Kate ConstableRezensionen

One of my favourite fantasies, the Chanters of Tremaris series is a traditional fantasy quest with magic, maps and adventure with a touch of romance. Geared towards younger adult readers, the series will feel comfortable and familiar to fantasy lovers, hitting all the right notes of a quest fantasy and delivering an enjoyable read.

The third part of the trilogy, The Tenth Power, opens with Calwyn having lost her powers of chantment and travelling back to her childhood home of Antaris. Desolate without her magic, Calwyn grieves all the while dealing with the terrible sickness ravaging the lands. But when she is given the task of fixing what is broke, Calwyn sets out on a new journey to discover the secret of the Tenth Power - the only thing which may save Darrow and the whole of Tremaris alike.

The final book in the Chanters of Tremaris was fantastic. It wraps up all the main plot points and delivers a satisfying conclusion to the series. Well mostly satisfying - I was pretty devastated by Mica's death. I would've liked her and Calwyn to have at least reconciled before her death. And poor Trout, being in love with her and then losing her. I didn't really like that she stayed in Antaris rather than travelling with the others. I came to really like her in the last two books so her absence sucked. Especially because it kind of felt like she was replaced by Keela and as much as I enjoyed Keela's manipulations I preferred Mica. On the other hand I adored Calwyn's relationship with Halasaa. The reveal that they really were brother and sister was sweet. I only wished they had of found out earlier.

Calwyn and Darrow sort themselves out - although it takes until the very end for them to do so. I really hated the whole miscommunication between them in this series. I liked their friendship and I liked their relationship but it felt like they could only have one or the other and I didn't like that bit. A little miscommunication is okay - but the amount they had was just ridiculous. I was glad though that they managed to reach an understanding.

I was amused by Tonno's crush on Keela. Although I would've liked to see more of it. I really liked Calwyn's realisation that there's more to her than chantment and that she has more to offer than just that. She mopes a lot to begin with but I liked her more when she began to come to terms with her loss and realised all was not lost without her powers. It made it much better when she gets them back. I loved the solution to the sickness - the idea of a massive dance and sing along was hilarious. I'm not sure how I felt about Samis. His ending kind of made sense and the dabble of romance between Calwyn and him worked but it also kind of felt like he didn't take any responsibility for the lives he took. He didn't really seem remorseful and I didn't like that.

Found family, musical magic and a quest to make all right with the world - a perfectly satisfying end to a wonderful trilogy. 5 stars.

One of my favourite fantasies, the Chanters of Tremaris series is a traditional fantasy quest with magic, maps and adventure with a touch of romance. Geared towards younger adult readers, the series will feel comfortable and familiar to fantasy lovers, hitting all the right notes of a quest fantasy and delivering an enjoyable read.

In the second part of the trilogy, The Waterless Sea, Calwyn and the gang have defeated Samis and have settled themselves in Ravamey, building a home for themselves, chanters and outcasts alike. Ambushing pirate ships they rescue windworkers and slaves alike, setting them free and bringing peace back to the land.

During one of their rescues, they meet Heben - the former third son of a Merithuros Lord who was cast out of his clan when he challenged his father over his adopted brother and sister's abduction by sorcerers. Heben, devastated by the loss of his siblings had set out to find other chanters to help him rescue the children from the Palace of Cobwebs where he believes them to be. Calwyn and the others hear his plea and agree to set out to rescue the children - however many that might be. Along the way they meet new friends, old friends and enemies alike as they drive Merithuros to the brink of war and heal the hurts of the land.

I love Calwyn and Darrow but I really wish they would sort themselves out. The back and forth between them was annoying. Like just talk to each other. They both clearly love each other - so just say it and be together and be happy. If you ignore that though, this book was great.

I loved that Calwyn and the rest of the gang have settled into their own skins and have found their purpose for being. Their little found family was sweet and I loved how they were all loyal to each other and determined to look after one another.

Heben annoyed me to start with - he was so dismissive of everyone! It irritated me that he was so disrespectful when he was the one that came to them to ask for help. But, to be fair, he did grow on me. I liked that he learned and changed and adapted as the book progressed and that he was soon fiercely defensive of Calwyn and the rest. His adamant comments that women should be included in the democratic council was fantastic.

The Palace of Cobwebs was creepy but Keela was funny. I do love a female villain.

Keela almost laughed aloud. She could hear it all in his voice, in his crafty, stupid, soldier’s voice. He wanted to use her, this general; like all those ambitious men, he thought he could wear her like a jewel, to enhance his own power. It never occurred to these men that Keela might have ambitions and plans of her own, that she could use them.

Constable, Kate. The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy bundle: fantasy adventure magic series The Singer of All Songs; The Waterless Sea; The Tenth Power . Allen and Unwin. Kindle Edition.

She was very resourceful and smart and I rated it. I liked that even though she was spoiled and demanding and a fashionista that she was also a woman of substance and could be put to hard work without wilting.

As for the Black Palace - I felt terribly sorry for all the children who had been snatched from their families. Poor Darrow. I did like the flashbacks to his past though - I liked getting to know more about him. I was glad that they managed to free them and convince everyone to work together. The conclusion was good although I felt sad for Calwyn. Losing her powers sucked.

Another fun fantasy read with a plucky heroine and her band of devoted friends - a great addition to the series, 5 stars.

One of my favourite fantasies, the Chanters of Tremaris series is a traditional fantasy quest with magic, maps and adventure with a touch of romance. Geared towards younger adult readers, the series will feel comfortable and familiar to fantasy lovers, hitting all the right notes of a quest fantasy and delivering an enjoyable read.

In the first part of the trilogy, The Singer of All Songs, readers are introduced to sixteen year old Calwyn a headstrong, fiery novice priestess of ice who longs to escape the ice wall that surrounds her home of Antaris. Unlike the other priestesses who seem to be content with Antaris, Calwyn feels the itch to know what's beyond the wall. She gets her wish when she meets iron chanter, Darrow.

Darrow stumbles into Antaris, injured and weary but is found by Calwyn who nurses him back to health. He tells Calwyn of lands far away and of the sorcerer Samis who wants to be crowned ruler of Tremaris.

Samis is on a quest to obtain all nine powers of chantment and be named the Singer of All Songs as told of in a prophecy made long ago. Having mastered two of the powers, he is well on his way but when he arrives in Antaris to learn the power of ice and threatens the priestesses, Calwyn finds herself and Darrow off on a journey to gather friends and allies to fight Samis.

I love this book. Calwyn is brave and passionate and cares fiercely for others. She is impulsive and stubborn and just a tiny bit of trouble. Her mind is hilarious as well;

‘But –’ Calwyn opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. Perhaps it was best to do as he said at least some of the time, when it didn’t really matter, and save her disagreements for a time when it did. Obediently she seated herself on a squat bollard, pulled her cloak tightly about her, and tried to look patient. ‘Very well.’

Constable, Kate. The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy bundle: fantasy adventure magic series The Singer of All Songs; The Waterless Sea; The Tenth Power . Allen and Unwin. Kindle Edition.

Her inquisitive nature is brilliant and I love her desire to know about the world around her. The land of Tremaris is interesting and I loved the world building of the nine powers of chantment. The idea of singing as power isn't a new one but it's a fun concept and it was well done in this. I enjoyed how Calwyn stumbles her way into learning the power of winds and finds that she already knows the power of beasts from her days as a beekeeper in Antaris. I liked the excitement she has for learning magic. And I loved the idea of Calwyn being the Singer of All Songs. As Tonno put it;

‘You’ve always called Samis such a marvel. Such a mighty sorcerer. And here’s this lass with her plaits down her back, with the same gift, mebbe. Mebbe stronger than his, for all we know.’ ‘Maybe.’The word was breathed so low that Calwyn barely heard it. ‘Mebbe she’s the one, not him – the Singer of all Songs. Think of that! I’d like to see his face if he knew it, to be trumped by a slip of a lass, not even in skirts.’ Tonno’s rare, deep laugh rumbled through the cabin. ‘Aye, I’d like to see that day!’

Constable, Kate. The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy bundle: fantasy adventure magic series The Singer of All Songs; The Waterless Sea; The Tenth Power . Allen and Unwin. Kindle Edition.

There's just something about girls triumphing over boys.

The adventure itself is fast paced and full of magic. I loved the friends they meet on the way, Tonno, Xanni, Trout, Mica and Halasaa - although I was devastated by Xanni's death. Like really? Couldn't he have lived? I liked the hints of romance between Calwyn and Darrow but would've liked it even more if after they left Antaris they still bothered to talk to one another. The miscommunication between them was annoying.

The build up to the final confrontation with Samis was great and I liked how Trout was the one to save the day. The idea that he couldn't hear the Power of Seeming because he's slightly deaf was hilarious.

A fun fantasy read with a quest to save the lands, found family, an evil sorcerer and lots of musical magic. 5 stars.

I really enjoy Kate Constable's writing, but this book relies a little too heavily on the reader having read her earlier series. I found the characters to be a little less well-developed, believable or compelling than in the earlier series... which is too bad, because that series is terrific, and on a level with Tamora Pierce for story.

The more I read, the more I liked this book about two sisters who kidnap their grandfather from a nursing home and take him all over the country to try and see if any of their aunts and uncles will take him in. The main protagonist is 12 year old Clancy who is about to start high school and is a worrier by nature. She hasn't really ever done anything for herself as she has always relied on her older sister Tash to be the muscle and brains in the family. This journey tests both Clancy and Tash's relationship and also causes Clancy to challenge herself in ways she never thought possible. A nice story with ebbs and flows about family and the choices that adults make that effect kids. There is a little bit of Clancy seeing supernatural "signs" from her dead grandmother but not enough to cast this as a ghost novel - it is more Clancy's wishful thinking than anything else. (Although there is a part in a Melbourne bookshop that left me scratching my head). One for Year 7 to 8 readers .

I picked up this first novel by Constable because of a cover blurb by Garth Nix. We'll see if I trust HIM again! ;-)
Seriously, maybe Constable will improve with time, but I didn't feel that this book was up to general publishing standards. It really felt like a first effort.
It started out OK, with us meeting the young, talented, but rebellious priestess in her home village... but once she absconds from said village (with an injured sorcerer on the run from his powerful nemesis) it becomes hopeless.
There's no attempt at character generation, and so much happens in so few pages that you could miss entire locations if you blinked... seriously - this page: we're at a college, next page pirates, two pages later, volcano, three pages later, dinosaurs, everything flying by without any time for the reader to FEEL - or even visualize - anything. A character might die - but we don't care, 'cause we never got to know him in the slightest, since he was only ALIVE for 5 pages! (etc.)
The plot is really stereotypical (There are 9 types of magical spellsong, and the bad guy wants to collect them all so he can take over the world) - and while I do feel that a 'classic' plot can be done well, Constable needs to learn to slow down and savor her writing - so that her readers can enjoy the action!

An interesting audio performance. This story is about a world where magic is performed by people who sing and chant. The audio version has haunting songs whenever magic is performed - a bit eerie, but it enhances the experience. I liked the story, but the ending fizzled a bit. Also, I didn't like the love ?? interest between 2 of the characters - especially since the girl was a teenager and the man was over 30 - creepy!

The narration style seemed similar to Tamora Pierce: simplistic, yet not uninteresting. I wasn't a fan of the audio version, and found the world to be somewhat plain.½

This is the book I was kinda planning to write. Damn. Now I need to think of a new head-novel.
A coming-of-age story based in New Guinea in the 70s. Really enjoyed the descriptions of PNG. The discomfort between nationals and expats was accurately described. As with most YA novels, the protagonist is rather unbelievable. Or maybe I was just a crap 16-year-old.

Anyway, I enoyed this book a lot.

At first I thought I would be a little bored with this middle-reader fantasy, but I ended up getting into it. It would have been nice to get to know the characters a little more. It's a trilogy, so I imagine that there's still a lot to learn. If I see the second in the series, I'll probably pick it up. The focus on chants as the source of magic was a fun to think about. The world and its magic are filling out nicely.

The Tenth Power.... The last book to the Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy. This novel is just as wonderful and magical as the previous two, but with a few twists and turns to add a little spice to the story. In the final installment of this trilogy, there is sacrifice, love, sorrow, anger, and so much more. What else could you expect from a story where the magic of the land is dying, along with those who possess the power of song.

The characters have all grown so much in this book, their personalities have changed greatly. Responsibilities and hardships that they have suffered through has altered them in many ways- some for the better, and some for the worse. With the sickness and bitterness of the land, emotions run high and dangerous between the people of song and the people of dance. Emotions that could only lead to war and despair. The only hope of salvation comes from Calwyn and her friends, but will they be able to perform the magic to save everything they know and love?

Once again, Calwyn and her friends finds themselves in a situation where they are needed. They will have to find the courage, strength, and determination to ensure they're up to the task that is set before them. Trust and friendships will be tested, and secrets of the past will become revealed.

The Waterless Sea is an outstanding novel. The determination and courage of Calwyn and her friends is simply remarkable. Even when faced with hardships and suffering, the group continue forward in their adventure, never stopping until the task they set out to do is completed. The sacrifices that are made come at a great cost, especially to a brave girl of Antaris, but they are made with love and compassion for the sake of others.

I would definitely recommend this book to others! If you liked the first book, Singer of All Songs, then you will definitely enjoy this one as well. Not only does it have the same flare and magic from the first novel, this story also gives the reader a little flash to Darrow's path- before he met Samis.

Singer of All Songs is a short, captivating novel. This book took me from this world to a world full of magic and other wonders that you can only get through reading. Calwyn and her friends go on an epic adventure to stop the evil and ambitious, Samis, from trying to conquer all of Tremaris by becoming the 'singer of all songs'- possessing the ability to sing all the chantments.

Kate Constable created a world that is unlike any other. How amazing it would be to be able to create ice, wind, fire, etc... with song, or as in Halasaa's case, through dance and body movements.

This novel is definitely worth reading, as well as the other two books in the trilogy!

Substance: A fairly interesting world (junior level) and characters. Funks one of the developing lines at the end.
Style: Not too bad.

The first half of Cicada Summer is promising; the introduced themes have great potential, the characters are engaging, the setting has a wonderful ghostly/atmospheric feel to it. But somewhere along the way this book lost me a little bit – I just feel that the story didn’t really go anywhere; it didn’t grab me emotionally and all the conflict was resolved in a kind of by-the-numbers way.

Full review at:

http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com/2011/04/cicada-summer-by-kate-constable.html

I was completely dying to read this book, but since my TBR stack is huge, I had to wait several days, which honestly killed me. This book is the third book of The Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy. Calwyn was once on her path to become the singer of all songs. But suddenly, when she reaches far beyond what her magic can do and heals the dead lands, every single trace of magic in her is gone. Sadly enough for Calwyn, so is Darrow. Separated from each other, one in Antaris, another gone to find Samis. Calwnyn goes to Antaris,her homeland,in order to try to revive her magic powers. When she arrives there, horrible things happen, and the evil disease called snow-sickness spreads to Calwyn's beloved Hgh Priestess-Marna. Eventually Darrow catches the disease, and that is the only thing that seperates them. For Darrow cares deeply for Calwyn, and she him, but if a chantment singer touches a person with snow-sickness, it is death. Will they ever be together again? And will they defeat Samis in time to Save the whole world of Tremaris?
As intriguing as this book was, there were some downsides to it. How Calwyn changed her mind so quickly and became temporarily evil doesn't make any sense-and kissing Samis doesn't make it any easier. Overall, this book was great, but Calwyn would look better as NOT fickle.

This book is just as stunning as the first. After I finished The Singer of All Songs (which took me less than a day,) I immediately raced to my school library and checked out the next book, The Waterless Sea. And this sequel definitely did not disappoint me. However, there were several things that I made this book very confusing. First of all, when I was reading it, I was looking for Darrow. Obviously, Calwyn and him where meant to be together. So imagine my surprise when I couldn't find him there! I thought there must have been a typo, but soon enough, I found out. I have to say, I finally realized that Darrow must have left the group since, as Halassus says, he can not be healed because the disease is inside his heart. Darrow shut out everything and everyone including Calwyn, eventually. The Waterless Sea is just as emotional and excitingly suspenseful. Kate Constable is an very gifted writer.

From the moment I first opened this book, I couldn't stop myself from reading it. It was amazing, with exciting plot that took unexpected twists and turns. From the moment that Calwyn, the protaganist of the story, met Darrow, a ribbon of fantasy weaved its way into the already riveting and suspenseful plot of Kate Constable. Several characters help Calwyn and Darrow along their journey on their way to defeat Darrow's evil and malicious fried, Samis. Samis believes he is the singer of all songs-the person who can sing every single chantment out of all 10. Calwyn is determined to prove that she is nowhere near useless, and tries to win Darrow's love. The Singer of All Songs is a story of romance, adventure and a novice ice priestess(Calwyn) and a Ironcrafter (Darrow) who have to save the world-or die on the way.

Even from the base level of the structure of The Singer of All Songs, Constable does something captivating: creates an original world with an original fantasy. So many of the books within this genre coming out over the past 20 years have been based off of already well-known mythologies, like vampires, magic, dragons and elves, and many of the other fantasy structures that have been replayed too many times. It’s refreshing to be brought into a world and mythology that opens and expands the creative possibilities and mixes well-known aspects of our own world into a parallel world with different rules about interacting with nature and song.Ultimately, the story is simplistic with characters that struggle with one to two-dimensional issues at best, but that’s generally par for the course in this genre. The writing is decent, and although it’s probably not going to be considered great literature, it’s a fun, fast-paced read with a classic good vs. evil, the world as we know it is going to end plot. It won’t be a life changing read, or a book that will inspire or answer the depths of intrapersonal searches in philosophy, sociology, or religion. However, it is a great rainy day book that will provide escape and entertainment. I recommend this book and the trilogy as a whole for adults looking for a fun read, but it’s primary audience will be kids ages 8-13.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com½

One of the most alluring aspects of this book is the original fantasy being used as the basic structure of the story and the world in which it takes place. An original mythology well crafted brings fresh content for the imagination more so than the constant reskinning of already established mythologies like vampirism and magic do. What Constable does to combine the natural world with singing and dancing is both beautiful and original. In comparison to the first book, the story is a little dry (no pun intended) and the action moves at a slightly slower pace. However, the characters’ struggles are deeper and more complex, and the elements of child oppression and the labors of the lower classes to bring social justice and equality are universally experienced by the peoples of Tremaris as much as they are in our own world. As a result, the second book has a stronger plot and more depth even though the pacing is slower. Overall, the story is still simplistic even though is brings in elements of greater universal struggle. On one hand, that can be positive because the readership will have a lighthearted introduction to adult themes and topics that plague our own world at a more complex level. On the other hand, it may present them with the idea that such issues are both simplistic in nature and easy to solve. Again, as with all three installments of this trilogy, this is a great rainy day book that will provide escape and entertainment. I recommend this book and the trilogy as a whole for adults looking for a fun read, but it’s primary audience will be kids ages 8-13.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com

This is the darkest of the three in the trilogy and skews the median age of the target demographic a little older as a result. However, it’s only natural for the books to progress in that direction as the stakes get higher and the characters get older and more mature. This, in my opinion, is the best of the three, but the other two are necessary to get to this book. The reader is given a true introduction and understanding of Tremaris, its people, its history, and the source of the relationship between nature and song.Constable does an excellent job of revealing the essence of the mythology she’s created, satisfying the reader with an understanding of the beautiful balance between Tremaris and its people, between nature and song, and giving the fantasy a platform upon which to stand so that others may repurpose it in future fantasy fiction novels. It would be a shame to see such a unique mythology exist in only these three books. Again, as with all three installments of this trilogy, this is a great rainy day book that will provide escape and entertainment. I recommend this book and the trilogy as a whole for adults looking for a fun read, but its primary audience will be tweens and teens ages 11-15.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com

There seems to be a fad in YA fantasy these past years for magic to involve music and the rescued heroines to be the ones to save the world (unexpectedly, of course). Summarizing it like that makes me think "well, that's not really so new," because it's always the rescued hero(ine) who ends up saving the world, now isn't it? But I swear there's a new popular style thing going on, and The Singer of All Songs lands firmly in it.

It reminds me very strongly of the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon, where Maerad is taken from a distant, secluded place and introduced to the wider world, where it turns out her magical ability isn't as normal as she thought, and she's likely the one meant to save the world from some horrible thing. Calwyn is also taken from a distant, secluded place and introduced to the wider world, where it turns out her magical ability isn't as normal as the thought, and she's likely the one meant to save the world from some horrible thing.

In Tremaris, the world of The Singer of All Songs, the magic is split into types of chantments (note the pun!) that different societies have specialised in for centuries. Calwyn happens to come from the tradition of high-pitched ice chants, but there's also songs of iron, seeming, being, fire, and so on. Calwyn leaves her home when it is threatened by a chanter who has the power of many different kinds of songs, rather than just one - which is the way it usually is. She travels with Darrow, a chanter of iron, who has made it his quest to stop the evil chanter, and who apparently was the one who brought the evil chanter to Antaris in the first place.

Of course, because this is One Of Those Stories, it's obvious that Calwyn has a crush on Darrow and they might could fall in love. I can't stand that part of the story, and I hate it in all the fantasy books like this. The way I see it, he's the first man she's ever met who has the potential to be a romantic interest, so she fixates on him. It's totally awkward and weird, especially because (as near as I could tell), Calwyn is supposed to be about sixteen years old and Darrow is twice her age. Luckily, others join their traveling party and the reader isn't subjected to the weird UST all the time.

Despite the clichés and "haven't I read this before?" feeling of the book, I did like it a lot. Kate Constable seems to have given careful thought to the politics of the different factions as well as the way her type of magic would affect the characters and environment. It's always neat when that happens. Furthermore, the writing itself is engaging and the story never lost my interest.

Though this is the first book in a trilogy, it works as a stand-alone. There's no real threads left hanging at the end to require the reader to continue to the second in the series, but it's set up so that the plot could easily carry into a second book.

I don't know what other readers are thinking, but I absolutly loved this book!!!!!

Calwyn is a very well developed character that has a gift outside the norm. In her quest to become the singer of all songs, she finds herself and where her heart truly lies; within power or love.

Amazing Book!!! I couldn't put it down!