Books like The Firebringer Trilogy

I ordered this trilogy years ago and have read it four or five times, but this is the first since joining GR. Maybe that is what made me pay more attention, or else I have just reached my limit for re-reads of this book. I couldn't remember all details of the story before starting, but every character I met triggered more memories until by the third book I was not as captivated as I had been during other readings. Knowing the secrets before they are revealed is not always fun for me!Of the three books in this volume, the first, Birth Of The Firebringer, is definitely the best and most compelling. We meet Jan, prince of the unicorns who live in the Vale. They have many legends and customs, such as an initiation rite where the young warriors-to-be trek across enemy territory to a sacred pool of water to learn their futures. Jan is the typical rebellious youngster, always playing tricks on others and basically being a butthead. He eventually runs away in a fit of guilt after an especially stupid 'game'. Will this be the push he needs to change his ways and become the proper prince that he is supposed to be? Is it possible that this semi-renegade has more in his future than he can possibly imagine?Unfortunately, for me the next two books did not seem as entertaining. Dark Moon dragged and I became annoyed by the constant shift in point of view from chapter to chapter. I know it is sometimes necessary to tell a story that way, but it can be disruptive and even boring. The third book, The Son Of Summer Stars, had too much repetition, too many episodes of telling what had happened in the previous books. It felt to me as though the flow of the story itself was lost after that first volume. Why is it not possible to write a complete story all in one go and not break it up the way so many writers do these days? As Yul Brynner says in The King And I, 'Is a puzzlement!'I did enjoy the idea of fierce warrior unicorns, so different from the meek ones I remember from reading legends from the Middle Ages. And I thought the author had an imaginative way of blending Jan's story with that of human in Dark Moon. I also got a kick out of all the lovely, creative color patterns she described for the unicorns throughout all three books. The idea of these colorful creatures running through fields or climbing mountains gave me almost psychedelic visions, which was quite entertaining, especially late at night!But overall, I was disappointed with the book this time around and have decided to put it on my DAR shelf, which means it will be in the pile to swap at my book trader's the next time I visit town. Wavering between two and three stars, but three wins out because of those spiffy coat patterns!