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Read Hammerfall (2002)

Hammerfall (2002)

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Rating
3.59 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0061057096 (ISBN13: 9780061057090)
Language
English
Publisher
harper voyager

Hammerfall (2002) - Plot & Excerpts

I have just a few days ago finished this book for the 2nd time and I salute Ms. Cherryh for what I believe is some of her best work. She takes on an interesting challenge in a story which at it's core is science fiction, yet so much of the outer layers are pure fantasy as she explores a desert culture and environment rife with superstition, religion and intolerance. The nominal ruler of the very human population is more a god than a normal ruler; apparently long-lived in the extreme if not immortal and ruling with an iron fist. Ms. Cherryh does a wonderful job of introducing the characters such that each gets a foundation before the next is added. She then fills in details proportionate to their importance to the story. Well before the halfway point Marek becomes as close to being a real person as a fictional character can; and Hati gets there close behind him. The Ila handed to us as the villian refuses to conform as one Would expect. I love the fact that the author keeps us guessing till the very end as to who the villian(s) is/are; yet we never doubt for a moment the true heroes of the story despite their sometimes harsh & violent actions. I'll stop there so as not to give away to much. I found I enjoyed my second read through even more than the first time since I was not distracted at the start working out the who, what and where of the story. On top of that I think that my connection to both Marek and Hati became even more real as already remembering the basic story I could focus on the details this time. The sign of a true master storyteller is one that can keep you focused and immersed in their world again and again not just with a new book but rereading all the previous stories too. So my one sentence review of "Hammerfall" is thus... I strongly recommend fans of fantasy & science fiction both read it as the blend of each genre grants both enough to satisfy all. Once Marek and the mad set off to the east the action and suspense builds continously till the final chapter. The story is not only thrilling but thought provoking; in a world that does not suffer fools, may kill any who show compassion and reward the selfish and liars; can a truly honest man survive? And is survival even an option if it requires the sacrifice of his humanity... and sanity?All in all "Hammerfall" succeeds on all levels. It entertains, poses puzzles, presents an system of morals/ethics only somewhat like our own and finally gets you intertwined with the characters such that you will truly laugh, cry from joy and sorrow, not to mention share frustration/anger when "superior" beings show just how stupid they can still be. Len Evans Jr

I'm back! Some health issues--and a volunteer project had delayed reviews. You didn't think you were going to get rid of me THAT easily, did you?:)******************************************************************************************Marak had always known he was mad. since his sixth years he had heard voices in his head! "Marak! Marak! Marak!" and the compulsion to go east.As the son of a chief his mother proected him and his father pretended to ignore it. Then, the secret came out. Marak's father disowned him; surrended him to the Illa's men.After a long walk across the desert, a prisoner along with other mad ones, Marka is brought before the powerful Illa, the ruler of the world. To his surpise, Marak is not to die.The Illa strikes a bargain with him. She wishes to know what is causing this epideic of madness. Marka will use his warrior skills and go east to see wy the voices always urge the mad to go east. In return, the Illa will protect his mother and sister (his father threw them out also). for the sake of his mother and sister, Marak agrees to seek the source of the madness---and heads east, where no caravan has ever gone.This is a good beginning of a new world built by C. J. Cherryh. I rate it a solid three stars. Not as outstanding as some of her series, but well worth your time. The characterization is four stars--Marak, Hati and Norit are really well drawn, as well as many of the secondary characters. The worlds is well designed. The pace drages a bit in spots. For example, Marak has to make a desert crossing three times. Cherryh tries to vary the description a little, but the details are the same--desperate for water, stop at noon, travel at night, trouble with the beasts, etc etc. get a bit repititious after the second time. The ending also seemed a bit rushed in the last chapter. We skip through a lot of events--Marak has grandchildren? We missed some years in between here. Possibly left out on purpose because of a planned next book?Nevertheless, a three star by C. J. Cherryh is worth a four star for many other authors. Interesting characters and a new world for her will create a enjoyable experience. Recommended for all SF fans---fantasy fans would still enjoy it also!

What do You think about Hammerfall (2002)?

I found it interesting to go from C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine Saga (written early in her career) to the relatively recent Hammerfall. The books feel similar enough that I can tell they were written by the same author, but the writing in Hammerfall is much better. C.J. Cherryh's style is simple and evocative. It's a real pleasure to read a book written by someone so skilled with words. The story of Hammerfall is simple: our protagonist, Marak, is on a road trip. Against this background, we watch Marak struggle against the harsh environment of the desert, deal with travel companions who are not quite savvy enough to survive on their own (or who have conflicting goals), and try to uncover a mystery about the true nature of his people's existence on their planet. All this takes place against a background of constant urgency as disaster looms. This book appears to be the first in a series called "The Gene Wars", but it is simple and self-contained enough that it could safely be read on its own.
—Stephen

For those that don't read sf, they might find the first 5-10 pages of most sf novels hard to deal with because most sf authors make assumptions about the reader. And, subsequently, most sf readers know to "hang in there" because soon enough it will start to make sense. Cherryh probably takes this assumption about the reader and extends it double or triple.It really took a lot of "hang in there" to get to the point where I felt like I knew what was going on. Having finished the story, there is still a lot of vagueness in certain areas, but overall, I like the story. And while I never could say I liked "the point-of-view" -- which consisted 100% of the world as seen through the primary character, Marak -- it was put to fairly good use, albeit confusing. Most of the confusion came into play because Marak's world was so odd and different from our own. But there were many times Cherryh could have done a bit more exposition so that the reader better understood what was going on around Marak. My biggest peeve was "vermin." Only once was there a mention of what form this vermin might take -- a beetle -- but that was just for a moment, and never revisited. Only in the last few pages did she expound on details that the previous 99% of the story had you guessing. So, in that, she didn't trust her readers.There was also this pounding "Marak, Marak, Marak..." throughout the story and, well, we GOT it! It may have been Cherryh's point to make it as tedious to us as it was to Marak, but it got old... real quick.On the positive side, if we ignore the irritating issues I've discussed, the story was excellent and the characters all very well developed, as you'd expect. The world was fairly one-dimensional -- populated only by people, vermin and besha (camels) -- but that might have been part of the the point of the story. (To say more about that would spoil it.) So, overall, I did like it and could recommend it, but would temper it by saying, only for hard-core sf fans.
—Robert Laird

I read Hammerfall when it first came out in hardback. Our Hero is Marak Trin Tain, a warrior who finds himself in a mass of people being herded to “the holy city.” He is one of a group of people who have been infected by a peculiar madness that “the Ila” the immortal ruler of the holy city finds interesting. Marak Trin Tain is also someone the Ila finds interesting, and despite the fact that Marak is the son of one of her enemies she puts him in charge of an expedition to discover the source of the madness. What appears at first to be fantasy turns into science fiction when it is revealed that this particular form of madness is actually a message from a team who is trying to contact the Ila.Read this on Rena's Hub of Random.
—Rena McGee

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