Rating: Summary: OMFG... This book rocks! Review: After being sorely disappointed by the recent output of Goodkind and Jordan, I have finally found someone new to read. I suppose I'm part of the group of women who would love to jump Llewelyn... there is something darkly seductive about him. The book captures you and draws you into Llewelyn's world, and although you know you're caught, and there are a thousand things to do in the real world, you don't want to leave. The characters are all wonderful, and I love how the author never lets you believe any one thing for too long - she is always ready to turn the tables on you and shift events to force a radical change in your perspective. One of the best scenes in the whole book was Llewlyn's "D&D game". I laughed all the way through it - a brilliant homage to a terrific game. I laughed also when I caught the Lord of the Rings allusions.
Rating: Summary: Dark Poetry Review: After reading many science-fiction/fantasy novels, I am a tough-to-please (yet avid) reader of this genre. Eventually, it became difficult for me to find a science fantasy novel that really captivated my imagination, not to mention my literary sensibilities. I am very pleased to say that ENEMY GLORY by Karen Michalson does both! The story is intriguing, and the composition is fluid. I was completely enthralled with the adventures of Llewelyn, a cleric of darkness and evil. Yet, somehow, his world seems to be incredibly full of shadows and beautiful light all at once. Perhaps, it is Karen's words that illuminate this darkness.
Rating: Summary: I love the main character Review: As a longtime fantasy reader who has admittedly gotten somewhat bored with the genre, I loved this book. Why? Well, one reason is that it doesn't read like a typical "stuffed full of magic dragons and heroes on quests" story. This book is a lot deeper than that. Another reason is that this is a fantasy author with a clue. Someone who has a purpose beyond just telling a predictable story. The story is entertaining (even though it moves a little slow here and there) and the narrator is incredibly real. He's evil, sure, but he is definitely not a cliché. He is very complex, and he makes you really understand why he chose his path. You really can get into his head and identify with his choice. You also see a lot of the tension between his original goodness and love of beauty, and his choice of an evil career. He is definitely one of the most memorable characters I've seen in a long time. Go Llewelyn! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.
Rating: Summary: I love the main character Review: As a longtime fantasy reader who has admittedly gotten somewhat bored with the genre, I loved this book. Why? Well, one reason is that it doesn't read like a typical "stuffed full of magic dragons and heroes on quests" story. This book is a lot deeper than that. Another reason is that this is a fantasy author with a clue. Someone who has a purpose beyond just telling a predictable story. The story is entertaining (even though it moves a little slow here and there) and the narrator is incredibly real. He's evil, sure, but he is definitely not a cliché. He is very complex, and he makes you really understand why he chose his path. You really can get into his head and identify with his choice. You also see a lot of the tension between his original goodness and love of beauty, and his choice of an evil career. He is definitely one of the most memorable characters I've seen in a long time. Go Llewelyn! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.
Rating: Summary: A really enjoyable book!! Review: As a real fan of Ludlum/Clancy/Le Carre' -type spy stories, this book was for me a really big step off that normally-beaten path. And, while I found the first twenty or thirty pages slow going as I was introduced to the characters and their environment in detail, reading the remainder seemed to go at light speed -- leaving me entranced and anxious for more. Karen Michalson has an exceptionally refined writing style and -- coupled to a remarkable story -- has produced a wonderful book.. Since I, personally, have never been a fan of fantasies, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Enemy Glory. I'm sure there's a sequel just waiting in the wings -- there must be! I for one can't wait!
Rating: Summary: A really enjoyable book!! Review: As a real fan of Ludlum/Clancy/Le Carre' -type spy stories, this book was for me a really big step off that normally-beaten path. And, while I found the first twenty or thirty pages slow going as I was introduced to the characters and their environment in detail, reading the remainder seemed to go at light speed -- leaving me entranced and anxious for more. Karen Michalson has an exceptionally refined writing style and -- coupled to a remarkable story -- has produced a wonderful book.. Since I, personally, have never been a fan of fantasies, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Enemy Glory. I'm sure there's a sequel just waiting in the wings -- there must be! I for one can't wait!
Rating: Summary: self-absorbed Review: Dense, self-absorbed, tiresome language. If the author happens to be about 20, and this is her first effort, then she may show promise, once she gets some true life experience and isn't quite so full of post-adolescent self-involvement and angst. If she's over 21, or at the most 25, and writing in the vein of evil-is-so-tragically-glamorous and resonant with deep meaning, then she should get a life. Especially in these times. Fantasy/sci-fi writing can, and has been, wonderfully filled with meaning and beauty. It's one of the more under-appreciated art forms. For a brilliant and meaningful counterpoint to this author's writing, see novels such as Ursula LeGuin's, which are filled with humanity, warmth, imagination, tenderness and meaning. I was, in an odd and silly mood, briefly taken by the title -- how offensive, boring, and what a waste of time the content was.
Rating: Summary: Boring Review: I disagree that this is well written or somehow superior fantasy. It is narcissistic; the author has NO idea how to write in the first person, blathering from moment to moment until it made my teeth ache. Llewelyn [now THERE's an unusual fantasy name] is a grating character, and not deep enough to warrant following so closely. I agree with the reviewers who found this a morose and gloomy wallow, and the ending is infuriating! George R R Martin, Elizabeth Haydon, Elizabeth Moon and Lois McMaster Bujold ALL write vastly superior fantasy than this. Avoid this one unless you have a prescription for Prozac and need a sleep aid.
Rating: Summary: aw man - sip some kava tea and try again Review: I found this book delightful and intriguing. The characters were vivid and the action swept me away. Try it while listening to Point of Ares' "Enemy Glory" CD and you'll be there in person!
Rating: Summary: Convoluted - Hard to Follow - Boring Review: I had high hopes for this book, with the description on the inside dustjacket mentioning George RR Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire... NOT. It started well enough I guess, but man o man, did it get convoluted, hard to follow, and boring QUICK. The plot seemed to concern a place called Sunnashiven and how a bunch of angry peasants rise up in revolt under the command of some lordly person who is actually acting under orders from some even more powerful lordly person... To tell ya the truth, I don't even really know - it was such complicated dry boring reading that I didn't have the patience to try to comprehend it all. I got almost halfway thru it before I decided to return it. I liked the idea of an EVIL cleric as the hero... but it was so terribly boring and hard to understand that I didn't even get to the part where he decides to turn evil - and the totally lame name of Llewelyn didn't help. I commend Karen Michaelson for her attempt, but I can only say that she needs to try again - though I will not be along for the ride on the next one. This confirms that women who can write good fantasy are few and far between... Margaret Weis I enjoyed when I was younger, and Robin Hobb more recently. That's it. If you want to read some really good fantasy, read George RR Martin and Guy Gavriel Kay.
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