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The Ill-made Mute (The Bitterbynde Trilogy)
 
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The Ill-made Mute (The Bitterbynde Trilogy) (Hardcover)

by Cecilia Dart-Thornton (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Tor (21 Sep 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0333907531
  • ISBN-13: 978-0333907535
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 964,785 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
This first novel by Australian Cecilia Dart-Thornton launches the Bitterbynde series, a saga of a young woman's search for her past and her destiny. An orphaned refugee taken in as a servant of powerful Isse Tower, a prominent Relay Station in the world's communications network, the main character is a nameless, badly scarred mute with little hope for better. He eventually escapes by stowing away on a magical Windship and is befriended by cheerful Sianadh, a self-professed madman and adventurer. Sianadh gives his companion two precious gifts: a name, Imrhien, and the knowledge that he is really a she, raised as a boy to protect her from even worse treatment. Together the two journey into the deep green heart of a great forest, defeat the tricky magic of various eldritch wights and discover a vast treasure that will change their lives forever. When Imrhien learns of Maeve One-Eye, a healer who may be able to heal her scars and restore her memory, the girl is determined to seek her out. On the dangerous journey, Imrhien meets and falls in love with the Dainnan ranger Thorn, but doubts he could ever return her affections. While this novel doesn't stand well alone, readers who crave long and detailed journeys through fantastic lands filled with magical creatures will enjoy Imrhien's travels. Dart-Thornton's world takes many traditional elements of epic fantasy and manages to stir them into something charming and new. --Charlene Brusso

Product Description
A landmark publication in the world of Fantasy writing In a world where creatures of legend haunt the lands of men, and to be caught outside after dark means almost certain death, the inhabitants of Isse Tower are amazed when a mute, starving foundling is discovered outside their gates. With no recollection of her name or past, the girl soon realizes that her only hope of happiness lies in distant Caermalor, where a wise woman might be able to restore her memories. To get there, Imrhien must survive a wilderness of endless danger. Lost and pursued by unhuman wights, Imrhien is saved by Thorn, a mysterious, handsome ranger who becomes her protector-and the object of her hopeless love. But unknown to them, a dark force summons the Unseelie, and malignant hordes amass in the night.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Ill-made Mute (The Bitterbynde Trilogy)
70% buy the item featured on this page:
The Ill-made Mute (The Bitterbynde Trilogy) 3.9 out of 5 stars (31)
The Battle of Evernight (The Bitterbynde Trilogy)
16% buy
The Battle of Evernight (The Bitterbynde Trilogy) 3.3 out of 5 stars (14)
£7.99
The Lady of the Sorrows (The Bitterbynde Trilogy)
14% buy
The Lady of the Sorrows (The Bitterbynde Trilogy) 4.0 out of 5 stars (14)
£5.99

 

Customer Reviews

31 Reviews
5 star:
 (16)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Over-written, but worth the slog, 3 Jan 2004
By Tara Gilmartin (Derry, NI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I'll admit that, for about the first 50 pages or so of this book, I could cheerfully have put it down and not bothered to finish. Cecilia Dart-Thornton has a lush, heavily-detailed writing style which really interfered with me getting into the story and, to be honest, which annoyed me quite a bit.

Once I really engaged with the character, though, I found this to be an excellent, mature read. Yes, the character does come of age and yes, the plot revolves around a quest for self-knowledge, but this story has little in common with the common run of fantasy novels. There's a maturity here that can't help but ensnare the reader.

I found the world-building breathtakingly detailed, and although I found myself skimming great chunks of descriptive detail right to the end, I also ordered my copy of The Lady of the Sorrows as soon as I finished the last page. What greater praise?

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant., 21 Sep 2001
By A Customer
I love this book. From the very first sentence, I was engrossed in another world. It is like no other fantasy story I have ever read, filled with weird creatures, adventure and romance. I can hardly wait for the second and third books in the series.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Exallent!, 1 Oct 2001
This book captivated me!
I could not put it down even the house work was neglected for 2 days! The charicters are so rich and the story spell binding though it does take time to get used to the alternative vocab. However the glossery at the back explains most words that can't be figured out.
I felt quite cheated at the end however, as the novel ends at a pivotal moment and the next book does not come out until next year! This book is the best I have read in a while. Buy it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars HEEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!
The only reason this got a star, is because you cannot submit a review without at least that. Amazon really should look into an option of negative star rating. Read more
Published 10 months ago by CeNedra Red

5.0 out of 5 stars Awww, the synopsis gave the surprise away...
For me there was a rather large twist a short ways in and the synopsis gave it away... No surprise for readers >:(

... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Rory

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing & Confusing
Take a large amount of folklore (wights, waterhorsese, will o the wisps), add most of an obscure dictionary, an amount of bad poetry and way too many minor characters, squish them... Read more
Published 12 months ago by bluecougar25

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ill Made Mute
I have to start by saying aaaaaaaaah! This IMHO is fantasy at its best, I have read this before but, for some reason never got round to reading the other two in the trilogy so a... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Clare

2.0 out of 5 stars Simply not compelling
I shall have to confess that I gave up about one third into the book. I see that there are many reviws here that are full of praise, so pay no heed to my review unless you find... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Leyonne

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to rate...
The Ill-Made Mute is the first book in the Bitterbynde trilogy (before The Lady of Sorrows and The Battle of Evernight). Read more
Published on 20 May 2007 by Stephanie Noverraz

2.0 out of 5 stars Over written
O.k first off I'm still reading this - currently about ¾ of the way through. While the book is o.k. I really cannot agree with all the glowing (blinded? Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2007 by E. A. Mullen

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutley beautiful
There are very few books that i would say are written beuatifully this goes on the record as being one of them (along with Robin Hobb's Farseer and Tawny Man series hint hint) The... Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2006 by Andrew Taylor

4.0 out of 5 stars Dart-Thornton opens a window into another world
I have to admit, the first time I picked up this book, I didn't finish it. Dart-Thornton's writing could be called over-descriptive and long-winded, if you are not in... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2006 by K. Edwards

4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it after a while...
I have been a reader of fantasy for about six years now I was captivated by the works of Tolkien and Jordan by the age of twelve and now you never find me without my nose in some... Read more
Published on 23 May 2005

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