Rating: 
Summary: Great Author!!!!
Review: A new favorite for me. She is now added to my list of favorite authors George, Robin Hobb, Elizabeth Haydon, and Juliet Marrillier!!! A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Super fantasy
Review: As the suns never stop shining on Ranadon most people believe the propaganda that the High Priestess of the Church of the Sun, Belagren and her Shadowdancers cult followers have spouted. Belagren claims that the Goddess told her how to banish the Age of Shadows. Now Belagren is the most powerful force in the Kingdom of Senet and probably the planet though the Lion of Senet, the deeply religious Antonev, might think otherwise if he knew the truth.A volcano erupts ripping asunder the Kingdom of Dhevyn from the mainland Kingdom of Senet. At about the same time, a once exiled and now badly injured sailor floats ashore on the island of Elcast. His arrival reveals carefully hidden secrets that lead to Antonev journeying to Elcast to learn more of the truth. Civil war seems imminent as Belagren's contentions begin to prove false. This world seems real due to the genuine feel of the characters that make the action-packed fantasy so much fun to follow. Especially interesting is the pious Antonev, a firm believer in the Goddess to the point that he will kill indiscriminately while he viciously imposes his beliefs on others if that supports his religious zeal. Belagren is an interesting High Priestess who uses fabrications to gain followers, but readers will have to decide if that is for her to achieve and hold power or to convert zealots to the Goddess. Other players are as dichotomously intriguing as Jennifer Fallon provides a cerebral fantasy thriller whose theme of "what a web we weave when we first deceive" (modern politics?) will be followed in the next two months with the rest of "The Second Sons" trilogy.
Rating: 
Summary: A good start bound to get better.
Review: At first, this book was hard to get into because the beginning isn't the best catcher. Some of the things we like and use are renamed something else to reflect the idea that they live in a different world.
Some of the ideas are taken directly out of fantasy type worlds, but it's somewhat more based on science fiction.
The characters each have their own charisma and dislikes, and behaviors completely their own. One thing you won't do is confuse characters in this book, which is sometimes a problem with fantasies.
Aaaanyway..
The plot as you get deeper into it is deep and it'll hold onto you. You'll find yourself in the midst of the problems encountered by the main character, and you definitely will regret when this book comes to an end.
I'm just headed out to get the second.. I can't wait to find what happens next! From kisses snuck between antagonistic characters, and spiteful words flung at friends, this isn't something you'll put down.
Rating:
Summary: A good start bound to get better.
Review: At first, this book was hard to get into because the beginning isn't the best catcher. Some of the things we like and use are renamed something else to reflect the idea that they live in a different world.
Some of the ideas are taken directly out of fantasy type worlds, but it's somewhat more based on science fiction.
The characters each have their own charisma and dislikes, and behaviors completely their own. One thing you won't do is confuse characters in this book, which is sometimes a problem with fantasies.
Aaaanyway..
The plot as you get deeper into it is deep and it'll hold onto you. You'll find yourself in the midst of the problems encountered by the main character, and you definitely will regret when this book comes to an end.
I'm just headed out to get the second.. I can't wait to find what happens next! From kisses snuck between antagonistic characters, and spiteful words flung at friends, this isn't something you'll put down.
Rating:
Summary: Lion of Senet
Review: Excellent book. Seems to be more Sci-Fi than fantasy. There was a lot of speculation on the setting being an alternate world due to the two suns. I think it is Earth, only thousands of thousands of years in the future. (After all, they do mention lions and wolves--only call them farie animals). Hey, it could happen.
Fallon introduces a whole strew of characters, all of which are well rounded and interesting. Every one is sort of like yin-yang. Bad with a little good, or good with a little bad. It made the reading vastly interesting since the reader could relate to almost anyone. The setting is vivid and easily pictured regardless in the difference from earth.
The main character is a boy from an island. Sixteen year old Dirk's life is interrupted when a pirate ship shipwrecks on his homeland leaving only one surivor. The lone survior unwillingly pulls Dirk into political intrigue, fanatic religion, as well as family secrets. The reader is taken on a roller coaster as Dirk fights to save not only himself, but his family, his furture, and all that he knows.
I can't wait to get to the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing Despite Flaws
Review: First of all, I have to write that I really enjoyed this series. Since all three volumes were published within months of each other, I was able to obtain all of them after reading this the first volume. I was totally engrossed in the story and could not wait to get to the conclusion.
First, the good. I really liked the idea behind the premise--a two-sun world in which one sun periodically sets for an extended period of time. And I like the interplay between science and religion in explaining this phenomena.
I also liked very much the storytelling aspect of Fallon's writing. She painted colorful, rich pictures of the events in the volumes.
Perhaps most of all, I liked the characterizations. Most figures in the book are a mixture of both good and bad. The title character of the first volume is the ruler ("Lion") of Senet. While a "bad guy" as the novel progresses, it is easy to understand why he acts as he does, and he has a certain nobility, albeit it brutal, at times, to his beliefs and actions. Another "baddie" is the young acrobat/[...] Marquel. While she gets more ruthless as the story unfolds, her motivation for her actions seems reasonable given her upbringing and experiences. In fact as she is about to be unjustly punished for stealing a knife, our sympathy goes out to her.
The "good guys" are also not perfect or flawless, although the novel's hero, Dirk comes close. All the characters have flaws and make mistakes which makes things worse.
Normally, being a main character in a novel or series is a pretty good insurance policy that you will make it through all sorts of trials and tribulations to the end of the story. Not so here. Being a major character does not mean that you won't suffer a surprising and perhaps grisly fate.
Now, the bad. Despite the characters being engrossing, some of them are just not believable. Tia, in particular, holds an undying hatred for Dirk (which morphs into love, of course, and back to hate) which is unrelenting and unbelievable. Everyone else understands why Dirk did what he did and understands him, but not Tia. She is sure, beyond any normal logic, that Dirk is an agent of the Lion of Senet sent to work her people's downfall.
When Dirk has sex with Marquel after she gives him a powerful aphrodisiac, his best friend, the Lion's second son Kirsch, himself besotted with Marquel, blames him and becomes his enemy. This despite the fact that he had himself been subject of the same drug during religious ceremonies.
I am not so sure about the math behind the long periods of the second sun's sunset, but I will grant that as a given in order for the plot to work. But much of what is touted as proof of Dirk's great intelligence is mundane and proof of only his average intellect. And the "logic" used to explain why Marquel should watch the then married Kirsch during the second volume is simply lacking in any logic by any stretch of the imagination.
I think this trilogy had the potential to be ranked as one of the best in the genre. But the flaws keep it down. Despite the flaws, though, this is an engrossing, fun read. I highly recommend it, and I look forward to the day when I forget enough about it to pick it up and enjoy it all over again.
Jonathan Brazee
Rating:
Summary: Excellent . . . Great Read!
Review: I actually bought this book because I thought Medallon looked interesting, but I wanted to see if I liked the author before I shelled out the cash for a hardcover. I'm glad I did, because I loved this book and am looking forward the reading the next two. The characters are fully developed. Both the "heroes" and the "villains" have good and bad characteristics. Tia was especially annoying for a "hero" at some points. lol. I find it interesting that this book is classified as fantasy, however (although I have no better suggestion as of yet about where to put it) because depending on where the second two books go, it may turn out to be closer to science fiction. The action takes place on a world obviously not earth because there are two suns. I've found that most fantasy takes place a sort of alternate earth. There is mention of a goddess, but unlike a lot of fantasy in which the gods are demonstrably real, here the "actions" of the goddess are probably going to be explained with science (specifically astronomy) by the end of the trilogy. So any of you who are looking for spells, mindspeech, or magical talismans will need to look elsewhere. I personally didn't miss these traditional fantasy trappings, and I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great dragon-free fantasy!
Review: I just finished The Lion of Senet and it was quite good, after a bit of a slow start. Ms. Fallon takes a while to set the tone and get things rolling, but its well worth sticking around because the book really picks up steam after about a third of the way through. On the surface, this is traditional fantasy, though it's clear that the world was once populated by a more technologically sophisticated culture (possibly it was an earth colony at one time?). I haven't read books 2 & 3 of the trilogy but I wouldn't be surprised to see things angle a bit more towards sci-fi.
Anyway, the world of Ranadan has twin suns so it normally never gets dark, but relatively recently there was an "Age of Shadows" when it not only got and stayed dark, but the planet went through a lot of geological stress, causing earthquakes and volcanoes, as well as changing water levels due to climate changes.
Because of these events, there was a big shift in political power; kingdoms nearer the equator were impacted less by the climate changes and so rose to power over the struggling kingdoms in less temperate area. In addition to this, a new religion formed when "The Goddess" spoke to a minor clergical figure and told her how to end the Age of Shadows. At least, that's the official story. I don't want to go into too many details because learning about all this is part of the fun of the book.
This is the setting for a story about the sons of powerful men. How they meet, decide on where their loyalties are, and learn about the world around them. Is that vague enough for you? :)
Anyway, there're no magic spells or dragons or anything `fantastical' in the book. It's more a story about politics and people. Fallon has a nice way of introducing characters such that you have no idea if they're `good guys' or `bad guys' for a long time, and just about the time you get it all figured out, things shift. If you liked Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire series (aka "Game of Thrones" series) then you'll probably enjoy this book. It's not as grandiose or as complex as Ice & Fire, but the struggles and obstacles are similar.
One word of warning, though. This is the first book in a trilogy and it kind of just stops with not much in the way of an ending. If you find yourself liking it, best to be ready with volume II, Eye of the Labyrinth. Personally I can't wait to dive into the next book. Fallon has become a `must-read' author for me.
Rating:
Summary: Darn it. I didn't want to like this book,
Review: I started reading this book and it bored the hell out of me. Way too many characters and it was jumping around from place to place. Then, it started to get better and by the end, I was thinking DRAT! NOW I'VE GOT TO GET THE SEQUEL! So then I got it the next day and now I'm so involved that I'm going to have to get the third one when it's released. And I was all set not to like it. I feel cheated.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: Jennifer Fallon is an excellent writer, who mixes fantasy and sci-fi beautifully. She gives us a wonderful cast of characters and a great setting. I couldn't put down this tale of a lord's second son as he gets caught up in a web of political and religious weaving. A fast page turner I reccommend this book to anyone who's looking for a fantasy setting with a sci-fi twist.
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