Friday 20 July 2012

Review: The Gathering of the Lost - Helen Lowe

The Gathering of the Lost by Helen Lowe
Tarathan of Ar and Jehane Mor, ride into the great city of Ij in time for it's grand Festival of Masks. But soon after their arrival they witness a terrible slaughter as their fellow heralds are targeted an assassinated. They must flee for their lives across the city as they discover Swarm agents at work as they attempt to destabilise the entire River Cities network for their own ends. And five years after her great flight from the Derai Wall, Malian remains hidden to those who seek her. But she has not been idle. Her goal is to muster all Derai magic users that have fled into exile rather than face destruction. Only by uniting against the Swarm menace can they hold their own against the dark tide and she has hunted down every rumour of their presence. And she has developed her own powers that the Swarm must learn to respect ? and to fear. For Malian won't see her people fall to a dark tide of twisted magic as demonic forces subvert a way of life.

My thoughts:
I must say well done. Lowe kept on surprising me and I did not see things coming. 

The book is made into different parts. In the first part we meet Tarathan and Jehane from book one. Things are happening in the River country. The darkness are stretching beyond the wall know. The next part is about Carrick, who comes to the country of Emer. More plots and more showings of the Darkswarm. All these things happening are connected, pieces fall into place as I read on. Even if I did wonder where Malian was, there I was on page 300 and she was still not around. But it had to be like that, there are stories to be told and threads to come together. And when I do meet Malian and Kalan for that matter, they are so changed. 5 years have gone by since the fled the Wall. They are older, and in Malian's case, hard and bitter. She has much to deal with and she needs to be strong, but sometimes strong is too close to ruthless. 

There are characters from book 1 and new ones to get to know, and at the end I just sat there and thought, no way! Huh. She is like a spider in a web, plots going all directions, but all coming together in the most masterful of ways. There is such thought put into this book.

And I have to mention the world again, the echoes of could be sci-fi. No, there is no technology, this is pure fantasy. But the race of Derai and their enemies are alien to this world. They came to the world from another world, they had raced across the universe fighting each other. And they landed with a big bang that forever changed the countries on this world. Rivers changed, mountains fell. Aliens on a new planet. And I like that echo. Even if it was all brought by magic and such, that echo lingers and makes this world more alien in a way. Like it's out there somewhere, in the vast universe.

Conclusion:
And now I want book 3 to see what happens to Malian and the rest I have met in this world. And the more I learn about the enemy, the more alike they seem each other.

Cover...meh

Series: The Wall of Night #2
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 672
Published: 2012 by Harper Voyager
Source: Bookshelf


32 comments:

  1. Sounds like a neat world set-up with some good characters. I hope you get to read the 3rd soon.
    Thanks for review,
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  2. The cover is pretty unmemorable.

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    1. yes yes, i shall comment on said cover ;) I keep forgetting

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  3. "She is like a spider in a web, plots going all directions, but all coming together in the most masterful of ways."

    LOVE THAT! I like when the plot seems like it's all over the place then the author, in a way I can't possibly understand, manages to bring everything together in the most beautifully surprising way:)

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    1. I really went wtf just happened at the end. There were all these threads, all over the place, and then she just tied them together and made it look so effortless. I just have to applaud that. It was masterful

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  4. I really like how this one sounds but I would never pick it up just because of the cover. However, I might wait till the other installment is released.

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    1. Be nice now Ana, fantasy covers are often amazing or rather dull

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  5. From our review it sounds like this author knows how to craft a good world, which I personally find key to a good read, now she just needs to improve on the covers! Have great weekend!

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    1. I do not mind, fantasy covers, well for me they do not need to stand out and scream here I am :D

      And yes a good world is essential

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  6. I've heard such good things about her fantasy books. I so need to read them. Love the metaphor about the spider. I agree about the cover... meh.

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    1. Really good :D I can't wait for more cos..omg..omg, NEED MORE

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  7. Sounds interesting. The cover is okay...not terrible, but not great either.

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    1. Exactly, I am just meh about it. But it does not bother me and I would pick the book up, because fantasy does not need to scream at me

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  8. *reads bit about the cover* Huh...What did the cover look like? *scrolls back up* Interesting. *rolls down to the comments and reads Chris' comment about the cover* Huh...*scrolls back up and looks at cover*

    Interesting. hahaha. Great review! Sounds like a fun series.

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    1. It certainly is :) Now I just need more, ugh, I should not have started this series before all books are out. I do like to torture myself

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  9. Strange that a cover should matter so much in this electronic world - I still believe that images can stir the imagination even more than words...

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    1. I love covers. Because that is what you see first when you browse after all

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  10. I didn't know about this series and haven't read anything by this author. Your review made it sound like a book perfect for me, I'm adding book 1 to my TBR.

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    1. Hihi, yes I saw that ;)
      Wmowuahahaha, but yes such a cool world and I like the echoes of something else

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  11. "She is like a spider in a web, plots going all directions, but all coming together in the most masterful of ways." - Well put! I love authors who surround me in a complex world thriving with action and intrigue.

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    1. I am still amazed at the thing she pulled out of her hat at the end, and they had always been there too. I must say when I write I never think..maybe I should :)

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  12. It's always so nice to have a book that surprises us. It's been a long time since I read a real fantasy book, but maybe I need to go back to that. Great review!

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    1. I love love fantasy, it will always be the genre that makes me the happiest :)

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  13. another series to add to my list..i love that the author weaved the stories together your comment about the spider web was awesome!

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    1. Thanks :D I am glad it worked. Cos it was really like that, a web connecting everything in the end

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  14. I just reread the first two TWOT books, waiting on the third from the store. So maybe when I'm do reading that series, I'll look this one up.

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    1. Ohh WOT :D I am on book 6 at the moment, so many still to go

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  15. Not my genre but I might give this one a try...

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  16. Oh dang nabbet! I want to get to this series. :) Thanks for the great review and glad to hear the story keeps going good for you.

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    1. That it sure did :D Now I just have to wait for the next

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