Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Orbit (2006), Edition: New Ed, 688 pages
Description
Priestess of the White: Age Of The Five Book One (Age of the Five S.)
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
First of a new trilogy, Humans living on a fairly small continent of a few countries are blessed by five gods. "Talents" abound and nearly everyone has some degree of magical ability. A priestess is chosen as the God's current favourite, but before she can fully learn her skills war breaks out with
Well written though a trifle wordy at times without much depth to any but the most central characters it is nevertheless a good fantasy story in a promising world. The viewpoint jumps around a bit from the various characters which can be annoying, but in general I'm looking forward to the forthcoming sequals.
After re-read. This is not, as from the prologue one might expect, a coming of age fantasy. Auraya starts out as a high priestess of the Five, and quickly comes to terms with her increasesed powers, and learns more about the world and it's cultures around her.
These are enjoyably fairly well-fleshed characters, without an absolute set of good and eveil, just differenet people trying to do their best. Leneid's and Emeralh's stories are obviously leading to some darker undertones than the original premise of the White Five might suggest. Engaging and intruging it's a complex plot lightly told. The action jumps around to several bit parts but this leads to an interesting world with details of minor areas sketching in the a wider picture. Personally I feel it is a trifle long, with too much happening, and maybe a harsher editor would have produced a more gripping tale - but perhaps without some of the wealth of intricate detail that makes this such a fun read.
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strangers from a nearby land - whose gods seem just as strong. Fortunetly allies in the form of flying people are at hand even if their sea cousins are harder work. Well written though a trifle wordy at times without much depth to any but the most central characters it is nevertheless a good fantasy story in a promising world. The viewpoint jumps around a bit from the various characters which can be annoying, but in general I'm looking forward to the forthcoming sequals.
After re-read. This is not, as from the prologue one might expect, a coming of age fantasy. Auraya starts out as a high priestess of the Five, and quickly comes to terms with her increasesed powers, and learns more about the world and it's cultures around her.
These are enjoyably fairly well-fleshed characters, without an absolute set of good and eveil, just differenet people trying to do their best. Leneid's and Emeralh's stories are obviously leading to some darker undertones than the original premise of the White Five might suggest. Engaging and intruging it's a complex plot lightly told. The action jumps around to several bit parts but this leads to an interesting world with details of minor areas sketching in the a wider picture. Personally I feel it is a trifle long, with too much happening, and maybe a harsher editor would have produced a more gripping tale - but perhaps without some of the wealth of intricate detail that makes this such a fun read.
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LibraryThing member Selanit
Decidedly lackluster, for the following reasons:
1) Thin characterization. Though I am not a slavish devotee of the "show, don't tell" school of writing, this novel could definitely benefit from less direct exposition and more character-revealing dialogue. The characters show little differentiation
2) Haphazard world-building. Information about the world is always revealed only when it is necessary to the plot. For example, on page 78 Auraya reveals that "All Dreamweavers make an oath to heal any person who needs and wants it." She knows this because she studied with a Dreamweaver for several years as a teen. This kind of information could easily have been revealed earlier - during the first pages of the book, even, which depict just such a teaching session between Auray and her Dreamweaver tutor. Revealing crucial information well in advance of the point where it becomes crucial would deepen the characters, the world, and make for a more enjoyable reading experience. Revealing it only when necessary adds nothing to the tension of the book, and prevents the reader from participating fully.
3) Poor writing. In particular, relies too much on passive voice. Example: "Her voice was tentative and questioning ..." (p.207) Ugh. Just use an adverb "questioningly" or "tentatively" and be done with it.
I read Canavan's first book, "The Magician's Guild," some time ago. It suffered from much the same problems. She's improved since then, but not much. Perhaps I will try the first book of her next series as well. Or perhaps not. Two strikes is plenty in my ball game.
1) Thin characterization. Though I am not a slavish devotee of the "show, don't tell" school of writing, this novel could definitely benefit from less direct exposition and more character-revealing dialogue. The characters show little differentiation
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in their patterns of thought, either on a personal or a cultural level. In short, they all sound the same.2) Haphazard world-building. Information about the world is always revealed only when it is necessary to the plot. For example, on page 78 Auraya reveals that "All Dreamweavers make an oath to heal any person who needs and wants it." She knows this because she studied with a Dreamweaver for several years as a teen. This kind of information could easily have been revealed earlier - during the first pages of the book, even, which depict just such a teaching session between Auray and her Dreamweaver tutor. Revealing crucial information well in advance of the point where it becomes crucial would deepen the characters, the world, and make for a more enjoyable reading experience. Revealing it only when necessary adds nothing to the tension of the book, and prevents the reader from participating fully.
3) Poor writing. In particular, relies too much on passive voice. Example: "Her voice was tentative and questioning ..." (p.207) Ugh. Just use an adverb "questioningly" or "tentatively" and be done with it.
I read Canavan's first book, "The Magician's Guild," some time ago. It suffered from much the same problems. She's improved since then, but not much. Perhaps I will try the first book of her next series as well. Or perhaps not. Two strikes is plenty in my ball game.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
In a world where the gods battled and five gods established themselves as the one true gods what happens when in another country there are another batch of gods who are claiming superiority?
The main character is Auraya and she's learning to deal with her place in the world as an immortal servant of
Not a bad read but not the best thing I've read.
The main character is Auraya and she's learning to deal with her place in the world as an immortal servant of
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the gods. What she has to do in the world and how she is going to help the world. The one think no-one really knows is the motivations of the Gods, and whether the gods they're fighting for are the good guys.Not a bad read but not the best thing I've read.
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LibraryThing member lewispike
Nice culture with some internal tensions, and external ones and an interesting history.
We follow Auraya from village hopeful to the fifth and final High Priestess of the Five (the gods), but we also track her dreamweaver (the despised underclass, because their souls will not continue after death)
The Five have told their flock they are the only remaining gods after the war, so the invasion of a different country with THEIR five gods proves interesting, especially when Auraya actually sees one and is sure they're real.
It's not all high politics and war, although there is a fair amount of that, but it's nicely filtered through the eyes of Auraya in the main, so it remains accessible, personal and fun.
We follow Auraya from village hopeful to the fifth and final High Priestess of the Five (the gods), but we also track her dreamweaver (the despised underclass, because their souls will not continue after death)
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friend from her home village who becomes her adviser.The Five have told their flock they are the only remaining gods after the war, so the invasion of a different country with THEIR five gods proves interesting, especially when Auraya actually sees one and is sure they're real.
It's not all high politics and war, although there is a fair amount of that, but it's nicely filtered through the eyes of Auraya in the main, so it remains accessible, personal and fun.
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LibraryThing member surreality
One of the rare books where I could not make myself read beyond the first chapter.
Plot: too early to say, but it seemed to head for the Mary-Sue-saves-the-world direction.
Characters: Mary Sue. A textbook example, so painfully perfect and beautiful and wondrous and beloved that diabetes was
Style: Not great, but consistent for the author.
Plus: -
Minus: 08/15 Mary Sue setup.
Summary: I'll have to be very desperate for new reading material before I touch this one again.
Plot: too early to say, but it seemed to head for the Mary-Sue-saves-the-world direction.
Characters: Mary Sue. A textbook example, so painfully perfect and beautiful and wondrous and beloved that diabetes was
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threatening. She even has the prerequisite name with at least one y and far too many vowels.Style: Not great, but consistent for the author.
Plus: -
Minus: 08/15 Mary Sue setup.
Summary: I'll have to be very desperate for new reading material before I touch this one again.
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LibraryThing member Clurb
This read like a more grown-up version of the Black Magician trilogy with a lot of incidental similarities. The five representatives of the Gods unite Northern Ithania in war against the evil invading Pentadrians, providing a solid plot to hang themes of religion and oppression upon.
This was good
This was good
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enough to make me want to read the next in the trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member rincewind1986
This being the first book of the trology does exactly what it needs to do, it drags you in to a world that Canavan has created with care and precission. Everything about this book is done well as soon as i finished it i was straight off to waterstones to buy the second.
LibraryThing member VivianeoftheLake
This book is the first of the Age of the Five Trilogy. Its a typical first book in a trilogy, it sets the plot, introduces us to the characters and draws out the journey of the characters. This could have been done in a far more edited down way, but nevertheless its well written.
Thus far the
In fact, the romance has few space to develop. The reader knows that Auraya and Leiard face great danger in being together, and continue to do so. But why do they love each other, why the risk?
In conclusion, I'm looking forward to the next instalment of the trilogy, because the great triumph of this work is the mystery and the sense that you can never tell (like some books) 5 min in who is the bad guy and in some (good) ways where does this all lead?
Thus far the
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political intrigue and especially the sentiment that you can't tell who is who has been the focal point. The characters are believable and coherent, but dew to the intricacies of the universe created by the author and the events not to much time is allotted to character development. In fact, the romance has few space to develop. The reader knows that Auraya and Leiard face great danger in being together, and continue to do so. But why do they love each other, why the risk?
In conclusion, I'm looking forward to the next instalment of the trilogy, because the great triumph of this work is the mystery and the sense that you can never tell (like some books) 5 min in who is the bad guy and in some (good) ways where does this all lead?
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LibraryThing member drhapgood
This book took me a long time to get through as I had a hard time getting used to only spending a short time with each plot before it would switch to what was going on with another set of characters. If only the Justice League guy had a "Meanwhile" that would play with each scene change. The
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general foreboding that permeates the series gets to be a bit much, and I just wish they'd get on with it already! Looking forward to the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kiddboyblue
Try as I did, I just do not enjoy Trudi Canavans writing style. She is on a list for me of authors who have great stories, ideas, and worlds in their minds, but who cannot write them well.
I do enjoy the story she is trying to tell as there were so many great fantasy elements to it that I love;
While she had new races, they all had the same characteristics of her humans. The best part of new races is that they would think, act, and feel different. Otherwise why have them? Authors like Tolkien, and Hayden, and Williams do this wonderfully.
I think if I had read this book years ago, I would have liked it better, before I had read some amazing other fantasy authors.
Overall a good fantasy story, but in no ways a great one.
I do enjoy the story she is trying to tell as there were so many great fantasy elements to it that I love;
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sorcery, new imaginative races, battles, magic, etc. However her writing just ended up distracting from those great things. While she had new races, they all had the same characteristics of her humans. The best part of new races is that they would think, act, and feel different. Otherwise why have them? Authors like Tolkien, and Hayden, and Williams do this wonderfully.
I think if I had read this book years ago, I would have liked it better, before I had read some amazing other fantasy authors.
Overall a good fantasy story, but in no ways a great one.
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LibraryThing member brakketh
An interesting start but for me this novel didn't really grab me or feel like the plot was moving.
LibraryThing member SharonMariaBidwell
Epic Fantasy once used to be my favourite genre, and books like this remind me why; the author has a strong sense of world-building. She interweaves the various characters’ lives, societies and religions in a way that makes them wholly believable. And amid all this, there’s an interesting love
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story. I was particularly taken with the Dreamweaver, Leiard, haunted in a possibly life-threatening way by ‘linked memories’. I have Books 2 & 3 to look forward to and hope I enjoy these equally, although I don’t feel this series is as compelling as Canavan’s ‘The Black Magician Trilogy’. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
688 p.; 4.33 inches
ISBN
1841495158 / 9781841495156