Customer Reviews

The Warslayer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Warslayer is an excellent book, especially if you are a Xena fan. It's a must read if you are looking for an exciting adventure. Check it out.

"The Warslayer" might as well be titled, "Glory McArdle comes of age." It's fast, funny, and tells a rousing story of mistaken identity, second chances, and for a woman who honestly believes in her own incompetence to find out she's wrong after all.

The story is as follows: Glory MacArdle is a former Olympic quality gymnast-turned-actress. She's a TV actress, sort of a Xena set in the Elizabethan era, and she's good at what she does. But she was picked more for her gymnastic ability than for her acting, and she wonders why people are making such a big deal of her, right before the Allimir mistake _her_ for her character. Once taken from her familiar surroundings, Glory has a choice; she can go back home, and doom the Allimir to lingering death, or she can fight, even though she's not really competent. (The Allimir have no other options; it's her or no one at all.) It's a fairly standard "mistaken identity" ploy, but Ms. Edghill renders it much better than average because of the witty dialogue, strong characterization, pop culture references, and Glory's search for meaning.

One other reviewer said he found none of that. Funny, I remember a dream sequence where Glory was facing her idealized self -- and the idealized self told her she was doing fine, and on the right road. And I remember a whole lot of other stuff, where Glory tells the remaining Allimir about how she's not really competent to fight -- but then, realizing how incompetent the rest of them are, chooses to stay and fight _for_ them. That shows strength of character; she could have just gone home.

Another reviewer was rather upset that Ms. Edghill had written this book, rather than another "Sword of Maiden's Tears" novel. Considering how well this novel was written, I don't understand that. This is not filler; it _is_ light, but it's not total fluff, and it does have a moral. The bad guys lose, and the good guys win, despite the heroine's lack of belief in herself. What's wrong with that?

I think it's a triumph, mostly because it _is_ a departure. And although this book could have been straight satire, and I'd have enjoyed it immensely due to Ms. Edghill's writing skills, I'm glad she didn't choose to do that. Instead, she went for a real plot, with real, identifiable goals, and managed to get me to empathize with a young, thin, glamorous woman (when I'm anything but these things) because of Glory's search for inner meaning as well as her place in the world.

Because Glory tries so hard to help the Allimir, even though she knows she's not competent, and because the plot is so well-executed by Ms. Edghill, I'd give this book at least four stars. I'd give it four and a half, if there was a way to do that, because it is very deftly done, and more to the point, it shows how someone _can_ rise to the occasion -- with just the right impetus.

As for the sequel possibilities, it might be nice to see; if "Xena: Warrior Princess" can spin off all sorts of stuff, why can't Rosemary Edghill?

And the episode guide at the end was a very nice addition, too. Gave me some extra chuckles, and that's always welcome.

This is another "average joe transported to a mystical realm and saves the world" book. An old plot, but still enjoyable. Some interesting twists for people who are into science-fiction and/or fantasy conventions.

This book is a quick read. I bought it at dinner time and was finished that night. It was a pleasant evening's escape.

I'll give this an extra star for a great concept - but that only brings it up to 3 stars because I didn't like the presentation.

It's standard, almost to the point of cliche, to comment in a fiction book how a fiction book would gloss over all those little realistic details that have to happen in everyday life. This book didn't skip over them and that's what I don't think I liked. It was too realistic. I don't want realistic in my fiction, I want dramatic, astounding and amazing. I want to escape reality for a little while, not wallow in it.

I just didn't get drawn in and immersed. I somehow remained outside looking in, knowing I was outside.

You have to admire the attention to detail of someone who creates an actual episode guide (includign some with bad reviews) for a show that only exists in a fictional book. But that doesn't mean you necessarily want to read said episode guide. Somehow I think Buffy's ratings are secure if this is the competition.

I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this book out. Rosemary Edghill is best known to me as the author of three excellent mystery stories, starring a witch named Bast, set in contemporary New York. These are some of my favorite mysteries. Edghill has also written some fantasy and romance, that I liked a bit less. 'Warslayer' is something else entirely, the story of what happens when a gymnast turned television Buffy clone is kidnapped and transported to a world where evil is winning, and where the people have no idea how to defend themselves.

At first I thought Edghill was completely serious about the Buffy/Xena clone called Vixen the Slayer, whose real name is Gloria McArdle. Fortunately, Gloria has no illusions about her ability to rescue the Allimir. However, while Gloria is unfit to take on the blackhearted Warmother, the Allimir are truly incompetent in conflict. As a result, an entire world of people has been reduced to 400 individuals who spend most of their time fleeing from badness. When Gloria is inadvertently shanghaied by three wizards (Belegir, Englor, and Helevrin), she realizes that, if she does nothing, the world of Erchane will end with her in it.

Gloria (aka Glory) does better than expected, coping with bear-rats, magic swords and invisible things that burn down cities. As she progresses from unwilling visitor to very angry defender of the Allimir, she matures as a person, coming to question some of her old values. Unlike Buffy and Xena who change only reluctantly, Glory is willing to learn and adapt without any excess theater. I may have started out wondering if I was going to be able to stand this jock with the dyed red hair, but in the end, I was a fan. Glory is a hero because she doesn't try to be one.

Edghill, who has been a bit off-stride for the past few years, seems to have regained her powers. Perhaps it is the return to first person narrative and the use of interior monologue. Her writing is smooth and comfortable, and the tale told with a light, humorous touch. I would have liked to see a bit more development in the characters around Glory, but the book holds much promise. I have hopes that Edghill will follow through with more titles in this series. I think you will feel the same way.

This was a "fun" book, even if it wasn't deep
literature. An Australian actress/gymnast becomes a
worldwide cult icon playing an Elizabethan nemesis to evil, a
ninja "Zena" in tights and leather armor. She is accidently
drafted by desperate emissaries from a magical dimension to
be the prophesied hero who saves their people. (All the
other heroes, wisely, turned them down.)
_Zena_ meets _Galaxy Quest_ as a not-especially-talented
actress levers herself into becoming the hero she has been
portraying. At least magic really works in her new realm,
but the rules behind it are intentionally murky. Her
clients, the Allimir, are pathetically accepting and almost
neurotically passivistic. Their enemy and her vicious
minions are the nastiest of villains. Everything that
bothers our hero Glory/Vixen, bothers her several times, so
that we will understand the problem when we bump into it
later. Very little will surprise a thoughtful reader here,
except the details of the Allimir's hidden past. Ms.
Edghill telegraphs her moves well in advance.
She even wedges the ending's door slightly open for a
possible sequel. (Doesn't anybody write just _one_ book
anymore?) Nevertheless, for all its lack of literary
heights, _The Warslayer_ also never sinks into the depths of
hack fiction. It is a comfortably entertaining story
throughout. Enjoy it on a couple of evenings when you
decided to go to bed early anyway.

I've enjoyed every book I've read so far by Rosemary Edghill, and this one is no exception.

As others have mentioned, this lead character in this book, Gloria (Glory) McArdle, is an amalgam of the lead characters of "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Galaxy Quest", and plays the TV role of a ninja vampire slayer known as Vixen the Slayer. What makes this a fun book is that Glory tries to make it perfectly clear to the three mages (who inadvertently abduct her during their search for a hero to save their people) that she is not the hero they are looking for, she only plays one on TV. She doesn't try to disguise her lack of heroic capability, which is a refreshing change of pace. She's a woman who knows her limitations but who is put in an extrodinary situation, where she can either choose to rise to the challenge or walk away.

This book is a fast, funny and enjoyable read. There are many tongue-in-cheek pop culture references, and Glory has a wry sense of humor, especially when it comes to her Vixen costume and the importance of a sidekick. This book isn't going to reveal the secrets of the universe or dramatically change your life. It will, however, provide a few hours of good entertainment. Hopefully, it'll become a series. I, for one, want to read more about Glory's adventures

This is a fun book - it's funny and a quick read. I have always liked Rosemary Edghill, there is a certain humor in most of her books that appeals to me. I really like the main character and the premise. It is a lot like Xena meets Galaxy Qwest, but then I enjoyed both of them. It's a great airplane or beach book.

The Warslayer is one of those "Galaxy Quest" type plots an actor goes to a fantasy land and has to be a real hero. An actress a lot like Xena, Vixen has to save the day from the Warmother and does. book has lots of great action scenes, really enjoyed it

I am a die-hard Rosemary Edgehill (Eluki Bes Shahar) fan,
but this one let me down. Compared with her delightful,
original, and unfairly truncated Twelve Treasures series and
her wonderful Bast mysteries, this novel was a clunker.
Its framing device is clumsy and just doesn't work, and
Glory/Vixen doesn't crack wise as naturally and realistically
as a typical Eluki heroine. Even Eluki's collaborations
with Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey seem more her own
style. I even liked her Wiccan romance novel better!
Ah, Eluki, what happened?