The Barbed Coil

by J.V. Jones

Book Overview

Tessa McCamfrey, young and rootless resident of Southern California, has never found much in life that interests her. All of that changes when she stumbles upon a ring that transports her to a distant... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446521094
• ISBN13: 9780446521093
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Aspect
• Length: 612 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Yes, it WAS wonderful

I couldn't put it down. This was one of my favorites! It was delightfully descriptive, I could tell exactly what was happening. It has great vocabulary too. This is definatly a book I would recommend to big-time readers (or anyone who likes action/adventure mixed a little bit with mysteries). I am definatly going to read this again, and I would suggest other people do the same!

A book worth reading more than once

This book has so much packed into it that you need to read it more than once to catch all the details. I loved this book! The story is rich, dynamic, thought-provoking and the characters have more than just the author's story to tell - they have pasts, they aren't perfect, they have been manipulated for years by a scribe who knew their meeting was imperative. I have already read this book twice and know I will read it again someday.

On my Keeper Shelf, and Dog-Eared from use!

I've read 'The Barbed Coil' at least thrice - and I've even been magnanimous enough to loan it to all and sundry (well, those interested in fantasy, in any case!!!). In summary, it's brilliant! JV Jones's writing style is evocative, clear and detailed. Very quickly you find yourself immersed in the lives and events of the characters, and of the world that they're living in.I have to say that Tess adjusted supremely well to her displacement from Earth, though, but while her lack of angst and relocation anxiety might be a problem for some, it didn't actually bother me all that much.Also, the fight scenes in the book have made me look at battle-scenes from a very different perspective... JV Jones has done her research very well, and the employment of strategy, battle tactics, and sheer descriptive clarity can make one almost smell the carnage.The Illumination - well, I've learned more about parchment-making and pigment-mixing than might be employed in my day-to-day existence, but hey, if I ever need a change of career, I think I'd be able to do scripts quite well (provided that actually DRAWING anything is not a basic requirement!). Actually, even though I was so involved in all aspects of the book, the description of the requirements for the illuminations and the magic surrounding the use thereof gripped me the most.I could not put 'The Barbed Coil' down, and spent an entire day reading it the first time, so I would heartily recommend it. Don't approach it with preconceived notions of fantasy and what defines it - read it with an open mind and an open heart, and you will seriously gain great pleasure from it!!

The book is great. The audio is awful.

I really enjoy all of J.V. Jones novels, including this one. Her imagination truely is outstanding. However, I am writing this solely as a warning to those who are considering the purchase of the audio in the hope of hearing the story as it should be told. As I have a long commute, I also listen to audios. The audio of this book is abridged and thoroughly destroys the magic of the story, especially the relationship between Tessa and Ravis. Huge portions of the story are completely deleted, leaving one to wonder what is going on. (and thus having to read the book to find out) I would recommend an unabridged version if one exists. In this case, less is NOT more.

An American womans struggle to use magic to save a new world

The Barbed Coil is something of a departure for Julie Jones as it is a one off fantasy tale that features a heroine, Tess, who is pulled from our world into an altogether different world by putting on a magical ring at a magical moment. As usual Julie manages to weave an intricate and involving story. A particular strength in The Barbed Coil is, I feel, her characters. I especially like Ravis a mercenary who will work for whoever pays the highest price; he is definitely an interesting hero, as is the villain of the piece Izgard. The seemingly ruthless king driven mad by possession of the Barbed Coil, and yet there are moments of love, when he is with his scribe, that add an extra dimension to his character. Another strong theme of The Barbed Coil is the unusual magical element. Julie's use of Illuminations, which was obviously extremely well researched, is extremely innovative and clever. The Barbed Coil is an excellent stand-alone fantasy that has you turning page after page. My only real criticism of it is that because it is a stand-alone book Julie has had to finish it extremely neatly (in case she was persuaded to continue the possible plot lines I suspect!). This said the book is an excellent place to start if you are new to Julie's writing, or if you simply want an engrossing, horrifying and often spine chilling book that has you ready to fight one minute and crying the next.