Welcome to this new recurring topic PageTurner, where I will be reviewing books (and in some cases book series). I mainly read fantasy, preferably with a touch of romance (in other words some love plot, but not too gooey and corny) and a well defined world and mythology. First up is The Runelords Series by David Farland [Official Website].
The complete series is supposed to be ten books long with the first four books forming the story of the Earth King, Gaborn, and the remaining six books about his son, Fallion. The sixth book has just come out in hardcover and I read the fifth book last month, but I’ll be only covering the first four books here. The plot and characters are significantly different, so it’s better to split it up. In the future though I will review the newer books; I just don’t want to start with my reviews in the middle of a series.
The Plot
The series begins with Gaborn Val Orden, a young Runelord and a prince of Mystarria, seeking the hand of Princess Iome Sylvarresta, the daughter of the King of Heredon. Both nations are part of the kingdom of Rofehaven, a peaceful medieval-like land. While traveling from Mystarria to Heredon, the prince’s party learns that Raj Ahten, the most powerful Runelord in existence, is leading his army into Heredon, his first step of invading all of Rofehaven. Raj Ahten has already conquered all the nations of the neighbouring Indhopal and Gaborn realizes he must be stopped at all costs. Along the way though, Gaborn and his companions find out that Raj Ahten is not the only threat - their world is threatened by a race of resilient subterranean creatures: the Reavers.
The World
The Runelords contains one of the most original and creative forms of magic and powers I’ve ever seen. Everything is based on “endowments”, a magical transfer of a sense or an attribute from one person to another. The transferred sense or skill is amplified in the receiver, the Runelord, while the giver, the Dedicate, looses it completely until the death of one or the other. For instance, if someone gave you an endowment of sight, you would be able to see twice as far, but you would leave the other person blind. If that person dies though, you loose the double sight. If you die, the Dedicate receives his sight back again.
The transfer is done through a magical ritual of branding, leaving runes on the skin (hence the name Runelords). Besides sight, endowments can be given for voice, smell, hearing, touch, brawn, grace, stamina, wit, metabolism and glamour. The weirdest is metabolism which slows down the world for the receiver, granting him increased physical speed. It also reduces your lifespan though, cause you’re living your life twice as fast.
Most kings and warriors in this world are Runelords, all receiving their strengths from Dedicates. This creates a complete new type of context for ethics, social hierarchy and battle strategy, producing a wonderful different world.
The Verdict
These books can not be missed from any fantasy lover’s library. Besides a refreshing original world, the story flows smoothly from one chapter till the next. The characters are likable and you can easily imagine yourself reacting the same way in some situations they are in. This was one of those book series I couldn’t put down, reading all four books in one weekend. At the time though I thought that the fourth book was the end of the series. Thinking this, the last book felt very incomplete. Farland raises certain questions and at the end of the fourth book they are still not answered. Knowing though that these four books are only the start and that the world will be revisited in subsequent books, I am sure these loose ends will be tied up in the future. All in all, it’s a great read that can’t be missed.
Rating: 
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February 2nd, 2008 at 19:43
Great review Melinda. Look forward to your writeups of the next 2 books, as you know I’ve not read them yet & refuse to until the whole series is out as I hate trilogyitis with a passion. I did make an exception with Runelords as it was so well written and original, but it was very frustrating waiting for Wizardborn and Lair of Bones!
I think interesting moral, ethical and philosophical implications are explored in the series too, e.g. that some lords take people for Dedicates by force while, with other lords like Gaborn, people voluntarily agree to become their Dedicates and give up their sight etc for the lords. And the fact that to reduce a lord’s power, you have to kill their Dedicates many of whom may be innocent conscripts. Shudder.
Agree entirely, one of the most original concepts in fantasy in years. Also, I’d add, very well written - I can’t abide clunky annoying obvious writing these days, and Farland’s is transparent, accessible without being florid or getting in the way of the story. Interestingly I went back and read his Golden Queen books written under “Dave Wolverton” and re-released under Farland, I guess after Runelords really took off, and somehow I couldn’t read them all the way through - I think his writing style is much better in Runelords, but was less well developed in the Wolverton books.
February 2nd, 2008 at 20:52
I hate that waiting gap between books too, especially in those cases when it isn’t the writer’s choice. I know a couple of writers that have multiple finished books, but the publishers only allow a certain amount to be published per year. I’ve got some writers (Jacqueline Carey, Anne Bishop, Maria V. Snyder, James Clemens, Terry Goodkind) of which the wait is worth it and the moment a new book of theirs is out, I’ll get it. Most of the time though I’ll try to wait until a series is completely finished. There’s nothing worse than a series you like being cancelled.
You’re right about the moral, ethical and philosophical implications explored in the series. The idea of endowments adds a whole new aspect to a lot of these issues.
I haven’t tried any of the “Dave Wolverton” books yet, but they’re definitely on my “to-get” list.