Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better.
Review: I'm afraid I have to agree with the readers who found this book less than they had hoped for. I really couldn't get into the book. There are some flashes of quality writing interspersed inside extremely long narratives that often had me nodding off. The author really needs to work on building her characters and limiting her subplots. I see some talent here. She just needs to work a little harder.
Rating: 
Summary: Holly's best yet
Review: If you've enjoyed "Secret texts" and you've come looking for more of the same you're in for a pleasant surprise. Holly's excelled herself this time. This novel takes us behind the scenes of the intrigues needed to keep magic going. And there we find some real heroes and truly villainous villains, people who'd consign the human soul to destruction so that they could get through a gas crisis.In Wraith she's given us a hero worth the name, and his struggles with a vast, powerful and seemingly invincible enemy make the book an absolute page-turner. There's a sense of bereavement, of being turned out in the cold when you hit the last page that's a sign of how deeply Holly's pulled you in. Buy it, enjoy it and be prepared to be yelled at when you're still reading at 3am.
Rating: 
Summary: The prequel makes the whole series better. . .
Review: Normally, I'm not a fan of prequels. In this case, I make an exception. "Vincalis the Agitator" is the best prequel I have read in recent memory, if not ever. I will go so far as say that it strengthened the whole "Secret Texts" for me. I was ever so ambivalent on the "Secret Texts" trilogy. I suppose that's because parts of it reminded me too much of Elizabeth Haydon's "Rhapsody" trilogy, which I found to read one step ahead of a Harlequin Romance. The "Secret Texts" were not as sappy, but did share several of the same traits, including making the heroine and hero a little too perfect and invincible for my tastes. After reading "Vincalis", I feel I may or my not ever read anymore from Elizabeth Haydon, but I will certainly read more from Holly Lisle. What did I like? I found the characters less perfect, thus more accessible and believable. Wraith had doubts. Solander had doubts. Jess had doubts. The only principal characters who did not have doubts were the antagonists, and this cocksureness is one of the things that made them the bad guys. I liked the story. It is a tale of the mostly good against the mostly bad. The world Ms. Lisle creates is a rich one based on primarily consistent principles of magic. I know there are purists out there that can cite dozens of seeming inconsistencies, but I say "Get over it." We're talking about fantasy here - you want consistency, read a physics text instead. But what I really liked is the way that either story - the "Secret Texts" trilogy or "Vincalis" could be read first with no loss of impact. I read them in the order they were published, hence I read "Vincalis" knowing roughly how it was going to turn out. In that light, I found the reverence in which future Falcons in the "Secret Texts" were to hold Vincalis the Agitator to be somewhat ironic given the truth of Vincalis' birth and upbringing. Someone reading "Vincalis" first can enjoy a similarly ironic unfolding of the plot. In either case, the four books must be viewed as part of the same whole for maximum enjoyment. I enjoyed the "Secret Texts" as an above-average fantasy series. Throw in "Vincalis" and you have a very good fantasy series from a writer I will definitely read more of.
Rating:
Summary: The prequel makes the whole series better. . .
Review: Normally, I'm not a fan of prequels. In this case, I make an exception. "Vincalis the Agitator" is the best prequel I have read in recent memory, if not ever. I will go so far as say that it strengthened the whole "Secret Texts" for me. I was ever so ambivalent on the "Secret Texts" trilogy. I suppose that's because parts of it reminded me too much of Elizabeth Haydon's "Rhapsody" trilogy, which I found to read one step ahead of a Harlequin Romance. The "Secret Texts" were not as sappy, but did share several of the same traits, including making the heroine and hero a little too perfect and invincible for my tastes. After reading "Vincalis", I feel I may or my not ever read anymore from Elizabeth Haydon, but I will certainly read more from Holly Lisle. What did I like? I found the characters less perfect, thus more accessible and believable. Wraith had doubts. Solander had doubts. Jess had doubts. The only principal characters who did not have doubts were the antagonists, and this cocksureness is one of the things that made them the bad guys. I liked the story. It is a tale of the mostly good against the mostly bad. The world Ms. Lisle creates is a rich one based on primarily consistent principles of magic. I know there are purists out there that can cite dozens of seeming inconsistencies, but I say "Get over it." We're talking about fantasy here - you want consistency, read a physics text instead. But what I really liked is the way that either story - the "Secret Texts" trilogy or "Vincalis" could be read first with no loss of impact. I read them in the order they were published, hence I read "Vincalis" knowing roughly how it was going to turn out. In that light, I found the reverence in which future Falcons in the "Secret Texts" were to hold Vincalis the Agitator to be somewhat ironic given the truth of Vincalis' birth and upbringing. Someone reading "Vincalis" first can enjoy a similarly ironic unfolding of the plot. In either case, the four books must be viewed as part of the same whole for maximum enjoyment. I enjoyed the "Secret Texts" as an above-average fantasy series. Throw in "Vincalis" and you have a very good fantasy series from a writer I will definitely read more of.
Rating:
Summary: Vincalis the Agitator - Collectible Future Classic
Review: Other reviewers have posted plot synopses of Vincalis the Agitator by Holly Lisle. Wraith, a Warrener by birth, passive dependent of a system that sucks life energy from the underclass to power the floating cities and extravagant magic of the Dragons, escapes his fate by an accident to meet Solander Artis, son of one of the highest ranking stolti. Their friendship, their lives, the political intrigues of the dark, fantastic world of Matrin and the rise of enigmatic playwright Vincalis reflects a long, hard look at the world we live in. Oh yes, this is far out stuff. It's fantasy. It's all magic and unless the author's been dead for a few decades, books with fantastic content don't get taken seriously as literature or social commentary. Perhaps the problem with taking contemporary authors seriously is that the author might be in a position to answer the literary critics unless they're safely in the grave with Swift and Clemens. For sheer technical brilliance, Vincalis the Agitator could've been a novel about anything at all. I would give it five stars for that and will state openly that in my view, it'll become a classic. Holly Lisle's backstory is immense, vast and epic as J.R.R. Tolkein's - which it doesn't resemble in the slightest, except in that ordinary people whose ordinary lives put them in the way of events large enough to shatter history and remake it rise to the occasion. The psychology of the characters is as plausible as the ghetto, the university, the boardroom - and as completely rooted in their time and place. Holly Lisle has a grasp of human nature at its best and worst that few authors have ever come close to attaining. Holly Lisle's prose is elegant. It's almost invisible until her sleight of hand with complex backstory and even more complex intrigue shows on a studied reread. When in two pages she's accomplished as much as another fantasy author might in two chapters without slowing the novel's breakneck pace, and when one key dialogue intersects three or four plotlines neatly with Hitchcockian tension and the fate of the world hangs on a careless bit of open gossip among ordinary people, that takes my breath away. That's another fine point in itself. Holly's characters breathe on the page. Even cameo appearances of very minor characters ring with a depth and richness that would make them main characters for lesser authors. Like history itself, the events in Vincalis the Agitator are entirely path dependent. They do hang on the individual moral decisions of random people who happen to be in a position to make choices for entirely personal reasons. I have not read The Secret Texts trilogy. Vincalis the Agitator as prequel written after the series, builds new layers of depth that no doubt will reflect into it as soon as I get the Secret Texts. I borrowed Vincalis. One third of the way into it, I ordered my own copy because I knew this book belonged on a very short list of books I need to own, replace when worn out and keep very close to my desk to remind myself why I write. Holly Lisle has a heart as big as Charles Dickens and a wit as sharp as Swift or Twain. Get a first edition if you can, maybe a 'reading' copy and a preservation copy, because this one's going to stick around for a long, long time...
Rating:
Summary: Review of Vincalis the Agitator by Holly Lisle
Review: This is a prequel to the Secret Texts trilogy and answers a lot of questions left open in Diplomacy of Wolves, Vengeance of Dragons and Courage of Falcons, such as what are all those circles on the maps and how did they get there? Who was Vincalis and why did he write the Secret Texts, the bible of the Falcons? What were the dragons like when they were in power? Who was Solander and why was he so revered? Who were Luercas and Dafril? The characters are deep, each with their own conflicting agendas, desires and motives, and they're as mixed up about life as we are. The plot and subplots are rich and complex and flow very well. Actions have logical consequences, but with surprises, too. Overall, this is a great book and well worth buying and reading!...
Rating:
Summary: Downfall of the Dragon Empire
Review: Vincalis the Agitator is the prequel to The Secret Texts Trilogy. The Empire of Hars Ticlarim has existed for three millennia, growing in might and expanding into the surrounding barbarian lands. During the last millennium, Dragon magic has powered the Empire, insuring plentiful supplies of food and other necessities for eight billion citizens, creating fantastic works of architecture, and overcoming their enemies. Unknown to the general populace, however, this Dragon magic was based on the flesh, bone, blood and life of the drugged prisoners within the Warrens. In this novel, Wraith is a Warrener who has awakened from the Sleep. He stopped eating the Wayfare that caused the stupor and instead stole his meals from the surrounding city, sneaking out of the Vincalis gate to salvage food from the garbage. Over a period of time, he found others who are not quite lost in the Sleep and weaned them from the Wayfare, but only he can pass through the gate into the city without being destroyed. One day, as he is searching for food for Smoke and Jess, Wraith finds a market square where people are apparently taking food without paying. He fills a basket and leaves, but is noticed and pursued as a thief. He ducks into an open gateway and is hidden by Solander Artis, the only child of the Master of Energy, third highest position in the Empire. Solander discovers that Wraith is immune to magic; the magical force just passes through him as if he wasn't there. Solander wishes to study this immunity and conceives a plan to establish Wraith and his friends in the Artis household as remote cousins from the hinterlands. Solander involves his cousin Velyn in the plans and Wraith becomes infatuated with her on sight. Wraith returns to the Warrens with a box of Artis edibles to find that Smoke has returned to the Sleep when the food gave out, but that Jess is still waiting for him. He tells her of the plan and then leaves to meet Solander and Velyn. They return with an official aircar and smuggle Jess out of the Warrens. In this story, Solander and Wraith discover that the Dragon Council has discovered a new, more powerful source of magic based on destruction of the souls of the Warreners. They resolve to liberate the Warreners, with Solander working from within and Wraith writing plays to enlighten the populace to the harmful side of magic. In order to protect their identities, Solander underwrites the first play through intermediaries and Wraith pretends that the plays were written by someone else called Vincalis. This story shows the callous disregard of the Dragons toward the people in the Warrens; the Dragons label them as inhumans and thus not to be considered when the welfare of the whole Empire is at stake. Unfortunately for the Dragons, the god Vodor Imrish disagrees with them and is helping the rebels. From the destruction that results comes the world of The Secret Texts. This work has many of the strengths of The Secret Texts trilogy, but the storyline does not flow as naturally as the trilogy. Since this is the prequel, the ending is a foregone conclusion, but some of that inevitability appears to have crept into the development of both characters and plot, causing a sense of abruptness. Nonetheless, this story is fully enjoyable, both as a prequel and on its own. Recommended for Lisle fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of strange societies and stranger magic together with political intrigue and a touch of romance. -Arthur W. Jordin
Rating:
Summary: Downfall of the Dragon Empire
Review: Vincalis the Agitator is the prequel to The Secret Texts Trilogy. The Empire of Hars Ticlarim has existed for three millennia, growing in might and expanding into the surrounding barbarian lands. During the last millennium, Dragon magic has powered the Empire, insuring plentiful supplies of food and other necessities for eight billion citizens, creating fantastic works of architecture, and overcoming their enemies. Unknown to the general populace, however, this Dragon magic was based on the flesh, bone, blood and life of the drugged prisoners within the Warrens. In this novel, Wraith is a Warrener who has awakened from the Sleep. He stopped eating the Wayfare that caused the stupor and instead stole his meals from the surrounding city, sneaking out of the Vincalis gate to salvage food from the garbage. Over a period of time, he found others who are not quite lost in the Sleep and weaned them from the Wayfare, but only he can pass through the gate into the city without being destroyed. One day, as he is searching for food for Smoke and Jess, Wraith finds a market square where people are apparently taking food without paying. He fills a basket and leaves, but is noticed and pursued as a thief. He ducks into an open gateway and is hidden by Solander Artis, the only child of the Master of Energy, third highest position in the Empire. Solander discovers that Wraith is immune to magic; the magical force just passes through him as if he wasn't there. Solander wishes to study this immunity and conceives a plan to establish Wraith and his friends in the Artis household as remote cousins from the hinterlands. Solander involves his cousin Velyn in the plans and Wraith becomes infatuated with her on sight. Wraith returns to the Warrens with a box of Artis edibles to find that Smoke has returned to the Sleep when the food gave out, but that Jess is still waiting for him. He tells her of the plan and then leaves to meet Solander and Velyn. They return with an official aircar and smuggle Jess out of the Warrens. In this story, Solander and Wraith discover that the Dragon Council has discovered a new, more powerful source of magic based on destruction of the souls of the Warreners. They resolve to liberate the Warreners, with Solander working from within and Wraith writing plays to enlighten the populace to the harmful side of magic. In order to protect their identities, Solander underwrites the first play through intermediaries and Wraith pretends that the plays were written by someone else called Vincalis. This story shows the callous disregard of the Dragons toward the people in the Warrens; the Dragons label them as inhumans and thus not to be considered when the welfare of the whole Empire is at stake. Unfortunately for the Dragons, the god Vodor Imrish disagrees with them and is helping the rebels. From the destruction that results comes the world of The Secret Texts. This work has many of the strengths of The Secret Texts trilogy, but the storyline does not flow as naturally as the trilogy. Since this is the prequel, the ending is a foregone conclusion, but some of that inevitability appears to have crept into the development of both characters and plot, causing a sense of abruptness. Nonetheless, this story is fully enjoyable, both as a prequel and on its own. Recommended for Lisle fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of strange societies and stranger magic together with political intrigue and a touch of romance. -Arthur W. Jordin
Rating:
Summary: better than The Secret Texts
Review: While I did enjoy The Secret Texts trilogy, I must admit that I found the writing to be lacking. The whole story felt rather empty... as did the characters. Vincalis, on the other hand, is a stunning example of an author coming into her own. With this book, Lisle seems to really find her own voice. The characters are really fleshed-out, and I felt as though I understood their motivations and drives. It's very well written, and I think it can stand alone--without The Secret Texts.
Rating:
Summary: better than The Secret Texts
Review: While I did enjoy The Secret Texts trilogy, I must admit that I found the writing to be lacking. The whole story felt rather empty... as did the characters. Vincalis, on the other hand, is a stunning example of an author coming into her own. With this book, Lisle seems to really find her own voice. The characters are really fleshed-out, and I felt as though I understood their motivations and drives. It's very well written, and I think it can stand alone--without The Secret Texts.
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