Spellweaver [Paperback]

First, since the order of these books can be confusing to those who aren't familiar with them, here is a listing of all the Nine Kingdoms stories:

Two Prelude short stories, found in anthologies with other authors:
The Queen in Winter (When Symon, the first king of Neroche, woos and wins Iolaire)
To Weave a Web of Magic (The Tale of Two Swords where Mehar and Gilraehen fall in love)

Miach and Morgan's story is told in:
1- Star of the Morning (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 1)
2- The Mage's Daughter (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 2)
3- Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3)

Ruith and Sarah's story (which OVERLAPS Miach and Morgan's story in the timeline) is told in:
4- A Tapestry of Spells (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 4)
5- Spellweaver (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 5) (this book)
6- Gift of Magic, due to be published in January 2012

And she's said there are more Nine Kingdoms trilogies planned for successive Januaries.

So! Now that I've got all that hopefully stated clearly...

A Tapestry of Spells (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 4) ended with Ruith and Sarah being separated, right after Sarah discovered who Ruith really was--namely, the youngest son of one of the most evil and powerful black mages history had ever known...and, what was almost worse to her mind, 3/4 elvin prince! Spellweaver begins only hours later, with Sarah, being just the daughter of a village witchwoman, realizing that she has absolutely no right to be feeling anything whatsoever for one of those high and mighty elves, even if he hadn't been a prince...which Ruith most certainly was. The fact that she has no magic whatsoever only cements the fact that her fond feelings for him really should be banished as quickly as she is able to manage the feat. He is clearly far, FAR out of her league, even if he won't admit it.

Sarah does, however, have the gift of seeing...a gift which puzzles Ruith and only adds to her fascination. To him, his heritage is more of a burden and curse than anything else...especially since he doesn't much like the thought that he'll have to keep living for centuries after Sarah's mortal life ends. And so he continues his attempts to avoid his magic and birthright. But reality presses in until he finally realizes that his magic is a tool, and he's got twenty years of lost experience to make up for. Events make it clear that if he doesn't learn fast, he'll most likely lose it to one of the many mages who would gladly claim his magic as their own.

The romance between Sarah and Ruith unfolds more in this book, though it is quieter and takes a back seat to the world-building and character growth. I missed the stronger romance that Miach and Morgan's story had. I still love this installment of Sarah and Ruith's story, though. Spellweaver focuses more on the unfolding of Sarah's gift and the discovery of who she really is. Her gift is one that made me grateful to see the world of the Nine Kingdoms through her eyes. So much beauty! ...running through words and souls and carvings of stone. ...dancing to the music played in the palace of the dwarves. And we get to marvel at it as Sarah learns to use what she sees.

Spellweaver also focuses on Ruith's struggle. Here he is, an elven prince with a library's worth of spells--including all of his father's--rattling around his poor brain. But it is precisely that knowledge that has caused him to bury his magic. It doesn't take Ruith too long, though, to realize that running from his past is childish. No one blames him for doing it when he was 10, but he can certainly do it no longer--especially since he'll need his magic to protect Sarah from those who seek her gift and to protect the world from those who seek his father's evil and powerful spells. But no sooner does he uncap his magic, then he realizes that twenty lost years of practice using it are not going to be made up easily, and his magic is about as unwieldy in his hands as a broadsword would be in the hands of a child. And all the signs are indicating that he's going to need not only all his magic and Sarah's sight, but also more skill than he currently has to best whomever is waiting for him in the far north.

That's what I love about this book. I love the challenge that Ruith is faced with. I love how the Nine Kingdoms world expands. I love the imagery and beauty and how visiting the Nine Kingdoms makes me look at our world a little differently. I love how Ruith is a curious (and humorous) mix of the hermit who lived on the mountain and a proud and glamorous elvin prince who can outfit a room in luxury with a few choice bits of Fadaire.

And I love the setup that this book gives for the finale (coming next year). I love the way this book plays out alongside Princess of the Sword (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 3) in the timeline of the Nine Kingdoms. I love that we have only a tantalizing bit of a hint about who is waiting for Ruith, and I love that the hint both ups the stakes and opens new questions of how? and why? I love that neither Sarah nor Ruith could possibly succeed in their task alone, and I love how Ruith just might be the ONLY one who can do what lies ahead.

I'm giving this one 4-stars as well, since 4 1/2 stars is not possible. This trilogy is not quite as good as Miach and Morgan's trilogy. It moves slowly and gets repetitious in places. But again, the beauty of the writing, the world-building, and the magic moments laced with romance make up for it and still make this an enjoyable book worth re-reading.

Now I just have to be patient all year long until Gift of Magic comes out!
________________________________

Edited (after Gift of Magic came out) to add:

When a book is part of a trilogy, do you rate each book on its own merits, or do you consider the entire trilogy in the rating? I honestly don't know.

I'm going to leave the above review intact as I originally wrote it. (At least for now.) However, I feel obligated to add this caveat: the final book doesn't fulfill what the first two (especially this one) led me to anticipate. I find myself reading this review and feeling disappointed because that the lead-up excitement I felt wasn't fulfilled.

Am I disappointed in this one now for getting my hopes up? Or am I disappointed in Gift of Magic for not fulfilling everything I hoped it would? Does this one deserve less than a 5-star rating? Or should all the blame rest on Gift of Magic? I'm honestly not sure. I still love Lynn Kurland's writing, so I know I'll end up re-reading the entire trilogy again. I also admit that if I had picked up Gift of Magic from an unknown author, expecting to be disappointed (because I usually am--I'm very picky), I would have liked it quite a bit and been interested in reading more from the author.

But I wasn't. This is an author whose work I generally love, and this book led me to hope for a decent amount in the end of the story...and the end of the story didn't have it.

When I do re-read it (knowing how it'll end this time), I might very well come back and amend the reviews for all three. I don't know. But in the meantime, I feel compelled to at least add this note.

This novel is the sequel to A Tapestry of Spells (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 4), and the second part of Ruith and Sarah's trilogy. It's a slow-moving novel, but every page is beautiful. The characters do much thinking and self-discovery. I usually prefer more action, but found at the end that I was very satisfied that I took the day and a half to read it. It was tenderly written, and the ending might bring a tear to your eye.

The main objective in this trilogy is for Ruith and Sarah to locate and assemble the entirety of Gair's evil spells, then destroy them before any number of black mages can make use of them. The urgency of this task is all but lost in the much-described journey to self-discovery of both Ruith and Sarah. Hardly any details are spent on moving along the plot, and almost all spent on waiting to leave or taking that last good meal for a long, long time. There are some missed opportunities for action, even if the primary purpose for this novel is to prepare Ruith and Sarah for the action later to come. For instance, I wouldn't have minded reading more details about Ruith's rough practice sessions in the magic lists.

Nevertheless, what I loved about the book was the characters from previous novels that were developed deeper. My favorite is Soilleir, and I truly hope Lynn Kurland writes his own trilogy so that I can see him "wallow" in his longing, as Ruith predicted.

Ultimately, Spellweaver is worth the read as a beautiful story of self-discovery. I expect Ruith and Sarah's third book will move at a faster pace as the threads of their tapestry are tied together. For a supporting novel in a fabulous series, this is definitely worth the read, though not always exactly page-turning.

Spellweaver by Lynn Kurland
Paranormal Romance- Jan. 4th, 2011
4  stars

Spellweaver is a part of a spellbinding saga and the 5th in the fantasy series by Lynn Kurland. Spellweaver is the 2nd story concerning Sarah of Doire and Ruithneadh of Ceangail. The 1st three book concerned Ruith's sister Morgan.

Ruith is a powerful mage with elvish magic. Handsome and talented, he hides his magic because he is haunted by his father's evil use of magic and wants none to taint him. But there are dangerous people who want his father's dark spells. The most dangerous one of them steals magic from others. Ruith knows he can't let anyone use these spells but he needs Sarah's talent to see spells to find them. But Sarah's past with magic has burned her. And although she is attracted to Ruith, she wants to stay as far away from magic as possible. Can their budding attraction for each other have a chance to grow in this atmosphere of mistrust and secrets?

This is a gentle fantasy world that reminds me of Robin Owens's Heart series but on a grander, more epic scale. The 1st of 3 books concern the impetuous swordswoman Morgan. Because there is a lot of detail and rather involving cast of characters that interrelate, I would highly suggest reading them in order starting with Morgan's 1st book Star of the Morning which I felt was a joy to read. At the very least, read the beginning of Ruith's journey in A Tapestry of Spells.

This series has a gentle charm that almost seems poetic. Evil villains and tortured heroes and heroines are slowly and skillfully revealed by the author. This series is mesmerizing as I became invested in the main characters and wanted them to find peace and conquer evil. Ruith is not as charismatic as is his sister Morgan who lost her memory and had to search for her identity. Ruith is more of an enigma. He suffers because of his father's evil and how it destroyed his family. He has had many years to lick his wounds and try to come to terms with his family's destruction. Sarah also has many issues to resolve. Her troubled relationship with her magical and power hungry brother and the disappointment she was to her magical mother. Because Sarah does not have any real magic, she was tormented when she was younger and generally branded an outcast. Being around a mage, even one who chooses not to use his powers, is difficult for her.

This story is complex. Anyone who loves epic fantasies with emotion, rich history and deep characters will enjoy this slow moving story. I was particularly interested to know more about Ruith's evil father, Gair, and can't wait for Ruith to begin using his powerful magic. I would also like to know more about the powerful and wise mage Soilleir and his past. He seems very similar to Gandalf's character in Lord of the Rings. And I would love to hear about his history and how he came into his powers or what will happen in his future.

Magical swords, evil villains, dangerous spells, courageous heroes and an epic adventure create an addictive read.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 13 reviews  4.6 out of 5 stars