Stormwarden (The Cycle of Fire, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: I wonder why she's not more popular than she is!
Review: An excellent novel about the coming of age of 3 children and their destinies. Although the plot is not entirely unique, Ms. Wurts has a knack of vividly portraying her characters that makes us love them. This is even more evident in her more recent series, the Wars of Light and Shadow. In any case, the adventures of Jaric and Taen inspire hope and keep us in suspense, and this remarkably talented author manages to create a world without too much of the dreary detail that encumbers many other epic fantasies. A fresh and vivid tale that inspires the imagination. (Ms. Wurts' apparent fondness of the ocean is rather a distinguishing trait of her works, don't you think?).

Rating:
Summary: What kind of magic is that??!?!?
Review: OK, I liked this book as well as the whole trilogy. The plot was solid (even if there was a little too much sailing), the characters were interesting, and the story moved along pretty good. That being said, this has to be THE WORST explanation of magic in any story I've ever read!

Magic coming from a crashed spaceship whose AI implants living crystals into your body is about the lamest idea I have ever read. AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as I expected
Review: The problem, I think, lies in the fact that read the Wars of Light and Shadow before I read Stormwarden. Although there is no doubt that Ms Wurts is an excellent writer, I found this book somewhat unoriginal. Both Taen and Jaric are represented as handicapped children who overcome their problems and find strength when confronted with their fates, which sounds like a typical children's fairy tale. For some reason, I find myself unable to relate to these characters. The rapid development of Emien, Taen's brother, becoming an "evil" character is also unrealistic. A further, rather disappointing surprise, is the fact that the Vaere is a computer, mixing fantasy with unimaginative science fiction (and I'm afraid I'm a fantasy fan). Compared to the Wars of Light and Shadow, Stormwarden remains in the shadow.