| Title | : | Mindbender (Sovereign of the Seven Isles, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 330 |
| Publication | : | First published December 10, 2011 |
Fleeing the wrath of Prince Phane, Alexander has traveled through the Reishi Gate to Ithilian in search of an alliance, only to discover that Ithilian is facing the threat of invasion as well.
Alexander struggles to bring the army of Ithilian to his aid while secretly searching for information about his unique magical calling, information that he desperately needs if he is to have any chance against Phane. What he finds is beyond anything he imagined.
Mindbender (Sovereign of the Seven Isles, #3) Reviews
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Not quite 3 stars, even though the plot is fast-paced and gripping and the characters are likable. It's a fairly engrossing book, but quite predictable so far. I fear the series is going to drag for me. The characters are becoming nothing more than caricatures. Lucky always like to eat and he always likes recipes. Jattan always stands with his hands clasped loosely behind his back — we're told this repeatedly. Chloe always calls Alex "My Love" and tells him to be careful, while he always calls her "Little One" (they do have names!). Alexander always gets into his still zone when he's holding his sword -- we're repeatedly told so — and when things get tough, he always remembers some bit of military wisdom his "dad" taught him about warfare. Flat characters.
Too many long boring justifications on why some killing was necessary. Say it once only. Did so, in book 1. Done.
I liked the confrontation between Isabel and Gabrielle, but I didn't much care for how Isabel
There are some vivid and intense fight scenes throughout the book. The battle against the Lancers, led by Commander Talia, was quite good, and it didn't go on too long. The revinants were pretty scary. The scourgling, too. But the battle scene at the Ruatha Gate went on too long for my taste.
I liked the new character, Magda. She seems more 3-dimensional than the main characters. I'm hoping Jattan develops more personality.
You really cannot fight at optimum if you have to keep one hand on a sword hilt while wielding the other sword. You need your left hand to be free to provide counter-balance to the sword arm.
And what's with all the anti-government rhetoric? In this series, every government official is "petty" and "corrupt" — except for the kings. They're sometimes cool. -
Listening to mindbender was quite different from reading as I did for books one and two. Perkins is a gifted narrator and brought everything to life! Totally enjoyable.
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Mindbender, the 3rd book of the Sovereign of the Seven Isles series, is a continuation of the overall story. Although the books read somewhat as stand alone, they obviously segaway into the next installment of Alexanders journey to kill Phane, rescue and heal Isabel and continue the protection of people under the "Old Law." Wells does leave you with a teaser, enticing you to continue the series.
Having bonded with the Sovereign Stone he now realizes he is the seventh Reishi Sovereign and comes to terms with trusting Jatan P'Tal now as his protector instead of his hunter. In the search for the stone, Alexander discovers Mindbender, a sword that can anticipate the opponents moves in battle before it's made.
Abigail and Isabel, prisoners of the Reishi coven are using their ingenuity and guts to plan their escape and also consider how to bring the coven and their wyvern into the battle against Phane.
Alexander continues his struggles with the moral dilemma of power versus duty & responsibility, having to deal harshly and kill his enemies. The battles continue to grow as does Alexanders powers. Again another enjoyable read. On to book four. -
Review to come! :D
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I really feel the need to review this book. It's laughable at how outclassed the bad guy is in this story by the good guys. The author offers almost no suspense. You never have any sense of impending doom, of a battle lost (or any heroes companions, for that matter.) The only good guy that dies is the brother in the opening scene of the first book. Come on!
Also:
How many magic swords does the hero need?
Deux ex machina much?
Are there any remaining islands that are with the bad guy?
Everything relies on magic. I get that it's a 'high magic' story, but you can't win every battle (and they do win.every.battle.) with a new magic spell that someone has been holding back or miraculously invents at the last minute (even though NO ONE has ever heard of it.)
Can the hero have a flaw? Just one? Acne? Hatred of kittens. Refusal to eat broccoli? UGH...I hate this guy because he's obnoxiously good.
No chemistry between ANYONE.
One dimensional characters...all of them.
The book ends on a successful battle...that's stupid. You leave your readers wanting to know what happened. The only thing I could think at the end of the book is that there's only two real bad guys left out there, he's got most of the rest of the world on his side, he's basically Superman, married to Wonder Woman, with all the best toys, with an entire bastion of super hero friends on his side facing two pathetic enemies (one who seems to lose every skirmish/battle he attempts)...heck, they've pretty much won!
Blah...I could go on, but you get the point.
Reads like a YA story for kids who have never read fantasy. I don't think I'll be continuing the series when the new novels are released. The husband warned me that I'd end up hating it. I should have listened to him.
Two stars, because I managed to read all 3 books (even if I think I've wasted hours on it.) Don't bother if you like character development, suspense, or a story line that ever goes anywhere. -
3 1/2 stars
The story’s beginning to drag for me at this point and there are still four more volumes to go. I may take a break - I’ll see how I feel when I’m ready to start my next book. I can tell that I’m losing interest because I’m skimming quite a lot, especially the battle scenes. I’m also not reluctant to set it aside if I have other things I need to be doing. When I’m really “into” a book I find myself mulling over the plot throughout the day and can’t wait to pick it back up. Unfortunately, I’m not getting that preoccupation any more with this story and it’s taken me almost a week to read it.
It’s not a terrible read but I agree with others that it’s definitely geared towards young adults. There is a lot of repetitious observations - Chole consistently expresses her displeasure when Alexander uses his observational powers to leave his body, etc. Still extremely annoyed that he calls her his familiar and “Little One.” Names, people. Use their names. She’s also vital to his success in many situations, especially battles, and deserves recognition.
Isabel’s new magical abilities seem to be even more powerful than those Alexander has mastered. Oh, and I don’t think we hear from Phane at all in this volume which is rather disappointing considering he's a major player. -
Good story, but a little wooden
I enjoy the storyline, but some of the main characters are too similar for my preference. Alexander, Isabel, and Abigail are all strong headed characters. I'm fine with that kind of character, but there are few characters that are not profiles. It just has a sterile feel. Like many of the characters are missing a soul. The author use informal descriptions like titles. For example, the waifish girl was used by one of the characters continually, even after she was said to have gained more weight. Furthermore, the author's use of repetition bothers me. One of the characters was told, "don't be difficult" 3 or 4 times in the span of 1-2 pages.
On the other hand, there are good phrases and enough intrigue to keep me reading. It really does cause the reader to think deeper than just the fantasy world and look at the moral corruption of our time. I find that worthwhile. -
Mindbender. Book Three in the Sovereign of the Seven Isles Series in which Alexander and his followers are thrust into a war to protect the Old Law way of life. Again, the writing is simple, yet memorable. I really appreciate the creative mind that wove together Alexander’s merry band with mythical creatures and magic and fantastic landscapes. The imagery fills the mind with wonder. My only complaint is that prior books in the series ended in such a way that the stories could stand alone, whereas Mindbender ended so abruptly it was jarring and disappointingly clear the reader must continue to Book Four to learn the outcome of the action that takes place near the conclusion of Book Three. There may have been some unrealistic sappiness wrapped up in the half-ending that bugged me, too. That aside, it is an entertaining ‘good vs. evil’ tale and the adventures are becoming more exciting as the series unfolds. I am looking forward to Blood of the Earth.
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Mind bending indeed - the story stretches your imagination
Started the book series as it was on my reading list for the last couple of years. The first one was the best one, feels like the quality of the storyline drops with every new book? This book named “Mindbender” had so little to do with the sword named the same, that it feels like my mind is the only bent. Alexander keeps acting like a general with the experience of hundreds of battles. Isabel becomes a powerful witch that can kill a scrougling even though she knows only 3-4 spells -
Pros: The female leads are given greater part in the story. Their development is given equal weight with Alexander's adventures. They get unexpected powers, too, in order to help with the war.
Cons: I agree with what another writer said, how many swords does the hero need? It could have been a shield, a breastplate or a dagger. And the scene with the wyverns bonding is straight out of an Anne McCaffrey dragon book. -
Can't put it down!!!
Exciting read. I read every night until I can't keep my eyes open. So well written and the characters flow together making the story keep you enthralled. There is one character I read about but haven't seen anything further. I'm anxiously hoping they will be revisited in this series. This is a Wonderful story and I highly recommend the series to every reader.
Thank you David! -
The Saga Continues
Alexander remains separated from his wife and sister, who face their own trials and danger. He’s facing treason and large numbers of Andalian Lancers as well as Reishi Army Regency soldiers on the isle of Ithilian. He must first solve the invasion there before the Ithilian army can gate to Ruatha to reinforce his armie there. There is a lot of action in numerous places involving all of your favorite characters ending with a battle of course. -
There’s a good tale here but it’s told in a lackluster manner and it’s exacerbated by shallow characters and repetitive information spread through out the book.
All of the above applies to first two books as well. I hoped it would get better as writers tend to mature as they write more but that wasn’t the case here. I very much like to know how it all ends but I’m afraid I can’t continue with the series with the way it’s told. -
The intriguing story goes on. We get to spend some time in Blackstone Keep, but not enough for my liking. Then again, there's a war going on, so we have to be up and about. ;)
Alexander and his friends do their utmost to find new allies, and they make use of the gates.
Isabel and Abigail learn a lot of things during their imprisonment, so the time isn't wasted at least.
Like the previous sequels, this one stops fairly abruptly, and although I'm looking forward to the sequels, this is a reason for me not to give five stars. -
I suppose I'd be complaining if the story took forever, but it seems to me it's progressing ridiculously quickly. They walk through obstacles with barely a hitch and it's a bit breathtaking and hard to take seriously, to be honest. LOL... Yes, even as fantasy goes. There's a kind of naïvté about it all. The writing may be improving but still fairly simplistic.
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Fun, engaging, a little lacking
The series is very creative and the plot moves quickly keeping it engaging. I wish there were more detail, often I feel like some scenes just 'happen' and there isn'tuch depth to them. Sometimes I also feel like character development were stronger. All in all these reads are enjoyable and fun. -
I'm hooked!
I love the hero and his thought processes. The story is well constructed with some unexpected twists and turns. My only complaint is the author's tendency to tell something that could be more interesting shown through actions. But by the end of the book I am fairly satisfied and looking forward to what happens next! -
Continuing the story
I really enjoyed this one. While Isabel & Alexander were apart in this story, they both stayed strong. There were lots of battles that took place, & I enjoyed the way they were written. It felt like I was right in the story. I can't wait to see what happens next! -
More action and surprise.
Still a lot of description that seems to ramble on and on. The twists and turns keep my attention and the pages fly by.Anyone interested in wizards, combat and love of friendship,family and rights of people will enjoy this series. On my way to book four. -
Fast-paced fantasy
The adventures of Alexander, Isabel and Abigail continue as they struggle to amass an army against Phane. Each will discover their own power and part to play in the battle against darkness. -
Great epic fantasy!
Three books in and the pace never lets up! These books keep you turning the pages, kudos to the author for keeping the story moving and at the same time making it more than worth the read. On to the next book! -
Wow
I just can't get enough of this series. This is book 3 and the storyline has me captured.The characters that the author has developed are awesome. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. -
Changes
I love the way each character is finding their own power or talent. Love still concores all the on ly hope is it enough. I can't wait to read the next book. Thanks for this during trying times in our world were we need more love and healing.
