The Wings of a Falcon (Point Signature)

Rating:
Summary: Adult's view: unsympathetic and structurally flawed
Review: Disclaimer: this is a young-adult novel, and I'm almost 30. I find most YA fiction better than most adult fiction, though, and I'm familiar with (and accepting of) many of the limitations of the genre.

"Jackaroo" took two reads before I came to like it, but it had sympathetic characters and an avoidance of some of the simple, obvious conclusions. "On Fortune's Wheel" was less enjoyable, as the main characters were very hard to sympathize with (unbelievable) and the slavery segment (which I found tedious) seemed to be much longer and given much more weight than the surrounding elements.

"Falcon" is the third book in the series. By the end I wasn't sure why I had bothered. The main character begins as something of an enigma and doesn't ever become much clearer, except for his patent self-centered naked ambition. His companion is a cypher - who is this guy, why does he stick around, why does he do anything that he does? The plot mostly follows the same cycle: the characters travel somewhere, the main character sees a goal and decides to acquire it, and he gets diverted. It gets old fast. On top of that, some periods are described in minute detail and yet major events (like Griff and the gold mine) are glossed over, inexplicably.

To me, though, the worst betrayal was structural. The book is divided into five sections. The first four and a half are exclusively from one character's point of view - and then in the middle of the last section the POV is switched to someone else entirely. *You just don't do that*, and this book certainly doesn't disprove the rule. It's jarring, clunky, and disorienting, and the reason for the switch feels like a betrayal (not just a confounding) of the reader's expectations. And since we don't know this latter character, the lesson (and yes, the ending feels like a lesson) is unconvincing.

The writing flows well, and there are a few amusing or poignant moments. In all, though, I would say this series was played out after the second book.

Rating:
Summary: Sadly disappointed
Review: Having read On Fortune's Wheel and Jackaroo, I expected great things of Voigt. Instead I was reading about a boy with no name, no feelings, and a disappointing ending. In fact, I was more then disappointed at that 'unexpected twist'. You really, really should never do that to a main character, without some very special back-up characters, which Voigt never developed. I was saddened by such a poorly written book.
Griff is never fully developed, and so when POV changes, you can feel little or nothing for him, and I at least, lost interest in the story and only dragged myself throught it because I hate to leave a book half-way through.

Rating:
Summary: Sadly disappointed
Review: Having read On Fortune's Wheel and Jackaroo, I expected great things of Voigt. Instead I was reading about a boy with no name, no feelings, and a disappointing ending. In fact, I was more then disappointed at that 'unexpected twist'. You really, really should never do that to a main character, without some very special back-up characters, which Voigt never developed. I was saddened by such a poorly written book.
Griff is never fully developed, and so when POV changes, you can feel little or nothing for him, and I at least, lost interest in the story and only dragged myself throught it because I hate to leave a book half-way through.

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book!
Review: I absolutely love this book! It is one of the best that I have ever read. Cythina Voigt creates a complete other world in her Kingdom Series, of which this is the third installment. Her characters are finely drawn, and ones ends up feeling very attached to them by the time the end of the book rolls around.

"The Wings of a Falcon" has ample excitement, but it's true strength lies in its compelling characters. I was crying endlessly at one point, which only proves its emotional strength. Read this book! Trust me!

Rating:
Summary: Does the author have any creativity?
Review: I have only read one book by this authoress, On Fortune's Wheel and it seems to contain the same characters as this one and the same background for the herines as in Jackaroo. Does this author have any different ideas other than these?

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: I must somehow acquire the hardcover edition of this book, because all I have now is the paperback, and I have gripped it so tightly and opened and closed it so many times that I have broken the binding.

The Wings of a Falcon is one of the key books of my life. It takes elements of traditional fantasy -- a journey, friendship forged in adversity, legendary lands -- and weaves them into a character-driven novel that transcends these components so utterly that they disappear seamlessly into the story. The book is, in fact, not fantasy in any definable way -- no fabulous creatures or supernatural forces appear -- but it retains the sense of wonder and exploration that is at the core of what draws readers to the fantastic.

Cynthia Voigt accomplishes this sublime transcendence by keeping the focus on the characters, with the faintly fantastic elements judiciously employed as background and environment. The emphasis here is on human interaction, and Voigt describes that interaction carefully and naturally. The structure of the story is such that the two main characters come into contact with various others under various circumstances and thus assume various roles: slave, stranger, captive, lover, leader. Voigt is able to clothe her characters in many habits without obscuring their fundamental personalities, the foundations which underlie all of the attitudes they assume.

Ultimately, the environments through which the characters travel, and the situations they find themselves in, are not as important in themselves as in how they illuminate the characters. By watching as the two companions move from one place and one set of people to another, we see them from different angles, and in the end we are presented with character portraits breathtaking in their complexity and completeness. (Though it pains me to lend legitimacy to petty complaints by addressing them, I must add that "the plot twist" referred to so derisively by various readers is just such a thing: an event whose causes and effects reveal things about the characters.)

Books as perfect as this are rare. I have read The Wings of a Falcon at least four times -- maybe more -- and each reading has been a fulfilling rediscovery of its delicate power. It's one of my favorite books of all time.

Rating:
Summary: The Lord of the Rings it's not, but still fantastic!
Review: The Wings of a Falcon is the third book in a series of highly acclaimed heroic adventures that began with Jackaroo and continued in On Fortune's Wheel. This book was written by Cynthia Voigt who is a renowned author of books that revolve around the heroic theme. Although relatively difficult at places, The Wings of a Falcon shouldn't be missed by anyone who is remotely interested in a book that illustrates friendship, courage, and loyalty.

As a boy with no name, no family, and no love, he only knew how to obey and stay loyal to the sixth Damall. Under cruel and unreasonable treatments, he remained strong and eventually earned the honorable position of seventh Damall. Just when everything is set, he escaped the Damall's island with his only friend Griff, the falconstone called Beryl, and a name. From war torn cities to steep steps of the snowy mountain, he and Griff conquered numerous challenges and after each exhausting day, their hearts slowly began to unite as one. When fate brought them to the mysterious Kingdom, a devastating tragedy struck and Griff's responsibility and unwavering loyalty will be severely tested.

The book is very well written and it is obvious that the author imputed a lot of energy on small details that would enhance the final product. There are definitely enough cleverly used sensory details to give readers a clear picture of the subject, and even better, the sensory details never bogged down the pace of the book and readers would never feel overwhelmed by hordes after hordes of figurative languages. The characters featured in this novel all have distinct personalities and complex ambitions, and at no where in the book did the author just simply introduces a character. All characters came into their roles mysteriously and some character's true backgrounds are never revealed. The different parts of the book are all connected to each other seamlessly, and the book flows along smoothly. With crystal clear sensory details and complex character build-ups, the Wings of a Falcon also has a twisting plot that will puzzle and surprise even the most advanced readers.

It is hard trying to pick weak points from such a wonderful book, but The Wings of a Falcon isn't perfect. The most evident flaw is probably the fact that the book is a bit too difficult to understand at times, and the twisting plot would constantly confuse readers. Some of the things in this novel should be filtered out to make it more exciting and less repetitive, and some moments should be emphasized more to make it stand out and memorable. The author could have added some funny moments to make this book more entertaining and the unexpected ending could depress and disturb some readers. But these are just minor pitfalls that are barely worth mentioning in front of all the strong points of this book.

Overall, The Wings of a Falcon is a fantastic book that tells about courage, friendship, and loyalty. While it definitely has some problems, its unparalleled depth, engrossing details, and clear descriptions are more than enough to overshadow it. With a whopping of nearly 500 pages and about 30 chapters, it will be both a long and entertaining read. Some of the strong points mentioned above could be view as weak points and the weak points could be viewed as strong points. It all depends on what kind of reader is reading this book. In the end, this epic novel is strongly recommended to everyone who will not get easily confused and depressed by disturbing masterpieces.

Rating:
Summary: Dark and triumphant
Review: This book made me so mad that at one point I threw it down and refused to read any more of it until it promised to behave. I say this not to discourage you from reading it, but to demonstrate how involved I was in the characters. The Wings of the Falcon is the most realistic and harsh of Voight's Kingdom Cycle, and those of you who have read the first two books already know how incredibly descriptive and believable Voight is. This book was both poignant and upsetting. You do learn what happens to the descendant of Orien and Birle, which should make followers of the series happy. Voight's grasp of relationships and human nature is the strongest of any author I have ever read. You will especially like the friendship between Griff and Oriel, and seeing the complementary strengths of each. Just a warning - the part which made me so mad was that Voight relaxes some of her usual moral standard in this book. This is not uncommon these days, but I hold her to a higher standard than other authors. This book will give you much to think about.

Rating:
Summary: The Wings of a Falcon
Review: Voight really makes the book seem like it could've been real! Griff really seems like he was very attached to Oriel ... Well, I need to get the other two and read them! This one was very suspenseful! I read it in four days! I was actually frightened a little by the wolfers and stuff. Makes it seem possible. Voight's plot shift was different but you could almost feel it coming. Griff always behind Oriel and never really talking. All in all, Absolutely Astounding!! [Would've given it a 7 (hehe)]