The Fall Of Ossard (The Ossard Trilogy) by Colin Taber Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Fall Of Ossard (The Ossard Trilogy)
Book Review: A quick review
Summary: 3 Stars
(*Note: I typically write reviews as if I'm writing to an audience who is contemplating either reading the book, or buying it, since that is the only time that I read these reviews.*)
I read this book, and wasn't turned off by it, but nothing really stood out either. A lot of the dialogue seems to be in place just to get the story from point A to B, but some of the character development is unexpected and refreshing.
The author has a lot to brush up on, but I can tell he is new and will probably be improving this series in later releases. His style is fairly simple, but not unbearable.
If you have nothing else to read I recommend reading this, but there are other great books out there that will hook you better than this one.
Book Review: Absolutely could not put it down
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll admit that I was first interested in this book by Facebook advertising. I'm a little embarrassed by that, but it got me. So be it. I read the first chapter and I was hooked.
Absolutely rich, very dark, story-driven, could-not-put-it-down because I HAD TO KNOW what happened next..... True, not the most rich character design or world building I've ever seen, but absolutely story-driven with an epic grandeur that I truly enjoyed. And the author did a magnificent job, if not with the original character design, but with the growth of the characters themselves, which a lot of authors fall flat with.
I'm reminded a lot of Robin Hobb (if the reviewer below will forgive me, but I see the comparisons), Sara Douglass or Carol Berg. Give it a shot, either way. My only complaint is that I hate cliffhangers, and I'm starting to get to the point, as a reader, where I'd rather wait for the series to be out in its entirety before dealing with the wait for the next bit of an incomplete story. ;)
Book Review: An excellent debut novel
Summary: 4 Stars
The Fall of Ossard
"For Souls are Power"
We find out how and why in this first book of a series by a new author.
The story takes us to a well crafted world where magic, gods and the need for power centre around a young woman, who while learning of her own powers, involves us in a story of survival for herself, her family and the people of Ossard.
The writing is crisp and uncluttered and flows well from the first to the last page.
Now I just have to wait for the next book so I can find out what happens next.
Book Review: Awful. Don't belive the facebook ads
Summary: 2 Stars
Like others I too received an ad advertising this book on facebook. After reading several reviews on Amazon, it seemed fresh and exciting, and I could not wait to try it. I have been severely disappointed.
Firstly, the reviews promised new and exciting ideas, or at least ideas that have not been severely trodden into the ground as most fantasy novels are prone to having. And at this, it does succeed.
Commendable traits in this book include the main character, who was suitably developed and a pleasant deviation from the common take. And thankfully, not from a rural setting. The magic system was intriguing, though not as confusing as others have suggested. I think it interesting the different types of applicable magic, though in action it is confusing.
However, despite these good features, there were some nasty affect that together, ruined the entire book.
Firstly, the writing. It takes leaps of consciousness, and can be repetitive.
(SPOILERS)
There was a particularly nasty repetitive part, that is practically a plot hole on page 236-237. The meeting of the half-blood has already been stated near the beginning of the book, and yet the main character acts as if this is the first time? There was an attempt to cover up that in the first draft this was the first meeting with the elves with a flimsy word fix near the middle, but did not do the trick adequately.
In addition to the receptiveness it leaps consciousness and seems unrealistic.
(SPOILERS)
This is hard to explain. In several instances I was confused as to why the main character, even though she is married to the ruler of the city's son, gets to go to several places. She is a suspect in several instances, why would the drag her along? Also she is a housewife, unused to seeing such actions. And in the end, even though later she does gain mystical powers, at those times, what help could she provide? Why bring her along to that effect? Also, I wondered how certain characters got their information. They seem to pull it out of thin air. Nobody ever comes or tells them anything they just know it. The main character achieves grand leaps of conclusions, and these are always right. Characters always when they speak seem to speak the truth of the world, as if the author is attempting to reveal his world by dialogue instead of just plain description. The story just does not flow with these leaps and bounds, and does not feel well thought out.
Speaking of the dialogue, to put it plainly it needs great improvement. Almost all of it feels like it is story bits, and none really are devoted to develop character. It feels unnatural. The inner dialogue the main character has with herself is alright, for the point of view, but with other characters it lacks tremendously. It is rarely ever (and I am sure someone will find some example in the book to prove me wrong if I say never) used to further character, only to further events. And I suppose this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is present in excess which is not desirable. The dialogue also lacks intelligence to this matter. It's too staccato, and imitative of real life which is not what you want in a book. It never achieves a writing rhythm.
On the subject of character development, characters flip-flop. Which would be an interesting perspective, if it was done correctly. And by correctly, I mean give reasons for it, not just have it happen. Slight foreshadowing should be used in this instance. Certain characters behave as if they woke up one morning, and decided that they were going to be the exact opposite of what they were or hinted to be (ie grandmother.) Other characters sound interesting at first, but are never (and I do use this here) developed enough to generate audience sympathy. Only the main character has any depth.
Oh, and the comments the main character makes to herself, in italics, need to be excluded. They are very melodramatic, which conflicts with the story.
(END SPOILERS)
In conclusion, this book is overly hyped. Do not expect to find a Robin Hobb novel here if you have been attracted by the ads. Instead, you will find a book with good, creative ideas, and a lacking writing skill to express them.
Book Review: Bold... Innovative... Brave...
Summary: 5 Stars
In The Fall Of Ossard, Colin Taber tells the story of Juvela Van Leuwin, granddaughter of a woman burnt at the stake for being a witch, by the Inquisitor Anton, member of the Church of Baimiopia's Expeditia Puritanica. The burning was 20 twenty years ago and it was a milestone in Ossard's history. Since then, Ossard has grown wealthy by its merchant princes. However now the city is troubled by another problem: Child abductions... The children simply vanish without a trace and without any witnesses... And it's just the beginning...
I didn't know Colin Taber before I decided to read The Fall Of Ossard. Now I'm glad that I gave it a try. The three adjectives on its cover capture the spirit of the book pretty well: "Bold... Innovative... Brave..." The book is easy to read and captivating. The very beginning of the story, the burning of Juvela's grandmother, promises a fast-paced book. And it keeps its word. With the introduction of Juvela, the story slows down but to gather momentum with each turning page.
Colin Taber's style in his book reminded me of Patrick Rothfuss' The Name Of The Wind, partly because the story was told in a first-person narrative mode. And the fact that Ossard is the main setting of the story and the world's connection with its deities reminded me of Brendon Sanderson's Elantris.
In The Fall Of Ossard, the author paints the picture of a world where the boundary between humanity and divinity is very thin and flexible. It is a world where gods can choose to answer the prayers with their blessings. It is a world where gods can be mean and vicious; they can have their own agenda and use their followers in a multitude ways. This book is a window opened to a world forged by the goddess Life and her husband Death. Yet now they're waging a divine war, a war that promises doom for all.
The magic system that the author uses has a satisfying complexity. Even though we don't explicitly get explained all the nitty-gritty details of spellcasting, we know that there are three different branches of magic that exist according to the power source of the caster: Mind (forbidden Sisterhood), Soul (priesthoods of the faiths) and Heart (Cabals of Mages). I'm guessing that we will discover more about magic in the following books.
One of the aspects of the book that I loved is the existence of the world's mythology. The reader is introduced to some of the deities along the way. However the mention of a few other names, such as the Gorgoyle God of Gorloth promises more to come. Furthermore, there are some places mentioned that aren't part of the story yet. For example, I wonder if we'll ever know more about Bar-Mor, the mountain city of the giants.
If you're a fan of maps in fantasy books, you'll be satisfied to know that Colin Taber did a good job with the maps too. They include Ossard and the world around the city.
All in all, it's an amazing book. Colin Taber raises the bar very high in his debut novel, The Fall Of Ossard, which is the first of a trilogy. The second book promises a lot to come in many aspects. It will probably be published towards the end of the year. The author said that the remaining books were pretty much complete, so hopefully, there shouldn't be any delays. I, for one, am looking forward to reading them. I can't wait to hear the rest of the story...