Rhapsody

Author: Elizabeth Haydon

Series: Symphony of Ages (Book 1)
Paperback: 656 pages
Publisher: Tor Fantasy; I edition (June 15, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812570812
ISBN-13: 978-081257081

The brilliant new saga is born …

Rhapsody is a woman, a Singer of some talent, who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won’t take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half-breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage, one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world– a world so real you can hear the sweet music of Rhapsody’s aubade and smell the smoldering forges deep within the Cauldron.

What I thought: I adore the love story in this series. This is one of the those fictional relationships I love simply because unlike others *coughtwilightcoughcough* Rhapsody and Ash actually had to work for it.

I will admit, it felt like they had to work too hard but at least it was well worth it.

Haydon created such a rich world and her attention to the musical magic is also so unique and beautiful.

She created a strong and willful heroine who I wanted to smack sometimes for her stubborness. But then again, who’s perfect, eh?

Overall, it is a great epic to read over and over again.

The Quote: Ryle Hira: life is what it is

Why I chose it: Life truly is what it is. After everything Rhapsody goes through in this book (and series) for her to sit back and say this rocked to me the core the first time I read it at 15. She never wallowed in self-pity, she never let the darkness consume her when it could have been so easy to do so. Instead, she got up and kept on trucking. It’s one of the reasons why I still love this character after so many years.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Haydon (* 1965 in Michigan) is a fantasy author, whose 1999 debut, Rhapsody: Child of Blood, garnered comparisons with Goodkind, Jordan, and even Tolkien. She has written two fantasy series set within the same universe, The fantasy/romance/whodunit fusion called The Symphony of Ages and the young adult series The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

An herbalist, harpist, and madrigal singer, Elizabeth Haydon also enjoys anthropology and folklore. She lives on the East Coast of the United States.