Rating: 
Summary: Evocative and compelling
Review: From the first paragraph of this book, I knew that I was holding something special in my hands. An avid reader, I found myself awed by the sheer artistry with which Ms. Cherryh began to spin this tale. I am still awed. There are few authors with her gift of storytelling. She is very descriptive without being overly detailed, a verbal cross between Monet and Sargent. Her imagery is powerful. It draws. Her character development is superb. It compels. This is a coming-of-age story, like so many others out there. And yet Cherryh gives such freshness and intensity to this theme that it is not in the least 'tired'. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: Mind-Blowing!!!!
Review: I am in a state of utter amazement. Ms. Cherryh is incredible. Her characters are so real, I feel as if I could reach out and touch them. Just to give you an idea: Fortress in the Eye of Time has approx. 800 pages. 3 days and I was foaming at the mouth for the sequel. Not hard to see why she's won three Hugo awards. The way she sets out the plot, with that amazing imagery...and an intense prose that reaches out to grab you. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the names and places, but the characters and the events are so well-done...not even a future writer has the words. This is a definite must-read for fantasy fans.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story telling
Review: I have read all of Cherryh's books, but apart from her sci-fi (Chanur books) and The Paladin, her stories about Tristan are by far the best. The Fortress in the Eye of Time is a book that you will enjoy reading the tenth time as much as you did the very first. Excellent story telling. Mark E. Cooper
Author of The Warrior Within (ISBN: 0954512200)
Rating:
Summary: Just gets better and better
Review: I have read the books over about 10 times. The story is compelling and the writing is wonderful. If you are used to reading light weight fantasy fiction like Piers Anthony or junk like that, you won't like this book. But if you loved Tolkien and the early Robert Jordan (endless descriptions of clothing and minute details included) and Donaldon you will love these books (the Tristan series).
Rating:
Summary: One of the most beautiful stories I've ever read.
Review: I knew, before picking up this book, that Cherryh is an amazing writer. Her first book that I ever read was "Faery In Shadow", and it absolutely completely bowled me over, and not just because I'm obsessed with Celtic history!! But this book exceeded my expectations. It's an exceptional, really lovely piece of storytelling. If I had to choose words to describe the way she writes I'd pick "beautiful", "ethereal", "compelling", "haunting", "poignant"...it's just one of those things that have the power to move you beyond words. I absolutely loved the whole thread of the story. It's amazing not least because the idea itself is surprisingly simple and tame: a classic story of good versus evil. And yet the way Cherryh develops the whole plot is really remarkable. I fell in love with Tristen very early on into the story, and have never let go of him since. The story is even more wonderful in that Cherryh does not succumb to the usual neat formula of fantasy novels which seems to INSIST that there must be a love interest. I hate it when my enjoyment of a good fantasy is spoiled by romantic involvement. In this book you only get a mere whiff of that, and it involves someone other than the main character. And even that is played out in a wonderfully pleasing, satisfactory way. The ending was a bit too neatly put, but surprisingly enough I liked it just the way it was, unlike most other books I've read. In the end, though, I have to give it less than 10 because there are other mysteries, hints and innuendoes which are not properly tied up. In a way I like it that Cherryh left them that way, but a part of me is just begging to see everything played out to the end. From the feel of things it seems like she intended this book to be a stand-alone story, yet it practically cries out for a sequel (just like "Faery In Shadow"!). On the other hand, I think I'd rather prefer it if she just left it this way, so that I can deliciously contemplate the beauty of this one story without having to worry about other issues nosing their way in. I do wonder if she plans to put out a sequel, but if she does I hope she focuses more on Cefwyn and Ninevrise this time. Tristen's story has been told, and although some would think he needs more things to happen to him, I think he should be let alone. I'd like to just dote over this book and hoard it away as One Of The Greatest Stories I Have Ever Read. Magnificent. I said it before of Agatha Christie, but now I must say it again: I now worship C.J. Cherryh.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most beautiful stories I've ever read.
Review: I knew, before picking up this book, that Cherryh is an amazing writer. Her first book that I ever read was "Faery In Shadow", and it absolutely completely bowled me over, and not just because I'm obsessed with Celtic history!! But this book exceeded my expectations. It's an exceptional, really lovely piece of storytelling. If I had to choose words to describe the way she writes I'd pick "beautiful", "ethereal", "compelling", "haunting", "poignant"...it's just one of those things that have the power to move you beyond words. I absolutely loved the whole thread of the story. It's amazing not least because the idea itself is surprisingly simple and tame: a classic story of good versus evil. And yet the way Cherryh develops the whole plot is really remarkable. I fell in love with Tristen very early on into the story, and have never let go of him since. The story is even more wonderful in that Cherryh does not succumb to the usual neat formula of fantasy novels which seems to INSIST that there must be a love interest. I hate it when my enjoyment of a good fantasy is spoiled by romantic involvement. In this book you only get a mere whiff of that, and it involves someone other than the main character. And even that is played out in a wonderfully pleasing, satisfactory way. The ending was a bit too neatly put, but surprisingly enough I liked it just the way it was, unlike most other books I've read. In the end, though, I have to give it less than 10 because there are other mysteries, hints and innuendoes which are not properly tied up. In a way I like it that Cherryh left them that way, but a part of me is just begging to see everything played out to the end. From the feel of things it seems like she intended this book to be a stand-alone story, yet it practically cries out for a sequel (just like "Faery In Shadow"!). On the other hand, I think I'd rather prefer it if she just left it this way, so that I can deliciously contemplate the beauty of this one story without having to worry about other issues nosing their way in. I do wonder if she plans to put out a sequel, but if she does I hope she focuses more on Cefwyn and Ninevrise this time. Tristen's story has been told, and although some would think he needs more things to happen to him, I think he should be let alone. I'd like to just dote over this book and hoard it away as One Of The Greatest Stories I Have Ever Read. Magnificent. I said it before of Agatha Christie, but now I must say it again: I now worship C.J. Cherryh.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book!!!!!!
Review: I must agree with a couple of other reviewers, I fell in love with Tristen. In a protective kind of way. But unlike some others I feel his story is far from over. I don't think he has grown to his full potential. When I finished the book I didn't feel it was over, and I can't understand how others did. He was sent away, and there is a story there to be told. Over all I loved the book, and hope to see more than two books from this *S* I would recommend this book to anyone, it is a great story.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad--needs work though
Review: I picked up Cj Cherryh's work for the first time when I picked up her "fortress in the eyes of time." I had wanted to read why she won so many awards, and which book won it for her...I was sorry to say I picked the wrong novel.--It shows that you should always read the book alot in the stores first, before you decide to buy it. Anyway... I felt the beginning was long and tedious, and the ending, well, lets just say it felt not like an ending. It was a bit anti-climatic. Her character descriptions and scenery details were her strengths, as was her creativity. Her action and POV however, were not. Her action felt unreal at times, and it was hard to get a grip on who was telling the story... Then I picked up her other novels "Cyteen"..etc...she should stick to Sci-Fi books.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing story, writing, characters. Fantasy's TOP Writer
Review: I read a few of the other reviews before deciding to write my own. I am currently re-reading the series for the second time and find that I am blown away again by the quality of writing, the attention to details, the character development, the dialogue: Cherryh's craft is writing. Sure, I love her sci-fi, it's great fun, Downbelow Station, Cyteen, the Faded Sun trilogy, Paladin, and the Morgaine series being my favorites: but being a history buff and a high-fantasy addict, I have to say I've never read better. A lot of people criticized the book's first 200 pages for being slow paced, i.e. the development of Tristen and Mauryl: someone mocked him for running around calling for owl and the pigeons and I can't believe it! Cherryh painstakingly devloped a character rivalled only by Shelly's Frankenstein in otherworldly innocence and boundless, exciting potential. From the moment I began to read of this old wizard, Mauryl's shaping and his apparent disappointment in the seemingly failed "shaping", I was interested. I wondered why Mauryl was disappointed, what he had created Tristen for, why they were so isolated, what dark spirits/shadows they warded against that eventually defeated Mauryl and set Tristen no more informed than the reader into a new and strange world. That Cherryh could craft such a story in itself: an old powerful recluse wizard whose magic is based in star charts and mason's boundaries and weather and scrolls and words, a creature called presumably to take over the sorcerous fight against the shadowlord, and the apparent resultant failure an innocent, naive, non-magical babe in a young man's body is enough. All hope is gone. Tristen can't read Mauryl's magic book, can't be what Mauryl wants and all-too-soon is alone to figure things out for himself--whose passtimes have been chopping wood, cooking meals and feeding mice and pigeons. Then bring Tristen to the castle of a dissolute Prince (called from the dead of night during a romp with noble twin ladies, no less) who is touched by Tristen's innocence (we later wonder with the Prince if it is of his own volition or simply Tristen's nature...)and a whole world of court intrigue, battle, chess-like politics, magic, religious orders and superstition, and endless details from the court ladies stitching circles to the training of local peasants in warfare. It doesn't get any better! Characters like Idrys, Cefwyn's High Commander/"black crow" who are terse, sarcastic, wily and dangerous, Emuin "master grayfrock" a somewhat questionable wizard turned clergy who avoids Tristen as much as possible, yet is drawn irresistably, Uwen, the simple peasant soldier assigned to Tristen who teaches him of things like seasons and everyday rituals and reminds him when he is just plain freaking everyone out, and Efanor, Cefwyn's religious younger brother who was favored very much by their father and who is apalled by Cefwyn's friendship with the "shaping" Tristen...I could go on, even the stable master and cook are good characters and new ones keep getting introduced as you get to know others. The layers of this book are amazing, in the magic, politics, historical detail, character development and conflict: Prince Cefwyn loves Tristen, but he could be the prophetic "Sihhe King", a threat to his own kingdom, he isn't a wizard but simply IS magic and seems to be a long-dead warrior with fearsome qualities, mercy not being one of them. There is sarcasm, subtlety, and humor woven into scenes that are of calm, simple everyday things and of murder, warfare, and frantic mobs. I have read fantasy for twenty years, voraciously, and this book is well written on top of being well crafted and simply superb. I can appreciate that everyone has different tastes, but I certainly believe this is one of the best fantasy books/series ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing story, writing, characters. Fantasy's TOP Writer
Review: I read a few of the other reviews before deciding to write my own. I am currently re-reading the series for the second time and find that I am blown away again by the quality of writing, the attention to details, the character development, the dialogue: Cherryh's craft is writing. Sure, I love her sci-fi, it's great fun, Downbelow Station, Cyteen, the Faded Sun trilogy, Paladin, and the Morgaine series being my favorites: but being a history buff and a high-fantasy addict, I have to say I've never read better. A lot of people criticized the book's first 200 pages for being slow paced, i.e. the development of Tristen and Mauryl: someone mocked him for running around calling for owl and the pigeons and I can't believe it! Cherryh painstakingly devloped a character rivalled only by Shelly's Frankenstein in otherworldly innocence and boundless, exciting potential. From the moment I began to read of this old wizard, Mauryl's shaping and his apparent disappointment in the seemingly failed "shaping", I was interested. I wondered why Mauryl was disappointed, what he had created Tristen for, why they were so isolated, what dark spirits/shadows they warded against that eventually defeated Mauryl and set Tristen no more informed than the reader into a new and strange world. That Cherryh could craft such a story in itself: an old powerful recluse wizard whose magic is based in star charts and mason's boundaries and weather and scrolls and words, a creature called presumably to take over the sorcerous fight against the shadowlord, and the apparent resultant failure an innocent, naive, non-magical babe in a young man's body is enough. All hope is gone. Tristen can't read Mauryl's magic book, can't be what Mauryl wants and all-too-soon is alone to figure things out for himself--whose passtimes have been chopping wood, cooking meals and feeding mice and pigeons. Then bring Tristen to the castle of a dissolute Prince (called from the dead of night during a romp with noble twin ladies, no less) who is touched by Tristen's innocence (we later wonder with the Prince if it is of his own volition or simply Tristen's nature...)and a whole world of court intrigue, battle, chess-like politics, magic, religious orders and superstition, and endless details from the court ladies stitching circles to the training of local peasants in warfare. It doesn't get any better! Characters like Idrys, Cefwyn's High Commander/"black crow" who are terse, sarcastic, wily and dangerous, Emuin "master grayfrock" a somewhat questionable wizard turned clergy who avoids Tristen as much as possible, yet is drawn irresistably, Uwen, the simple peasant soldier assigned to Tristen who teaches him of things like seasons and everyday rituals and reminds him when he is just plain freaking everyone out, and Efanor, Cefwyn's religious younger brother who was favored very much by their father and who is apalled by Cefwyn's friendship with the "shaping" Tristen...I could go on, even the stable master and cook are good characters and new ones keep getting introduced as you get to know others. The layers of this book are amazing, in the magic, politics, historical detail, character development and conflict: Prince Cefwyn loves Tristen, but he could be the prophetic "Sihhe King", a threat to his own kingdom, he isn't a wizard but simply IS magic and seems to be a long-dead warrior with fearsome qualities, mercy not being one of them. There is sarcasm, subtlety, and humor woven into scenes that are of calm, simple everyday things and of murder, warfare, and frantic mobs. I have read fantasy for twenty years, voraciously, and this book is well written on top of being well crafted and simply superb. I can appreciate that everyone has different tastes, but I certainly believe this is one of the best fantasy books/series ever written.
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