Song of the Dragon is not a book you bust through in one setting. It's a book you read slowly, savoring the complex characters and myriad races. A book were world building and history are as important as plot and pacing.
In Hickman's world, the numerous races have lost their memories and their free will to the all powerful elves.
Lest you expect Tolkienesque, angelic elves, let me warn you, Hickman does a fantastic job of twisting the genre's preconceived notiton of elves on their heads. Here's his description of one of the elves great beauties:
"Shebin . . . unpinned her hair, which fell down around her shoulders, revealing the long bald strip typical of her race between her forehead and the back of her elongated crown.
Drakis drew in a sharp breath.
Shebin was easily numbered among the greats elven beauties . . . To Drakis, her wraithlike, angular, and bony form appeared hideously cadaverous--a living corpse whose fingers now lightly stroked his chest and body."
Notice the masterful juxtaposition of beauty and horror. He takes elements that our culture finds alluring--thin bodies, silver white hair pinned up with carefully styled curls--and shifts them a few steps further. Until they become gruesome.
All in all, a powerfully woven tale by a master storyteller.
And you, dear reader, can win a signed hardcopy. Just click on this link to enter my contest (or simply scroll down).
Upcoming events/announcements:
- I'm attending to Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE) at BYU in Provo this weekend (Feb 17-20th). If you're coming, lets do lunch! Email me at amberargyle (at) yahoo (dot) com
- Next month, I'll be giving two signed books by David Farland (Chaosbound and The Wyrmling Horde).
- For those of you who read last weeks post, I'm done freaking out (for now). Just thought you'd like to know.
- I'm up to 75 pages on Witch Song 2!
I can't wait to read this one. It's definitely going in the tbr pile especially after such a great review. I'm dying to know more about *his* elves.