rhapsody's troubled pregnancy and the evolving relationship between Ashe and his father, but for me, these fell short.

Note: I meant to rate it 3 Stars but Amazon won't let me correct.


Rating:
Summary: a decent read, but...
Review: As the fifth book in the Symphony of Ages series, ELEGY FOR A LOST STAR falls short.

There are three basic plotlines and all of which are creative and I think have lots of potential: Rhapsody and her soul mate Ashe are Lord and Lady Cymrian and expecting their first child, only since Ashe is part dragon, Rhapsody and the baby could be in danger. Danger is also rising in Sorbold, where we find that the new emperor is not only the one responsible for the deaths of the former empress and her son, but he has also used a few strange ancient artifacts in order to secure his position on the throne. He is planning to attacks the kingdom's of his friends and enemies and proposes a huge threat to Rhapsody and friends. And of course, the big plot centers around the awakening of Anywyn who is out for revenge on Rhapsody who ruined her life.

The problem with plot 1 is that we don't see enough of Rhapsody and Ashe, and when we do see them, the emotion seems to fall short. Plot 2 is done when, and the new emperor of Sorbold is definitely as evil and heartless as to be expected from a former slave trader, but there is no conclusion to the plot, so I assume there is another book coming. Plot 3 suffers because Anywyn is suffering from some sort of amnesia throughout the entire book until near the end. The chapters that were describing her were simply so boring, I wanted to skip them. All she can remember is anger and then anger at Rhapsody and wanting to kill her and then she doesn't know why.

Unlike the first three books of the series (RHAPSODY, PROPHECY, and DESTINY), the characters along with the plot action seem very strained. In this book, Haydon spends so much time reminding readers of what happened in the previous books that the characters, their conversations, their emotions, and their actions are limited. The four main characters (Rhapsody, Ashe, Grunthor, and Achmed) are not nearly in enough of the action. What saved the book for me was the further development of the two minor characters (Gwydion of Navarne and Anborn).

As far as fantasy novels go, it is still a decent read, better than some. However, if you are expecting a book worthy of the previous Symphony of Ages books, you are bound to be disappointed.



Rating:
Summary: Lacks Previous Intensity
Review: I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Haydon books, but I must admit that Elegy for a Lost Star seemed to fall short of expectations set by Haydon's previous novels. While the book surely sets up a working stage for novels to come, I wish that Achmed and Grunthor had actually played larger roles and that Raphsody hadn't been so...so blah this time around. I did not care for the changes her character endured. I agree with another reviewer who said he would like to see more emotion. At times I found myself wishing that Raphsody and Ashe would actually show EMOTION; some of the dialogue was stiff and didn't sound like the characters would really talk in the way they were made to. I don't know; over all, the book wasn't horrible, but I personally was hoping for much more.

Rating:
Summary: I had much greater expectations from this author
Review: I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of Elizabeth Haydon's other books, but found this one never really got started. The entire book felt very much like an introduction to a book that sets up the basic plot lines, but instead of delving into the body of the story it abruptly ends.

I get the feeling that she was rushed through the process in this book. The part that was the most frustrating for me was that the characters were so glossed over, since the assumption is that we alredy know them so well from the other books, but instead of letting the emotions and motivations of each character tell the story we are just informed of the actions and outcomes of each plot. I hope that she is able to take her time with the next book and write something better than this crap.

Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: I have to admit that I toyed very briefly with giving this book 4 stars instead of 5, because it lacked the breadth and depth of previous Haydon novels, and I think a little more background and interaction with the characters was in order for those unfamiliar with earlier books. However, considering its much shorter length -- a little over 300 pages, compared to nearly twice that size for Requiem for the Sun, the first installment of this trilogy, and nowhere near the 850+ pages for Destiny, the last installment of the first trilogy -- you still get a lot of bang for the buck.

It is hard to top the cunning menace of the F'dor, yet Haydon still manages breathtaking suspense and action with the awakened Anwyn and the transformed Faron. I was delighted to see the emphasis on dragons in this book, and those who are fond of Haydon's beasts will be very satisfied. I would have liked to have seen more of Grunthor (my very favorite character, with Achmed a close second). And we at last have the birth of Meridion, the time manipulator; I'm hoping at some point in this series we get to see the time line that Meridion changed, which Haydon has tantalizingly hinted at on a few occasions.

If you are as entranced with these characters and Haydon's writing as I am, you will enjoy this book. If you are expecting another long, complex novel like the previous ones, you may be slightly disappointed and simply have to wait for the next installment, which Elegy has set up beautifully.





Rating:
Summary: Very refreshing - worth the four stars
Review: I read this book a second time, and found that perhaps it is not as terrible as it seemed the first time. I absolutely LOVE now how she set up the whole Anywn awakened plot, and the turn for the worst that Faron has found himself falling into.
I still believe that the characters, however, show too little emotion, but since about 75% of the book is acceptable, I can overlook most of it. In fact, this is about the only real problem I had with the novel, although I could have wished for more complexity.
I still despise Rhaspody's new change of character (Rhapsody, unlike the charming, albeit naive woman of earlier books, is now prissy and self-absorbed (hopefully it's temporary), but I suppose Achmed and she will eventually heal the rift that has formed between them, as they begin to at the end. Achmed, Grunthor, and Ashe satisfy me, (I still would like to see more emotion though), and the Talquist and Neilash Mousa twist is very clever. However, Achmed, although he does not show that much emotion (actually, all the rest of the characters show LESS), actually cares for what he is trying to do, and shows the vigor and intensity fitting it. Also, since Achmed happens to be my favoite character (besides Grunthor), I was disappointed that he rarely made any difference - for all the time he was in the book nothing he did mattered. Alas - at least this book is nothing really more than an introduction to the next.
I could do with a bit less dragons in the book - not because I do not like them - but because it feels as if Haydon is ruining the aura around them. She seems to humanize them a bit too much, and explain away their history in great dollops. They no longer possess that unearthly quality - now they seem to be almost commonplace as birds in the air. I want something new.
Overall though, this book when read a second time (the time when I could accept that itwould fall short of my expectations and simply enjoy what WAS there) is not so dreadful afterall. Its rating would fall somewhere between a three and a half and a four, but leaning more towards the four. Haydon set the next book up adequately, and although as a novel it is not the best, it makes and excellent introduction to the next book. I don't know if I would buy this in hardcover, but definitely try it in paperback!
Oh yes, and please, all of you die-hard fans, do not criticize me and give me an unsavory rating simply because of my somewhat negative opinion! Thanks!

Rating:
Summary: So disappointing!
Review: I've been waiting for this book for months, and was one of the first people at my local book store when it finally came out. I almost wish I hadn't bothered--a delay would have meant that I could have put off the disappointment for at least a few days, possibly even weeks.

Elogy has the same wonderfully complex type of storyline that characterizes all of Hayden's books, but the depth of character development that I've come to love is completely missing. The story moves quickly, which is admittedly a bit of a relief after Destiny and Requiem, which tended to drag a bit, but the increase in speed seems to have come at the expense of character insight and growth. I felt like Achmed, Grunthor and all the others were just pale reflections of the way they were portrayed in other books. Instead of letting the reader grasp things about the characters by allowing their actions to speak for them, Hayden simply tells us what to think and how to interpret everything and everyone. Also, while like many others I found Rapsody rather irritating and do-goody, her portrayal in this book is even worse--it is completely lacking in development and sparkle. I know we know these characters--we've been dealing with them for four novels now--but that doesn't mean that they can't reveal new sides of themselves and/or develop new ones.

To end on a positive note, this book is much darker than most of the others, and I think the change in tone is an interesting one--I won't go so far as to call it an improvement, but I found myself reading with baited breath more than while reading the earlier novels in this series. The increased suspense makes for a read that is more engaging in terms of plot, although it still doesn't make up for the failings in characterization. For Hayden fans it's definitely worth reading, but be prepared to make a major adjustment in the way you read, and don't expect the high quality of the original trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: A Breath of Fresh Air in the Genre
Review: In the midst of stories that devote entire novels to endless exposition, strain to breathe life into a story that should've ended seven books ago, or preach endlessly about political ideals while fabricating trite cataclysms for the heroes to avert in suspiciously convenient moments of inspiration, The Symphony of Ages is a rare gem of a story that the reader hopes will continue, instead of desperately awaiting the final volume.
The characters' abilities to use various types of magic almost seems natural, unlike the contrived, "the hero is born gifted," strictly categorized magic of other fantasy series. Magics range from using music to heal a wounded man to intuitively locating an unknown path to manipulating air for the purpose of speaking.
The world is rich with culture and magic and rings true even while leaving you breathless with the impossibility of it. The conflicts are believable, rising from the world we already know and not from some forgotten corner of the globe where a cataclysmic evil has been waiting all this time, beknownst to everyone EXCEPT the main characters.
In short, if you're sick of the same-old same-old of trite fantasy, sit down with Rhapsody: Child of Blood and work your way through to Elegy for a Lost Star, and remember why you fell in love with fantasy in the first place.

Rating:
Summary: Series is wearing thin
Review: Once again, a fantasy writer has become so enamored with her own characters or prose or whatever that she or he does not know when to wrap things up.
Don't publishers employ editors any longer?
How many times can the same word, phrase or plot device be used?
I'll finish reading the series but I won't be happy about it.

Rating:
Summary: Fast moving and different
Review: One of the very best things about Elizabeth Haydon's writing is that she never writes the same book twice. I am so tired of authors who ring a good note, then play it over and over again for the rest of their careers, especially in fantasy series. ELEGY is a great example of Haydon's flexibility.

The beloved characters that were introduced in the Rhapsody trilogy have changed somewhat, as people tend to do, and the evils who were introduced in earlier volumes, as well as a few who make their debuts here, bring a new kind of menace to the world. She writes in the same excellent fashion, but with a different flavor, much like a change in a musical piece.

I highly recommend ELEGY, though perhaps it is not the best place to begin the series. While not the tome that DESTINY was, it is definitely an engaging, engrossing, terrifying and beautiful read.