The Heart of Stars: Book Three of Rhiannon's Ride

This is a great series of books from Kate Forsythe's world. Rhiannon is an endearing, strong female character. The writing is so vivid it leaves you feeling like you are right there in that remote imaginary world experiencing her trials and triumphs with her. Action packed Trilogy.

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder on 07/13/2008 "An evil necromancer has kidnapped the royal twins, plotting to spill their blood for revenge, and to restore his own family to life. Chaos reigns in the capital and Rhiannon finds herself burdened with a heavy charge: to save the one woman she hates above all others." This is an interesting book. Not having read the others in the series, I read this with some trepidation, wondering if I would be able to pick up the story. While there may be some background details I'm missing, the story was able to stand on its own enough so that I was able to enjoy it without having read the others. That having been said, there is much about this book that is confusing. There is so much jumping from one main character to another, I wasn't quite sure whose story this was. From the title, I had assumed Rhiannon would be the main character, but that's not always the case. In fact, she was the focus in only about a third of the book. Other parts followed the paths of Isabeau, Iseault, Bronwen, and others. There is so much going on in this book that I wondered if the writer would be able to tie everything up in the end. She did - and didn't. I was left with a lot of questions - a lot of dangling ends that leave room for another book in the series. It may be that those questions were answered in earlier books, but then they shouldn't still be left unanswered in this book. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is a high fantasy full of rich world building and unusual characters. The obviously Highland dialect was somewhat distracting and, at times, difficult to figure out, but this isn't an issue unless you don't like reading a lot of jargon. If you've read the other books in the series, definitely pick this one up. If you haven't, I do not recommend starting with this one. Like most series, it would be better if you start at the beginning. But still, this is a good book for fans of high fantasy.

Kate Forsyth has done it again. She has deftly interwoven her characters, world, and the history of that world to create a beautiful tale of love, pain, adventure, and heartache. In THE HEART OF STARS, half-satyicorn girl Rhiannon, Keybearer Isabeau, and Banrìgh Bronwen all struggle in their own way to save Eileanan from the treasonous plots hatched by a gang of villains. This book is absolutely gripping, exciting, and powerful. There are some scenes here that will leave readers in awe at what the characters manage to do. Forsyth doesn't waste time with perfect happiness - Eileanan is a true-to-life reality that is so detailed, so well-crafted, you will have a tough time pulling away. And tragedy happens. One of the major questions here is on resurrection: Can it be done? And if it can, SHOULD it be? Characters in Eileanan take it as a fact that No, it should not. I didn't find, however, that there was a good enough reason not to bring people back to life. There needed to be more stress on the order of life, and the consequences of such an act, to convince us why not. Another gripe: what's with the order of the book, and the synopsis at the beginning? For a hundred pages you get Isabeau, then for another sixty you get Rhiannon, and so on. In the past, Forsyth has always kept us hanging, a much better tactic when one wants to stress the intertwining of time and life while also making things more exciting. But despite that, there are so many things going on - so many subplots and motivations and intrigues to grasp - that it all feels like one giant reality. Unfailingly, everything ties together, and nothing is left undone. It's lovely and complex, just like those tapestries of life Forsyth writes of in her books. Pretend this is 4 and 1/2 stars, and after you've read all the other books in the series, go out and get this one. It's worth it, because aside from a few minor pitfalls, Forsyth weaves a beautiful tapestry of intriguing, honest-to-earth human (and half-human) beings. Their motivations, their thoughts, all ring true for some reason or another. That alone makes it worth the read.

Less than a year ago, I absently picked up "Tower of Ravens" because the horse on the cover intrigued me - I find it hard to resist the horse-crazy adolescent girl still lurking in the corners of my mind. I was excited to see that a sequel was already out, so I bought both of them at the same time and spent the evening devouring them. I eagerly awaited the US release of Heart of Stars and the only complaint I have is that there isn't going to be more to the story! The way Kate Forsyth weaves the different and interconnected plots and characters together is truly enjoyable - sometimes when I read a book too fast, I'll get lost between the characters and plots and settings, but not so with this one. I am a little disappointed that Rhiannon's Ride is being touted as a trilogy - there are so many unanswered questions at the end of Heart of Stars, questions that would be too tedious to stick onto the end of the novel, but would be well-answered as background details in yet another sequel. The reviewer before me has already pretty much summed of the gist of the story, I just wanted to add my approval of this book as well. I find myself thinking in the "accent" that the characters speak in, which means that it was truly immersing - and I dinna ken how to stop!

I confess. After reading "The Shining City" the second book in the trilogy of Rhiannon's Ride, I was so desperate to know what happened next in the story that I bought a copy of the book from Australia, where it was published a full year ahead of the American version. Naturally with the international shipping fee this was a tad pricy, but in the end, well worth it (it also has a map of Eileanan in it which comes in handy when reading.) To recap: at the close of "The Shinning City" Lachlan the Winged was dead, poisoned in his own castle by an unknown assassin (though it was reveled to be Elfrida leader of the country of Tirsilleir which does not follow the earth magic religion of the rest of Eileanan but something more like Christianity.) All three of Lachlan's children were also kidnapped-the twins, Owein and Olwynne by the evil lord Fettercairn who is desperate to raise his dead brother and nephew from the grave, and Margrit of Arran, our friend the evil sorceress from "The Witches" series-using the young royals bodies and life blood. He also took Roden, Nina and Ivan's little boy. The eldest of Lachlan's brood, Donncan with a Celestine princess named Thunder Lilly were taken back in time to raise a long dead sorcerer by Joanna (our friend from "The Witches of Eileanan" series.) Because this all happened right after Donncan's and Bronwen's political marriage as the two heirs to the throne, Bronwyn is now Banrigh of Eileanan (Queen) and thus pardoned Rhiannon her crime of killing a Yeoman of the guard and sent her off on her winged horse to bring back Lord Fettercairn and Owein and Olwynne, Bronwen's cousins. But before she left on her perilous quest, Rhiannon found out that despite the love spell she is certain Olwynne cast on Lewen, Rhiannon's true love (and we know he loves Rhiannon because he said so after drinking from a magical cup of confession/truth) Lewen still loves her-only he loves Olwynne too. But at the same time Isabeau, key bearer of the Coven, comes across a spell of compulsion in the book of shadows, one which will not let her rest until she raised the long dead Bran the Raven. And now for the main event-"The Heart of Stars." In the terrible grief felt by Iseult, her untrained powers over snow and ice continue to run rampant over the shining city and turn everything freeing and covered in snow drifts for miles around. Finally she arises from her grief and bed and goes off in search of her younger children, who are believed to be on the pirate isles (where Margrit of Arran is buried and must be raised), taking an army with her. In her great icy grief can she make any headway across the sea? Can she save her children? Isabeau and several other witches and Celestine's are forced to travel the old ways, the hearts of stars, back in time to where Joanna has Donncan and Thunder Lilly and will kill them to raise Bran. Can they find the New Righ and the fairy princess in time? And will they be able to cope with Isabeau's compulsion