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The Tower on the Rift - Ian Irvine Book Review

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Review Summary


Aspect, Jan 2003, 7.50, 657 pp.
ISBN: 0446609854

Tensor of the Aachim blames the other three human species for the woes suffered by his people actually caused by his leadership. His desire is destruction at a level never seen in known history. His scheme gels when Yggur the Sorcerer destroys Thurkad, forcing the Great Conclave attendees to flee for their safety. Tensor abducts Lilan the Chronicler and steals the magical Mirror of Aachan that a millennium ago belonged to his race and reflects all it has seen. Through the Twisted Mirror, Tensor plans to eradicate all he loathes.

Karan borders on lunacy without Lilan to anchor her, but only she can find Tensor, Lilan, and the mirror, that is if her mind remains sane long enough to hold a rationale thought. She and the likes of Yggor and Shand the hermit magician will meet in a desperate gathering of the magic at a bastion long lost to time in the midst of the Dry Sea Desert with the fate of Santhenar and probably the other two orbs at stake.

THE TOWER ON THE RIFT, volume two of the “View From the Mirror”, is a powerful epic fantasy loaded with numerous threads and sidebars that ultimately merge into a complex cohesive story line. An introductory synopsis of the first novel (see A SHADOW ON THE GLASS) helps provide perspective, but reading the debut volume would enhance perusing this extremely complicated book. Ian Irvine's vividly descriptive universe should go to the head of the reading lists of the sub-genre audience because the characters are multiple-dimensional, the worlds and its species feel real, and the outstanding plots majestic in scope.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of The Tower on the Rift
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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 - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - overthrowing govt/kingdom
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
magical powers: - clash between evenly matched magical power(s) (fantasy)
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? - soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
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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Conan the Liberator by L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter




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