Rating: 
Summary: Solid foundation to new series
Review: Once again, Cherryh has set the stage for an interesting series, this time one of her rare fantasies. Our awareness of the world comes through the eyes of Tristen, a Shaping by an dying wizard who knows he's about to lose his battle against the Shadows, the evils of this world. But Tristen is not quite what Mauryl conjured, and is severed too soon from his creator, when he is less than a season "old." Tristen flees the evil that defeated Mauryl, into the arms (as it were) of the heir to the kingdom, fighting his own battles against recalcitrant and treacherous people in a troublesome province on the western edge of the kingdom. Prince Cefwyn at first keeps Tristen with him because of the advice of a priest-wizard, but at time goes by, discovers a trustworthy friend in Tristen, a rare opportunity for a prince.Tristen is an odd duck, an almost-child in an adult body. He "knows" things, but doesn't know how or why, and fled Mauryl's residence with only the Book he cannot read but is compelled to keep trying. As events unfold, his Shaping urges him to do things that scare Cefwyn and all around him, but always seem to be the right thing to do. As Tristen assimilates more of the world around him, and the magical abilities inate to him, we too see more of the world and its enemies. It's a surprisingly slow-feeling book, considering all that takes place: Cefwyn becomes King, ancient enemies attack, alliances are forged, including the engagement of Cefwyn to the Regent of the lands to the West, and Tristen finally reads his Book. All the threads weave into a battle in the last pages, where the King's forces triumph over the Western traitors after Tristen steps into the Shadows and defeats the enemy there. But not for all time. There's lots of room for developments: Cefwyn and Ninevrise still need to get married and her lands liberated from rebels; but she and Tristen share a magical ability that Cefwyn does not, and is jealous of. Tristen, apparently freed from the Shaping goals of Mauryl, still needs to find his own destiny. The embodiment of the magical predecessors to the current rulers, he is by his mere existence a possible challenge to Cefwyn, whom he loves like a brother. While not as compelling as the Foreigner series (perhaps an unfair comparison to Cherryh's probable masterpiece), I certainly didn't wait to pick up book two to see what happens next. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Cherryh tames the world of Tolkien to her own tale
Review: Sorry about the alliteration, I couldn't help myself. When I first read C.J. Cherryh's work, I had trouble getting into her fantasy novels, although I've always enjoyed her science fiction. Lately, though, I've been running into exceptions. The first of these was "The Goblin Mirror." Now, having read "Fortress in the Eye of Time," I can no longer justifiably say that I only like her science fiction. It's almost like she started at the same place as Tolkien did and came to a different conclusion. Everything's here; ancient peoples, wizards lurking in forgotten castles, unlikely heroes, and the whole on a grand, epic scale. Cherryh says on her website that this is a book she's waited a long time to write, and I can see why. It's more elaborately constructed than much of her previous work, and in the hands of a less skilled writer it could have easily become an awful mess. Instead, Cherryh's command of language creates interesting characters and fascinating settings -- her skill is such that an ordinary forest can be a place of magical wonder or terrifying danger, just as she requires. I've long been in envy of Cherryh's abilities, but "Fortress" is far beyond most of her previous work. Whether you like genre fiction or not, this one is well worth reading
Rating:
Summary: Can something bad be used for Good?
Review: The main character of this book, Tristan, is a wealth of wonder, amazement, and trust. With conflict swirling all around him, the peace in his exploring this new world sets this book apart from the rest of the writer's books. In past books, the writer's characters may be simple minded or new in the situation they find themselves and/or may be protected and mostly the main character takes care of this person but in this book, you see simple innocence at its best in the main character and the writer makes the reader care about Tristan. You don't want him to change into the possible bad person that he may be. You want to see him grow up (even through he already is an adult in his body) with the same attitude. Tristan's relationships with the other characters make the book into more than an action book or a science fiction book. For the book itself, the writer actually accomplishes something unlike some of her other books that are just fighting to maintain a status quo. Having read all but three of her books, I really enjoy reading her writing just that I get an empty feeling at the end sometimes. The characters in this book are fully formed so that each has his/her distinctions. The book also provides a background for the future sequals. Have read the first two sequals and planning to read all further ones, the first book provides the basics that are necessary to make the others successful.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story.
Review: This book has a story line and characters that keep you interested and wanting more. I hope there is a sequel.
Great entertainment!
Rating:
Summary: MUST READ SEQUEL!!!!
Review: This book is amazingly done. At first the book takes a while to develop but after that i couldn't put it down. The characters are made so convincingly that you begin to think their real and feel so close to them as if their your own brother or sister. If you see this book, buy it, its worth it and youll never regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better! (in other words, it kinda stunk!)
Review: This book was interesting in the beginning, but nothing was explained and it got worse as you went on. The plot wasn't clear and a lot of the characters didn't much have personality. I think that Cherryh could have done much better, especially at the end.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: This series has to be one of my favorites, almost beating the Wheel of Time for the best fantasy series. There is great character development in the book as well as the rest of the series and it is very hard to put the book down once you get into it. The ending of the last book, Fortress of Dragons, to me left too much open even though it was supposed to be the conclusion of the series so PLEASE C. J. Cherryh CONTINUE THE SERIES WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE.
Rating: 
Summary: This isn't one of the best from CJ.
Review: This, to start off, is a fantastic story. I liked the plot, and the twists and happenings were original. But even this shouldn't take 750 pages to get through. Sometimes it flows nicely so you don't notice, sometimes it just slogs. Often the writing just seems distanced, so you don't get a feeling of what's happening or what the characters go through. Especially the ending, which seemed like "Tristen does this, this happens, the end." No consequences, no mention of what happens to everyone afterward. I was expecting more. Maybe the sequel will be better.
Rating:
Summary: Confusing
Review: While Cherryh has a wonderful and refreshing style that I found entertaining, the story was confusing. Names and places were being shot out at such a quick pace that it was hard to keep it straight. However, once I read about half of the book, things started to make sense. It is a good story, but takes some time and effort to become interested in and to understand. My advice if you are reading this book....be patient. While things may not be clearly explained, you should be able to reason it out before too long.
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