The Wanderer's Tale

By David Bilsborough

Book Overview

It has been five hundred years since the Peladanes stormed the distant stronghold of Vaagenfjord. There, the dreaded rawgr Drauglir and his supernatural minions had held sway over the mortal world, in a long, terrifying reign. And now, the peace is broken. Rumors abound, ill omens have been seen, and a priest of the One God has had a vision. The rawgr - hideous, powerful creatures of which there were but few - have reappeared and, from their far northern outpost, threaten to wreak vengeance on the descendants of the Peladanes who sacked their fortress centuries before. Thus begins an epic adventure - a fabulous quest - the likes of which has never been told. David Bilsborough, a brilliant young author, has created a passionately imagined vision of Lyndormyn, a world teeming with peoples, history, cultures; a world rich with fabulous landscapes and hidden terrors; a world with compelling characters - human and other - some deadly, others merely remarkable. In sum, his creation explores a world of wonders that will surprise and captivate readers with its masterfully woven tapestry of lives entrapped by the play of Time and Chance, Good and Evil, on a grand scale. It's a sweeping epic to fire the imagination of readers everywhere.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765318679
• ISBN13: 9780765318671
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 1.5" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

A Good Debut.

There are several aspects of the novel which could have been better, and would have prompted me to give it a five-star rating. First of all is the heart of the quest - how it all started. A vision. It's not wrong, but the character who has this vision is not particularly striking, nor does he seem that significant. Had a Sage or an Oracle been mentioned, the quest would seem more urgent, more important. Throughout the whole book, the quest requires this urgency, this wholeness that would give it a sense and importance to the world. The second thing that could have been better is the collection of characters that are presented to us. Bolldhe, the "hero", is not very appealing. The author might have opted to have a different sort of hero, but Bolldhe fails to meet out expectations. When he has a chance to shine, he ruins it. He is not brave, and he doesn't care about his companions. There is little connection between the other characters, as they all seem to be stuck up in their problems. However, the interesting world the author has created for us seems genuine, full and rich. Huldres and fey, giants and mysterious creatures, they all keep the reader interested. In fact, the thing that interested me the most, were the different races and creatures, the monsters, and the strange environments they inhabit. The novel started out slow, but it accelerated into a somewhat enjoyable read soon, especially by the end. I will of course, await the release of the second novel - but not as eagerly as I might some other books.

Slow Going Wins the Race

I had a slow start with the book through no fault of the author so when I picked it back up yesterday and figured out who everyone was again I was hooked. Sometimes I would find myself wondering at the unusually long focus on someone whom I thought was not a main character and the general slow pace of his writing. But it won me over for being different--so often everything is rushed to get you to the point, to the climax. In taking his time he wove a picture of a fantastic world with intriguing creatures and I found myself enjoying the journey that much more.

Overall....

It seems at first that this will be a very captivating story, but then turns out to be a rather slow paced book for the most part. However, I will admit when it does pick up (not terribly often) it is quite enchanting. For the most part well written ,quite believable and in-depth characters, as well as an up beat story. Summary: Great character depth and attention to detail. Well done and captivating story. However, a bit lengthy and drawn out.

exciting, relevant fantasy

Five centuries ago on Lyndormyn, the heroic Peladanes defeated the evil rawgr Drauglir and his supernatural minions. Their victory ended a monstrous reign of terror. However, the Peladanes failed to kill Drauglir. Appa the cleric claims to have seen Drauglir's return in a vision. No one except warriors Nibulus and Finwald believe him, but they fail to raise an army to stop the rawgr at their fortress; no one believes them besides the descendents of those heroes of five hundred years ago. People are living the good life and refuse to sacrifice. Meanwhile the rawgr have been spotted in their broken fortress Vaagenfjord Maw in the northern wasteland as they have begun an assault on humans. A band of six (Appa, Finwald, Nibulus, his pal Methuselech, a mercenary, and Bolldhe the destined one) begin the quest to kill Drauglir. This exciting, relevant fantasy contains parallels to the current American Global War Against Terrorism as most of the populace live in prosperity, see no threat, and have not been asked to sacrifice their affluent lifestyle for centuries. However, unlike President Bush, Appa actually pleads with people to help him and his compatriots to save their realm, but most are too detached to care what is happening in the far north. Although somewhat typical of a save the world fantasy quest, fans of the sub-genre will root for the magnificent six warriors with their differing personalities and personal agendas as they set forth to stop the evil Drauglir. Harriet Klausner