I picked up this book on a whim, having nothing else to read other than my non-fiction at the time (Bart Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus"). I MUST have a fiction to balance the non-fiction. One for thought, one for fun.
I noticed that it was a Newberry Honor winner, and after reading a sample, came to realize that it fit nicely into the sword & sorcery genre that I enjoy so much. It was a relatively thin book, and I considered it a tide-me-over until I could find some new series to capture my attention.
I'm not sure what I thought I was expecting from this book. But the simple storytelling and intense focus on the characters impressed me immediately. The fantasy/magic aspect of the tale was almost non-existent. It was found more in the amazing mythos created for this world by the author as opposed to real-time actions performed by the characters. More allusion than occurance. Really, the story was a character study, and the characters were fully realized and unique.
The pace was comfortable. The prose was straight forward. By the time I had finished this book, I was upset that there wasn't more to read. I had grown so attached to the characters and the mythos of the book that I was truly upset to be left with nothing more. Until I realized that it was the first in a series!
There were 2 additional books written and published, and I instantly devoured them. They held true to the first book's pace and structure, and continued the emphasis on the development of the characters. By the time I had finished the 3rd, a fourth had been published.
All in all, this is one of the finest series I've read. The story itself is very simple, but the history that the author creates for this world, the mythos and religion, the incredible thoroughness in how she creates, presents and utilizes her characters is breathtaking.
I highly recommend this series to everyone.
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