Rating: 
Summary: Bought the book by its cover
Review: I'm a voracious fantasy reader, and yes, what brought me to this one was the cover painting. I wasn't disappointed -- the story inside the covers was wonderful: well-drawn and deep characters, a world that has the breadth and past of a true history, and a rollicking storyline that has a truly satisfactory ending, unlike a lot of series fantasy work. The book completes itself and doesn't leave you in mid-story, but it WILL make you wish the second book were available right now.I highly recommend this!
Rating: 
Summary: A fun subway read but not much more
Review: Let me preface -- the book certainly belongs to the upper quadrant of fantasy literature. It has a swiftly-moving plot, some fairly interesting characters and doesn't trip into too many cliches. The world-building is commendably consistent though not original. I'll probably buy the second novel in the series. The problems: 1) Jenna's motivations were never really clear. I never got the sense of the person she was and despite the author telling me, through other character's mouths, that she was supposed to have grown and changed, I never really felt it. She was not pro-active enough - a basic problem when you have a character who is basically an illiterate farm girl thrust into great politics. I really liked that she remained illiterate, though, a bit of realism there. 2) Other character's motivations. Particularly Mac Ard -- it was very hard to see why he wanted the Lamh Shabhala so badly. He remained a cypher. Also, a reviewer below has pointed out another inconsistency regarding another character in the end. I also don't think it was established enough why Lamh Shabhala was worth going into a major war for -- we saw in the book that it was stronger than the other stones but only in the end got a glimpse of the full abilities. 3) Deus ex machinas (machinae)? Seancoim's sudden appearances, Thraisha (sounds like a black hip-hop star), shapeshifting, etc., etc. 4) The world was not "new" - it was too Tolkienesque, there was no sense of wonder for me, for all the "old" things the coming of the magic brought -- well, you'd seen all of them before. And they never rose above being "cool background." The descriptions occasionally grated with anachronisms. This may be a nit, but I always cringe when I read fantasy which uses a number of modern words. (I don't have the book with me right now, but words such as organism and blood circulation don't make sense in the context - blood circulation wasn't discovered until much later). Hoping the author improves with the next book.
Rating:
Summary: A fun subway read but not much more
Review: Let me preface -- the book certainly belongs to the upper quadrant of fantasy literature. It has a swiftly-moving plot, some fairly interesting characters and doesn't trip into too many cliches. The world-building is commendably consistent though not original. I'll probably buy the second novel in the series. The problems: 1) Jenna's motivations were never really clear. I never got the sense of the person she was and despite the author telling me, through other character's mouths, that she was supposed to have grown and changed, I never really felt it. She was not pro-active enough - a basic problem when you have a character who is basically an illiterate farm girl thrust into great politics. I really liked that she remained illiterate, though, a bit of realism there. 2) Other character's motivations. Particularly Mac Ard -- it was very hard to see why he wanted the Lamh Shabhala so badly. He remained a cypher. Also, a reviewer below has pointed out another inconsistency regarding another character in the end. I also don't think it was established enough why Lamh Shabhala was worth going into a major war for -- we saw in the book that it was stronger than the other stones but only in the end got a glimpse of the full abilities. 3) Deus ex machinas (machinae)? Seancoim's sudden appearances, Thraisha (sounds like a black hip-hop star), shapeshifting, etc., etc. 4) The world was not "new" - it was too Tolkienesque, there was no sense of wonder for me, for all the "old" things the coming of the magic brought -- well, you'd seen all of them before. And they never rose above being "cool background." The descriptions occasionally grated with anachronisms. This may be a nit, but I always cringe when I read fantasy which uses a number of modern words. (I don't have the book with me right now, but words such as organism and blood circulation don't make sense in the context - blood circulation wasn't discovered until much later). Hoping the author improves with the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Just Didn't Work For Me.
Review: Picked up the book at the library - the fantastic cover art and exerpt intrigued me at the bookstore, but I don't have the cash to purchase every book that I see that interests me on the shelves =) Boy, am I glad that I didn't waste the money.
The storyline is interesting - the idea that magics stem from what, to me, sounded like a more randomized aurora borealis; the young girl caught up in it all without any desire to be in the middle...
But the characters were awful. At the very best they were annoying, and more often they just didn't evoke any interest whatsoever. The main character, Jenna, usually came across as a drug-addicted, gullible spoiled brat. The "villains" didn't ever make much sense - as someone else has mentioned, *why* was the stone worth going to war for? - and the other "good" guys were incredibly predictable in their constant betrayals. Topped off by the wretched scene at the end...
Well, if the library gets the sequel in I may pick it up in hopes that the next generation of characters are a little bit more interesting - the whole concept really is very good - but I definitely won't be running out to put down money for it.
Rating:
Summary: A Glorious And Appetite-Wetting Ride Of Fantasy and History
Review: The gorgeous cover that features our main character, Jenna Aoire, using Lamh Shabhala as curls of colored air dance around her was what caught my eye in one of my favorite bookstores. I kneeled, picked the new book off the shelf, probably not long after it had been stocked, the time being Jan.-Feb. 2003, and I ran my fingers across the gorgeous lettering and covering. Opening the book, I began to read. I loved it. The story was intersting and snatched me right into it. Although I didn't sit down and read it in one sitting due to the chaos of life, I did pick it up again within two weeks and read it all in three days. The story was amazing and wonderful, I loved the characters and the settings, the rich background and powerful events. The author, the truly wonderful S.L. Farrel seems brave with her characters and her storyline. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves Fantasy and ancient Ireland.
Rating: 
Summary: True Magic
Review: This book is one of the most grounded and facinating books that i have ever had the privledge of reading. There were many points such as the stones in which the power was concentrated through and even the side effects, which many authors choose to leave out of their book for it isn't very flattering of the magical arts though very factual. During the voyage though there were many points in which the character was found to be quite lacking as a main character should, yet as all books will this will get better as this is quite an inspiratonal first book for all readers. I also found the structure and content facinating as well as intriging. I hope there are many books to come.
Rating:
Summary: A fabulous beginning!
Review: This book snared me from the first page and I hated putting it down the first night. The story is set in a mythical version of Ireland, and Farrell has done the work to make the land realistic, with detailed people and cultures. The characters, especially Jenna, are compelling and believable, the magic is intriguing, and even those on the "other side" are portrayed sympathetically. Farrell sucks the reader into this world and never lets you go until the final page. I can't wait for the next book so I can return to this wonderful place!
Rating:
Summary: Get the buzz going!!
Review: This is a fabulous book and I don't understand why I haven't heard more about it. I know it's the first book in a series by a new author, but this is easily as good or better than other boks I've read by much better known authors. A great story with wonderful characters and a well-drawn society. Read the other reviews if you don't believe me -- and if, like me, you've read this book and loved it, write your own review! I can't wait for the second book.
Rating:
Summary: Get the buzz going!!
Review: This is a fabulous book and I don't understand why I haven't heard more about it. I know it's the first book in a series by a new author, but this is easily as good or better than other boks I've read by much better known authors. A great story with wonderful characters and a well-drawn society. Read the other reviews if you don't believe me -- and if, like me, you've read this book and loved it, write your own review! I can't wait for the second book.
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: This is a great start to a new fantasy epic. Normally when I read an epic, quick and easy references to Tolkein pop into mind (especially these days). And I have to admit I was afraid that this one would prove too similar to LOTR as well. The story starts off in a similar fashion-- an innocent finds a magical item and then is forced to run, encountering a strange forest creature immediately (Farrell's Seamcoim). Happily, there the similarities stop. Jenna is a unique and interesting character, evolving in unexpected but completely believeable ways. The stone begins to change her, not so much by the intrinsic power of the stone as by the corrupting influence of having such overwhelming power thrust on her. The ending is, as writer and critic Chekov demanded, completely unexpected but inevitable. Jenna's relationship with her mother is another fascinating aspect, but I won't give too much away. This is a great book. The pace picks up about a hundred pages in, when the other magic stones become active. Then it's a complete page-turner.
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