Elspeth Cooper
Friday Reads
So, with the upcoming holiday, I’m heading to my parent’s home. It’s four and a half hours away on a good day and I’m not really expecting to be able to film, but here’s an update nonetheless.
What I’ve read last week:
Songs of the Earth and Trinity Rising by Elspeth Cooper.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Dark Eden by Chris Beckett
Upcoming Reads:
I’m about half way through Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and it’s pretty great so far. I’ll probably be done reading it by the end of the weekend and will update with a full review at that point, but WOW!
I’m about fifty pages into Dune by Frank Herbert. I’m really looking forward to dedicating some time to this bad boy. It’s not as long as some other books I’ve read this past month and a half, but it’s dense.
After these two are finished, I’m hoping to read the most recent of Elspeth Cooper’s Wild Hunt quartet. I recieved these three from Worlds Without End in a giveaway and I’d like to finish it while the other two are fresh in my head.
What about you? Reading anything good?
Review: Trinity Rising (The Wild Hunt #2) by Elspeth Cooper
**Please note that this review may contain spoilers. If you’ve not yet read the first book, you can find my review of it here**
Title: Trinity Rising (The Wild Hunt #2)
Author: Elspeth Cooper
Publication Date: 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Teia is a clans girl in the plains. When the clan leader starts to plan an attack against the Empire like Glwyth of old, Teia finds herself filled with horrible visions–the Hunt will destroy the Empire, the Veil, and the world. Teia flees, despite being six months pregnant and the new chief’s concubine, in order to warn the Empire after her clan fails to heed her warnings. Meanwhile, Gair is sent to the desert in an attempt to find a way to weaken Savir.
For Fans Of: Elspeth Cooper, George RR Martin
Review: Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper (Wild Hunt Quartet #1)
Title: Songs of the Earth (Wild Hunt Quartet #1)
Author: Elspeth Cooper
Publication Date: 2011 (MMP2012)
Genre: Fantasy
Overview: Gair was a knight for the Church until he is accused and found guilty of witchcraft. He’s branded and outcast, left to die. His only hope is a mysterious old man named Alderan. They depart for Alderan’s home, where people who can hear the Songs of the earth are trained to control their powers. There he learns that a force much greater than the Church is about to wreak havoc on the world, a force that comes from his own kind.
For Fans Of: George RR Martin
World-Building: This book is mostly set up for the rest of the quartet. In it, we learn all about the general set up of the world: its government, magic, threats, and general history. The descriptions of these are thorough, if not always riveting. Overall, Cooper makes it enjoyable, but it at times feels like the book is all world building and no plot.
Character Development: The main character, Gair, is interesting. He doesn’t really grow too much throughout this book, but I suspect that has much to do with the first book setting the background for the next three. What we do learn about him is interesting, he has a conflicted past, some self-doubt, and a great deal of inner strength –not to mention power. I thought the most interesting part about him is his history with the church. As a former novice, later cast out by the church, he has a lot of continued faith, calling for help from the Goddess whose people so violently rejected him. I suspect this will be one very interesting thread later in the series.
Plot: As I said before, this is really just the layout and set up for later plots. As far as the plots in this book itself go, it is very slow. I think it will pick up a lot in pacing and interest in later installations. The bits of plot that have formed and will be carried out are very promising. I’m interested to see how Cooper contrasts Gair with Savin and to see how the Church plays into the plot later on.
Rating: 3.5
Book Depository Link: http://www.bookdepository.com/Songs-Earth-Elspeth-Cooper/9780575096165
