Child of Flame

Can't remember what exactly inspired me to start a re-read of this series but I'm not sorry I did. It's a fantastic medieval European fantasy series (truly a great depiction of a medieval Europe -inspired setting) that feels so real; from the most desperate of war refugees to the daimones of the Upper Spheres to the working economy... Do yourself a favor and read this series if you haven't already.

Book Four is Alain's happy ending that comes in the middle. My heart just aches for this pure soul pretty much through the entire series so it's satisfying to see his character "rewarded" with peace and acceptance (for a time), and also narratively interesting to get to see the origin of the Great Working. The powerful spell from Adica's time show more is about to be unleashed on Earth once again. Not everyone in the current time agrees on the best way to face this powerful spell.

This isn't specific to Book Four but I'm going to take this chance to rave about Elliott's ability to present motive and intent from so many perspectives that are all believable. There is no vaguely drawn Evil Villain off in the distance bringing destruction for Reasons. This series is sprawling across times, regions, and peoples and it is simply that that creates destruction. Characters may be virtuous, selfish, ambitious, cowardly, scared, brave, powerful, conniving, canny but they all have a reason for what they do. Some make no difference to the wider world but some make all the difference. Every choice has consequences and they will all come to fruition for good or evil and everyone has to live with it. show less

I've really enjoyed this series so far, but this installment was tough going. I don't know if I'm just not up for a 900-page book at the moment or the writing is at fault, but I struggled to get through this one. I also felt Child of Flame failed to hit the same emotional notes as the previous volumes and was therefore somewhat less engrossing. I'm planning to continue the series, but I may take a break for a little while.

The 4th book in the Crown of Stars series continues were the previous ones left off, but adds more complexity and intrigue to the story. There is a lot more going on in this book then previous books and it makes the series so much better. The POVs are much more spread out and explore many more elements of the world. The writing has improved and most of the characters are more interesting. It is a very large book and moves slowly, but the pacing is similar to past books. Still pages of italicized writing, which I still find difficult to read. Overall the series is shaping out to be a quality story.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

The Crown of Stars series is well-thought out and obviously well-planned. It's epic in scope and it's got a lot of texture. There are many complex characters who we follow in parallel, as in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Some of them are very likable, and there are some really excellent villains (e.g., Hugh). Ms. Elliott's creatures are imaginative and enjoyable, and I especially liked the way they interact with the humans. Ms. Elliott uses a lot of description and therefore her plot moves very slowly (again, similar to WOT).

The writing was inconsistent throughout the series. Sometimes it seems brilliant, but at other times I'd think "why did she tell me that?" or "this could be moving a little show more faster." It's often wordy. Her editor could have almost arbitrarily taken out a third of the sentences with no ill effect. Sometimes she over-explains what a character is feeling or his/her motivation when it would have been better to let the dialog or action speak for the character. Sometimes she tells me something too many times (e.g., "but his voice always sounds like that"). I wonder if the inconsistency is due to different editing processes, because it's not like that in all the books, and even some individual books are internally inconsistent. I thought the fourth book, especially, was not well edited.

The pace of these novels is so slow that I found my self bogged down in the middle of book 5 with not much desire to go on, so I decided to quit. I struggled with that decision because I really did want to find out what happened to the characters, but it was taking me too long to get there and the writing style wasn't good enough to make up for the crawling pace (unlike Wheel of Time).

Overall, these books entertained me for a while, especially the first couple of novels. The plot was interesting and the characterization was particularly notable, but it eventually got too slow. I quit in the middle of book 5.
Read more Kate Elliott book reviews at Fantasy Literature . show less

The fourth of what is intended to be a five-volume epic series, this exceedingly stout high fantasy novel stands comparatively independent of the three preceding it. Continuing their deadly rivalry for the throne, King Henry of Wendar and his bastard son, Sanglant, enlist the aid of their siblings as they conjure spells and clash swords. Meanwhile, Sanglant has an heir of his own, the Cursed Ones (beings from one of the several alternate planes that exist in this saga) capture his wife, and his nonhuman mother returns, bearing prophecies of such imminent and dire doom that nobody believes her until disaster is upon them. Newcomers to this series will appreciate the narrative's brisk pacing, as well as Elliott's formidably competent show more world building (particularly the courts and the village of the Hallowed One) and carefully considered systems of magic and tactics that display more than an average knowledge of military history, religion and folklore. Some readers may find this installment too long and complex, though, and lacking, at critical points, the emotional impact and characterization that Tolkien or more recent fantasists such as Jordan, Hobb and Orson Scott Card bring to works of similar complexity. Although devout Elliott fans and lovers of long, convoluted fantasy tales will find her latest to be more than satisfactory, the novel's lack of precision may limit its appeal. (Oct.)
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The fourth book in Kate Elliott's ambitious Crown of Stars series is Child of Flame. Originally, Ms. Elliott had planned to do a trilogy, but as she herself admits, the plot quickly outgrew three books. In this book, Alain, the foundling who is seeking the truth of his heritage, is pulled into a struggle for power between his own kind and their worst enemy, the Cursed Ones. This struggle has existed for aeons. The other adventurers in the Crown of Stars books, Liath and Sanglant, and the exiled king, have their own business to mind, but this is Alain's book. The reader will feel every heartache and every pain as Alain searches for answers to questions he in some cases does not even know to ask.

A great series. My only complaint is the ending of the final book. It just seemed that 7 books worth of plot and intrigue came to a very abrupt halt. I still highly recommend the series.