Crown of Stars - is it worth finishing?

[The Procrastinator]

OK Elliott fans, I'm looking for some hope here. I've bought a few volumes of this series second hand, just finished book 3, The Burning Stone, but I don't know if I want to continue. The ideas and so on seem ok but most of the characters are wooden and lacklustre. I guess what gives me most trouble is the Royal Couple, Sanglant and Liath. They should be the driving force of the story, but in the cold light of day Sanglant really only seems animated and complex when contrasted with Liath, which doesn't say much for her...they bore me, and I can't bring myself to like either of them. I like Sanglant better, of course, but once again thats in comparison with Liath.

So - help! Do the characters improve? I do like some of the other characters, like Alain, Rosvita and Stronghand, but liking them is not really enough for me to want to finish the series. Likewise the ideas and concepts in the series - reasonably interesting but not enough to keep me panting for more, so to speak. I really want to know about Liath, I guess - for a main character she is remarkably non-sympathetic, irritating and seemingly shallowly-drawn. Do things pick up on this score? Or should I just write the series off and go elsewhere?

 

[kauldron26]

i can assure you it is worth finishin. This series knocked me on my ass. You havent even began to see how much the characters and story will evolve. This is my favorite completed fantasy series. When i was done i felt like an umbrella opened inside of my chest.

My top 10

Hyperion/Endymion saga by Dan Simmons
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
Farseer and Tawny Man by Robin Hobb
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
Dune by Frank Herbert
Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
From the Corner of his eye by Dean koontz

 

[GOLLUM]

Crown Of Stars for me is certainly an excellent EPIC fantasy cycle.

I think Book 3 dragged a bit but the reamnining books pick up the pace. That book and I think Book 4 in particular are good for filling in backstory before the real fun begins!

IMO Kate's best work to date.

Cheers....

 

[Rahl Windsong]

I totally agree with you there Gollum I have read that series twice now and the second read was well worth the time. Kate is an author that does not really leave anything out and that can seem to make the story drag a bit like in book 3 but if you perservre and read it all I think you will come to the same conclusion as Gollum and myslef. Kate's best work to date....and right up there with the best of the best. IMO.

 

[The Procrastinator]

OK, so book 3 is not indicative of the rest of the series? You've given me slightly more hope...though no one has told me whether Liath becomes less cardboard...I can enjoy a story on the merits of its concepts/plot but I do prefer one where characters are interesting as well.

 

[GOLLUM]

I think it would be safe to say that Liath does become less of a carboard cut-out as the series progress. His past is delved much more more and I think his psyche/character also from memory, Rahl wil probably recall that better than me, it's been 2 plus years since I completed those. Several of the other characters also become quite interesting, Sanglant being a good example.

 

[iansales]

I'm 100 pages into the first book and close to bouncing out of it. A 16-year-old girl has been cheated into slavery, and is tis close to rape. I don't want to read about that; I don't want to read an anuthor who thinks that's a good way to add drama to a story. The other main character, also 16 (I think), is mucking out stables at the count's castle. So, one narrative is offensive, and the other is dull... and these are good books why?

 

[ericf]

While I haven't read this series of books by Kate Elliott I have read the Jaran books and the first two Crossroads books as well as the High Road Trilogy. I like her writing.

If you have objections to the content, then you should decide on your own if you really want to go on.
Noone can prove you wrong since we all have our own ideas of what is good and what isn't.

If you don't like it, try something else. Mabye one of her other series?

I don't remember any such scenes in the Jaran series but I can't be certain.
I know that the Crossroads series features slaves prominently so that might not fit you either.
ericf

 

[Brian G Turner]

The Procrastinator, did you ever get through book 4?