Fortress in the Eye of Time

Fortress in the Eye of Time (1995) is the first fantasy novel in the Fortress series. In a tower within Ynefel, Mauryl Gestaurien spoke a Word and a Shadow was Summoned and then a body was Shaped for it in the form of a young man. Mauryl then gave the name of Tristen to this creation. However, Mauryl had doubted during this working and it soon became evident that Tristen wasn't quite what Mauryl had hoped. In this novel, Tristen lived within the tower and learned everything Mauryl taught him or maybe this process was more like relearning. Tristen would hear a Word and then other Words would unfold in his mind, building great conceptual frameworks. He learned to read as soon as he looked at a parchment and learned to write when Mauryl put a quill into his hand. But Tristen made many mistakes in his thinking, so Mauryl often grew angry with him, yet always quickly regained his temper and soothed the boy. Tristen explored the tower by day and liked to read among the pigeons in the drafty loft at the highest point. Owl too perched in the loft, but on the other side of a wall. Each night, however, Mauryl prepared a potion that caused Tristen to sleep without dreams. Mauryl constantly chided Tristen for his careless ways, insisting that the boy latch all the shutters and doors. At night, while Tristen was sleeping, a fell wind rattled these latches and doors and a Shadow spoke to Mauryl about the past and the future. Mauryl always knew that his old student Hasufin was not fully dead and was only waiting for the right moment to strike. In this story, Mauryl is overcome by the spirit of his old enemy and immured in the walls of the tower. Afterward Tristen follows Owl east along the old road through Marna Wood. After several days and nights of travel, he finds other men and eventually the town of Henas'amef. When Tristen speaks the names of Mauryl and Ynefel, he is brought to the attention of Emuin. Emuin was the last student of Mauryl and the only wizard among his associates to survive the second death of Aswyn Hasufin during the bloody overthrow of Althalen. Thereafter, Emuin became a Teranthine priest meditating on his sins and later the tutor the Crown Prince of Ylesuin. Now Tristen has come into his life and Emuin must face his fears. Emuin sends Tristen to the Crown Prince, now serving as Viceroy of Amefel province. He counsels him to befriend Tristen, so Cefwyn gives Tristen titles, retainers, horses and access to his person. In return, Tristen saves his life more than once. Over time, Cefwyn notes that Tristen is a better horseman than himself, a formidable warrior and a person with inherent magic. So Cefwyn eventually learns to listen closely to his friend's advice on war and magic. This story tells of treason and sorcery from the Aswydds of Amefel province. It also relates the delight of the people of Amefel in the return of a Sihhe Prince among them. And it recounts the unexpected meeting of the King of Ylesuin and t

I loved this book. To be honest, the first half of the book doesn't move very fast, but you come to appreciate how the author controls the flow of the story based on the progress of the main character. It's a very interesting technique that takes a little patience to enjoy. The story centers around a young man called back from a distant past and who's soul has already lived a life. His challenges in adjusting to life with no real past are very well written and yet his native intelligence and personality begin to grow quickly. The characters that surround the protagonist are fairly well written and far from perfect themselves. For me the frailties of people are often neglected in most fiction unless it is overly depicted in the bad guy. In this case the author is very effective when describing the different supporting cast and creating reasons for them to be who they are. The story follows the political manuevering of a Prince and various factions who either want him dead or simply out of the way. The culmination of the story when the Main Character begins to experience the depth of who is will be is very exciting. On a final note, I think that the author does a good job of describing conditions that people live in without wasting too much time on trivia. It makes for a more believable read when life is a little rustic, even for the nobility. Read this book!! The next three in the series are a worthwhile reward.

I am in a state of utter amazement. Ms. Cherryh is incredible. Her characters are so real, I feel as if I could reach out and touch them. Just to give you an idea: Fortress in the Eye of Time has approx. 800 pages. 3 days and I was foaming at the mouth for the sequel. Not hard to see why she's won three Hugo awards. The way she sets out the plot, with that amazing imagery...and an intense prose that reaches out to grab you. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the names and places, but the characters and the events are so well-done...not even a future writer has the words. This is a definite must-read for fantasy fans.

For the first time since her Morgaine series C J Cherryh has managed to create something which goes beyond the good, though at times over stretched intermediary works such as Rusalka - Chernovog - Yvgenie, Ealdwood, Farey in Shadow, and The Goblin Mirror. In this book she has combined elements from them all, bringi9ng her fantasy work in line with the qualities that mark her Sci-Fi stories: the ongoing Foreigner series especially, which would warrant the rather OTT statement on the back cover of this being her `high fantasy triumph'.Parts of the narrative don't work as well as they could, some sequences requiring a little more stretch in them in order to add more credibility - the part where Tristan is so keenly welcomed into the Royal fold so soon after getting to town standing out the most, with a few others rushed in comparison to the length of the build up. There is also rather too much dashing about the countryside to add an element of overt action.Even so, Ms Cherryh - like Carlsberg is to lager - is probably the best writer in this genre; her combination of literary technique, and attention to detail within context outstanding in its appeal to those who want to read something more involving than is usual. And look out for the others in this set: Fortress of Eagles, Fortress of Owls, etc.

I knew, before picking up this book, that Cherryh is an amazing writer. Her first book that I ever read was "Faery In Shadow", and it absolutely completely bowled me over, and not just because I'm obsessed with Celtic history!! But this book exceeded my expectations. It's an exceptional, really lovely piece of storytelling. If I had to choose words to describe the way she writes I'd pick "beautiful", "ethereal", "compelling", "haunting", "poignant"...it's just one of those things that have the power to move you beyond words. I absolutely loved the whole thread of the story. It's amazing not least because the idea itself is surprisingly simple and tame: a classic story of good versus evil. And yet the way Cherryh develops the whole plot is really remarkable. I fell in love with Tristen very early on into the story, and have never let go of him since. The story is even more wonderful in that Cherryh does not succumb to the usual neat formula of fantasy novels which seems to INSIST that there must be a love interest. I hate it when my enjoyment of a good fantasy is spoiled by romantic involvement. In this book you only get a mere whiff of that, and it involves someone other than the main character. And even that is played out in a wonderfully pleasing, satisfactory way. The ending was a bit too neatly put, but surprisingly enough I liked it just the way it was, unlike most other books I've read. In the end, though, I have to give it less than 10 because there are other mysteries, hints and innuendoes which are not properly tied up. In a way I like it that Cherryh left them that way, but a part of me is just begging to see everything played out to the end. From the feel of things it seems like she intended this book to be a stand-alone story, yet it practically cries out for a sequel (just like "Faery In Shadow"!). On the other hand, I think I'd rather prefer it if she just left it this way, so that I can deliciously contemplate the beauty of this one story without having to worry about other issues nosing their way in. I do wonder if she plans to put out a sequel, but if she does I hope she focuses more on Cefwyn and Ninevrise this time. Tristen's story has been told, and although some would think he needs more things to happen to him, I think he should be let alone. I'd like to just dote over this book and hoard it away as One Of The Greatest Stories I Have Ever Read. Magnificent. I said it before of Agatha Christie, but now I must say it again: I now worship C.J. Cherryh.