Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child after her family is destroyed in war. She is unaware that she possesses a powerful gift, one that marks her as a member of the School of Pellinor. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true heritage and extraordinary destiny unfold. Now she and her new teacher must survive a journey through a time and place where the forces they battle stem from the deepest recesses of otherworldly terror.
(Summary from Goodreads)
This is a Young Adult high fantasy book and the first in the Books of Pellinor series and is also known by the alternate title The Naming. I was a little hesitant going into the series as I had heard nothing about these books, apart from Mel telling me that she loved them when she started this series years ago. I will admit that I found the start a little slow, but as the story picked up, I found myself completely drawn into the wonderfully crafted world. I don’t remember reading an epic fantasy series before starting this, and this book does not disappoint. There are a few slow patches here and there, and some parts which I found to be a little predictable, but there were also some unexpected plot twists and characters introduced. This book also had a surprising twist towards the end that completely threw me. I definitely was not expecting the plot to head in that direction at all.
In terms of the characters, I felt that Croggon did a great job introducing new characters without overwhelming or confusing the reader as to who is who. I loved Maerad and how she grows as a character throughout the book. She starts off as a slave girl living in atrocious conditions. When Cadvan finds her and she discovers who she truly is (and the dangers that are associated) she must learn quickly and discovers a strength in her that she didn’t know she had. I was also surprised at how much I ended up liking Cadvan, as he initially came across as arrogant and pompous. I was not a fan of him early on, but he really grew on me. I also really liked Nelac and Silvia and most of the other characters introduced.
Other than the necessary “evil” characters, the one other character who I did not like was Hem. I can’t really explain why, but I never warmed up to him and I just did not like him.
Overall, this was a great story with a well developed world and establishes a solid foundation for the rest of the series. I gave it a 4.5/5 rating and would recommend it to those who like high fantasy, particularly those who have read very little or no epic fantasy previously and wish to start. I feel that this would be a great book to introduce them to the genre.
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