Rating: 
Summary: One of a kind
Review: This is the first book I have ever even considered giving five stars to. It deserves one for its intelligence, one for the language, one for the characters, one for the plot and one for the backstory. It also deserves one for the clever way in which Haydon tied up all the threads of the story, but the system doesn't go that high.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant new wordsmith
Review: Finally an author who can craft a coherent sentence appears in the pantheon of fantasy writers. This book has wonderful characters and a great plot, but what I enjoy most about it is its eloquent, intelligent language. With this book Elizabeth Haydon has raised the bar for all the fantasy writers out there.
Rating:
Summary: A rare find
Review: RHAPSODY by Elizabeth Haydon is funny, sad, warm, bitterly cold. It has scenes depicting great ingenuity, and scenes depicting great stupidity. There is tender romance, hot sex, creepy manipulation, and the sadness of age disparity among lovers. There is an amazing battle scene where the protagonists wipe out their enemies; there is a crushing scene where the protagonists are themselves wiped out. When you read this you feel haunted, tickled, pained, inspired, claustrophobic, frightened, amused, hopeful, creeped out, rejunventated. How many other fantasy books contain all these emotions? How many other writers paint with all these colors?Answer: None. Conclusion: BUY THIS BOOK! You will be missing out on greatness if you don't.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to find, but worth it
Review: I recommend to anyone who wants to read this book that you buy it from Amazon. The bookstores seem to be unable to put it in the right place. I wanted to see it first so I checked out three stores which didn't have it in the fantasy section. In two stores the computer said they had it in stock but they couldn't find the book, in the third they found it in the wrong section. Finally I got sick of waiting and ordered it online, and I am so happy I did! This book is so different from the others, without the standrad cliches. I loeved the way the three characters worked together, and found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. That's the sign of a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Few authors manage to steal 8 solid hours out of my day.
Review: One day, I was skimming through the local book store's newsletter looking for a good title to check out from the library. As I thumbed through, the cover art of Rhapsody caught my eye. Given the thousands of good fantasy reads out there, I do judge books by their cover, at least for a first impression. Immediately impressed by the art, I decided to read through the article. After a paragraph of raves, the article compared the author to Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind. Having just read both their landmark series up to the latest book in each, I thought to myself, "No way." Everything I had read between titles from the two paled in comparison and they had been lauded in the same way. So I casually dismissed the reviewer's words until I came to where he related his own initial doubt - a doubt that mirrored mine. The review ended with a dare, to read the first 100 words and see if I could put the book down. Curious, I figured, "Why not?" Within a day or so, I got hold of a copy sitting down to read the first page just after lunch. When I had finished, it was evening. Something like eight hours had gone by, despite the midterm I had been mindful of the whole time I read, and despite having started this book expecting disappointment. I had read from cover to cover not once falling out of the lull that turned words to pictures. A scarce few authors manage this, but above and beyond that, Elizabeth Haydon wrote a book that also planted the rich emotions of the tale directly into my mind, in the same way the words had the images. I end this rave with the same dare I fell for. Read the first 100 words, see if you can put it down afterwards. Go on, I dare you.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: It is a wonderful thing to get to see a book at early stage, then see it come out in all its glory. Months ago I saw a tattered advance copy of RHAPSODY that had obviously been passed from hand to hand. When I finally got my own hands on it I could not put it down. Elizabeth Haydon has the ability to paint pictures with words, to compose music and transmit it through the eyes. Reading this book is similar to listening to a symphony building to a crashing crescendo. It does not throw in pages of hack-and-slash gore to keep the plot going. The plot moves nicely on its own. Now seeing it in beautiful packaging is even more impressive.
Rating:
Summary: astounding
Review: I had been sleeping through books lately, same old ideas, same old characters, same old plots. This one is worth waking up for. Devious heroes, people who stay together not because it furthers the plot but because where else would they go? Very moving descriptions. Superb new book from a surprising new author.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful fantasy
Review: This is a truly great book. It is destined to be a classic. Years from now people will still think it is a great book, and will be as excited as they are now, because it is timeless.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is a great book. I loved the way the people interacted with each other, the history and the music. I have not enjoyed a book this much since the first Song of Ice and Fire book.
Rating:
Summary: Another one for Professor Rhodes
Review: Great book, inspirational, funny, well-written, with strong use of language and obvious scholarship applied to the mythos. Beautifully printed. Great cover art--very sophisticated. Excellent plot, the threads of which are actually tied together with great subtlty. Drawbacks of the book: somewhat small type, at least to those of us with bad eyes, though the science fiction book club version is bigger. I don't like the weird curvy letters at the beginning of chapters, and there could have been more space between the chapters. On balance, a thouroughly wonderful read, and a keeper.
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