The Violet Jewel : Book I of the Spirit's End Trilogy

Rating:
Summary: Good read and engaging characters.
Review: Good characters and good first book for this writer. I was drawn into the cultures and personalities almost imediatly and his blending of mystism and magic is quite good.
I look forward to the sequal.

Rating:
Summary: A refreshing change!
Review: I love fantasy novels. They create the illusion that there are worlds out there that are more interesting than ours, more magical than our every day existence. However, from Tolkien on down, they do have a way of all falling into a pattern. A magical land is threatened by the resurrection of some ancient evil, and the heros embark upon some lengthy and difficult journey to set it right. I say heros not to be sexist, but because that's the way it is. Most of the characters are male, and what few women there are, with only a few exceptions, are either token females or loyal helpmates of the heros.

Tim Rayborn breaks this pattern - in fact, he breaks a lot of patterns. While the basic plot is still the same, most of this book departs in a very noticeable way from other fantasy novels. The women are as powerful and heroic as the men - and on some occasions even more so. The Great Master, called the Land Spirit, who sets the heroines on their way is a foppish dandy, powerful, but not all-powerful, more concerned with his clothes than with explaining to his people exactly what they're supposed to accomplish. At least one of the protagonists actually doesn't like him!

Each of the main characters possesses a very special skill which the others lack.. The first protagonist we meet is Dorinen, an impulsive but dedicated Diana-type archer, a lover of the forests, with a high level of intuition, whom the Master sets on her way. Dorinen is instructed to awaken Mylth, an immortal immersed in a hundred-year meditation possessing the wisdom of six hundred years of living. Mylth, another archer, is the character that doesn't like the Master! In a separate story line, we meet Andra, a female bard who possesses a strange violet jewel with immense powers that are activated when she plays her instruments. Her companion is a monk named Narcom whose knowledge of the martial arts is unsurpassed.

Eventually, the two couples join forces with each other and with a rather abrasive dwarf called Bayark. The five of them face numerous hideous foes before triumphing over the evil. The villains are the Vordlai, a hideous demonlike race powerful enough to enslave other demonic races less powerful than they. But the Vordlai only serve the evil magician. I won't tell you who or what this character is!

Unlike some fantasy writers who feel obligated to write in a stiff and ponderous style, Rayborn's writing style is free-flowing, simple, and very easy to read. The story takes a number of twists and turns, and one of the female characters, despite her attraction to her companion, comes very close to entering into a lesbian relationship with a dancer who claims magical powers. There is just enough magic in the book to make it interesting, but not enough to outshine the skills, ingenuity and courage exhibited by the characters - who are so complex and well-drawn that the reader actually CARES about them. For me, this is what makes a good book. This is definitely a fascinating read, guaranteed to keep you awake at night!

According to the subtitle on the cover of the book, this is only the first in a trilogy. Speaking for myself, I can't wait to see the second volume!