Rating: 
Summary: Exiles Volume 1: The Ruins of Ambrai
Review: This is the only book I have read of Melanie Rawn. (I haven't gotten around to the second book.) I only picked it up because it was the thickest book I could find and also the only interesting book. I was amazed at the complexity of the society. It had so much depth to it, down to society structure, family structure and religion. I am an avid reader, but this is by-far one of the most detailed and well-thought out books I have read. I would recomend it to everyone!
Rating: 
Summary: Big and wonderful, but sometimes confused and cluttered
Review: Melanie Rawn was a refreshing change of pace for me as a reader of fantasy novels. Her style is vivid and lively, her characterizations of the main players are lifelike, and her plot was unpredictable. More importantly, her writing was refreshing in that blow-by-blow combat was nearly non-existant. I read George R. R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight" from Tor's _Legends_ collection recently and in my opinion it was a very, very bad story, if only for the excrutiatingly detailed combat scenes in which each of the characters' actions were catalogued like a fight at Madison Square Garden. Rawn avoids this pointless waste of paper by getting the point across without losing the excitement of the scene. Overall, it's a much more elegant approach than the ham-fisted, masculine chest-thumping that goes on in other fantasy novels. The interactions between her characters (especially those between characters of opposite sex) were likewise eye-opening. Our patriarchal society is basically mirrored in her world of Lenfell, and women have taken the roles of heads of household, government, and business. Once I realized where the book was headed with regards to this, I thought I'd be beaten over the head with a feminist message, but Rawn is ultimately effective in turning our world upside-down and showing us a different perspective. I have a handful of complaints about an otherwise amazing book. The character's motivations sometimes seemed cloudy to me. (i.e. why are we submitting our friends to a night in jail and marching into a court filled with meanies to free them while disguised like the bad guys?) No doubt, the scenes Rawn creates are artful and dramatic. However, it often was as if she had an image for such a scene and tried to shoehorn her character's motivations into a plotline that would accomodate the dramatic. My one other complaint was the number of characters who contribute a smattering of dialogue, but who are named and enumerated in every scene in which they appear. One thing I've learned about writing fiction from Melanie Rawn is that if you're going to bother to name a character, make sure the character has a point in the story other than scenery. The reader forgets if he or she should care about "Miriem Kesse" otherwise. However, I'll conclude by saying that this book certainly paid off with deep, rich main characters, and a plot that was serpentine, but satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book in all ways
Review: I love how Melanie Rawn combined magic, family relationships, and politics together to form a wonderful book. The approach on mages is different and original, and the differences between the Mage Guardians and the Materissi made me realize how important freedom is. The story line of this book is one of the best I've ever read, but it's the characters which enthrall me the most. I love every single character in this book, from the beginning of the book to the end. This book has all kinds of characters, from the ones that you feel you can really identify with, to the ones that you passionatly hate the whole way through. Even the names of the characters are wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: A great book of fantasy
Review: (I'd actually give it more than 5 stars if I could) This series (so far) are the best books I have ever read (excepting Dragon Prince). It is very confusing at first, with all the Bloods and Tiers stuff, but just ignore that and pay attention to the rest. This book is full of magic, mystery, and involves a GREAT love story between Sarra and Collan, and a sad ending. It keeps you anticipating more and more so you can find out what happens next. I love Melanie's writing because she makes you become part of the book, feel like your living it, and that's what makes it so interesting. I can't wait for the third book of the series to come out, I can hardly wait to see what happens next. Then read it all over again!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, powerful book!
Review: I loved this book. It is one of my favorite books. I can totally relate to the characters, which are so well depicted that they seem to come to life. The well thought out plot kept the book in my hands for hours on end. This is her best book so far, followed by it's sequel. I hope the 3rd book comes out soon!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Intriguing
Review: An absolute classic, one of the best books I have ever read. Even though the book may appear long and boring at first sight, Rawn reinforces very well the phrase "A book cannot be judged by it's cover". I found that after reading the first page there will bound to be endless intrigue and mystey throughout the plot. Once you get into the book, it is definately very hard to put down. Readability: I would give it a 10 out of 10 If I could give it 10 stars, I certainly would.
Rating:
Summary: I would give it 10 stars if I could!
Review: This book was absolutely incredible. I was completely wrapped up in it halfway through the first paragraph! Although this book was quite long I read it in four days... I couldn't put it down! I would also like to point out to whoever wrote the Kirkus Review that they should watch their spelling: Liwellan and Feiran are the correct spellings. I couldn't believe how harshly "Exiles" was reviewed by Kirkus; the book was a fantastic read and I have re-read it at least fifteen times. I recommend it to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: The Ruins of Ambrai
Review: Melanie Rawn is an accomplished writer with an adept ability in developing characters. The characters she created in the book The Ruins of Ambrai, combined an indepth understanding of human nature and excellent story telling skills. Melanie Rawn's ability to tell a story with all the intricacies of a mystery about to be unraveled, as well as the action and humor that she weaves through her tale, keeps her audience enthralled. I truly enjoyed this story and the sequel, Mageborn Traitor and look forward to the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Awsome
Review: Okay...so this book was absolutely wonderful! Melanie Rawn takes you in and you KNOW the characters. You will laugh and cry with them, it's amazing. Loved it...Loved the next one...Can't wait for the third! (I wish it wasn't just a trilogy :( )
Rating:
Summary: absolutely the best
Review: I am a very selective reader but I must say that this and the second volume are the finest. Enchanting is an understatement. I can hardly wait for the third to come out.
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