Rating: 
Summary: go do as I tell you and get this book
Review: The fact that this book is not constantly in print and available everywhere is, in a world where Dungeons and Dragons style series fantasies and deriviative, pseudo-literary fantasy garbage, like the works of Neil Gaiman and Gene Wolfe, are all over the bestseller lists, is an unutterable obscenity that defies human comprehension. Vance is the greatest prose stylist in the history of genre fiction, heck, maybe in the history of fiction. Lyonesse is funny, sad, arch, inventive, adventurous, philosophical, page-turning, perfect. The characters are more real than any of the people you know, and you will love and hate them more than your own friends and enemies. The Elder Isles are more real than New York or London and much more interesting. You should get every book in this series (there are three) immediately, no matter what the financial or personal costs, and immediately make them the centerpiece of your life until you have read them all. Then, you should read Vance's Tales of The Dying Earth, which is just as good. Then, you should re-read the Lyonesse books. There, that's it. Now, go do as I tell you and thank me later.
Rating:
Summary: Book 1 of an Enchanting Trilogy
Review: The Lyonesse Trilogy may be Jack Vance's best work. The richly imagined land of Lyonesse and the Elder Isles, the lost islands of fantasy between France and Britain, is alive with magic, vivid characters, devious schemes and Old Folk. In a wonderful synthesis of Tolkein and Old English myth, kings and children, magicians and knights, faeries and ogres wander in and out of each other stories.Suldrun's Garden opens the trilogy. The other volumes are The Green Pearl and Maduoc. Suldrun, the daughter of the relentlessly scheming King Casimir of Lyonesse, wants nothing to do with the future her father has planned for her. For her stubbornness, she is exiled to a garden at the edge of Casimir's castle. One day, a shipwrecked sailor washes up on shore. He is Ailias, prince of the kingdom of Troicent, pushed overboard by his cousin. Lyonesse is at war with Troicenet, and the doomed relationship is one of the threads that make up this wonderful tale. From changelings to evil tyrants, from hedge witches to Mulgren, who has dedicated his life to keeping the Elder Isles above the waves, Vance does a fine job of interweaving new stories and old. There are children's adventures that trace to the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson; there are sly references to the King Arthur (his grandfather appears briefly); and there is much that is the marvelous creation of Vance himself. This is my test for excellent fantasy: when you read it, the world created is brighter and more vivid than the world you return to at the end of the book. This book passes that test. I'd love to wander the forest of Tantrelles, or talk with Shimrod, or wander the Teac a Teac. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: go do as I tell you and get this book
Review: This book leaves me with amazement at Jack Vance's range of imagination and precision. I am familiar with Vance's early science fiction novels that employ a pleasantly deliberate execution. This work retains that style and yet endeavors and succeeds in contriving an elaborate, far-stretching story of an epic level. His characters are entirely believable and emotionally charged. He draws the plot together in a natural and yet surprising manner, and his depiction of the magical arts and creatures is like a fairy tale of adult proportions. I have read a lot of fantasy novels and this one I have found incredibly refreshing in its originality and delivery. Enjoy! I look forward to reading the remainder of this trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: enchanted
Review: This book leaves me with amazement at Jack Vance's range of imagination and precision. I am familiar with Vance's early science fiction novels that employ a pleasantly deliberate execution. This work retains that style and yet endeavors and succeeds in contriving an elaborate, far-stretching story of an epic level. His characters are entirely believable and emotionally charged. He draws the plot together in a natural and yet surprising manner, and his depiction of the magical arts and creatures is like a fairy tale of adult proportions. I have read a lot of fantasy novels and this one I have found incredibly refreshing in its originality and delivery. Enjoy! I look forward to reading the remainder of this trilogy.
Rating: 
Summary: Is this a parody on fantasy?
Review: With growing surprise I read the reviews written on this book so far, I can't believe everyone is that fond of this book! I think that no, it's not a bad book, but also most certainly not the best I've ever read. Especially in the beginning I was very disappointed, because I heard so much great stories about it - and if even Frank Herbert, the writer of Dune, says it's a wonderful book, then it really has to be true! But I have some serious points of criticism on the book: 1. Especially in the beginning of the book the story is very cliché. This beautiful princess refuses to marry the man her father wants her to marry, and then meets this poor guy who turns out to be a prince... Can you believe it?! 2. It is very obvious the book is written by a man. Whenever he speaks about women it is like he looks down on them, which annoyed me to no end. 3. The cruelties in this book are written without the slightest hint of emotion. Who cares a girl gets raped? It's only a girl! 4. A nine-year old boy doing all kinds of heroic deeds? Sure... I even thought for a moment that this had to be a parody on fantasy books, for many events are so completely unbelievable that I thought this couldn't have been written as a serious book. But, despite my not too positive opinion of the book, I decided to read on, and I gradually began to like the book more. Once I got used to his remarkable writing style, I realized the book really does have its good sides. Though some characters are quite unrealistic, other characters are very good. My favourite is Carfilhiot, the ruler of the fortress Tintzyn Firal, a smart but arrogant man. What I also loved is the politics in the book, which are quite complicated with all those wizards involved. And the details Jack Vance gives about the different characters, places and habits of different peoples are wonderful, they really make the story come alive. And... Well the story just gets to you! Because somehow, I made it to the end and I got carried away so much that I immediately after I finished this book began reading book two, the Green Pearl... I still don't think this is one of the best books I've ever read, but I do think it is worth reading. So my advice is: if you like fantasy and can live with the points of criticism I have, give this book a try.
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