David Farland Resident Scholar Profiles TOP SCHOLAR: Robert Stiles SCHOLARS:
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Review Summaries
"The Runelords is the story of Prince Gaborn Val Orden, the son of the King of Heredon. In Gaborn's society, a commoner can grant "endowments" to a noble or a wealthy merchant, such as wit, glamor, smell, sight, or any other attribute. While the lord's vision, intelligence or charisma will be doubled, the now helpless commoner will lose the trait he has given and become that lord's Dedicate, and the lord assumes responsibility for protecting and providing for them.
Gaborn is traveling to the kingdom of Sylvarresta by the will of his father, and to ask Princess Lome to marry him. However, as he is in the country, it comes under attack by the megalomanical Raj Ahten, ruler of Indhopal. Raj Ahten is a Wolf Lord, or a Runelord who forces people to give him endowments rather than granting them to him or buying them. He has literally thousands of endowments that have made him all but invincible.
Gaborn knows that Raj Ahten will not stop until he is the master of the entire world, and he escapes from Castle Sylvarresta and flees back to Heredon to help with his homeland's confrontation with the Wolf Lord. Along the way, he encounters a wizard who believes that Gaborn is the Earth King reborn, the man who can heal the wounds of the Earth and ensure that mankind has a chance to survive.
While the book sounds fairly conventional (youngster becomes a great warrior of prophecy in order to destroy a bloodthirsty villain) the book is helped immensely by the fascinating nature of society, and there are even thoughts on the morality and justice of the process of taking endowments from others. "
Robert Stiles, Resident David Farland Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 30% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age
Yes
Youngster becomes
- great warrior
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture
Yes
Intense exploration of society's culture?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- super strength
- is very quick
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:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- mind control
- super strength
- can cast all sorts of spells
- is very quick
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- deluded
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Terrain
- Mountains
- Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- none/very little science jargon needed
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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