The Gift is the first book of Pellinor, written by Alison Croggon. The epic fantasy is about a sixteen-year-old orphan named Mearad, who is rescued from enslavement in a cold and desolate place by the Bard Cadvan. Mearad joins Cadvan on his journey to Norloch. During the journey, Cadvan tells her of Annar, and the gift that all Bards possess. Mearad discovers that she is also a Bard from a great family; her gift is greater than any Cadvan had seen. Their exhausting journey leads them to Innail, one of the Bardic schools.
At Innail, Mearad finds out about the ways of the Bards and their lifestyle. She learns how to read, ride a horse and use a sword. She and Cadvan continue their journey to Norloch, where Cadvan is to teach Mearad of the Bards so she can become a full Bard. In Norloch, Cadvan seeks to consult his mentor, Nelac, about Mearad’s gift and her true name. This information could reveal if Mearad is truly the foretold one, prophesized to defeat the Nameless one (as Cadvan suspects). Throughout the book, Mearad learns more about her heritage as well as her gift, and encounters various characters and creatures.
In The Gift, Croggon uses imagery very well, describing the lavish landscapes and the architectural beauty of Annar. The detailed descriptions of the surrounding environment, food, clothes and even the craving on the furniture, create captivating images of the Bardic world.
This book is similar to other fantasy books; and follows a typical plot. A simple person is caught up in a series of events and is led on a journey by a wise figure. Eventually this character realizes that she is destined to defeat an evil force in an ultimate battle of good versus evil.
The book is original in many ways. It is written from the perspective of a young woman; most epic fantasies are from a man’s point of view. Croggon also provides an appendix on the origin of the story, the history of the ancient language, a pronunciation guide and even an inventive bibliography of sources, which makes the story seem more realistic. This Australian poet introduces a fictional lost civilization; The Gift is a translation of a text from this lost civilization. She also includes poetry in the book as ancient Annarian songs that tell of long forgotten tales.
As a fan of fantasy novels, I appreciate the originality of The Gift. I enjoyed the story very much, and it is now one of my favorite books. And I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book, The Riddle, of the series, which is already out in some places but is yet to be released in the U.S. It is coming out in the U.S. in November of 2006.