Mordant's Need / Stephen Donaldson

Mordant's Need
by Stephen Donaldson
(1) The Mirror of her Dreams
(2) A Man Rides Through

fantasy

copyright 1986, 1987

rated 8/10: really quite good

19nov23: re-read book(2). Same opinion as before. Much more enjoyable than (1). If only because the heroine starts to think and act.

13nov23: I've just re-read (1)"Mirror". You know what? the heroine is a real pain. Ignorant, confused, a real drip. How can she possibly be so thick? so slow? I skimmed quickly over some of her worst stupidities and denial of facts. She definitely has the biggest breasts in the book but she seems to have the smallest, or least effective, brain.

Yes, it's still a good book. But as I'm reading I'm thinking, this book is setting the scene. What I want to read is book (2) -- where the main characters finally get to do something.

Oh, and the occasional chuckle as I read: Yes, there are some very funny lines. But I am absolutely convinced that the author aimed for irony -- and has absolutely no actual sense of humour.

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original review: I thoroughly enjoyed these books... with a few worries.

First, the heroine spends the first book doing nothing. Not quite as bad as the early Thomas Covenant who refused to do anything because he was, as named, The Unbeliever. Terisa Morgan at least does want to do something. She is simply too un-self-assured to act.

It does get a bit annoying.

Then there's the violence, mostly in the second book. Okay, the violence fits with the story and with the difficult times. Just don't read this book and expect a Disney-style fairytale !

I also have trouble understanding the special powers of the hero and heroine.

So these two books are a fairytale with swords and sorcery. Overdrawn characters, both good and bad. With several who are both. Plus the standard requirement that the hero and heroine must discover their super-powers on time to save the world... And live happily ever after.

The first book drags, as the heroine suffers her total lack of self-confidence. Yet there is enough excitement -- and discovery, and anticipation -- to keep me reading.

The second volume has more real action. More happening. More than enough to keep me reading to the end... To the very satisfying end.

Good characters, a rich -- if overdrawn -- world. Suspense, excitement and general good fun. A very enjoyable book !

On the other hand, my son read both books. He read to the end because his father said that it's a very good book. According to my son, Mordant's Need is long, boring and not worth reading.

But what would he know.

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19jan22: I re-read these books. This time... I almost agree with my son.

The heroine is a real pain :-( And the books move with slow and sometimes tedious detail and explanation.

I skipped quite a bit. Enjoyed the adventure, especially the use of magic But I was not caught up in it.

You know the way that a deadly serious author can sometimes drop in a ridiculous statement. Perhaps a line which pokes fun at the action. Perhaps a comment on the stupidity -- or venality -- of society. Maybe just an unexpected action by the hero, to show us that they are not always absolutely perfect.

Donaldson does this. Not often. But there are sentences where I was surprised into a chuckle.

On the other hand... I have my doubts of the author's intent. I doubt that Donaldson has any real sense of humour. Absolutely no sense of the ridiculous. He takes his writing... and his characters... far too seriously.

I may chuckle. I suspect that Donaldson would wonder why I chuckled.

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Problems ? Solved