Rating: 
Summary: In a land Farr Farr Away
Review: Being a fan of all of Russel's earlier works I was eagerly awaiting Beneath the Vaulted Hills. Needless to say I was not dissappointed. Beneath the Vaulted Hills answers so many of the questions left unanswered in Moontide and Magic Rise. Of course there are a great many new questions revealed in this novel also.
Taking place decades before Moontide and Magic Rise, we get the chance to meet many charcters from the MT&MR book in their prime, or characters that were long dead before MT&MR.
I think one of the strengths with this book (as well as MT&MR) is that there are mysteries in the world and we see how people interact among them. Of course this is also one of the most frustrating things as we can't know. Its like going to Greece and looking at the ruins and having to draw our own conclusions.
Needless to say I enjoyed this book and it certainly left itself open for a follow-up novel. But also if the story ended then and there, that is just fine.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Beginning to a Masterful Fantasy
Review: Beneath the Vaulted Hills is a beautifully-conceived fantasy tale. Written by Sean Russell, author of the Moontide and Magic Rise duology, the story follows Erasmus Flattery-a man of science once fostered in the home of Lord Eldrich, the last of Farrland's magi. Erasmus is called upon to aide his friend, Samual Hayes, in escaping capture by both men of the Admiralty and a group of mysterious strangers.Erasmus, haunted by demons from his past, has spent his life seeking knowledge of the arcane. His relationship with Hayes brings him closer than ever to realizing his goal. But he is not the only player in this game of intrigue. The Tellerites, a band of renegade magi long thought dead, seek knowledge now known only by Lord Eldrich. Eldrich, a figure of mystery and legend, more feared than admired, will stop at nothing to remove the last vestiges of magic from the world before he, too, is forced to leave. Each character has a role in the story, and the dramatic, cliff-hanger ending leaves the reader wondering which characters move the pieces, and which are the pawns. The concepts of empiricism and natural science, strongly woven throughout Beneath the Vaulted Hills, are rarely considered in fantasy works, and the setting-a late-medieval society, empowered through the use of the recently-developed cannon-is one not often explored by fantasy writers. Nevertheless, Russell manages to instill both personality and believability into his characters and their countries. Fans of both science and magic will delight in Russell's work.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it enough to buy the sequel in hardback!
Review: Boy, was I glad I brought this book to the beach. Out of a whole bag of books in several genres, this was the best one I read during that time. I loved the setting, which might be called "drawing room fantasy." The novel started out slowly, but the writing was so good that I didn't care. And once the characters entered the caverns, there was no turning back. Most of all, I love the way Sean Russell doesn't fall into the old cliche of the noble heroes fighting an evil dark wizard. The characters in this book are ALL flawed. While probably you'll find yourself rooting for Erasmus, you're never quite sure who the villain is. If there is a villain
Rating: 
Summary: A bore
Review: I discovered this book (and author) while browsing through the fantasy section of my local bookstore and was glad I delved into it shortly afterward. It reads easily, for the most part, and manages to capture and maintain the reader's attention throughout its length - especially in the beginning. I was a bit turned off by the introduction of so many characters all at once, but this is a minor flaw, as the characters are all, for the most part, subsequently developed satisfactorily. I was a little put off by the cave exploration segment of the book, even though I thought it was written as well as it could be. It reminded me too much of a Boy Scout camping trip, and I thought the author could have skipped much of the detail in it as it detracted from the rest of the action in the book. I will mainly remember this book for its highly original mixing up of magic with political intrigue, in a suspenseful fashion. The alternative world it described was realistic. However, I found it frustrating to have to conjecture with my own hypotheses what was left out by the author or explained only subsequebtly by him. But, then, you must remember, if he explained it all at once, there would be nothing left to read!
Rating:
Summary: A Lucky Find
Review: I discovered this book (and author) while browsing through the fantasy section of my local bookstore and was glad I delved into it shortly afterward. It reads easily, for the most part, and manages to capture and maintain the reader's attention throughout its length - especially in the beginning. I was a bit turned off by the introduction of so many characters all at once, but this is a minor flaw, as the characters are all, for the most part, subsequently developed satisfactorily. I was a little put off by the cave exploration segment of the book, even though I thought it was written as well as it could be. It reminded me too much of a Boy Scout camping trip, and I thought the author could have skipped much of the detail in it as it detracted from the rest of the action in the book. I will mainly remember this book for its highly original mixing up of magic with political intrigue, in a suspenseful fashion. The alternative world it described was realistic. However, I found it frustrating to have to conjecture with my own hypotheses what was left out by the author or explained only subsequebtly by him. But, then, you must remember, if he explained it all at once, there would be nothing left to read!
Rating:
Summary: A bore
Review: I purchased this book based on all the good reviews, however, I was very disappointed in this book and could barely finish it. I found the characters to be very vague and unfriendly. I did not care for them nor cared what happened to them. I found myself knowing as little at the ending of the book as I did at the beginning. I realize that this is only the first book however, my interest was never sparked and I have little curosity in the outcome of the story. I, for one, will not be searching for the next book in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: It was a good fun read
Review: I thought that this book was exciting and well written. It kept me on the tip of my chair and enthused. However, it wasnt as good a book to read if you want to read a very good and worth while book for depth. This was a book that i would suggest just reading in spare time for the fun of it.
Rating:
Summary: Germinations and spelunkings
Review: I*m not much for prequels, yet I found myself enjoying this one to Moontide & Magicrise. That series left me still unsure as to what magic secrets had to be eternally closed; this book does not clarify them either, a virtue or flaw of Russell*s works. Oddly, while the previous works suggested a Georgian England-France world, this one is almost pre- or early Victorian. Little actaul Magic is actually on-stage and the reader must pay attention as to just what secrets Erasmus Flattery and his contemporaries are looking for, secrets never fully cleared up. Fully half of the novel takes place underground as Erasmus and company explore a mysterious labryinth of caverns. Anyone who enjoys such deep endevors will find this compelling in its own right. Thier discovery of a mage*s rooms do not dispel the urgency of the larger situation of being trapped underground; indeed, the cave system and its adventures could almost be set in our own world. Yet Russell keeps giving us glimpses of something deeper, darker, that never quite reveals itself.
Rating:
Summary: Germinations and spelunkings
Review: I*m not much for prequels, yet I found myself enjoying this one to Moontide & Magicrise. That series left me still unsure as to what magic secrets had to be eternally closed; this book does not clarify them either, a virtue or flaw of Russell*s works. Oddly, while the previous works suggested a Georgian England-France world, this one is almost pre- or early Victorian. Little actaul Magic is actually on-stage and the reader must pay attention as to just what secrets Erasmus Flattery and his contemporaries are looking for, secrets never fully cleared up. Fully half of the novel takes place underground as Erasmus and company explore a mysterious labryinth of caverns. Anyone who enjoys such deep endevors will find this compelling in its own right. Thier discovery of a mage*s rooms do not dispel the urgency of the larger situation of being trapped underground; indeed, the cave system and its adventures could almost be set in our own world. Yet Russell keeps giving us glimpses of something deeper, darker, that never quite reveals itself.
Rating:
Summary: The magic of Russell continues.
Review: Russell again gives us a tale that is subtle, complex, and fascinating. The depth of the characters and plot is refreshing in a genre that is flooded with novels aimed at juvenile readers. As a prequel to "Moontide and Magic Rise" this novel provides answers for readers of the series and raises new mysteries to ponder. A wonderful read.
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