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    The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor
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    The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor
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    The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor
    Audiobook19 hours

    The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor

    Written by Alison Croggon

    Narrated by Eloise Oxer

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child when her family is destroyed in war. She doesn't yet know she has inherited a powerful gift, one that marks her as a member of the noble School of Pellinor and enables her to see the world as no other can. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true identity and extraordinary destiny unfold. Now, she and her mysterious teacher must embark on a treacherous, uncertain journey through a time and place where the forces of darkness wield an otherworldly terror.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateApr 12, 2011
    ISBN9781441862785
    Unavailable
    The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor
    Author

    Alison Croggon

    Alison Croggon is an award-winning novelist, poet, theatre writer, critic, and editor. Born in South Africa, she has lived in the UK and is now based in Melbourne, Australia.

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    Reviews for The Naming

    4/5

    545 ratings32 reviews

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    • 2/5
      While the general story was good I felt like it dragged on a little.
    • 5/5
      An intelligent fantasy, the story is one of the more usual, Light struggling against the Dark, a child with heritage previously unknown to them, a person coming into their powers, one ordained by destiny. While the story may feel a little predictable, the telling is well done - believable characters, good pacing and backstory, great writing.
    • 3/5
      I found that the Naming has some great adventure and while I liked the characters of Maerad and Cadvan, they're not as well developed as I'd like. It felt like this book was more of an introduction to the coming books,setting the scene if you will and introducing the many characters and the conflict. It's a rather slow moving book but I still found this Young Adult Epic Fantasy to be entertaining with an apparent battle pending between the forces of Light and Dark, Good and Evil, and the Nameless One, who's returned (with some elements from LOTR.) Anyway, I do plan to continue to read the next book in the series. Jack Murphy
    • 4/5
      The first of a quadrology - here starts an epic tale - having completed the first title I have every intention of pushing forward and enjoying the journey. As with all true epics, the going is difficult and only becomes more so. Not all decisions have options that are good, for at times one must choose between bad and worse. The underlying structure appears at times to be a little weak but that could be due to the constraints placed on writing a title for a younger audience.
    • 4/5
      This book was way longer than it had to be. For all the pages that I had to go through, not much happened.The plot itself was pretty good. I'm not a fan of the really-this-is-real fake sort of thing that a lot of people are so fond of, but Andrew would disagree with me on that, so it's more a matter of preference than actual problems with the story. With that said, since it was supposed to mimic a true history, I wish it could have tied more into the mythologies and ancient worlds that we currently know about. References to already-known things would have made it feel much more like a true story instead of a disjointed mythology/epic that doesn't fit in with the world as we know it now.I think what prevented it from being something that's a must-read is all the backstory and explaining that happened in this first book. It's necessary that we have those elements, but more showing instead of telling would have been appreciated, or at least maybe more of it could have been added into an appendix so that we could have gotten more story. I wanted actual plot and character development, but things are almost the same in the end as they are in the beginning. Conflicts that could have been interesting were resolved too quickly, probably to make room for more backstory.Though it might seem like it with all this criticism, I didn't hate this book. I think it provides a nice set-up to a story that could potentially be interesting if the storytelling itself is kicked up a notch in the subsequent books. The main character has enough of a personality to make her somewhat interesting, but again, I want that to develop more strongly in the next books. It's good enough that I'm giving this series one more book to hook me in before I give up, but if the second turns out to be similar to the first, then I don't think this is a series I need to spend my time reading.*Originally posted on Going on to the Next
    • 5/5
      This is the first book in The Books of Pellinor series, which is a four book series. I absolutely loved this book. It is such a great epic fantasy adventure with a very classic feel to it. I loved the world with the Bards and the classic light vs dark themes here. I definitely plan on continuing with this series!Maerad is a slave living in an unforgiving settlement who has been taught to sing and play and is very talented at these musical arts. Then one day she discovers Cadvan in the stable and he offers to help her escape slavery. However, as a result Maerad learns her true identity and ends up embroiled in the politics and dangers associated with the great Bards of Lirigon.I listened to this on audiobook and it was well done. I didn’t like Maerad’s speaking voice, it sounded pinched...but we don’t actually hear Maerad talk a ton since most of the narration is in her head. Aside from that I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook.This book had such a wonderful classic adventure fantasy feel to it. I enjoyed the complex characters, they are all well done (even the side characters). I also really enjoyed the adventure and all the battles and danger our characters have to fight through. The world-building is amazing and I loved the history of the Bards and the light vs dark theme to the story.Overall this was an amazing adventure fantasy and I look forward to continuing the series. I would recommend to those who enjoy epic adventure fantasy and detailed world-building.
    • 5/5
      The Books of Pellinor are a high fantasy series that is a more accessible version of Tolkein's Lord of the Rings with the same richness of imagery and world building but with straightforward names and a less complicated history. That said it could also be that The Books of Pellinor are less intimidating because they're not as famous or as widely read as Tolkein. The Books of Pellinor are set in the land of Edil-Amarandh - a land which has been on the precipe of danger for years - ever since Sharma, the Nameless One stole the Treesong from the Elementals (Elidhu) and broke the song. Cadvan of Lirigon is working against the dark but there's only so much he can do - until while on a mission he runs into Maerad - a slave girl who can see through his invisibility. Soon they're travelling together and finding that all is not right in the land. Then Maerad leads Cadvan to a boy named Hem and nothing is the same. Maerad and Hem have an instant connection and it's not long before Cadvan realises nothing happens without a reason and that only by working together can the light prevail.Maerad was terrific. I loved her zest for life and learning and her desire to improve her circumstances - for all she could occasionally be childish and pessimistic. Cadvan was a bit more of an enigma - he was all over the place. Like Maerad, I found myself loving and hating him depending on how vague he was and then how kind he could be. I did like how periods were normalised in this. Nowadays it's not so much an issue but when it was first published it was still more of a topic to be embarrassed about, for all it was still discussed. The fantasy elements are terrific and will feel familiar and comfortable for fantasy lovers. There's not anything particularly new (when is there?) but it's done well. The quest unfolds satisfactorily with a good balance of action and lore and character development. I enjoyed the inclusion of the Bard verses throughout the text and at the start of each segment. My favourite was the Canticles of Pel of Norloch. The world building is well developed and fascinating but thankfully not quite as overwhelming as Lord of the Rings. The appendices streamline knowledge that appears throughout the text rather than just adding a billion more backstories and histories. Well, and add some cheeky humour. I enjoyed the idea of matter and energy as music. A science that depended on laboratory experimentation, for example, simply didn’t exist, although it is known that the Schools of the Suderain included extremely advanced mathematicians and that the Bards of Baladh formulated and used physical laws in their astronomical observations. They were aware of atoms and subatomic particles, and theorized matter and energy as musical vibratory forces, anticipating quantum physics and string theory, and the Bard Thorkon of Turbansk proposed something that looks very like the theory of relativity.Croggon, Alison. The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor (Pellinor Series 1) (pp. 487-488). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. Although there is some romance in later books, the relationship between Cadvan and Maerad is one of friendship and respect and only has a few fleeting hints of anything like love in this first book. Maerad has had a hard life and Cadvan is understanding and steadfast in his support as she learns to adjust to freedom. For all he could be harsh he was also kind.The side characters were interesting and I liked Silvia and Nelac and I'm pretty fond of Saliman - but my favourite character was Hem. Hem was hilarious. I can't wait to see more of him. This won't be for everyone, The Naming alone, is almost 500 pages - but for those that like strong fantasy books with a quest and chosen ones and epic lore - this is for you. 5 stars.
    • 3/5
      My son and I both enjoyed this book. It dragged for us through at least the first half but by the end, we were involved and interested and debating on getting the second one.
    • 5/5
      Let me tell you: I have read A LOT of Lord of the Rings-inspired teen fantasy, and this series truly stands out.
    • 3/5
      Didn't love it, didn't hate it; definitely needs a stroke more originality. Also, I hate it when non-linguists try to make up a language. Give it up, people!! Just because Tolkein did it, doesn't mean you can. Oh, yeah, that's right: Tolkein was a linguist. That aside, I was interested enough to read the 2nd book.
    • 4/5
      Maedra is a sixteen year old slave when this story begins. She has survived by letting people believe that she is a witch, cursing those who try to take advantage of her. When she meets Bard Cadvan she learns that she may have some power after all, more than she even imagined. I read this in a day, and can't wait to get Book 2 in the series.
    • 3/5
      T'was great - fab imagery and well-build characters. Enjoyed it and wouldn't mind reading the sequel...
    • 5/5
      I love Alison Croggon's "Pellinor" series. The characters are deep, multi-faceted and memorable, and the story carries you avidly wherever she wishes to take you. I've read "The Naming" twice and intend to read the others in the series again, as well.
    • 2/5
      THE NAMING begins as Maerad, a slave girl from a tiny northern village where even the local lord lives a hard-scrabble life, is plucked from a life of hopeless drudgery by a traveling Bard. The Bards are magicians, and also the ruling elite. They make the laws, collect the taxes, and in return use their abilities to help the land and its people flourish. The traveler, Carvan, realizes immediately that Maerad is also a Bard - and he realizes soon after that she may be much more than that. He is honor bound to rescue her from enslavement, and find her a new and more welcoming home.

      The rest of THE NAMING recounts the very long journey that Carvan and Maerad make to the capital of the realm. There are stops along the way, and a few adventures, but equal space is devoted to their endless plodding through rough wilderness.

      Maerad is young, and she seems young. While slavery has accustomed her to hardship, it hasn't made her any more mature than the average sixteen year old. She is naive and temperamental. She is also, to be frank, rather boring.

      Cadvan walks a fine line traveling alone for months with a pretty young girl who is entirely in his power, and perhaps that is why he is always calm, upbeat, and distant. He spends months alone with Maerad, but they don't talk very much - Cadvan lectures her on history, on Barding, on his worries for the future. Almost any other kind of behavior would have been creepy, but it was...boring. And left a lot of space for endless descriptions of the passing landscape.

      What irritated me perhaps most of all was Croggon's handling of magic in this fantasy world - called "the Light," and manipulated by way of "the Speech." The Speech cannot be learned - it comes to you one day, resulting in instant fluency. Maerad's use of magic is chaotic and uncontrolled at first, but after a certain point she starts performing complex spells without any instruction or preparation. It's all too easy - and that makes it harder to like Maerad, who has such incredible gifts but never really seems special.

      THE NAMING has all of the characteristics of a gripping adventure novel, but I was never sucked in, never desperate to turn the pages, never afraid that things would go badly for our heroine, never thrilled by acts of heroism. It was disappointing.
    • 4/5
      I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this book. My hesitation is not so much the fault of the plot as an inherent irritation with characters that make their own life complicated for no reason. I can't remember how many times Maerad for what seemed to be no reason suddenly started getting angry, defensive, or began panicking. Now half the time I inferred that the setting in which they were in affected them, but the author never comes out and says so. (And here I will compare it to the Lord of the Rings, as Tolkien is very dedicated in letting the reader know when the location is affecting the protagonists.) Overall however a good novel, and I would read the following books in the series.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this story, the first in a 4-book series. There is a strong female protagonist and the magical theories involved are believable. There is also a pleasant Tolkien-like feel to the writing, which is enhanced by the fact that it lacks Tolkien's misogyny. The young adult writing level makes it appropriate for teens, but the plot and characters are complex enough to appeal to adults as well. The only negative I found was what seemed to be an overly-frequent mention of the main character's menstruation, but perhaps this is important to the plot later in the series -- I'm still working my way through them. Very highly recommended, particularly for teenage girls and Tolkien fans.
    • 5/5
      I have just finished to read the complete series and as I am a great epic fan I only can say that I loved these books and was finaly very sad when it came to an end. I thought all the books were very discriptive, the character development was great and the narrative of the books was wonderful. Alison Croggon is a great story teller as you could live the story with the characters. I have read the Lord of the Rings as well, but I've found no more parallels in this books than in any other fantasy novels. The books take you to very well described places and you can imagine them all as you go along, I found the books not boring at all and found it much more difficult to actually put them down.
    • 5/5
      A second reading of 'The Gift' allowed me time to savour more fully the sensual nature of Croggon's writing without the distraction of the narrative's headlong dash. Everyday food, colours, clothes, landscapes, objects are all described with the poet's eye for detail and (for the pleasures in life such as warm baths) obvious relish. There was also more opportunity to absorb the intricacies of the extracts from her created world's poetry, with their images, alliterations, rhyme and metre.Leisure also brought more understanding of the details of this world. Things like names took on more significance. Many Annaren names, especially those of the more virtuous, seemed to relate to Welsh, such as Cai, Cadvan (for modern Cadfan), Maerad (modern Mared), Brin (for Bryn) and Idris. The more sinister characters were more distinctly Old Testament in tone, with names like Likud and the substitution of the letter 'k' for hard 'c' found in virtuous characters.The slow pace that some readers have complained about perfectly reflects the journey, both physical and personal, that the young Bard has to undertake from her slavery to the recognition of her innate powers. Yes, there are echoes of 'The Lord of the Rings'--what post-Tolkien fantasy isn't indebted to it?--but Maerad is more proactive and more reflective and her character is rather more rounded than, say, Frodo's. Croggon has publicly acknowedged the influence of Tolkien's essay on fairy stories on her Pellinor story, and there is the same love of words and invented languages, but there is a real sense that her characters drive the plot rather than the plot driving the characters as there is in 'The Lord of the Rings'.My only real reservation is over the conceit that the Pellinor series is based on documented events happening any time over 10,000 years ago (in reality around the end of the last Ice Age) that may or may not be something to do with Atlantis. I think the storyline works better without this distraction, though I appreciate that this helps to create a learned context for Pellinor history and culture; I accept that I may be missing a nuance or two here, however.While 'The Gift' doesn't end with the conventional cliffhanger I still have a pleasurable anticipation for what is to come in the succeeding volumes. A final note of praise is also due for the finely drawn and lettered maps which add immeasurably to the joy of revisiting Pellinor for the second time.
    • 2/5
      Maerad is a slave after both of her parents and younger brother were killed in the sacking of her home town Pellinor. One day in the cow byre she meets Cadvan, a Bard who is fleeing from an evil who had been torturing him for weeks. He recognises in her a Gift, she too is a Bard but the gifts have not yet awoken in her. She posesses a lyre which looks to be special and left over from the Dhyllic people. He decides to take her with him on a dangerous journey which will change her life. A dark power is arising, the Nameless One is suspected to be back even though the Light had thought him defeated. Maerad may just be the Fated One to defeat him once and for all. I'll stop here with the description of the plot as anyone who has read a fantasy novel ever has read this book before. It borrows heavily from Tolkien with a lot of scenes and events taken from Fellowship of the Ring. The author also uses The Snow Queen as the basis for the tale of the evil Ice Witch. She puts her own spin on the telling, but I couldn't help feeling I had read it all before. There were elements I enjoyed. It was fun having a female lead character and I liked that they were Bards and there was a musical element, although they did magic pretty much like a wizard. From reading reviews and the authors comments online it seems that she pays her homage to Tolkien in the first book and the rest of the series is more her own original ideas. Part of my issue was perhaps I had too high expectations as Mariel loves this series and raves about the books constantly. I have agonised over how to rate it and have given it a really low one after much internal debate. I think I will read the next book in the series and see if it does live up to the hype as a few series I have started lately have begun weak and then from book two onwards they have been amazing. Fingers crossed...
    • 5/5
      The Pelinor series was originally published as a trilogy. Then by the end of the third book, titled The Crow, the story has no ending! I was fit to be tied!! I was so mad!! What kind of story gets published without an ending?!! Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time obviously (that's not a compliment). It was a few years after The Crow was released, before the last book, titled The Singing, that the end the story was published. The fourth book in a trilogy! By then I have forgotten what went on in the first three books. And that took a lot of the pleasure in my journey with Maerad and Cadvan... which is a pitty! Because the story-telling quality is one of those rarely compelling ones where the author totally takes you away to another world! I could feel the wind on my face, the tiredness in Maerad's bones, the joy in the bards' song... simply, a 5 out of 5.
    • 4/5
      very entertaining and well crafted piece of fiction. A young girl discovers she is more than just a slave. She has supernatural powers and must employ them to save the world from being engulfed by evil.
    • 3/5
      Kearsten says: I actually didn't finish this one - I got about halfway through, decided I'd read too many books lately about young people who think they're normal (or less than everyone else) until discovering that they are SPECIAL. Of course, he/she must immediately leave on a journey/quest to discover him/herself and somehow prepare to fight THE great evil threatening the world because he/she is the only one who can (according to prophecy).I got much more than halfway through before deciding to focus on other books. I may come back to this someday.
    • 3/5
      I couldn't finish this one. Not because it was boring, or poorly written (it wasn't), but eventually I came to the conclusion that I had read enough of these types of books - young person, thought they were normal, or less than everyone else, discovers that he/she is SPECIAL, must go on a journey/quest to discover themselves, and must fight a great evil 'cause they're the only one who can.... I got much more than halfway through before deciding to focus on other books. I may come back to this someday.
    • 3/5
      Do Not Pick This Book Up If You Are Not Prepared For An Epic.Remenicent of LOTR in the epic-ness this book should not be undertaken by thoes who have little patience and are not at all into history.For thoes of you who are I sugest getting up from where ever you are and aquiering a copy right now.It takes place across a world that is very well documented and crafted with it's own languages, limitations and lore that you learn about through hte course of the story. It can be dry at times but the way it's written makes up for it. Some of the words Ms. Croggon used you don't need to know the meaning of to see what she was trying to tell you, the words look as they are, as strange at that sounds. Not many authors can do that today and I'm happy to say Ms. Croggon can.I look forward to the next books in the seriese.
    • 4/5
      This book is very interesting. its extremely adventurous and an amazing fantasy. cnt wait for the 2nd book! cadvans hawt!
    • 4/5
      As long as she can remember, sixteen year-old Maerad has been a slave. However, when she discovers the powerful Bard, Cadvan of Lirigon, hidden and injured in the milking barn, she begins an incredible adventure that takes her away from slavery and introduces her to her magical Bard heritage and a past that she had forgotten. Maerad learns that she is the daughter of the First Bard of Pellinor, who was believed dead along with the entire School of Pellinor. However, that doesn’t explain why her gift is so powerful or why she doesn’t yet know the Bard gift of Speech. Cadvan has his suspicions as he guides her on a dangerous and perilous journey, dodging the minions of the Dark that plague them. Could she be the One? The Foretold? Only when Maerad is initiated and named as a full Bard will they know for sure. And if she is? What does that mean for Maerad’s future? What does it mean for the world of Edil-Amaranoh? Can Maerad understand and control the gifts of her heritage in time? And now that Maerad has finally found people she can love, will she always have to leave them?This book, the first of a quartet in the Books of Pellinor, is a truly enjoyable read that both the high school student and the adult will enjoy. Croggon introduces the story by indicating it is a translation of an ancient document, including a map of Edil-Amaranoh and appendices explaining its language, history and culture. While these additions give valuable insight into the background of the story, the author’s fictitious emphasis, including fake citations, that the story is a “real” story doesn’t quite match the flow or tone of the story itself. However, you can easily get caught-up in the adventure itself, imagining the impact of Maerad’s choices and how her past has shaped those choices. I look forward to the next installment.
    • 5/5
      Thoroughly enjoyed it. Very, very well-developed and detailed world and culture as well as engaging storyline. Covers a great deal of territory (over a great many pages), but keeps the reader interested.
    • 4/5
      At first I was skeptic about this book. It was a "Hmm, I don't really think I'll like this..." book at first sight for me. But I was pleasantly sursprised when I cracked it open finally and was pulled into the adventure. This book has the right amount of action at the right times and beautiful imagery. And the next book (The Riddle) looks just as promising!
    • 5/5
      Like the female version of Lord of the Rings... obviously not comparable to Tolkien, but certainly a lot better than the majority of other attempts! Allegorical, coming-of-age fantasy adventure that is well-worth the near 500 page read!
    • 5/5
      Although the idea of this novel is not that original, I thought it was well written and enjoyable.