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purpledragonfly48's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alannajane's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! The four books set in this world are so fantastic! Certainly (having seen other reviews), they aren't to everyone's taste. I found the world and back-story well imagined. Further, the pace between character development and action/adventure is perfectly set for my taste. The Innocent Mage drew me in deeply, but I was somewhat disappointed in its sequel. I can't put my finger on it, but perhaps it was simply predictable. These last two books in The Fisherman's Children series, however, kept me absolutely spellbound. I adored the differences in the expanded world and the depth of the story. I also found (as someone who has suffered multiple complex traumas and still found strength to grow, somehow) that the intermingled anguish and humanity in the characters throughout their trials so powerfully real. Thus, I have lost both sleep and fingernails to this incredible story. And while I'm sad to see it end, I really do need to get back to my own life :-/
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I ended up liking this one more than book 1. I think it was cos it was less whining, less Doranen-Olken conflicts. Less Asher (he was good for two books, in the last one he was too arrogant). And even though Rafeel was a good hero, he was too..male.
Deenie on the other hand was a great heroine. She and her friend go on an adventure. Their world is going to hell, and she fears her brother is in trouble. The adventure takes them to new lands and I liked it being just her and her friend. And then some other people that showed up. Ok so you will know at once when they are mentioned but still I shall not say more.
But I wonder, no one ever went over the mountains? Even before Morg? That just seems weird....I mean come on.
Anyway. This is the end. Is the world saved? Oh I wont spoil things but duh, the planet does not blow up, so figure it out. The end was a bit too fast but I liked how it was all wrapped up. Sad to see the world go.
I do like her books.
Deenie on the other hand was a great heroine. She and her friend go on an adventure. Their world is going to hell, and she fears her brother is in trouble. The adventure takes them to new lands and I liked it being just her and her friend. And then some other people that showed up. Ok so you will know at once when they are mentioned but still I shall not say more.
But I wonder, no one ever went over the mountains? Even before Morg? That just seems weird....I mean come on.
Anyway. This is the end. Is the world saved? Oh I wont spoil things but duh, the planet does not blow up, so figure it out. The end was a bit too fast but I liked how it was all wrapped up. Sad to see the world go.
I do like her books.
acepiary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
rogue_runner's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
3.0
This was okay. There was a lot of travelling, and it reminded me in part of Lord of the Rings, but with a smaller cast. I absolutely HATED the dialogue linguistics, with all the backwards sentences of Ewen and his crew. Uuughh. Just infuriating. Wasn't a huge fan of the olken nuances either. I think this, on the whole, made me really hate sections of the book- because every other sentence was slightly twisted backwards for 'style'.
Deenie was ok as a character, but merely ok.
It felt a bit cheap to just rehash Morg as the big bad though. IDK. I expected more.
Deenie was ok as a character, but merely ok.
It felt a bit cheap to just rehash Morg as the big bad though. IDK. I expected more.
vms_lcsw's review against another edition
5.0
no spoilers, no detailed description, no wordy review. I like some of Karen Miller's books and I love others. I loved this one. If you've read the series, read this. That's all.
adamdavidcollings's review against another edition
5.0
The previous book in this series spent a great deal of time build up toward the possibility of exploring beyond the bounds of the land of Lur, but ended just as it was starting to happen, so I entered this book with a lot of expectation.
While Rafel's journey was cut short by tragedy, I got to experience that exploration as Deenie sets off on her quest. In a lot of ways book 1 was just set-up for book 2. In the Reluctant Mage, the plot really starts moving.
Karen Millar's great strength seems to be the development of characters and people groups. This continues to show through in this book. She creates a brand new race of people, and again gives them their own turns of phrase. The people of Vharne feel very distinct from the people of Lur.
This book gave Deenie the development she needed, and watching her growth was a lot of fun. I felt that Rafel's character was lacking in this book, as he was incapacitated due to important plot reasons. It all worked, it's just that he was so important in the last book that I wanted more of him.
I enjoyed the dynamic that built between Arlin and both Rafel and Deenie. It's always fulfilling to see former foes forced to develop a begrudging respect for one another.
The book brings the series to a satisfying conclusion. I now look forward to going back and reading some of the earlier books set in this world.
While Rafel's journey was cut short by tragedy, I got to experience that exploration as Deenie sets off on her quest. In a lot of ways book 1 was just set-up for book 2. In the Reluctant Mage, the plot really starts moving.
Karen Millar's great strength seems to be the development of characters and people groups. This continues to show through in this book. She creates a brand new race of people, and again gives them their own turns of phrase. The people of Vharne feel very distinct from the people of Lur.
This book gave Deenie the development she needed, and watching her growth was a lot of fun. I felt that Rafel's character was lacking in this book, as he was incapacitated due to important plot reasons. It all worked, it's just that he was so important in the last book that I wanted more of him.
I enjoyed the dynamic that built between Arlin and both Rafel and Deenie. It's always fulfilling to see former foes forced to develop a begrudging respect for one another.
The book brings the series to a satisfying conclusion. I now look forward to going back and reading some of the earlier books set in this world.
happyocelot's review against another edition
5.0
Best book out of the entire series! Redeemed the prior book! Loved this book! I found it to be very satisfying. This book made it worth reading all the other books in the series because it was so good. I recommend reading all the other books in order to enjoy this book the most.
ssminski's review against another edition
5.0
my favorite by her. such a perfect balance of hope and despair, gains and losses. throughout the book.