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5.0 out of 5 stars
Precursor to a fabulous series!, Mar 25 2004
Ignore the nay-sayers. This series is what got me hooked on fantasy! I honestly don't think Jennifer Roberson gets nearly as much credit as she deserves for Chronicles of the Cheysuli. I first started this series when I was thirteen and from that moment on I lived and breathed the world of these characters for years. I was actually most enthralled with the last book "A Tapestry of Lions" where we get to hear the story almost entirely from the Ihlini side. A twist that just blew my mind at the time! But I was crushed after I realized the series was over. So I went on to devour Jennifer's other series starting with "Sword-Dancer." Jennifer's female characters are amazing! I love how strong and courageous they are! Before her I'd stayed away from fantasy precisely because I thought it was all about boys going off and saving the world while the women either stayed home or stood on the sidelines gazing fondly at them. Jennifer's Alix immediately caught my attention and opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me. In fact, I think Robert Jordan can learn a thing or two about creating strong female characters from her. I'm especially excited now because I visited Jennifer's official site (http://www.cheysuli.com) and found out she will be writing three more books in the Cheysuli Chronicles. One of which involves the forbidden romance between Hale and Lindir, which is what the entire series extended from so I can't wait to find out exactly how it happened. I love all the characters so much and some of the concepts are far more advanced than most detractors of the tale are willing to concede including Tahlmorra (fate, kismet), meijahs (Cheysuli mistresses), the qu'mahlin (the racial war that started it all), the a'saii (Cheysuli zealots dedicated to a pure line of descent), i'toshaa-ni (Cheysuli purification ceremony; atonement ritual), the Prophecy of the Firstborn, and of course the lir (animal familiars that enable Cheysuli to take animal form). The politics between Homana and the other kingdoms (especially Solinde) are also well done. Basically, if you haven't read this series yet then pick it up in Omnibus form starting with "Shapechanger's Song" and read it right away! You'll walk away with a family of characters that you're sure to treasure forever.
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