Mirror of Her Dreams

Rating:
Summary: The Best Of Donaldson
Review: Mirror Of Her Dreams is superb fantasy. None of the usual fare that makes fantasy so weak when not in the hands of Tolkien (monsters, wizards, fairies, etc.). This is an intricate, well thought out and executed piece of work. The characters are wonderful, the world fascinating and believable, and the story first rate in every regard. 'Page Turner' is a phrase thrown around WAY too often but hey, this one fits the bill. An excellent read to enjoy more than once.

Rating:
Summary: Eight times, nine years and four copies later
Review: I first read the mirror of her dream when i was 14. I hadn't liked the other works I had read by Donaldson, so I wasn't expecting that much.

What I got was an engrossing page turner of a story with finely developed characters and a solid plot,a book that almost intantly managed to top my list of favourite books and has managed to stay there through nine years and eight readings.

Rating:
Summary: Title Goes here. I hate buzzwords and catch phrases anyway
Review: As you can see, I enjoyed reading this book. I haven't read the second part but I look forward to it when I have the time. I can only give it 4 stars however, because at times I find Donaldson Donaldson's novels frustrating.

I think one of the other reviewers has Donaldson's MO backwards. In "The Mirror of Her Dreams" and "The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenent" the author brings an extraordinary person from our world into an ordinary place. By extraordinary I mean that they operate under severe mental and emotional handicaps(and physical in the case of Thomas). A major part of the story is them overcoming these handicaps and learning to live a normal life. From an intellectual point of view this is very intriguing, but it is hard put theory into practice. This is where the frustration arises. In "...Covenent" and less so in this novel Stephen hasn't integrated the characters conflict with the other plots as well as could have been done.

When the characters do act the book becomes worth it. As everybody has said, it is the characters that make the story. Otherwise, it would be just another ordinary fantasy novel.

Rating:
Summary: OK, but flawed
Review: This review deals with both books (the mirror of her dreams and a man rides through), since they are in fact the same story (no satisfying conclusion, even temporary, is reached by the end of the first book).
So, how does it compare with Thomas Covenant? First, you do not get in this book the sensation of vast spaces with few inhabitants. What I found annoying in Covenant was that the place seemed to have been put together in patches; the centrestage in the fastness with the lords was rich enough, while the rest of the land seemed empty. That, happily, does not occur in the mirror of her dreams.
It is also supposed to be more ambiguous than mere epic fantasy, and the plot was to unravel itself inch by inch. In that, I think, it fails. First, the ambiguous characters are merely bland (particularly Teresa), and the plot is heavy with weird devices (so all these attempts on Teresa's life by a master fighter and an Imager just fail one after the other? Either they're really bad at their job, or the author is having us on). Also, some 'twists' in the plot are risible: the king's madness, which serves as an elaborate plot, is much too far-fetched to fit in with the story; it comes as no surprise that the ugly, difformed characters like Master Gilbur are villains, and anyone could have predicted that Master Eremis was up to no good. There also seems to be some confusion on the matter of translations (at least, I did not understand exactly what was happening with flat or curved mirrors, what kind of translations made you mad, etc.) Geraden, at first clumsy, becomes an Imager of great power, and so does Terisa. Sorry, it's all a bit too much: these two just turn out to have this incredible power for which we should all be thankful (or perhaps not, given the sheer stupidity and inefficiency of their opponents). And the plot meanders between too many characters that hold centrestage, and then disappear and are only seen from afar.
It's good, it's a page-turner, but when you close it you'll feel disappointed; the secrets that Donaldson lets dangle before your eyes turn out to be not worth the trouble in the end.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing
Review: I've been looking for a good fantasy book for quite some time now, and this duo by Donaldson hit the spot. I had gotten tired of reading fantasy books because they all seemed to be the same, and the characters are already so sure of themselves and two-dimensional. This book throws all that out the window. Unlike other fantasy books, where you can guess the plot half way through, this book (and its sequel) keep you guessing the whole way through. You're not really sure WHERE a character stands, because each one is so complex and developed. Donaldson adds so much richness by allowing his characters to truly discover themselves while he tells his story, and the plot is so involved, that this book makes every part interesting. (Another thing I've always found boring about fantasy books is the long war scenes, but this one actually makes the whole process readable.) Do yourself a favor and pick this book up - you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites
Review: I read this book back in 1989 and loved it then and still love it now. There are few books I read twice, but this one stayed with me over the years and I had to read it again. Seeing it here again, makes me want to dig it out and read it again!

Rating:
Summary: Rating for both books...
Review: I have to rate both books at once because they are one story and you can't seperate them.
1) Con - Donaldson again has some looser characters that you find hard to like because they wallow (sp?) in their issues more than trying to work with thier "good" qualities
2) Pro - Donaldson does a superb job of realistically having every character play their part and appear to make their own decisions all the while being used as pawns in a grand game of chess. The decisions they make seem believable.
3) Pro - First book sets up the players and you can almost figure out who is conspiring with who without being told by the author in every case but by simply seeing the clues for yourself.
4) Pro - Book 2 is a very satisfying end to a grand story.
5) Con - This story I would not recommend for childeren. There is some explicit sexual material several times between the books.
6) Pro - the looser characters aren't such loosers in the end
7) Pro - Nice balance between the political intrigue and action fight scenes and magic
8) Pro - I found it to be a page turner of a story
9) Con - I found it to be a page turner of a story...didn't get my chores and responsibilities taken care of. hehe.

I would highly recommend this. I liked the story better than I remember liking the Thomas Covenant series...

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps my all-time favorite book; even better than King!
Review: I first read this book in college: my-then boyfriend had received it as a gift, and he and I read the book simultaneously. I finished first and was overwhelmed with disappointment that the story had ended! Donaldson concludes the book right in the middle of the story; he finishes the saga in the next volume, A Man Rides Through. I immediately bought the hardcover version of A Man Rides Through, and the two books together are perhaps the best story I have ever read. It is a fantasy saga with an amazing original concept that is complex but extremely readable. Recently, I was thrilled to find a used hardcover version of the first book via amazon, so now I have a matching set. I'm a huge Stephen King fan as well, but on this on occasion, Donaldson managed to outshine even King's brilliance.

Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favorites
Review: I never cease to enjoy this book and its sequel, "A Man Rides Through". I just finished "The Mirror of Her Dreams" for the fourth time and will be diving into the sequel tonight. These are the kind of books you read well into the night when you should be sleeping. Because of these, I read Donaldson's "Gap" and "Thomas Covenant" series -- both of which I enjoyed greatly and will read again and again -- but these remain my favorites.

There really is only one thing I might add to the other positive reviews here -- and it is something I noticed in "Thomas Covenant" as well: Mr. Donaldson takes an ordinary person from our own world, places them in an extraordinary place and situations and allows them to grow from there. Terisa Morgan is a woman with no sense of self, no confidence, and no purpose. Her passivity and doubt are frustrating -- frustratingly real. But her arrival in Mordant and her subsequent involvement in its crisis -- as well as the faith shown in her by the loyal Geraden -- allows her to discover the woman she truly is: powerful, courageous, and passionate (to name a few) -- qualities she never would have discovered if she'd remained in her own world.

The action and intrigue are captivating -- but it is the characters and their evolution (and not just Terisa's but Geraden's as well) that make these books so addictive.

In the paperback version, there is a rather major editorial mistake. In the last pages of the second to last chapter, a few sentences have been left out, making things a little confusing. Having always read the hardcover edition before, I noticed the mistake. Briefly, and hopefully without giving anything away, what was left out is this: Castellan Lebbick informs the Congery that Nyle wishes to speak to Geraden alone. This is what he whispers into the Castellan's ear. That's really all that was left out. I had to read it a few times to make sure I hadn't skipped something. Hopefully, this helps anyone who thinks they missed something, too!

All in all, two wonderful books with characters that stay with you.

Rating:
Summary: Different, but disappointing.
Review: The Mirror of Her Dreams is a low fantasy that chronicles the "translation" of the beautiful but insipid Terisa Morgan into the beseiged realm of Mordant by way of "Imagery," sorcery that brings things out of mirrors. In this case, a clumsy apprentice, Gerarden, enters a mirror in Mordant in hope of finding the "champion" that the mirror depicts. Instead, he finds himself in Teresa's sterile New York penthouse and, thinking that she may instead be Mordant's savior, persuades her to return with him. A maelstrom of court intrigue arises on Terisa's appearance in Orison, the sprawling castle-capital of Mordant (reminiscent of the castle in Peake's Gormenghast saga); and of course, someone (or multiple someones) desire the newcomer's death. Meanwhile, the elderly king feigns silent senilty (or does he?), armies march, and monsters summoned by Imagery assault the countryside. Can Terisa and Gerarden stay alive and help Mordant do the same?

Unfortunately, the first book of the duology suffers from a plodding pace and creates more questions than it answers. The 3-star rating reflects a general admiration for SRD's imagination (as exemplified by the creation of Imagery and its central debate about the independent existence of things shown in mirrors) and his ability to describe people, places and action sequences in fine detail. (The king's daughters and Master Eremis are particularly well depicted, as is Terisa's eerie attraction to the latter. The opening description of her dream of riders in the snow is also wonderful.)

However, the rating also reflects the uneven depth of characterization and the general sense of frustration created by (to name a few things), Terisa's persistent doubts about her own existence; King Joyce's inactivity; the castellan's Gestapo-like interviews; the inability of the greatest swordsman/assassin in an adjacent kingdom to kill Terisa in multiple attempts; and Gerarden's clumsiness (which eventually becomes a weak plot device).

Uncertainty and frustration indeed seem to be the major themes of the novel; and as themes, they sometimes turn pages as the intrigue thickens, but they also make it difficult to actually like or identify with many characters, the bland Terisa in particular. (In fact, the only readily likeable character in the entire novel is Gerarden's heroic brother Artagel, strictly a supporting role.)

In sum, TMOHD exemplifies both the strengths and weakness of low fantasy. The realism created by the use of imperfect characters and complex, ambiguous situations can be engaging. However, too much imperfection and groping in the dark can result in the "translation" of the reader out of a keen and poignant realm of imagination and back into our own problematic world. Even in Part 1, some questions need to be answered.