Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater Rhodes,

When Nicias Silvermead’s falcon magic reveals itself in his blood, he flies to Ahnmik to get help from his grandmother. Even though he is a falcon, his parents have not told him much of his heritage. They themselves are exiles from Ahnmik. Nicias finds the city mesmerizing, yet he knows that his true home is the wyvern’s court. During his stay in the city he finds out many startling details of his past, including why his parents made the decision to leave Ahnmik. He becomes entangled in a web of lies and deception. As Nicias fights his way through these barriers, he uncovers deadly secrets that could destroy the existence of Wyvern’s court.

The newest sequel in The Kiesha’ra series, FalconDance, by Amelia Atwater Rhodes, is mainly Nicias’s story. For the most part, FalconDance explains the mysteries of the two previous novels in the series. Though the novel is well written and does have a charm of its own, it does not really compare to Hawksong, the first in the series. It just feels as though Rhodes left too much of the story out. It does not flow as smoothly as the previous two. The whole aura of the series changes, instead of blending the different aspects in the novel they stand apart. The connection that the different characters were linked by in the previous novels has been severed. The novel seems rushed or maybe a new twist in the plot that isn’t quite concrete yet. Nevertheless, Rhodes writing is just as good as ever. I still look forward to her next novel, especially in this series because of her ending that seems to suggest another sequel in the series.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO U.S.A