<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Three star fantasy
Review: "The Power and the Prophet" is a good effort, an interesting novel that incorporates spirituality to great effect with fantastic trappings . . . but it's not as good as Hughes' later efforts "The Faithful Traitor" and "The Forging of the Dragon."Basically, the situation is as follows. Pelmen the Powershaper (sometime rogue, sometime actor, always a priest), who defeated the nasty two-headed dragon Vicia-Heinox earlier in this series, now must gather together his allies and defeat some nasty other powershapers (or at least slow them down) while attempting to return some of the power that's been misused over time to the creator. (The parallels with Christianity are intended.) The problem is, Pelmen has just found the love of his life, Serphimera, former High Priestess of the Dragonfaith (those who willingly went to be eaten by the two-headed dragon), and he doesn't want to give her up. Yet giving the Power back may involve more sacrifice than he wishes . . . and she's not happy. Basically, the book is fine when it focuses on the two of them, or on people who are interacting with them. It's when the book goes away from these two and focuses on lesser lights that the book loses much of its focus. (In constrast, the two later books -- which are actually prequels to this whole trilogy -- feature lesser characters that are just as weighty as the mains. I believe this is because Hughes gained more finesse and ability as a writer, not because the world he envisioned was or wasn't more interesting.) That's why that, as much as I enjoyed this series (and I really did), I can't really give the climactic book any more than a three star review. But I would recommend the series as a whole, and highly recommend the two prequels, "The Faithful Traitor" and "The Forging of the Dragon." Barb Caffrey
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing!!!
Review: I have read I would imagine some four to five thousand fantasy and SF books, and quite a number of others besides, and yet this book - the final novel of a series of three (Pelmen the Powershaper) is one that I simply return to again and again - rereading is like revisiting and old good freind. The Characters are very real, the plot amazing, the combination of both is enchanting. Picking up the book you just cannot let it down. The humour that Don Huges shows is masterful, and the twists and turns of it leave you amazed. I would suggest the book to Fantasy and Non-Fantasy readers alike - it would leave anyone with a wonderful feeling - GARANTEED!
<< 1 >>
| 
