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Title: Voyage of the Fox Rider
ISBN: 0451452844
Author:
Dennis L. McKiernan
Publicate Date: 1993-10-01
Publish: 1993-10-01
List Price: $15.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $67.22
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
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| Customer Review: |
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1: In Need of Trimming
Like all of McKiernan's novels, this book needed trimming. There were far too many philosophical/religious debates between the main characters. Also, there was good action but you had to read through so much junk to get to it. Aravan and his crew are hard-core, but the rest of the characters fall flat. McKiernan seems to love psychotic villains, and this book is no exception. I just wish that it hadn't required so long to find him and kill him. Please, if you're his editor, encourage him to curb his impulse to jump on a soapbox and preach at us!
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2: Epic talking.
Voyage of the Fox Rider is about a female Pysk and her search for her missing husband. With the help of Humans, Dwarves, an Elf, a couple of Mages and the fastest ship on the waters they will find him. But only after chapter and chapter of talking, debating, defining, lecturing, arguing, name calling, joking, and other non-action scenes. Oh, there is some action. Some. Out of 588 pages there is, to my knowledge, three real battles between th Good guys and the Bad guys.
Think Middle-Earth but with half the fat and taste. Read if trapped in the hospital or in jail.
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3: Encouraging to Budding Authors: Even You Can Be Published!
Let me be perfectly honest and state that I have not finished this book yet. I may never do it, unless Dennis proves for the first time that he is a master of the plot twist (or I have a large portion of my brain donated to science). I do not normally drop a book halfway through, but there's a first time for everything, right?
Let's start off with the story: Here I will be merciful. The fantasy area has long been bereft of origionality (for about 4000 years I'd say). There's not much we can do about that. There's simply nothing new under the sun. But at least Dennis could try to present an old story in a new way (no, that doesn't mean calling a Hobbit a Warrow and a Fairy a Pysk ('it's a cool name becasue it has no vowels!' or not)).
Philosophy time: McKiernan's worldview is so pasturized that it makes me sick. He seems to hate God (or gods, as he states, yet he always drops into the capital 'H' when he talks about the figurehead of religion), or at least think He's 'no fair'. As a Christian I find this view of God so increadably trite. If you want a God that doesn't ever make you feel bad and gives the thumbs up to whatever you do, then save yourself the trouble and carve yourself one out of wood (you can even give him a smile). God is God, He does what he wants.
Sentance structure and grammar: Oh. My. Gosh. This was the worst. I remember the good old days when writers had to, you know, be able to write! I read a sentance in the beginning of the book that was a paragraph long and still had no real subject. Awful. And I can't help but get annoyed when he tells me that 'the fog cleared in late mid morning'. Late Mid Morning! What the heck is that! I don't recomend reading this book in early late evening, because you won't be able to keep your eyes open when the sentance runs on about some vague ramblings of good and evil and then rolls into another description of a grey sea that seems even more fake for the words used to describe it, but then I don't recomend reading this book at all. :o)
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4: A nice work
Voyage of the Fox Rider is a good work, for those who enjoy a book focused on more than action. A basic fantasy work, it includes Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Fox Riders, Mages, and about anything else you can ask for. It starts out well, with the Pysk Jinnarin asking the Mage Alamar for help in finding her mate.
The book does have its lulls, in which characters discuss moral issues, sail, and travel. This only adds to the book in my opinion, rather than going wildly unrealistic in a fantasy, it includes enough elements to make the characters and conflicts much more believable. The archiac speech of Aravan can be a little hard to get into or believe, but after a while you become used to it. For the hardcore Mithgar fans, a lot of the beginning of the book is repetitive, telling you things you already know about the world of Mithgar. However, it quickly moves from explaining everything to getting on with the plot.
If you are a person who likes books that are high-paced the entire time, you probably own't enjot it. I think the book does a good job of balancing fights and dialouge, and a reader who doesn't mind the occasional lull or moral debate will probably find this a good read.
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5: Buy it and have fun!
Yet another good and quality outing from McKiernan. His works continue to stand out and continue to provide vast enjoyment.
Ignore the bad reviews, those people just don't get it sadly.
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