The Ropemaker

By: Peter Dickinson

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Hardcover | 1 November 2001 | Edition Number 1

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The people of the valley have been protected by powerful magic for twenty generations. No enemies from the Empire on its borders can penetrate the poisoned forests to the south or the deadly glaciers to the north. But the spell is weakening. Setting out to challenge the might of the Evil Emperor and his powerful magicians are young Tilja, her three companions and an obstinate horse. They must seek a mythical figure from centuries ago - and on their long and perilous journey Tilja discovers her own strange power. It will enable her to enter the Empire's most guarded fortress, and discover the identity of the one they call the Ropemaker - a man who controls the rope of time itself

Industry Reviews

Dickinson's new work is a quest fantasy, but not in the heroic mold. Its core is set in a Valley, cut off from the warlike tribes on the northern plains and from the Empire to its south, by barriers fueled by the channeled magic of the area's people. As the story begins, the defenses that safeguarded the Valley over 20 generations are breaking down. Tilja, her grandmother, and Tahl with his grandfather, travel into the Empire seeking the sorcerer who fixed the original safeguards to request that he renew them. The Empire has changed and is now filled with unexpected dangers and challenges. Dickinson divides his narrative into three sections, each named for a sorcerer. "Asarta" sets the story up, establishing the mythology of the Valley, its history, and a feel for the social mores of the world. "Faheel" tells of the quest through the Empire, its current political and social characteristics, and the nature of magic and validity of its use. "Ramdata" is the concluding section, recounting the return of the four to the Valley, through the chaos caused by the actions of Faheel, the second sorcerer. This is an unusually satisfying fantasy in a world built through the myths and customs of the people who live there. There is a very concrete sense of the geography of the various lands that the characters travel through; even the nature of the magic is based in the land and objects produced by its people. Characterizations are excellent, including the secondary characters (and the horse). Suspense continues to build, with an ending that is harmonious with the plot, setting, and characters. For fantasy fans, a spellbinder. "(Fiction. YA)" (Kirkus Reviews)

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