Book 25 for 2011
Black Trillium by Marion Bradley, Julian May and Andre Norton. 491 pages.
I've read and enjoyed books by all three of these authors before, so I was surprised and a little dismayed to find that this collaboration between them is mediocre at best.
For a start, it's a complete cliche-fest - enlightened magical kingdom, conquered by an evil king and an even more evil sorcerer, heirs of the slain king must find magic talismans to fight the invaders and save their people. And it's not even a particularly well-done example of the genre - parts of it are so murkily written that it's hard to tell what's going on.
And the characters were more in the way of representing specific characteristics than real people. Very disappointing, especially as I know they can all do much better.
I've read and enjoyed books by all three of these authors before, so I was surprised and a little dismayed to find that this collaboration between them is mediocre at best.
For a start, it's a complete cliche-fest - enlightened magical kingdom, conquered by an evil king and an even more evil sorcerer, heirs of the slain king must find magic talismans to fight the invaders and save their people. And it's not even a particularly well-done example of the genre - parts of it are so murkily written that it's hard to tell what's going on.
And the characters were more in the way of representing specific characteristics than real people. Very disappointing, especially as I know they can all do much better.