Interesting concept of one woman trying to start women's lib
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I like the detail of the story, the differences in food, conditions of living, etc, and how she deals with the belligerent and agressive lords in the only way she can. It's a book I like to re-read, and am looking forward to reading Darksong Rising.
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Very good. A complete new and believeable universe.
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Modesitt's books are well known to me; I have most of the "Saga of Recluse" books, but these books, the Soprano Sorceress and it's sequel the Spellsong War, are written from a different angle. A new universe was portrayed in those two books, of such a reality that when I had read both books I found myself thinking "whatever did Anna do with...." before I could stop myself. Even though the Spellsong War tends to be a little bit too long and the end is not as imaginative as I had hoped for, it is an adventure that stands like a house. Well done! And I cannot help but wonder: who is the lady who inspired to write these books.... and WHY?
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Very disappointing - boring, repetitive and simplistic
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Hmm... where shall I start? I bought this book because I had read the Soprano Sorceress, the first in the series. Although not perfect, that book was based on an interesting idea, namely that of a world where music and singing enabled the performance of magic. Anna, the heroine, is a singing teacher on earth, but is transferred to the magical world of Erde due to an ill-timed wish to be anywhere but where she was. There, she discovers her magic powers, and ends up saving the kingdom, becoming regent, etc etc. All of this could lead to a gripping plot, and I was sufficiently interested in Anna to get the second book, but have to say that I was very disappointed. The writer is obviously trying to be 'realistic', but there are limits to the amount of times we need to be told exactly what Anna ate for breakfast (as happens on almost every page), or that she yet again order-spelled some water, or performed a vocalise. Characterisation in generally poor, the writing is dull and pedestrian, the magic songs etc are risible, the wars are repetitive and boring, there is very little humour, just constant 'why me' whining from the self-righteous Anna, before she incinerates yet another victim. I also have to admit that I found the geography very confusing, and was never quite able to sort out all the various countries in my mind - my own fault, no doubt, for not paying sufficient attention. It's a pity, because there is potentially quite a good story in all of this. However, it's not a patch on the worlds created by Robert Jordan, Katherine Kerr and others of the genre, where there is also sufficient variation in plot, tone, characterisation and so on. Having read this book, I certainly won't be trying to track down a third, and probably wouldn't even bother to read it if it was left lying in my path - and that's saying a lot! Overall: don't bother.
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