Song Quest

Infobox Book |
name = Song Quest
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition paperback bookcover
author = Katherine Roberts
illustrator =
cover_artist = Harvey Parker and Alison Withey
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = The Echorium Sequence
subject =
genre = Fantasy Novel
publisher = The Chicken House
pub_date = 1 January, 1999
english_pub_date = 1 January, 1999
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 240 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 1903434467
preceded_by =
followed_by = Crystal Mask

"Song Quest" is a fantasy novel by Katherine Roberts. It is the first book in The Echorium Sequence followed by Crystal Mask and Dark Quetzal. The novel was first published in 1999 by Chicken House as a hardback copy; later on in 2001, the first paperback was published. Song Quest was the winner of the Branford Boase Award in 2000 and was the first Branford Boase Award given out.

Plot introduction

Song Quest is first set on the Isle of Echoes where the Singers live. At the academy on the island, a class of final years is sent down to the beach surrounding the Echorium to find out more about a wreckage which had appeared along the reef a few days before. The final years' teacher, Graia, tells the students to keep their eyes and ears open. The merlee; half-creatures can be heard along the shores of the Isle of Echoes to those who can hear them. Rialle is the only one in her class who can hear the merlee. The plot develops along the storyline of the crying merlee and a runaway novice in Rialle's class.

Plot summary

Rialle, a final year novice from The Echorium on the Isle of Echoes realizes she can hear the voices of the merlee across the sea. Singer Graia, her teacher, asks the class to keep their ears and eyes open, referring to the merlee. Rialle and her friends, Frenn and Chissar, search the beach where Frenn finds an old mainlander artifact. Meanwhile Kherron, also in Rialle's class, runs away from The Echorium during their time on the beach, infuriating Graia in the process. The merlee tries to contact Rialle, warning her of peril and danger to the merlee, although Rialle, thinking she's going crazy, overreacts and screams, attracting the attention of her classmates and Graia. Graia realizes that Rialle had heard the merlee and sends everyone back inside the Echorium.

Meanwhile Kherron is exploring the caves along the beaches where he discovers what he thinks is a dead mainlander who is actually asleep. The mainlander explains that he broke his leg from swimming ashore onto the island. Kherron attempts to make a deal with the mainlander: if he helps him get back to the ship of another mainlander named Metz and heal his broken leg, then Kherron gets a free ride to Silvertown (a town 10 days away from the island).

Rialle is sent to the First Singer's chambers (Eliya) to discuss what she had learned from going down to the beach to investigate the wreckage. She actually means what she had heard referring to the merlee but Rialle does not fully understand the question at first. Rialle explains how she heard the merlee and how they communicated to her and Eliya replies by explaining how she'll teach Rialle how to farlisten; a skill which enables singers to be listen and communicate outside where they actually exist. She also explains that Rialle will be leaving The Echorium soon which she protests against as she would miss her friends, namely Frenn and Chissar. Her assignment would be with Second Singer Toharo and her job would be to persuade the merlee to allow the Singers safe passage across the seas surrounding the Isle of Echoes which currently are very stormy due to the anger of the merlee; mainlanders have been murdering their race.

Kherron returns to the Echorium after four days on the shores of island to tell the First Singer about another Mainlander ship that could attack the island but Eliya already knows this from Rialle and sends him to the baths to wash. Afterward Rialle goes into Eliya’s chambers to contact the merlee to see if they would stop the storms they were creating in the seas. She succeeds in communicating with them and relays the message to stop the storms but will have to keep reminding them as they have a short memory. Kherron does not go to the baths to wash instead goes back to the cave where the mainlander Cadzi is and decides to get their boat up and running which they will use to find the mainlander’s other ship.

The Wavesong which Rialle and Singer Toharo are travelling on, leaves the island heading for Silvertown. Rialle realises that Frenn has sneaked onto the Wavesong who was supposed to be training as an orderly on the island. Just after the voyage starts Rialle tries to contact the merlee to stop the storms but they're too far away and frightened.

Kherron and Cadzi row out from the island and eventually find the mainlander ship who Metz is the captain of. Kherron attempts to make a deal with the mainlanders; safe passage to Silvertown in exchange for information concerning the Singers but they are skeptical. The mainlanders agree to his terms but they put him to work extracting eggs from the merlee that they had been capturing.

Back on the Wavesong, Frenn is steering the ship and Rialle is enjoying the sunshine and fresh breeze but they encounter hundreds of merlee to port. Rialle dived into the sea and joined the merlee to "swim with them". The shoal-father leader of the shoal reminds Rialle that they should be helping the merlee save their children referring to their young who are being slaughtered by the mainlanders. But the merlee attack her thinking she'd betrayed them as the mainlanders begin capturing the merlee. Singer Toharo saved Rialle with the orderlies who found her nearly drowned.

Three days after the merlee incident with Rialle, they arrive at Silvertown but Rialle has been asleep since. They dock and go ashore to hire a carriage to the east where a lord named Javelly lived who was known to be helping the hunters known as the Karch who were killing the merlee for their eggs. At the same time the Singers discover several facts whilst in Silvertown namely that Kherron is not at the town, a secret group is plotting to assassinate the Karchlord (leader of the Karch), which of the stable horses were the fastest (which they needed for their carriage to the east), and that the stables owner is a crook as he is helping the Karch with their business in the west. The Singers pack their bags and prepare to leave Silvertown for the Karchlord and the Lord Javelly.

Metz's ship and crew enter the scene and arrive at Silvertown after five days of their last hunt but the Singers are still docked at town. Kherron is left in a barn ashore to look after the Karchlord's property in case of thieves but instead he falls asleep on the job. Awakening to a dark figure in front of him he discovers a drunk Metz crazed who attempts to kill him. Kherron injures Metz but escapes from the barn unscathed and runs through the streets as he is chased by Metz. He loses his way and finds himself running in circles and is confronted by Metz again this time at the waterfront. They enter a fight but Metz is too drunk and it is an easy victory for Kherron as he falls into the water and dies. The Karch and an anxious (because he saw the Wavesong docked meaning the Singers were at Silvertown) Kherron leave town for the Karchhold where they would unload their eggs they had collected from the merlee and give them to the Karchlord as a remedy for his illness.

The Singers arrive at Lord Javelly's castle to have dinner and discuss Javelly's involvements with the merlee egg trade. Meanwhile the protagonists discover quetzals (half bird creatures) inside the castle which have had their wings cut off. The Second Singer gives Lord Javelly a bluestone (which later has relevance to the ending of the story) and they resume their journey to the Karchlord.

Kherron arrives at the Karchlord's palace to be met by the Khizpriest, Frazhin. Frazhin uses his khiz spear to conduct his first test on Kherron to see if he is a spy. His khiz spear is able to read his mind to see if he is telling the truth. Cadzi takes Kherron away to meet his son Lazim. Together they deliver the merlee eggs that Kherron and Metz's crew had collected at sea, to a cave where the priests sorted out the merlee eggs. Frazhin catches him snooping around in the cave. The reader discovers that the merlee eggs are for Lord Azri's (The Karchlord) cure for his sickness but the Karch think the medicine is magical but Frazhin announces it is not what it seems. Frazhin leaves Kherron with the priests to help them with the merlee eggs. Frazhin returns later and says Kherron has to go through one final test. He takes him to a hall where the Singers are meeting Lord Azri.

Characters

* Singer Rialle - a pre-adolescent novice Singer, best student in her class and sensitive to the half-creatures songs.
* Singer Toharo - Second Singer of The Echorium. Sent to investigate happenings and to search for Kherron who had run away from the Isle of Echoes to the mainland.
* Singer Graia - teaches at The Echorium.
* Singer Kherron - a pre-adolescent novice Singer who resents and envies Rialle and hates The Echorium's regime.
* Singer Eliya - First Singer of The Echorium.
* Frenn - close friend to Rialle, who becomes a non-singing orderly after his voice breaks.
* Lord Azri - the Karchlord, poisoned by his khizpriests by using merlee eggs.
* Lord Javelly - a noble owning a castle northeast of Silvertown, who helps and supplies the Khizpriest also known as Frazhin.
* Frazhin - also known as the Khizpriest, manipulator of the powerful crystal khiz and enemy of The Echorium.

Literary criticism

The majority of reviews were positive, for example Jacqueline Wilson was quoted as saying, "There are so many deft, exciting and original touches ... I raced through it." The Chicken House - Song Quest profile] Others, such as Bookloons.com, commented that, "The world and the adventure in Song Quest are both interesting, though a little rough around the edges". [Bookloons.com [http://www.bookloons.com/cgi-bin/Review.ASP?bookid=2120] ]

Goodtoread.com commented that, "The point-of-view characters are two youngsters, on the cusp of adolescence, our view and understanding of this world and its complexities is limited. The notion that the Singers derive their powers of healing and persuasion from the different kinds of song they sing, is original enough to give the book a certain sparkle which it might otherwise lack. Other than that, the machinations of the evil Khizpriest and the actions of the youngsters in freeing the Karchlord, a child like themselves, from the thrall of the priest is pretty commonplace stuff." [Goodtoread.come review [http://www.goodtoread.org/initial/S/song-quest?] ]

Joan Aiken, an English novelist, commented that Song Quest is, "Fascinating and poetic ... extremely original too."The Chicken House - Song Quest profile]

Many reviewers agree that Song Quest has used many original touches and concepts as well creating a magical and exciting feel towards the story. Song Quest was awarded Branford Boase Award in 2000 which was the first to be given.

Release details

* 1999, UK, HarperCollins, ISBN 1902618289, Pub date September 2, 1999, Hardback
* 2000, UK, Element Books Ltd, ISBN 1902618947, Pub date May 10, 2000, Paperback
* 2001, UK, Chicken House Ltd, ISBN 1903434327, Pub date August 1, 2001, Paperback
* 2002, US, Chicken House Ltd, ISBN 0439338921, Pub date January, 2002, Paperback

References

See also

* Katherine Roberts
* Crystal Mask
* The Echorium Sequence

External links

* [http://www.katherineroberts.com/ Katherine Roberts homepage]
* [http://www.knibbworld.com/roberts/songquest.htm Direct link to the Song Quest section on Katherine Roberts' homepage]