You no longer follow C. Lunde




You now follow C. Lunde


You can unfollow a user if you change your mind.


C. Lunde

Member Since 2011

  • 1 reviews
  • 1 ratings
  • 56 titles in library
  • 11 purchased in 2014

  • The Mirror of Her Dreams: Volume I of Mordant's Need

    • UNABRIDGED (28 hrs and 26 mins)
    • By Stephen R. Donaldson
    • Narrated By Scott Brick
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready


    "Scott Brick+Donaldson=Winning Combination"
    Would you listen to The Mirror of Her Dreams again? Why?

    I'm listening to "Mirror of Her Dreams" (for the second time) while writing this review. I love it so much that I want to listen to it until I have pieces of it memorized. Those familiar with Brick's readings of the "Covenant" series will understand why. For those who aren't familiar with those recordings, I'll try to explain...

    Scott Brick is often an understated narrator (as at least one other reviewer has noted, though calling his voice or this reading boring is grossly inaccurate), but he is always, *always* committed to the story, the characters and (first and most importantly) the words. He's an ideal reader for any book with a strong emphasis on character development because his style is nuanced and complex, marked by small changes in tone instead of histrionics. That's not to say that he isn't capable of a nice loud bellow every once in a while, but (again) only when the text calls for it.

    "The Mirror of Her Dreams" and its sequel, "A Man Rides Through," collectively called "Mordant's Need," is one of Donaldson's more peripheral works, a status that it deserves in a superficial way. It's more conventional (plot-wise) than either "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" (all three) and the Gap series. But its ideas, particularly regarding reality and identity, are as complex as anything in those two series--as complex as anything in Donaldson's oeuvre. But it takes a while to get to those ideas. You'll listen to about an hour of this audiobook before the plot *really* gets going, but after that it's a joy on multiple levels: for its story, intellectually, and for its truly stellar characters.

    One character in particular may be responsible for Mordant's Need's (relative) unpopularity: Terisa Morgan. She's the primary viewpoint character and for the first volume (this one) she does some fairly unlikable things and behaves in very frustrating ways. She struggles with her own existence and allows other (obviously bad) people to manipulate her into harming other (much better) characters. Some (in Amazon.com reviews) have called it a sexist portrayal but this is untrue. Terisa does forge her own identity in the end, but (unfortunately) most of that happens in the second book. For this one, you'll have to content yourself with the loyal-but-accident-prone Geraden, the old dodder and his dastard, King Joyse and Adept Havelock, the hilarious Tor, the dreamy idealistic Myste...I could go on, but you get the idea. Every character in Mordant (the story's fantasy world) is either lovable or fascinating--occasionally both. Even the villain is well and compellingly drawn--a character who likes causing havoc just for the sake of it sometimes, but who is also a devious, careful planner.

    What other book might you compare The Mirror of Her Dreams to and why?

    The "Mordant's Need" books really aren't like anything else. One might compare them to those fantasy/romance novels on the shelf based on pieces of their plot, but that comparison would be unfair: these are far better. "The Mirror of Her Dreams" resembles, in its intricacy and detailed world, historical fiction; its plot is suspenseful and full of intrigue, though it starts slow; and the characters are all realistically and sympathetically drawn, even characters that other authors would make you dislike.

    Which scene was your favorite?

    My favorite scene (in this volume, at least) is probably the one between Terisa, Master Eremis and Geraden--when Geraden keeps *cough* "interrupting" the other two. It is not a scene I can read in public; I laugh far too much. Scott Brick's reading of this scene is also dead-on convincing; I could see the characters voicing the words (in his tone) in my head.

    A close second has to be Terisa's last conversation with Myste. This scene is a turning point of the story, but I think a lot of people miss its significance (when reading) because it is comparatively quiet in terms of action. Again, it's read perfectly here, and Myste (already a compelling character on paper) fairly pops out of the page, her faraway gaze coming into focus at least for a moment.

    Also, I love all the scenes with Adept Havelock. This book is full of fantastic scenes--and it is also better than the sum of its parts.

    Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

    There is a point in this book when a 20+-ton wall/ceiling falls in on a (very much beloved) character. The pages that follow are incredibly moving, though not for the reasons that you'd think.

    Any additional comments?

    This audiobook is already making me excited for the day when Scott Brick reads Donaldson's "Gap" series. I can't wait!

    11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content



Thank You
