Book Review: The Naming
Maerad (“My Rad“) is a slave in in the worst possible circumstances when she is discovered by a mysterious and powerful traveling Bard. Cadvan soon convinces Maerad to join him on his perilous journey in the service of the Light. It isn’t long until Maerad discovers that she, too, has powers and eventually “the Speech” and that she is needed to help push back the rising threat of the Nameless One — the evil that threatens all of Annar. It is through her journey to the capital city and by facing peril after peril, that Maerad’s true important place in history is revealed.
The Naming is the first book in a quartet about Maerad’s epic journey to reveal her destiny. The hero’s quest and good versus evil (or as we like to say in my family “e-ville”) theme feels very familiar and comfortable. We have a heroine who has humble beginnings but later find out that she is actually aristocracy and that she holds the key to saving the world. Not unlike Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, Eragon, and countless others…so, the “formula” works. The book has many compelling moments where Cadvan and Maerad face enemies, fight them off, and learn from their experiences. These focal-moments of the story are intense and suspenseful without being terrifying. But in between these moments, the book is a bit slow (and even bogged down) with long descriptions of forests and the story-telling that unravels the very complicated mythology of the Bards. The mythology (the history of the Bards, explanations of “The Speech”, and so forth) seemed a bit long and, frankly, not that interesting. I can forgive the masters, like Tolkien, for this but it wore a bit thin here. Like Tolkien, Croggon creates a “real” history and language that is supported by an appendix full of fictitious primary sources. I found myself wanting to rush through this exposition to get to some of the action, which in itself revealed a lot of what the reader needs to know (without being long-winded). The book wasn’t slow enough or dull enough to put down, however, and it does end in such a way that makes it nearly impossible not to continue with the series. The last 8 chapters of the book are so interesting and suspenseful, in fact, that it re-focuses and redeems the entire book — making the first 279 pages a very long, very involved setting of the stage for future books.
I would absolutely recommend this book for ages 11 and up. It is a good, solid read that tweens and teens that enjoy fantasy or science fiction will enjoy and they will most likely end up wanting to complete the series. My 13 year old claims that the story gets better and better with each book. The Naming is a nice send-off into another world where Maerad and Cadvam weave through pitch-black tunnels following a mountain lion, fight off the horrible “wights” from the otherworld, and encounter a secret city with an ethereal queen.
Full Title: The Naming (The First Book of Pellinor) Series: The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing Written By: Alison Croggon Genre: Science Ficton/Fantasy/Adventure/Hero’s Quest Age: Young Adult (age 11 and up)Every week I try to review at least one book. These reviews are about books I have read and usually one of my kids have read, too. I am not compensated for these reviews — I love books and just want to get the word about good (and sometimes not-so-good) books.
