Helpful Score: 1
From the back cover:
In the Valley of the Mists, Rikardon and Tarani have discovered an ancient truth that will alter the destiny of Gandalara forever. But an evil lord has enslaved the land using the sacred stone called the Ra'ira. Outlawed and hunted, Rikardon and Tarani stage a daring and desperate raid to shatter his death-grip of fear.
In this stunning epic, the sweeping saga of Gandalara reaches its unexpected, awe-inspiring conclusion as the secret of this strange dsert world is revealed at last.
In the Valley of the Mists, Rikardon and Tarani have discovered an ancient truth that will alter the destiny of Gandalara forever. But an evil lord has enslaved the land using the sacred stone called the Ra'ira. Outlawed and hunted, Rikardon and Tarani stage a daring and desperate raid to shatter his death-grip of fear.
In this stunning epic, the sweeping saga of Gandalara reaches its unexpected, awe-inspiring conclusion as the secret of this strange dsert world is revealed at last.
Helpful Score: 1
A sure-fire Golden Quill winner for Outstanding Storytelling, November 2, 1999
Reviewer: A reader
There are only a few series-stories out there in existence that excels from the very first book to the last, the first chapter to the last, the very first page to the very last. George Lucas's infamous Star Wars series, the entirety of JMS's Babylon 5 series...and the Gandalara Cycle. To find a single one of this seven-book, out-of-print series is a treasure; to find an entire set is incomprehensible, because virtually all I have heard who had read it refuse, outright, to part with their copies. 'The River Wall', the conclusion to the series, not only brings to a climactic close the ongoing storyline and the plot-twist revelation, it delves into the very nature of sentient existence with the ease of a boat being pushed onto the water; Ms. Heydron carries the reader to the conclusion that we are more than just tool-using, verbose descendants of apes. That our nature is not defined by our DNA, or our physical shape, but that it's how we think, and what we do, that defines us as worthwhile beings. We are Human, and we are Gandalaran, too. Ms. Heydron and the late Mr. Garrett have written a series sentient beings can be proud to read.
Reviewer: A reader
There are only a few series-stories out there in existence that excels from the very first book to the last, the first chapter to the last, the very first page to the very last. George Lucas's infamous Star Wars series, the entirety of JMS's Babylon 5 series...and the Gandalara Cycle. To find a single one of this seven-book, out-of-print series is a treasure; to find an entire set is incomprehensible, because virtually all I have heard who had read it refuse, outright, to part with their copies. 'The River Wall', the conclusion to the series, not only brings to a climactic close the ongoing storyline and the plot-twist revelation, it delves into the very nature of sentient existence with the ease of a boat being pushed onto the water; Ms. Heydron carries the reader to the conclusion that we are more than just tool-using, verbose descendants of apes. That our nature is not defined by our DNA, or our physical shape, but that it's how we think, and what we do, that defines us as worthwhile beings. We are Human, and we are Gandalaran, too. Ms. Heydron and the late Mr. Garrett have written a series sentient beings can be proud to read.
this is one of my all time favorite series. Had to have it to keep forever since I lost it the last time we moved.
The conclusion to the Gandalara Cycle ... Ricardon and Tarani live through a massive quake and volcano eruption, save the wild Sha'ums from being poisoned and solve the problem of the lack of Sha'um riders, track down the evil one for the last time, and the secret of Gandalara is ..... :)
A side note on the authors of these books: As a married couple, they completed a broad outline on the entire Cycle and almost finished the draft of 'The Steel of Raithskar' when R. Garrett was seriously and permanently injured in the mid 70's. She finished the books in his memory. Glancing back through these books, I realized that I liked the Big Cats much better than Tarani.
A side note on the authors of these books: As a married couple, they completed a broad outline on the entire Cycle and almost finished the draft of 'The Steel of Raithskar' when R. Garrett was seriously and permanently injured in the mid 70's. She finished the books in his memory. Glancing back through these books, I realized that I liked the Big Cats much better than Tarani.
