The Hidden Stars - Madeline Howard (review)

[Mark Robson]

What a wonderful debut novel! I stand in awe of Kelpie's storytelling abilities - this is far beyond anything I can conceive of writing in the next twenty years.

Imagine, if you will, a story that begins with three wise men following signs and portents in search of a woman due to give birth to a special child - a messiah of royal blood. They come to a lowly place, far from the palaces of the ruler of this land to witness the birth. The wise men know that the ruler has heard word of the child, and will send men to kill the child, so they arrange for it to be secretly taken to a far off land. Sound familiar?

If Madelaine Howard has drawn parallels at the start of her debut novel to the most well known biblical story of them all, then it serves to give the reader fair warning that this is a story of immense scope. Much like the bible, this is a book with depth, and great characters who sport equally unpronounceable names to those of biblical times!

Despite my dislike of difficult names in fantasy books, I loved this story. It has intricacies that feel as if they are only just beginning to twine their fingers around my mind. I have my suspicions that not all of the characters are who they seem, but maybe I'm seeing things that aren't there. If so, it gives some indication of how I have been drawn into Madelaine's world of magicians, dragons, wyverns, warriors, magic-wielding mutant priests of evil and ghostly armies seeking to fulfil vows.

Never mind what you're reading at the moment. Drop it and buy this. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: The Hidden Stars - Madeline Howard (aka Kelpie)

Mark, you and any one else who might have read the book may be interested to know that -- due to popular demand (well, OK, a handful of people asked) -- a map of the world of "The Hidden Stars" has just been added to my website. (Which can be reached by clicking on the link below.)

 

[Lacedaemonian]

Sounds awesome!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

For those who have been wanting a guide to pronouncing some of the more challenging names (waving to dwndrgn), I am happy to announce that one now exists at the following location:

http://thehiddenstars.com/mh-pronunciation.htm



(Note to Mark and Lace -- I just corrected the misspellings of my name in the title of the thread and your posts up above, simply because I suddenly realized that I could!)

 

[Mark Robson]

(Note to Mark and Lace -- I just corrected the misspellings of my name in the title of the thread and your posts up above, simply because I suddenly realized that I could!)

Oh good! I was heartily embarrassed when I noticed too late to be able to change it myself.

 

[steve12553]

I was killing time in a bookstore yeaterday waiting for my nephew to get done bowling and wandering through the Science Fiction Fantasy stacks . I thought I might look for a Heainline book that I hadn't read when my eye caught a familiar name. I now own a copy of the hidden star and it is now officially in my "to be read" pile. It will be interesting to read something by someone I've actually communicated with online. Albeit time lagged posts. I don't know any writers personally. New experience.

 

[Lunatic]

I've read this book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm looking forward to more from you Theresa/Madelaine.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, I hope you enjoy it when it makes its way to the top of the TBR pile, Steve. A heavy responsibility being your first writer-acquaintance. But there are quite a few of us here (see Mark Robson above), so you'll probably become utterly blasé about these experiences very soon.

Hi, Lunatic! I'm glad you liked the book. I think you said you were from Tennessee in your introduction thread? You wouldn't live anywhere near Knoxville would you?

 

[Lunatic]

I live about 2 hours away from Knoxville, about 45 minutes south of Nashville.
Funny you should ask about Knoxville, because I've been contemplating finishing college there.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

The reason I asked was because I have a writer friend who lives in Knoxville -- the kind of friend (so valuable to other writers) who is in the habit of thrusting my book into people's hands and demanding that they read it. I thought I might be able to chalk you up as one of her "catches."

 

[Lunatic]

No, I found your book in a Barnes and Noble. I go there rarely so I make sure and spend time combing through everything I'm interested in, to see if there is something I might like that I've never heard of. Your book happened to be one of those. I liked the cover art, but the reason I bought it was from reading a bit of the beginning. I was intrigued, and most certainly not let down.

 

[steve12553]

Well, I hope you enjoy it when it makes its way to the top of the TBR pile, Steve. A heavy responsibility being your first writer-acquaintance. But there are quite a few of us here (see Mark Robson above), so you'll probably become utterly blasé about these experiences very soon.

Very good point. I need to be aware that most writers aren't James A. Michener or Stephen King. Also that there are many people who make a living writing but don't have 20 bestsellers and that some of them might actually be real type people who might visit a forum or two that a frustrated wanabe writer like me might also. I was impressed as all-get-out, years ago when I had a letter published in the newspaper. I'm still impressed with published writers.


Man, that had some awkward sentences.

 

[steve12553]

I feel like I have to add in here. The Hidden Stars made it to the top of my to be read pile and I finished it. It was not a quick read. It took me some time although I am more of a thorough reader rather than a fast one. I enjoyed the book completely. It brought with it a complete universe that fit together as neatly as Arrakis or Middle Earth. You learn to care about the characters and when you put that all together that makes a very good novel.Teresa, I don't know what the status of the sequel is but I, for one, am interested.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It brought with it a complete universe that fit together as neatly as Arrakis or Middle Earth.

Thank you, Steve. I do work very hard at achieving just that effect (without, you know, boring the readers with everything I know about the place), so that's a very gratifying compliment.

 

[steve12553]

Well deserved. When you start a book you tend to think: "where is this?" By 50 or so pages in I felt it just was. It was a place. It had natural laws and it existed. Believing the setting goes a long way in a fantasy of this sort.

 

[scalem X]

I really enjoyed it too.

Small spoiler, just a quote

adds quote to personal quote archive: "There were only a few who were able to create that and only one wicked enough to do so" so love this one.

 

[ericf]

I read The Hidden Stars recently and found it to be a good read.
However, I think it has some very undeveloped characters.

Take the main antagonist, for example: Ouriáná.
I felt that she was very thinly drawn. Not much more than a thin veil of pure hatred without any direct goal.

Her son, Cuillioc, does seem to have promise as a character but we don't see him much in this novel.

I feel the novel suffers from being one third of a big book. That's why I don't really like these "modern" trilogies that have no well placed break between books, no obvious goal achieved in every book.

And one reference to Sindérian sensing something deep during the voyage on the ship, chapter 4, page 98 in the Eos pocket version, with an unknown language involved which intrigued me was simply not part of the rest of the story. No reference back to that, I think we'll see, pretty important moment.

These points made me feel that the novel isn't a full success. The trilogy as a whole might fulfill the promise of the scenes that depicted the wizards and mages throwing the world into chaos which was great. I remember reading that section in the book store and feeling that this could be good. I also remember that I couldn't find that piece of writing when I read the book. Was it all in my mind? Something about attacing using wind?

One thing I have to congratulate you on is that this novel has no "dead meat". Everything that is on the page fits into the story. It's not put there to make the book longer (like some other authors seem to do). I like the pace and the length.

Anyway, I will continue to read your books. I bought most of your earlier work and I'm just waiting for the right moment to start on the Green Lion trilogy.
ericf

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thanks for your comments. I'll certainly think about them as I work on the rest of the trilogy -- although the first book, of course, is set in stone.

I would have thought Ouriána's motives were obvious -- an ambition to rule and dominate. I'm puzzled as to how I could have made that part any clearer, although I do intend to explain why her ambition exists on such a grand scale. In the past, I've been accused (and accused myself) of giving too much away by spending so much time with my antagonists, explaining them and what they do -- so this time I decided to try a different approach. Clearly, both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, their advocates and detractors. Maybe there's a perfect balance somewhere and I need to find it. Maybe there is no way of satisfying everyone on that particular point.

The scene you refer to about using the winds as a weapon plays a very pivotal role in the first part of the book. It's the battle between Éireamhóine and six Furiádhin in the mountains -- the event that has such serious consequences for all concerned, and sets up the main action of the trilogy. I'm not sure how you missed that, particularly if you were looking for it.

As a general rule, wizards and magicians in that world don't like to use magic directly as a weapon against each other (I think the bits of history I have included explain why), so there aren't going to be many scenes of that nature (although there is a big one coming up in the next book). If that's the kind of thing you are looking for, it would be wrong for me to encourage you to read on. And having set up the rules myself, I believe I ought to play by them.

 

[ericf]

Thanks for your comments. I'll certainly think about them as I work on the rest of the trilogy -- although the first book, of course, is set in stone.

I would have thought Ouriána's motives were obvious -- an ambition to rule and dominate. I'm puzzled as to how I could have made that part any clearer, although I do intend to explain why her ambition exists on such a grand scale.

The scene you refer to about using the winds as a weapon plays a very pivotal role in the first part of the book. It's the battle between Éireamhóine and six Furiádhin in the mountains -- the event that has such serious consequences for all concerned, and sets up the main action of the trilogy. I'm not sure how you missed that, particularly if you were looking for it.

I guess it's been a while ( I read the book in May/June) and I don't remember things clearly.

The thing about Ouriáná is just that: She wants to rule unconditionally. My question was why. And you tell me you will explain that. Because I could see no motive for her to want to rule I felt her character was undeveloped. But as I said, this series feels like it's written as one book in three parts.

Any more light on the mystic words Sinderian hears during the sea voyage? That also felt like a thread that needed to get developed in the first book. I don't think many readers will remember such small details unless they are mentioned more than one time.

I tend to forget much of what I've read fairly quickly and that can be a problem. Some scenes do stay in my memory, though. And I do understand why magic is not used as a weapon. The consequenses are probably always impossible to calculate. I think that the memory of my first contact with the wind scene was so vivid in my mind that I didn't react as strongly the second time I read it.

Now, I'm not a writer myself but like I said: I do feel that you managed to write a book that was true to it's goals and didn't have any empty passages. That in itself is a difficult thing and should be praised.

With some extra touches of character background the first book could have had a slightly stronger impact.

Do you have any idea if the book has sold well?

I hope your work on volume 2 has gone well. I'm looking forward to it's publication.


ericf

 

[scalem X]

nanna Teresa
I was going to make a thread about the use of magic in THS, but maybe it's better if I just make my comment here.
I really like how you have developed the use of magic in your novel. But as always I prefer the magic on a low scale level, granting too much power to certain individuals can truely waste the balance of a book.
(as an example one would wonder why battles are fought with swords, when the battle comes down to two sorcerers battling each other, or how a sorcerer who can make a whole race speak can't use a spell to disguise herself or a charm spell or wathever). I think to keep the magic abilities of your characters in check will be your biggest challenge for the next couple of novels. Many writers seem to go down that trap *coughJordan,Eddings cough*, it doesn't mean that their novels aren't fun to read, but they would have been better if.
If you have not already drawn out a scheme of what spell uses how much resource/power and such I might suggest you do so.
But actually I think you're doing fine and without doubt you'll do so in the future, after all what do I know about it .

Also if the missing of some aspects that can be forgotten in between two novels pose a problem, that can be solved with or a synopsis of the first novel at the start of the second, a synopsis that puts stress on important parts. Or with a prologue that makes one remember stuff before actually using that aspect to built upon.
But in general I don't think that should for example one of the characters have a dream that refers to the mystic words, or something else in the first novel, that it would make me grab for the first novel again in order to reread the chapter.

Yeah I too am curious if it's selling alright.