[Astra]

Hi guys,

have any of you read this trilogy?
If yes, what is your opinion?

Thanks,
AL.

[Slick Mongoose]

I've read it. I always like the magician-school setting, which possibly biased me, but I enjoyed it a lot. It has a slightly immature feel to it, kind of half-way between Harry Potter and "adult" fantasy. It's not the most original or creative of works, but it's very well done.

[bwgan]

I enjoyed them, although I agree with Mongoose ~ not a challenge, just enjoyable. I liked the development of the relationship between the heroine and the black magician. (Can't remember their names and they were some of the few books that I borrowed from the library, so can't look them up.)

[Brys]

I read the first book, Magician's Guild, and thought it was pretty bad. It had a poorly thought out magic system (one which seemed to exist for the sole purpose of deus ex machinas), one-dimensional characterisation, a hugely cliched plot and rather poor writing. It wasn't exceptionally bad in the way something like Crossroads of Twilight was, but it didn't have anything to commend it either. If you want a decent epic fantasy outside of Erikson, Martin, Bakker and Kay, read Vera Nazarian's Lords of Rainbow, which is infinitely better than Magician's Guild. I've heard that it improves in the later books though, but there was nothing really for it to improve upon - I haven't been tempted to get anything else by her, because she didn't show any potential IMO.

[Morgoth]

Have to agree with Brys.. The firs book was pretty much awfull with poor writing and next to no good characters. Furthermore, it pretty much encompensates all the major fantasy genre clichés.. Moron as I am though, I had to finish the series.. The second book is mediocre while the third shows some promise with a couple of actually interesting twists to the storyline

[Astra]

Ohm. I am not sure I want to buy it now.

[Paran]

I bought the trilogy cheap and stopped after the first book. Seemed to try latch onto the HP craze... infact, I'd refer to it as harry potter for dumbies.

[bwgan]

Oh, must be why I quite liked it then! Seriously, they are bubblegum for the brain, but sometimes you just want something a bit...well, easy..as in not difficult rather than any other double entendre way :outta: