Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #381345 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Customer Reviews

Paying Farland's Credit Card Bills
I do actually quite like these books, and the inventiveness of the original concept behind them, but in Worldbinder it seems clear that Farland's become even more bored of this series than we have, and has stopped even pretending to try. His writing style, with the exception of some excellent battle scenes, has always been pretty wooden, and the dialogue worse, but here it plumbs new depths. As a minor example : it is announced that the Locus has escaped (again) and is martialing forces of evil more powerful than you can possibly imagine (again), and the only response from the evil warlord Hale, who's been somewhat underemployed waiting for a major development of this sort, is "glad to hear it" as if he's just been told that the local corner shop is to start stocking catfood. There are some new monsters to fight in the Wyrmlings, which seem remarkably similar to the reavers, and the strengi-saats (sp?) which inherited the reavers' cannon-fodder role, and a new ultimate evil, Lady Despair, with new minions (like the Death Lord who appears unannounced and wields vast unexplained powers - may have wandered in from Harry Potter?) but these are only loosely related to what has preceded them and seem like cardboard cut-outs which are set up only to be knocked down. Perhaps some of this is a little unfair as I did read the whole thing in a day or so, but I felt pretty ripped off by the end of the 320 pages. The saga of course failed to reach a conclusion, but I did come to one myself : if Farland can't be bothered to write these properly any more, then I can't be bothered to buy and read them. Enough's enough, I think I'll try Fatal Revenant instead...will I never learn?

The brilliant world of The Runelords.
This is the sixth book in the amazing RUNELORD series, here is a little of the story.

After a long exile Prince Fallion and Jazz return home to their once beloved kingdom, alas for the two brothers there is little left of the world they knew, wherever they go they find only charred remain of the once grand castles they had called home, it seems that the evil Loci have done there job all to well.

On another world a huge battle is going on between what is left the Giant human population, growing up to nearly eight feet tall these humans are bred for war with their dreaded enemy the Wyrmlings, amongst them is a small man his name is Daylan Hammer, he is an immortal a man of legend a man who may bring peace or doom the the land of giants.

On his home world Fallion finds an old castle, a castle he recognizes from his boyhood, while out hunting he and his friend hear screaming, it is a woman's screams, she is being hunted by the Loci, after helping her he takes her back to the castle where upon he has to fight and sly a local warlord, Fallion and his friends enter the castle and find a golden tree, surrounding this tree is the Seal Of The Inferno, Falloin tries to mend the seal only to make a huge mistake and melding his world with the world of the giants into one new world and as two shadow people become one Fallion and his friends and new allies have to fight against old enemies and new alike.

This is a great fantasy series, Farland has created a world filled with magic and wonder, evil and darkness, some of his ideas a truly groundbreaking as well as breathtaking, this is an original fantasy series in every way, if you love Fantasy read this, you will not be disappointed.

I hope this review was of some help to you.

I now cannot wait for the next Runelord installment!
I bought a copy of Worldbinder in the states, and although it is a cracking book, I now have a prolonged wait for the next (final?) instalment.

Simply put, Worldbinder takes takes Farland's series in a new and pleasing direction. At the end of Sons of the Oak, Fallion and co. were slowly gaining the upper hand, defeating the evil Shadoath and growing in their new powers, free from the morally suspect reliance on forcibles and endowments.

Worldbinder tips everything on its head, and makes the situation far worse for our heroes. A major character dies and even more of humanity perishes as the threat intensifies - it would be unfair to give away too many details, but I was particularly pleased that Farland is tidying up seemingly loose ends.

I was always frustrated by the unfinished quest to find Daylan Hammer in the original saga - it seemed forgotten, abandoned in the rush to complete Lair of Bones. Now we learn why the quest was unsuccessful, and the true location and identity of the mysterious Hammer. We also learn the identity of the Bright One owl that also appeared overlooked in the past.

2 criticisms of the book prevent four stars - first, it is unrelentingly bleak, and second some of the sequences (humanity besieged by a huge ravening horde, again) seem a reprise of earlier battles with the reavers.

So, no 5 stars, but a good lead in to (hopefully) the final part of an original premise.