Book Overview
"This is the story about a boy whose mother is a sorceress who uses spiders to make magic. The boy does not know his father and was told he died. He goes in search for him and to learn about himself.... This description may be from another edition of this product.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0451156838
ISBN13:9780451156839
Release Date:February 1989
Publisher:Roc
Length:380 Pages
Weight:0.48 lbs.
Dimensions:1.1" x 4.2" x 7.0"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Exquisite Fairy Tale
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
As a jaded fantasy reader, I immediately recognized the character types I'd seen in a hundred other fantasy novels. What Eisenstein did is take characters that could easily have been cliches and made them live. These people seem real and human, and the story -- the wonderful, absorbing, unique story is so well told I couldn't put the book down. Some scenes were classic fantasy novel moments but they were so well done they seemed fresh, like I was reading the book the others had been imitating. The plot itself was original and satisfying; it kept me guessing/hoping/wondering without relying on illogical, artificial twists, and I can't remember the last time a fantasy novel achieved that.
One of the Best fantasies of the 1970's
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
This book was published in 1979, a few years after the original Ballantine Adult Fantasy series had ended and right before the amazing fantasy fiction boom of the 1980's. As a result I've always considered this book a major transitional work in Fantasy fiction. The story of Cray (the son of the title) is a great coming of age story and shows how an author can create a Fantasy novel that does not require huge armies or huge casts of characters but focuses on a boy trying to find out something about himself. The love between son and mother is also heartwarming and quite a feel good. The writing is clean and descriptive with no false dialog or emotions. The ending is satisfying and touching (I love to re-read the ending). A book on a small scale that grows into a large wonderful read.
Loved it
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
I found this to be a surprisingly good book (and I am not a big fantasy novel reader). It was just lovely! The romance between Delevev and Gildrum was the highlight for me though. Gildrum, he can pass out at my front door anytime!
A truly enjoyable fantasy
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
I first read this book years ago as a library copy--the title and the smarmy cover painting did not look promising. To my delighted surprise, the story is full of marvelously inventive yet logical plot turns, settings, and details as well as a variety of appealing characters and an appropriately vile villain. Instead of cloying sentiment , there is an underlying warmth that feels honest. There is also suspense, heartbreak and a story that always pulls you on and keeps you guessing. Since the plot extends over a generation, there is space to develop the characters, the story line, and the many unexpected ramifications of magic. There is also a uniquely humanistic depiction of demons (four kinds!) including a tour of their home domains. The ending is exciting and satisfying, but I kept checking to see how many pages I still had left to enjoy and was sorry when they ran out.Though my first copy was from the library, I've bought multiple copies since then for myself and friends. So far, they've all reacted to this book the same way I did. I recently read it for the fourth time and enjoyed it all over again.
Great book!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
I love the world Eisenstein has created here, one where nature and magic interact, and where demons have their own worlds far from the call of man. It is one of the few books that I can start rereading as soon as I finish the last page, because it is always new and refreshing to me!
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