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celiapowell's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't tagged this as trashy, but it kind of is - pregnant princess with magical bardic powers tramping the land with the father of her child bickering all the way. Coz her brother the king wants to execute her except he really doesn't.
She's one of those heroines that, despite every character rolling their eyes and declaiming that she's so difficult to deal with, is nevertheless adored by all and sundry. However. I kind of liked the bickering, and while the magic was a little silly it wasn't totally unbelievable. The first Tanya Huff I've picked up, and it wasn't too bad for light fantasy - I'd check out the next in the series.
She's one of those heroines that, despite every character rolling their eyes and declaiming that she's so difficult to deal with, is nevertheless adored by all and sundry. However. I kind of liked the bickering, and while the magic was a little silly it wasn't totally unbelievable. The first Tanya Huff I've picked up, and it wasn't too bad for light fantasy - I'd check out the next in the series.
mebius's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lady_smith's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Huff is talented! She creates so many different believable worlds. Excellent detail and characters!
gloriabyrd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
nonesensed's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Annice is a bard, a powerful one who not only can sing to communicate with the elemental spirits called 'kigh' but can sing to all four kinds of kigh. She's also a former princess who has forsaken her royal title to pursue her chosen profession. This choice has left a heavy weight on her shoulders - she has been ordered to never have children without the approval of her brother-turned-king and the approval of such a thing seems close to impossible with how they went their separate ways. Imagine Annice's delighted horror when she realizes she's pregnant. As if the issue with treason by pregnancy wasn't enough, the child's father and a brewing war adds extra trouble upon extra trouble.
My experience of Tanya Huff has been "author writes tired tropes and just surprises you with how interesting they end up" and that strikes here too! The fantasy genre is full of royal drama, especially exiled princes and princesses, and politics around royal inheritance is very common. But while this story definitely has a lot of that it's played out in a fun and interesting way - though explaining how would spoil a lot, so I'll leave it at that.
Another neat thing about this book is that it reminded me of how things I, as a child of the 80s, have become used to find only in more "modern" media actually also were a thing in media (though definitely not as common as today). For example, our dear main character is in a loving romantic but open relationship with another woman. The father of her child is a one-night-stand and while she does interact with him plenty, there's no romance between them.
Highly recommended if you want interesting worldbuilding, queernorm fantasy culture, and interesting treason and threat of war plots mixed with emotional stakes!
My experience of Tanya Huff has been "author writes tired tropes and just surprises you with how interesting they end up" and that strikes here too! The fantasy genre is full of royal drama, especially exiled princes and princesses, and politics around royal inheritance is very common. But while this story definitely has a lot of that it's played out in a fun and interesting way - though explaining how would spoil a lot, so I'll leave it at that.
Another neat thing about this book is that it reminded me of how things I, as a child of the 80s, have become used to find only in more "modern" media actually also were a thing in media (though definitely not as common as today). For example, our dear main character is in a loving romantic but open relationship with another woman. The father of her child is a one-night-stand and while she does interact with him plenty, there's no romance between them.
Highly recommended if you want interesting worldbuilding, queernorm fantasy culture, and interesting treason and threat of war plots mixed with emotional stakes!
sleepgoblin's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
embereye's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely trashy fantasy book, but in that good way... the comforting kind. The main character does have a bit of a generic tough headstrong girl thing going on, but it's not bad in any way. Enjoyable for a cold miserable rainy day read.
winterscape's review against another edition
4.0
After having come off of a more traditional, Tolkien knock-off paperback with a similar looking cover, I wasn't really looking forward to this book. The ultra-formal and dry style wore on me a little bit and I was not thrilled with the idea of trudging through another just like it.
So, when I opened the first pages and saw the more modern style of fantasy writing, I was very happy. Don't get me wrong, I love the traditional fantasy style. I just needed a change of pace. It definitely didn't disappoint, either!
While I was initially concerned about being patronized by the author, (Come on, how many clues can you shove into so little words?) as well as worried that a message was going to be shoved down my throat, I was wrong. There is no agenda or sense of patronization throughout the book.
So much world building went into making this story come alive. There are many unique aspects to this world and I really enjoyed traveling through it with the unusual cast of characters. When I first realised that it was a series, I was a little disappointed. I thought it would be a great stand alone novel and didn't want to deal with whatever huge cliff hanger would inevitably try and hook me. Again, I was wrong and pleasantly surprised. This book does work fantastically well as a stand alone, but also, I find myself wanting to go back to this world and read more, even without a cliffhanger to hold me down.
I'll admit, I did have a few issues with the book. I found it hard to believe that This leads to my biggest problem, which was suspense. The author showed us EVERYTHING and left us with no secrets to work out. This didn't detract too much from the story, but I think it would have greatly benefited from revealing less.
What I also found weird was the super negative reaction that I had towards
But still, if you're looking for an interesting fantasy with a unique take on the elemental magic system, not your average main characters, and an easy to read modern style, you'd do well to pick Sing the Four Quarters.
p.s. Annice on the cover looks a tad like my sister. I find this to be amusing, though no one else agrees with me.
So, when I opened the first pages and saw the more modern style of fantasy writing, I was very happy. Don't get me wrong, I love the traditional fantasy style. I just needed a change of pace. It definitely didn't disappoint, either!
While I was initially concerned about being patronized by the author, (Come on, how many clues can you shove into so little words?
Spoiler
I knew she was pregnant from the very first puke scene!So much world building went into making this story come alive. There are many unique aspects to this world and I really enjoyed traveling through it with the unusual cast of characters. When I first realised that it was a series, I was a little disappointed. I thought it would be a great stand alone novel and didn't want to deal with whatever huge cliff hanger would inevitably try and hook me. Again, I was wrong and pleasantly surprised. This book does work fantastically well as a stand alone, but also, I find myself wanting to go back to this world and read more, even without a cliffhanger to hold me down.
I'll admit, I did have a few issues with the book. I found it hard to believe that
Spoiler
even the King could see that Pjerin was innocent.Spoiler
The King wasn't actually sending the guard after them to capture the escaped convict, so the intensity of the chase was taken out. Stasya wasn't actually dead and found guilty of treason. You knew who the father was, Pjerin knew he was the father,and you knew who the actual traitor was at the keep.What I also found weird was the super negative reaction that I had towards
Spoiler
Pjerin asserting that it was his child. It made me so mad that I actually stopped reading for a few days. Huh. I'm not sure why I had such an extreme reaction to it, but the thought of the man taking the child from its mother once weaned just pissed me off to the extreme.But still, if you're looking for an interesting fantasy with a unique take on the elemental magic system, not your average main characters, and an easy to read modern style, you'd do well to pick Sing the Four Quarters.
p.s. Annice on the cover looks a tad like my sister. I find this to be amusing, though no one else agrees with me.
authorsandrahenry's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love how Huff twists tired fantasy tropes into something her own.