Rating: 
Summary: Good Plot But Boring
Review: It has a great plot. All the rest of the books in the series does too. Also, interesting characters, with strong personalities(most of them). Interesting world, too. BUT there is the fact that it doesn't manage to muster up enough suspense to keep us really interested. And the world view is not detailed, or realistic, enough to make us feel as though we're really inside the book, feeling along with the characters- it all too often reminds us that the thing we're poring over is just paper printed with words. Because of this fact, I never managed to read the books straight through- chapters were skipped, pages were turned without being read- but because the plot was always interesting, only the narrating lacking, I did go through all the books. If you have the patience, this may be a very good book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Good Plot But Boring
Review: It has a great plot. All the rest of the books in the series does too. Also, interesting characters, with strong personalities(most of them). Interesting world, too. BUT there is the fact that it doesn't manage to muster up enough suspense to keep us really interested. And the world view is not detailed, or realistic, enough to make us feel as though we're really inside the book, feeling along with the characters- it all too often reminds us that the thing we're poring over is just paper printed with words. Because of this fact, I never managed to read the books straight through- chapters were skipped, pages were turned without being read- but because the plot was always interesting, only the narrating lacking, I did go through all the books. If you have the patience, this may be a very good book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: The Fey series, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Review: Ok, so this series is long (5 books 500-700 pages long, plus sequel series 2 books 500 pages long), but it's really good! My sister is even reading it, and she 'never' reads books I recommend. It's so interesting - this author, besides these books, only writes Star Wars books, which is really sad (for me), but that's OK.
These books are really good. They are fantasy.
The Fey are a war people who are also magic people - well, most of them. There are some Fey called Red Caps, who don't have magic (thus are short), and they are considered servants pretty much among the Fey. The Fey are tall, dark-skinned people, who are very proud, brave, and intent on conquering the world. The leading force of all the Fey is what is called the Black Throne. It's a line of kings and queens who have what is called Black Blood. And usually the heir is the oldest child of the throne, because killing among Blood is not good - for anybody. It causes what is called the Blood, where everyone turns on people. It happened once, and only a tenth of the Fey survived. They weren't a very large force then, and (around) 3000 people died. Now they rule half the world - preventing causing the Blood is on the mind of every Fey.
That's just killing them outright - if you send an assassin, that counts. But if you perhaps send him somewhere to fight when you know he'll lose and he dies - hey, it's not your fault. Which is what the Black King did.
His name is Rugad, and he sent his son to a place called the Blue Isle. He didn't think his son was worthy of the throne. But what he didn't want was his granddaughter, Jewel, going with him. Her brothers were absolutely not going to become the next rulers (Fey live a long time).
This is the Fey, who want to take over the world. They would probably have succeeded, with their Beast Riders, Dreamriders, Infantry, Domestics, Wisps, Echanters, and Spell Warders. Except for the Blue Isle. Rugad's son, Rugar, did get defeated. But to an extent Rugad didn't expect. The Islanders (as they are called) have a strange magic, that most of them don't know they have. Among them is a hidden place, a place of magic. And they are the most formidable force the Fey will ever encounter, with their Poison (Holy Water) and other religious relics.
I won't tell you any more, because - who knows? - you might read this series. And I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.
This series covers all things - religion, war, prejudices, love, mystery, and the true meaning (and wrong meanings) of family ties. True, it doesn't have much humor, but you will find yourself smiling at certain moments when something strikes you as funny. If you like fantasy, and long stories, I suggest you read the Fey books and the Black Throne books by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
Be prepared to love them.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly cool
Review: Okay, I have read all of the books in this series and have to say that this is one of the best. Although you may think that it starts slow, Kristine Kathryn Rusch makes up for it as soon as you hit chapter seven. Everything about it is cool. A bit gory at parts, but very captivating. Read this book, then read the entire series. This is original epic fantasy at it's best. For those of you who don't know the titles of the rest of the books, here they are in order: The sacrifice, The Changeling, The rival, The resistance, Victory. (Connecting Series): The Black Queen, The Black King. All of them get 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: An entrancing and truly exiting book
Review: Originally, I had picked up the second book of the series by chance. I read the first few chapters and fell in love with the book. It was soem time later when I was browsing for a new reading book at the library and I reconized the title. My consensus is that the first book of the series is as great as any other. The characters are well developed and their personalities are mulit-faceted. Kristine Kathryn Rusch shows her ample capability of writing when she wrote the storyline. For most of the book she holds you in suspense and keeps you guessing at what will happen to the mysterious race known as the Fey. Even though the book skips around from person to person, most of the attention is centered on the Islander prince Nicholas and the Fey princess Jewel, yet Kritine doesn't leave her other characters underdevealoped. Overall, this was an excellent book with lots of plot twists, suspense, and imagination and it's only downfall is that the book starts off slow.
Rating: 
Summary: Badly written
Review: The fantasy genre has some fabulously bad writing, and I'msorry to say that this is a good example. .... "TheSacrifice" lacks pace and does not grab the reader'sattention. The consistent use of the pluperfect tense creates anunnatural distance between the reader and the characters. As a result,it's difficult to enter the characters' mindsets and establish acommon ground. ... introduces an entirely differentworld too quickly and without much explanation. Although not lackingin creativity (for once we get fresh ideas in the field), the newnessof the world needs proper and staged introduction. ....
Rating:
Summary: Badly written
Review: The fantasy genre has some fabulously bad writing, and I'msorry to say that this is a good example. .... "TheSacrifice" lacks pace and does not grab the reader'sattention. The consistent use of the pluperfect tense creates anunnatural distance between the reader and the characters. As a result,it's difficult to enter the characters' mindsets and establish acommon ground. ... introduces an entirely differentworld too quickly and without much explanation. Although not lackingin creativity (for once we get fresh ideas in the field), the newnessof the world needs proper and staged introduction. ....
Rating: 
Summary: History of the Fey: Sacrifice
Review: The Fey series has been my brain-child for fifteen years. Bantam Books (and Orion in England) gave me the opportunity to do the series a few years ago, and I jumped at the chance. My idea was to do a history of a 100 years war. For those who've read the series, you know I'm not anywhere near that century mark. I'm glad folks are enjoying the books, because I'm enjoying writing them.
Rating:
Summary: A diamond in the rough!!!
Review: The first few chapters of The Sacrifice had me almost yawning, but then the magic between Nicholas and Jewel caught me. I couldn't put the book down. As soon as I finished the first, I ran out and bought The Changling, and am getting ready to read The Rival. It is a wonderful series that almost makes you feel a part of it.
Rating:
Summary: keep reading -- they get much better!
Review: The rating of five stars is really for the series as a whole, not just the first book. I read the second book first, and the first book last, and I can see why some people don't like the first one, but by the end they are SOOO good, it doesn't matter! Persistance is the key! Arianna, Gift and Coulter are great characters, and I can't wait for the second series...
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