The Flower of Clear Burning - Joel Van Valin Book Review

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"The Flower of Clear Burning"
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Review Summaries

" Novel Books, Nov 2002, 271 pp. ISBN 1591050264 Hillkirk is a quiet, relatively safe town that lies in the eastern part of the realm. Theresa Winered is a married woman stifling from the confines of her position. Hanoli, a barmaid, tries to keep her dignity in her squalid existence. Valla is the local midwife respected for her knowledge of herbal medicine. An unstoppable plague is sweeping is on the from the southlands. At the same time a ravaging horde of Barbarians from the east is sweeping closer to them every day, destroy anything in its path. Theresa travels into the forest of Havernon and becomes one of the leaders in the war effort. Hanoli and the man she loves travels to the island of Isalt in hopes of finding THE FLOWER OF THE CRUEL BURNING, the only known cure for the plague. Valla stays in Hillkirk hoping to give comfort to her patients. These three remarkable females, already courageously helping people, play a heroic role in a war they thought there was no hope of winning. Lovers of fantasy that like heroic battles and plenty of action inside a believable plot will want to read THE FLOWER OF CLEAR BURNING. The characters make this novel stand out from other works of similar style and caliber. The women accept burdens men normally assume with a determination to complete them or die trying. Joel Val Valin is a gifted storyteller who will appeal to fans of Patricia Briggs and Candace Sans. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Joel Van Valin Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - fighting a disease/illness affecting everyone
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
Age: - 20's-30's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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