science fiction

Illumination - Terry McGarry Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!
Other books by
author Terry McGarry

"Illumination"
Message Board

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary


Tor, August 2001, 25.95 480 pp.
ISBN 0312873891

    In the land of the Ennead, the triad consists of a binder, an illuminator, and a wordsmith. They are the basis of Society's good health. When the weather needs a little change, or when somebody is sick, or a birth is hard the triad eases the suffering and makes the person well again. When death is near the triad takes away the suffering so the soul can leave the body peacefully. Liath has trained all her life to be an illuminator but after she earns her badge, the light fails her.

    She travels to the home of the Ennead, the most powerful mages in the land, in the hopes that they can bring out her light. They fail but tell her that a renegade mage working in a triad can help her if he is brought back into the fold. She seeks Torrin but when she finds him he is nothing like the evil man the Ennead has described. He tells her things about her world that frightens her, but something about him attracts her even though she should feel nothing but revulsion for him. The time will come when Liath must separate the truth from the lies but when that happens will she have the courage of her convictions and act accordingly.

    ILLUMINATION is a rich and complex stand alone epic fantasy that mesmerizes the reader. The society that Terry McGarry describes feels so real that audiences will believe she has visited that world. The characters are so complex and colorful that nobody could doubt that these people once lived, loved and laughed. Thanks to the author's skill, we have a variation of the Atlantis legend subtly adapted for this fabulous fable.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of Illumination
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - guardian of justice - a powerful magician
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - spying/espionage in enemy territorry - deposing an evil leader - unraveling a conspiracy
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - search for identity/new understanding - coping with mental/magical powers - change of heart
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
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - can cast many different spells
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount

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? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Illumination
The Thirteenth Scroll by Rebecca Neason
Holder of Lightning - The Cloudmages 1 by S.L. Farrell
A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer
Wild Magic - The Immortals 1 by Tamora Pierce
The God Decrees by Mark E. Cooper




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here)
or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion


Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!


Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!


Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game


Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 5/8/2008 8:17:30 PM

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 5/6/2008 12:23:07 PM

The Space Explorers: The Space Explorers 5/6/2008 10:16:13 AM

2010: Exactly why was 2010 a lame movie? 5/4/2008 10:19:38 PM

Star Trek Classic: "Mark of Gideon"--A pitch for family planning 5/4/2008 10:15:47 PM

Star Trek Classic: Star Trek's dim view of earth-hugging hippies 5/4/2008 10:10:06 PM

Star Trek Classic: Nancy Crater a bisexual monster? 5/4/2008 10:02:29 PM

Blade Runner: Was Harrison Ford on Tranquilizers or an Actor's Strike When Filming Blade Runner? 5/4/2008 10:01:32 PM

2010: 2010 5/3/2008 3:54:29 PM

Star Trek Classic: Women portrayed as dummies by classic Trek? 4/30/2008 6:26:42 PM


Newest slaves:
Tokra Boob Girl 9:05:53 AM
Colonel Samantha Carter clone 9:04:20 AM
Queen Amidala/Padme (Natalie Portman) 8:08:41 AM
Gloria (All in the Family) 8:06:30 AM
Lady Di 8:03:37 AM
Drew Barrymore 8:01:10 AM
Mariah Carey 7:56:58 AM
Rose McCOWan 7:55:43 AM
Minnie Driver 7:55:43 AM
Major Kira 7:24:23 AM
All slaves
(click here)


Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)