Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84 chuqui version 1.7 9/23/84; site nsc.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!twg!nsc!glenn From: glenn@nsc.UUCP (Glenn Skinner) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Review of "The Harp of Imach Thyssel" Patricia C. Wrede Message-ID: <2479@nsc.UUCP> Date: Sun, 17-Mar-85 17:51:33 EST Article-I.D.: nsc.2479 Posted: Sun Mar 17 17:51:33 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 18-Mar-85 08:22:59 EST References: <967@topaz.ARPA> Reply-To: glenn@nsc.UUCP (Glenn Skinner) Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale Lines: 35 In article <967@topaz.ARPA> @RUTGERS.ARPA:jmellby%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa writes: >From: John_Mellby > >Review of The Harp of Imach Thyssel, Patricia C. Wrede > >This is the fifth book by Patricia, and she seems to keep getting better! >Her books seem to be characterized by good plots, believable characters, >and some of the very best prose you can find today! The background >to the story is believable and detailed! He then goes on to make more detailed points. I also am fresh from reading the book. I came away from it feeling quite disappointed. I felt the plot and characterizations to be fair at best. My disappointment was probably heightened by contrast with two other books I've read in the past couple weeks. The first is _The Black Company_, by Glen Cook. Both Wrede and Cook are new authors for me -- I picked up both books as experiments, hoping that I'd find gems. Cook fared better in the comaprison. Although Wrede's prose style is superior (based only on the books under discussion), Cook's plot was more inventive (though not very inspired either) and his characterizations better. However, both books pale by comparison to _The Infinity Concerto_, by Greg Bear. This book is far superior to the others in prose style, plot, and characterization. Both this book and Wrede's feature heroes who are initially callow and naive. Wrede's character remains static, and is none the wiser at the end of his adventures. On the other hand, Bear's hero undergoes genuine and believable growth, maturing from a fumbling adolescent to a self-assured adult. I won't attempt to summarize the plot; it's too rich for me to do it justice and a surface description would fail to convey the lushness of texture of the story's setting. I recommend the book highly. -- Glenn Skinner