Currently Reading: The Books of Pellinor by Alison Croggon

I've finished Book 1, The Naming, and have started Book 2, The Riddle.

The reviews I read compare the work to Tolkien's, and it's clear the author gave a great deal of thought about languages, customs, clothing, history, etc. (Not nearly so much as Tolkien did, but he was really in a class of his own. Who spends most of a lifetime creating mythology, history, and languages for a fictitious world? Tolkien.) There is a richness in the details in this world, and I'm excited to learn what happens to the characters.

Update:

I've now finished books two and three, and I'm eager for book four, which comes out next year. I did have some funny moments during reading; in book two, the death of one character made me laugh. No joke. As the main character laments, I found myself impatient and bored, with no sympathy for her loss. Why? I knew that the character wasn't dead.

However, I was completely blindsided by the death of a character in book three. I can't say more about that without giving away major plot points, but I was pretty ticked off when it was revealed. What a cheap plot device.

And no, that's not how I feel about the series in general. I really do enjoy the story, it's just that sometimes I feel that the author gets lazy with some of her plots, and it frustrates me. Also, the lack of emotion on the part of some of her characters at certain points makes me angry. They seem to forget about those they hold most dear when they're not in sight; it's bizarre.