Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Firesong by William Nicholson
Firesong is book three in the Wind on Fire trilogy. I read the other two in the series earlier this year: Book 2 - Slaves to the Mastery and The Wind Singer.
The Hath family is leading the remnants of the Manth people (with several additions picked up along the way) to the homeland. The promise of the homeland is vague and far away so they are often lured to stay in different places along the road. The temptations and forces are powerful but the call of a home of their own, the ancient land, is even more powerful. The special talents of the Hath family serve the group well from mind communication with each other, to flying cats, and prophecy.
The big twist was easy to figure out. That particular twist has been used an awful lot in conjunction with prophecy of one who will save. Mumpo still loves Kestrel and she does not love him back (in that way). Bowman loves the princess and she loves him even though she feels that her marred beauty has ruined her and he knows he will soon die fulfilling the prophecy. The different groups of people that they pass and the ways that those people have responded to the world are interesting; the characters in those groups aren't well developed but as the Manth people are passing by and will never see them again the strangers give their pointed messages on humanity, the free giving of love, and the way that greed can kill through stricture and then are gone...who needs personality and believability.
(sigh) Do I sound harsh? I thought Firesong was predictable and preachy.
The Hath family is leading the remnants of the Manth people (with several additions picked up along the way) to the homeland. The promise of the homeland is vague and far away so they are often lured to stay in different places along the road. The temptations and forces are powerful but the call of a home of their own, the ancient land, is even more powerful. The special talents of the Hath family serve the group well from mind communication with each other, to flying cats, and prophecy.
The big twist was easy to figure out. That particular twist has been used an awful lot in conjunction with prophecy of one who will save. Mumpo still loves Kestrel and she does not love him back (in that way). Bowman loves the princess and she loves him even though she feels that her marred beauty has ruined her and he knows he will soon die fulfilling the prophecy. The different groups of people that they pass and the ways that those people have responded to the world are interesting; the characters in those groups aren't well developed but as the Manth people are passing by and will never see them again the strangers give their pointed messages on humanity, the free giving of love, and the way that greed can kill through stricture and then are gone...who needs personality and believability.
(sigh) Do I sound harsh? I thought Firesong was predictable and preachy.
# posted by JJ @ 2:23 PM 
