Rating: 
Summary: shallow plot, poor character development
Review: Not to mention a heavy dose of redundency.
So this is a story about stories...need we be reminded of that every three pages. Also the imagery to 'two rivers' AKA Jordan is tedious. The Rogue good guy? The Fael as Elves??? A mysterious dark knight. Too much reliance on fantasy cliches'
It wasn't horrible but it is certainly no better then a book to read while waiting for a desired one to make it to the shelves.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow, but sure
Review: A trading trip goes horribly wrong; a mystery man is murdered - the murderers also intent on killing the trading trio; marriage alliances to cement inter-state relationships are not what they seem; ghosts appear, to advise on diplomatic decisions; the land speaks secrets to those with the ability to hear; music has hidden powers ...
The classic threesome (Baore, huge, strong yet sensitive; Tam, solid, handsome and intelligent; Fynnol, a jack-the-lad who is always ready with a witty riposte), with Baore haunted by a curse, and pursued by a malevolent warrior, meet various travellers on their journey, who weave the threads into a rich tapestry - literally - which promises great things in store. But the rich cast of characters is almost too large to retain in one's head, so one is continually trying to remember who does what and who is allied to whom.
These are the threads of an intricate tale that take their own time coming together to make sense.
I felt as though I had missed something crucial early on, when nothing had really happened after 250 pages, but we are well into the book before the crux of the matter is revealed.
All said, this should be a real page-turner, however I found 2/3rds of it less than gripping, although the story does have a remarkable quality to it that kept me coming back for more.
After page 500, things start hotting up and all the sub-plots start to gel together, coming to a glorious final ... cliffhanger! Which makes one thankful not to have given up halfway ... in some respects this makes the effort even more satisfying.
Bring on the next episode. ****.
Rating:
Summary: A good beginning, but...
Review: As a person interested in politics and history who likes stories with a lot of complexity, I enjoyed this novel a great deal. The many different threads were woven together with a skill such that you couldn't see exactly *how* they were woven together until the end, when it started to make some sense. However, the problem I had with this story is the end. Even if I hadn't known it was a trilogy, I would have been able to tell from the way the author wrote it. It was all setup. Now, I'm used to cliffhangers when I'm reading a series, but usually there's at least some resolution at the end of each book. In this case, I felt it was nearly all setup and no resolution. If you're one who can't stand cliffhangers, I'd give this one a wait until more of the story is out. Of course, that may be the point. I am very eagerly looking forward to the next novel to find out what happens. :-) All in all, a good book, but the ending wasn't as complete as I would have liked.
Rating:
Summary: A difficult read but worth it in the end
Review: As other reviewers have commented, this book was hard to get through. I read the first several chapters three times before I finally got my mind around all the characters and legendary figures. But when I considered giving up, I found that I couldn't do it! So I made a character list on a notecard, drew myself a map of the river, and flagged a couple of the more important foreshadowing scenes. This book should most definitely have come with a map inside the cover - the reader should not have been expected to memorize the land's geography based on Cynddl's 1-page description! Without the map that I drew for myself, I would not have been able to keep the events of the Valemen's journey straight in my mind, what with all the other simultaneous subplots. What kept me going through this novel was the characterization. I had to know what happened to the young Valemen! The observant and humble Tam Loell earned my trust as a reliable narrator from the beginning. (Later on he turned out to be quite an exceptional person as well, as events brought out the hidden talents of this seemingly simple country boy.) I was fascinated by enigmatic Cynndl and the profession of story-finding. I both admired and doubted idealistic Toren Renne' and keenly felt the crisis of character in his cousin Dease. I couldn't put the book down without knowing what became of brave/reckless Elise Wills, or her father, or Prince Michael... Perhaps this book has too many concurrent subplots. The vision weavers, for example, are fascinating - but they only appear a couple of times in the book. There must be a better way to organize the information the reader needs, and to keep the plot moving along. For example, Cynndl tells the Valemen several legends of the ancient past: some of these are merely interesting while others lay the symbolic framework of the story - and the reader doesn't know until a hundred pages later which are which, at which point you have to flip back to recall the details. Yes, there's a lot of foreshadowing, but it would maintain suspense better if you didn't have to wait 75 or more pages to swing back around to that subplot (by which point you've forgotten what you were so eagerly awaiting in the first place). And some information is presented in an incomplete fashion even when no foreshadowing is possible - you spend the entire book trying to piece together the story of the Knights of the Vow even though it's just historical background to the events at hand. In addition to the map, this book could have benefitted from a better "teaser" synopsis inside the coverleaf. This synopsis talks about the origins of the Renne' - Wills feud, which are mentioned nowhere in the actual text of the novel, and about a war which hasn't begun by the end of the book. The coverleaf missed a great opportunity to help readers understand the events of the book, particularly in the last paragraph, which is so vague that it only makes sense once you've finished the book. In summary, having invested so much in getting to know this imaginary world and its people, I certainly plan to read the other books in the series, and I do look forward to them.
Rating: 
Summary: Grand in Style and truly Captivating
Review: Every now and then you come across a book that gets you so involved in the story you dread for it to end. This is one such book I can honestly say had me completely captivated from begining to end. The scope and depth of the characters involved stays with you long after you've fininshed. The landscapes are beautifully realized with a touch of wonder and magic. You imagine yourself being there.
The story is of two warring families with goals of winning the empty throne to rule over all. Trechery and political intrigue are very real as the two families try to out-smart the other. The price for all this may be to high a cost for some but not others.
In another part of the land three young men venture out on a boat to make their fortunes and see the world. A mysterious stranger joins them at their campfire one evening and from then on they are swept up in an adventure that will change their lives forever.
This is truly a magnificent story that swept me off my feet and I look forward to the next two installments enthusiastically. This is Fantasy writing at it's best!
Rating:
Summary: loved this book!
Review: I don't understand how people had trouble reading this book or got confused or whatnot. If you can read Roberts or Tolkien, this is a breeze! Not to say that it isn't a good book or isn't complex, its just not that hard to get. This is the first Sean Russell book I've read and gotten into. World witout End was too scientific. The One Kingdom, however, with the more mystical element, seemed much easier to follow. I love the three cousins (esp, Fynnol, who is endlessly entertaining). It became a real page turner for me. The drawback to this book is the same with every one in a trilogy: you want more. Russell gets a lot of information out in the first book and he has to so that the story moves along in the second and third part. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an entertaining, well-plotted story with in-depth characters who seem to have lives outside of where the story first starts. But be careful: once you read this book, you'll be hooked on reading two more.
Rating:
Summary: Worth your time
Review: I had never read anything by Sean Russell before this book, and I have to say that I am impressed. The tone is *very* similar to George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, and so this book is a fine book to read in order to whet your appetite for the next book in that series. The first 2 chapters or so were a little slow for me, but by the end of the 4th chapter I was firmly hooked and finished the whole thing up over the course of a few short days. This book is definitely worth your time!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful new series found
Review: I have found a great author that I can trust to keep me interested, One Kingdom is a very good mystery, fantasy and adventure story that keeps you going. The main characters are very real Tam is always doing what he feels best and cares greatly for others around him, Fynnol, is the adventurer and focuses on one thing then goes for it while urging others to follow. Baore is the gentle giant who cares for the others yet is "guided" into doing things he really doesn't want yet is there for the common good. There are many other good characters, and I feel readers would welcome these three companions on any of their own adventures. One Kingdom is wonderful, but be sure that the sequel Isle of Battle is nearby, because when you're done you'll want to continue the adventure immediately.
Rating:
Summary: an amazing book!
Review: I have read all of Sean Russell's books, and I believe he has really perfected his craft. I loved the Initiate Brother and Gatherer of Clouds, but the world Mr. Russell creates in this story is so sublime and beautiful. This is his first foray into high fantasy and the various threads of his story weave together the plot, the characters, and mysterious magic. It is this magic that is most intriguing to me. Magic in most fantasy novels is about as mysterious as a chicken sandwich. The worst thing about this book is that I have to wait until aguast of 2002 to read the next part. That is so annoying. Come on Sean, get to work! Some people have complained about the pace of this book - that it is not action based enough. I completely disagree with these complaints. I found this book to be the most engaging high fantasy novel I have read since the Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula Leguin. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: So It WASN'T Only My Imagination!
Review: I have read all six of the previous books by Sean Russell, and when I first heard of this one, I was very much looking forward to reading it. Frankly, doing so was a lot less rewarding than Mr. Russell's previous efforts have been for me. I've seen, from the reviews of other Amazon readers of this title, however, that I'm not the only one who found this a particularly tough bowl of soup to chew on! My problem with this is that it is, in fact, "all setup," (as another reader put it) and very little resolution at the end for all the effort of having lasted through the four hundred-odd pages of process. Russell's prior books seemed to "move" somewhat more enegertically than this one. I'll doubtlessly buy the next volume to see how he can resolve this "Mulligatawney Stew" of a fantasy. But in the future, I'll probably skim several dozen pages of his books in the bookstores (making a nuisance of myself to the store owners, unhappily), before actually ponying up the ante for the order! This one was "close -- but no cigar," unfortunately. . . .
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