By: Holly Lisle Publisher: Tor Fantasy Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Tor Fantasy Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 608 Publication Date: June 02, 2009 Release Date: June 02, 2009
Stolen away from their families, they are slaves, women with no names and no futures. Every moment of their days controlled by the avatars of the stone Eyes--Obsidian, Emerald, Raxinan, Ruby, Windcrystal, Sapphire, Sunspar, Tigereye... And the most powerful of them all, Hawkspar, the eyes of time. Kings and despots come to her to know their futures, and she wades in the river of time, pulls apart its sticky threads, to arrange the world to her satisfaction. But she too was once a slave, plucked from her home, chosen by the Eyes to live in service to them, as much a slave now as she ever was. And with her sight into past and future, she can see the secrets of the Eyes--and the evil of the Eyes. Before the death of Hawkspar, another must be chosen by the Eyes--but the avatar has her own plans, and chooses a slave for her courage and rebelliousness, rather than her dedication to the goals of the Eyes. This slave is put to trial, but time after time, she is protected by forces unseen. Once she has swallowed the bitter liquid and has her eyes pulled from her head and replaced with the Eyes of Hawkspar stone, she can slip into the streams of time... and use time to her own ends -- to free the slaves once and for all, and destroy the Eyes, even if it means destroying herself in the process.
Chosing the Dark Path as the Only Hope... Taken as a young girl by slavers, a nameless Tonk girl faces a hard choice. Risking punishment and death she has secretly been fighting the order of Ossalene Priestesses who purchased her and countless other girls, bringing them up under a harsh rule that leads to obedience and the eventual taking of their eyes and humanity--or death or being sold off to an even worse fate. But the most powerful woman of the Ossalenes, Hawkspar, Eyes of War, has picked her as her successor, to have her eyes torn out and replaced with stones of Hawkspar, created by an ancient sorcerer, which will confer upon her the ability to see into the future and the past--but with darkness, pain and madness as a reward. This is a fate she has fought against, building up a secret association of rebels among the order, but the old Hawkspar reveals that the girl must take the Eyes, for the fate of all Tonk people rests upon her, as well as the success of the escape of the slaves held by the order. The Tonk people are less than a distant memory to the girl, yet... she knows she must try to free her fellow slaves... AND keep others from falling into slavery, which means saving the Tonk as a people from the enemy that works to enslave and break them. With her secret friend, Redbird, she agrees to take the Eyes and become Hawkspar after the present one dies, and Redbird will take the Obsidian Eyes, as a fighter to protect her.
In the meantime, the Hawkspar-to-be, has been secretly sending out magical pleas for rescue for many years, using her own Tonk magic. Aaran, a Tonk who hunts with the Sea Wolves, sailing to take slaver ships and free their captured people, senses the distant pleas for help. Aaran will stop at nothing in order to help free the hundred or more slaves kept by the Ossalenes. He will be sailing through the unknown and hazardous Islands of the Fallen Star, farther than the Sea Wolves roam. The plight of the unknown girl has captured his soul. His young sister was stolen by slavers long ago and he and his cousin have sworn to never rest until they find her, so he has added incentive to look farther away and to risk much more than others.
I loved the story of Hawkspar, who has fears and regrets and yet still knows someone has to do what is necessary to save others. The life and hierarchy of the Ossalenes is also fascinating, if dark and disturbing. Their magic, seeing the future (Hawkspar), healing (Moonstone), fighting (Obsidians), etc., is very cool.
Aaran and the fiercely free, but beleaguered Tonk people are also involving. Aaran also does what he has to do, despite all odds and despite horrible set-backs and difficulties. He, like Hawkspar, is someone who merely asked for a basic life with family and hard work--but were denied it totally. And yet they still keep hopes alive, even in the darkest situation. They face impossible odds and need to succeed or lose everything--along with a whole nation of people who depend upon them.
We experience sea adventures, cannibals, powerful and cruel tyrants, centuries-old conspiracies, cultures of cruelty and magic that will do anything for power and riches, bizarre creatures, battles to free prisoners and battles to free entire cities and plots and trickery in order to win free from a horrible destiny.
And through these epic battles and adventures the focus is kept on Aaran and Hawkspar, since their personal battles are also the larger ones. Their tale is handled well, and is very moving, amidst all the action and adventure. This is definitely a world and people worth reading about.
Escape into an epic Set in the world of Korre, same as her novel Talyn, but the book is able to stand alone.
Honestly, I was not impressed with this cover. If it hadn't been Holly's work I would never have picked the book up. It's lackluster, dull. Tor did not do her work justice with this cover art. Actually Tor didn't do much right with this book at all. Out of curiosity I looked up the artist who did the cover and he's capable of much better work. Such a shame.
The novel itself is amazing. Classic Lisle with a return to the richly developed and many layered world of Korre. Well fleshed out and believable characters and a killer story. A young woman who was taken as a slave now lives among the Osselene Order, an order that gets their power from stone eyes created by a power hungry Prince. Chosen from the ranks of the acolytes because of the strength of her secret Tonk magic the girl rises to power as an Oracle. Her eyes are removed and replaced with Hawkspar stone - destroying her natural vision and giving her the ability to not only 'see' but manipulate the rivers of time.
A young Tonk man named Arran is the best magical tracker of his kind, hunting slaves stolen from the Tonk and on a quest to find his sister who was taken years ago.
Hawkspar's magic reaches out and Arran is the one who picks it up.
There are two distinct story lines with Hawkspar and Arran and Lisle weaves them together beautifully, like an intricate dance. Point of view changes from 1st person (Hawkspar) to 3rd person (Arran) as the story progresses but it's done well and does not interrupt the flow at all. Evil is monstrous and seemingly insurmountable and the love between the two seems doomed.
Hawkspar knows she needs to sacrifice everything to save the world. Arran can't turn away from his quest to find his sister.
I was riveted and in no way, shape or form does this review do the book itself justice. Looking for a deep read that you can escape into? Hawkspar is for you!
Hawkspar: The long awaited return to Korre! I was introduced to Holly Lisle's writing with the first novel of Korre, Talyn. I loved it! It had richly developed characters exploring challenging(read: not for the faint of heart) themes in a well realized world...everything you might want. Since then, my wife and I have searched out and found nearly everything Holly has had published.
Hawkspar raises the bar! The Order of the Ossilenes is terrifying. Poor girls. They desperately need to be rescued. And Arran is absolutely determined to do so. What a wild ride in the attempt. Believable, perfectly consistent, or all entirely necessary for the story? Probably not. But this is fantasy. Fun, compelling, and engrossing? Yes!
I know some people will have a little trouble with the 1st person, 3rd person switching between the chapters. I didn't, though. I especially enjoyed moving back into the internal, personal viewpoint of the penitent(acolyte, etc.)
I would have liked to see the battles at the climax to be more difficult and elaborate. After all the obstacles that led our heroes into the most dangerous, hopelessly outnumbered situations (both of them), I felt like they went too quickly and easily. Of course, I didn't want the book to end, so that could be a factor.
I cried at the end...even though I knew it was coming. Ahhh...Holly!
Hawkspar is very good. It has joined my short list of favorites (Robin Hobb's Assassin series and Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series are at the top). Pick up Talyn if you missed it, then get Hawkspar!
fun fantasy In Korre, Aaran is an experienced very successful "veteran tracker of slaves"; having attacked slave ships on the seas to free the human cargo. However, his mission this time is personal; he seeks his missing sister, who disappeared without a trace a long time ago. He knows the trail is cold, but feels he must try.
The female slave has achieved the impossible twice; first surviving the abuse of her owner the Osselene Order and second somehow becoming an oracle, Hawkspar the demigoddess. She has learned of a nefarious plot that could eradicate a race and knows how to save the lives of thousands by using her skill to change the flow of Time through the amulet Eyes of War, but at the cost of her life. However this former slave needs to be rescued before she begins and Aeran hears her magical song.
The second Korre fantasy (see TALYN) is an exciting thriller that feels like Dungeons and Dragons on the open sea as much of the non-stop action occurs on oceans. The story line is fast-paced from the onset as one adventure follows another. However all the escapades also keep most of the cast from being fully developed especially villains. Still this is an engaging entry as HAWKSPAR who has not lived a gentle life finds herself caught in a personal dilemma between being a dead heroine for people who have mistreated her or a live coward.
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