The Runelords: The Sum of All Men (The Runelords, Book One)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent start...but only a start
Review: I won't bore you with the differences betwen this book and other fantasy books other than to say that it is unique and very refreshing. This book is an excellent and quick read. However, be prepared. While the story does not end in a cliffhanger, so to speak, it definitely is meant to be the first of many books. You can actually pick out the parts in the last 20 pages where the Tor editor cut out explanations for future use. BUt, if you are OK with starting a series, this is far better than Goodkind, more thoughtful that Eddings, and quicker than G.R.R. Martin. Also, unlike Jordan, things actually happen.

Rating:
Summary: It would make a good computer game... Definately different.
Review: Every now and then, a new authour (new to fantasy, if not to sci-fi..) enters the Fantasy playing field with novel and welcome concepts. Farland has brought with him a new magic system, based on the Vampiric concept of draining attributes (sight, speed, strength, etc) from one being and transferring them to another, thus making the receiver a formidable opponent, especially when the recipient of many such "endowments". The Sum of All Men refers to just that - a being with endowments from so many people that he becomes almost omnipotent. His only weakness being his reliance on those providing him with their attributes, and the need to balance all of his attributes evenly, in order to eliminate any weak links (for example someone who has the speed of many people must have the stamina to survive the ordeal). I would actually rather give this book 3.5 stars, for a couple of reasons. Although Farland does not bend to a formula and his world is novel, complex and relatively believable, I don't find the characters particularly well-rounded, and the plot is a little thin. I'm an avid fan of complex interweaving, and Farland just doesn't do it for me. Six hundred and thirteen pages are by no means a "small" novel, and I'd expected a little more to happen in that span - in short, I found it a little slow moving and not justifiably so. But maybe that's just me. Lastly, I found the book a little too "psychological" for my tastes - his emphasis on body language and people's private domains was a little too overt for my liking, I prefer a little more subtlety. Then again, I suppose that for someone with enhanced senses, nothing is subtle anymore...

Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST of the current crop of Epic Fantasy series.
Review: I've been reading fantasy for decades, so it takes something a bit more intriguing and innovative to catch my attention. The magic system, integral to the plot and motivations and theme, manages to put this book above the ordinary. The cost of using these Runes is immediate and devistatingly obvious. It highlights what is implied in other books, that there is a cost to magic, or power of any kind; whether it's the power a leader has over his men, or the power man has over nature. This adds immensely to the meaning of all the action. --And the action is great. The story is fast-paced and the author doesn't play about with the reader, providing many confrontations between the protagonist and antagonist, and lively scenes with the supporting characters. The writing is self-assured and straight-forward, the characters are a little nebulous but show great promise of growth, the world seems vast and fascinating with well-developed and intriguing cultures. I will eagerly look forward to reading more in this series.

Rating:
Summary: a book better than most
Review: Although this book is not as incredible as tolkien, it still proves to be a book worth reading. I was lucky enough to find this book while stuck in an airport for 4 hours. I needed to find something to do, and I found farland. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. I ended up reading this book in about a week. The way the author wrote this masterpiece it makes you feel as though you were there. I would recommend this book to any fantasy reader, as well as the sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting concept, not so well developed
Review: As in chess, so too in fantasy, a new idea is a welcome development. Farland's series is a good change from the standard creator vs. evil one genre of Tolkien, Jordan et al. The idea of a feudal economy where wealth is not just material but in the form of endowments of human attributes, with the beneficiary lord then having to care for the drained donors is intriguing indeed and Farland deserves full credit for his innovation. The magic of the elements too is well brought in. However, I always get a bit wary when authors try and push a personal philosophy too strongly, instead of letting it flow with their story and Farland comes perilously close to doing this. I hope it does not go the way of Dune where Herbert's philosophical meanderings ultimately crowded out the story itself (yes, I do know Dune is science fiction and not fantasy). My other crib is that Farland falls prey to a prevailing laziness among fantasy writers and does not explain the context of his world. No doubt, it is all clear in his mind. But as a reader, I have questions. What are the toth and duskins which vanished from the earth and whose loss carries lessons for Gaborn? Why should the earth be so concerned about humans vis-à-vis the reavers on objective principles? What exactly (description, habits) are reavers and hujmoth and glories? The book has no coherent answer and this detracts from the quality. Nor are the maps of much use either, being too sparse on details. The impact of Raj Ahten's attack on Sylvarresta and the retreat across Mystarria are lost without a proper map for the reader to follow. That said, the characters are interesting and multi-dimensional and the story moves well. A promising debut for Farland and worth a try by any fantasy fans.

Rating:
Summary: Well Worth it.
Review: I bought this book because it looked good. I was very happy with the results. After you understand what endowments and runes are all about, it is a wonderful book. I have read many good authors and many bad authors. David Farland is one of the better ones I have read. I think anyone interested in fantasy will love this book. I can't wait for the sequel to come out on paperback!

Rating:
Summary: Very Jordan-esque
Review: Robert Jordan created one of the greatest fantasy universes of all time and David Farland is right on his heels. This book gives the reader many interesting characters, both common and heros to look at, as well as an enemy that is easy to dislike, but hard to hate. An excellent story that only gets better with the next book.

Rating:
Summary: 'There is a friend in the Earth'
Review: Am I the only one who thinks this is a bit too derivative of Stephen R. Donaldson's Covenant series? The device of the lords getting endowments of magical ability is quite original; the characters are well-done. And then the plot began to seem familiar...well, at least he doesn't have to get his fingers cut off to play Berek Earthfriend. Not that I'm complaining, mind you: the book is good, and the killer ending makes up for a lot. The most tragic place in the world is a battlefield where good men have died, and not many fantasists have the wit to see that. As an evil villain myself, I was heartened to see the bad guy wasn't just a cardboard cutout but a case of good intentions run amuck. We villains aren't all raving monsters and vicious killers, as I was saying to Bill Gates just the other day.

Rating:
Summary: Really Pretty Mediocre
Review: Just another generic fantasy novel with a fancycover.Poorly-described characters, monsters, world. So the author hasa somewhat original magic system big deal, doesn't raise this book above the rest of the slop. Consider that a handful of reviewers that say it's the greatest book ever and they wept when they read it. Yeah right. This book is no better and no worse than the rest of the fantasy shelves that seem to cater to junior high students. This book stinks.

Rating:
Summary: New Idea
Review: I always have to give a lot of credit to authors who are able to see a genre of writing and make it their own by introducing a new and fresh aspect to look at. So often I am left feeling bored and tired by the same old wizard and dragon stories, that I am always welcome to books such as these that breathe a breath of fresh air into the field of fantasy. The idea of supplementary magic in this book to me is the central reason why the book is good. The author has created a new "magic" as it were, and how he tells about it, and introduces it in this book was well done. The writing is not super heavy, so this book can be enjoyed by all, but I enjoyed the ideas that went behind the making of this book, and it is those ideas that I applaud. If you are reading goodkind and jordan right now, and see all the consistencies between those 2 authors, and perhaps also to Tolkein, look to this author and this book to help you out of your doldrum.