The Hidden Stars : Book One of The Rune of Unmaking

Rating:
Summary: Good Characters, Same Story
Review: I enjoyed reading about the characters that Howard created. They were well drawn and executed. I will probably pick up the next book in the series though may wait till I can get it used. The problem with the story is that it's nothing new. It seems that Howard has read a lot of other fantasy novels and has incorporated aspects of several of them (such at Tolkien, Robert Jordan, etc) but not really created anything of her own. She doesn't even explain most of the aspects in her book that are different from what we would expect on Earth because they've been explained by other authors.
Her book is a good, quick read if you're not looking for something new.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had a lot of familiar, expected fantasy elements, but still held plenty of surprises. Things didn't usually go the way I expected. The characters were fresh and interesting. The background plot (world created) was very thorough and detailed, but the information wasn't all dumped at once--it was doled out through out the story. I can't wait for the next books in the series. I highly recommend it. The only thing I missed was a pronounciation guide (the names were rediculous) and a map (I couldn't figure out the geography at all).

Rating:
Summary: Old-Fashioned Fantasy With A New Twist
Review: In a world overloaded with "literary fantasy" that makes no sense (What happen to story? What happened to adventure? Why are they publishing so many depressing novels in which Nothing Happens?), it is so refreshing to find a novel that actually tells a story using fantastical language and takes old-fashioned storytelling to new heights. Howard's debut is on my "highly recommended" list. There is magic and mayhem as an evil sorceress seeks to dominate a world while searching for the one child who could bring about her demise. Battles, worldbuilding and characters here are built in rich detail. I look forward to the rest of the series.