Lowly’s Book Blog

Cashore’s earlier book Graceling is gradually building a fan base. It was reviewed here a few months ago, and this reviewer for one was very happy to see the next book arrive. Be aware, though, this is not a sequel, just another story from the same fantasy world.

If you remember, in this fantasy series children that have two eyes of different colours also have a ‘special’ ability. As soon as the eyes change, the children are to be presented to the king who will then make use of their specialness. But at the start of this book, one boy escapes with his father into the mountains that separate the Seven Kingdoms. On the other side of the mountains there are no Gracelings, only monsters. And every species has it’s share. The monsters can easily be identified by their unusual coloring – purple, pink, orange, red. Humans can also be monsters, and Fire is one.

But the monsters are beautiful, and Fire is no exception. She has learned that with her beauty comes extraordinary influence and power over others. In defence, Fire hides on a farm at the edge of her world. That is until she is needed. The king summons her to question some prisoners in an effort to avoid a war. From that point on, her life changes.

Cashore writes books with strong and powerful female heros. Fire is no different. She may be haunted by the memory of her evil father, but discovers that she is very different. And be warned, there is a strong romantic plot as well. But it isn’t as ‘in your face’ as some romantic fantasies.

The publicity information sent out a warning – in the style of Terry Pratchett. Yeah, right, Terry Prachett has lots of imitators, but no one can match his style. So when this book came in, it spent some time at the bottom of the reading pile. But inevitably it slowly rose to the top. I had had enough crime novels, enough fantasy and even a turgid historical epic and I needed something light. The Necromancer was chosen, and actually delivered what was promised.

Johannes Cabal is a man in trouble. He is a scientist working in an unusual field. He wants to raise the dead, not as zombies that slowly decay, but as living, breathing, healthy humanity in the prime of their life. That research is expensive, and as this book opens the reader discovers that Cabal has sold his soul to the devil. But in order to continue his research, he discovers he needs it back. The Devil offers Cabal a deal, one year to collect one hundred other promises and Cabal can get his back. The Devil is even happy to provide a convenient cover story while Cabal searches. For one year he can take charge of a diabolical carnival.

But our hero is just exactly that. He collects signatures on the Devil’s contract from whores, escaped convicts, bank managers, all different varieties of the damned. But 2 days before the time runs out, Cabal is still short 2 signatures. And the final town on the carnival’s tour is full of honest men and women.

In spite of my misgivings, I really liked the writing style. This could have been a dark and dreary morality tale, but instead it has lines like ‘Have you ever seen an army of the dead? They march for ten miles and then their legs fall off.’ This book very successfully maintains a sense of the absurd. And I must say I adored the character of Trubshaw. I hope he is there to greet me if I ever end up at the gates of Hell.

Humour is very difficult in writing. And everyone’s idea about funny writing is different, and very little writing will make me laugh, but I found Johannes Cabal amusing and more than a little entertaining.

I hate picking up a story in the middle! I hate starting to watch a movie after it has started. I am not one of these people who is quite content to watch a film 10 minutes at a time. So picking up a fantasy series in book three is going to be difficult. And it was. It took real discipline to get through the first hundred pages, but once I worked out who was who and what was what, this became a most interesting fantasy tale.

The story opens after the destructive battle of Scree. Thousands of men lost their lives in the battle and the city was wiped from the face of the earth. The victors have retreated to their home cities in the north and are now trying to put their lives back into some normality. However, another army has formed in the south and they are marching north.

Isak is now king of his region, a young man learning the responsibilities of leadership while trying to come to terms with what he saw and did at Scree. His kingdom is fractured by a wide variety of cults and religions. And the Gods are getting involved in the fight. Each God is gathering converts and negotiating with humans to gain some advantage over the others. As a result the society is torn apart by cults and religious factions. Isak must somehow gather all these forces together in order to stop the army invading from the south.

As with many middle books in a fantasy series, this book is filled with details that seem irrelevant to the story being told. But you just know that the significants of the Mortal Aspects will become more important in book 4 and it is important to know why the decisions were made. And it was fairly obvious that the Crystal Skulls were important sources of magical power, but little details like how many and where were glossed over in this book.

Admittedly Lloyd provided an extensive introduction, but at that stage of the book I was overwhelmed by the odd names and could make very little sense of it. It was easier to go with the blurb and dive into the story, with frequent references to the who’s who in the final pages.

This book was hard work to read. But I found indications of a wonderful maturity in fantasy writing. This is far more than the average good and evil fantasy. The cover notes compared Lloyd to Feist, one of my favourite fantasy authors. I suspect that may be a valid comparison. I would have hated to pick up Darkness at Sethanon without reading Magician. So someday when I have nothing better to do, I will pick up the complete series of The Twilight Reign read it properly, one end to the other. But as individual books? Don’t bother.

This book has been on my reading list for months. It was released in January, but somehow it never appealed. Part of the reason is that this is clearly a continuation of a fantasy saga and regular readers will know how I feel about that. In fact it appears that the author had finished a double trilogy about The Raven, and now there is just one more book. To me that smacks of a publisher’s push for a story that never needed telling but certainly needed selling.

I haven’t read anything from the previous trilogy, but very quickly Barclay reminds his readers that he had killed off most of The Raven, his band of heroes. Only two survive and they have established lives and careers very different from their mercenary ways. But one day the dead refuse to die! Gradually dead bodies, each animated by the soul of a Raven, gather in Sol’s inn. It seems there is one more evil for them to fight.

The evil is very impressive. Imagine huge machines, each supported by indestructible soldiers, that suddenly appear out of nowhere and proceed to harvest mana. The process virtually sucks all life from that area. Complete and total devastation. The whole planet is under attack. And the last continent for harvest is where Sol lives.

But how do a band of dead bodies fight, let alone destroy the indestructible. And where do these monsters come from? Therein lies the tale, and I will go no further.

I found this book amazing. The action scenes were riveting. The characters, including the heroes, were flawed and very believable. Barclay’s novel is not only an incredible action adventure, but he has taken the time to portray the political and philosophical background to his tale. That simply ground the story very solidly. At time I would have loved a map, but as I moved through the book, it really didn’t matter. And the final scene is just so right.

This was an excellent fantasy novel written by a master of the genre.

Be warned, this is a very thick book and it will take some time and dedication to read. Not only the size will make many potential readers hesitate, but the unfamiliar language use will also make many stop before they get started. But let me encourage you to be brave, and tackle the beast.

This continuation of the Monster Blood Tattoo series picks up soon after book one finished. Rossamund is now in his final months of apprenticeship and with the rest of his prentice-watch is allowed to light the lamps on the section of road nearest the fortress of the lamplighters. But the monsters are growing in strength and determination and one night the watch is attacked at the very doors of the fortress. But evil monsters are found inside the walls of the fortress as well and when Rossamund tries to warn the others, he makes a politically powerful enemy. All is evil and evil is everywhere.

It is certainly the role of the middle book in a trilogy to be very dark and foreboding. Look at many of the classic fantasy series and you will quickly discover the truth of this statement. Lamplighter maintains that tradition. The monsters are all powerful and the Lamplighters organisation is corrupt, leaving their world without any organised force to fight back. Rossamund, a powerful monster fighter, is driven out of the Lamplighters in the very end, clearly weakening the force.

I found some light and hope in the book, however. Certainly Rossamund is growing up and starting to realise that the world is not simply black and white. He has the courage to befriend the weak and unpopular, especially Numps and Mama Lieger. He earns the respect of many including the Lamplighter-Marshall, Doctor Crispus and the Wormstool Watch. But most of all, he learns to think for himself.

This is a long read. There is no doubt about it. There are 600 pages of complex language and invented words. Personally I think it is better read aloud. I can see this series as ’story-time’ material for months and months. Especially in this second book, there is enough action to hold the interest of good readers who can cope with the big words. But it does need to be read in large doses. It takes time in each session to adapt to the author’s style.

Is it a fantasy, murder mystery, or even a political satire? This debut novel from Stephen Deas is a wonderful mix of all three, as well as a most entertaining read.

The book opens with two lovers escaping for a well-planned tryst. Their means of transport? Dragon. Not many can follow, and as soon as they are away from view, the two share a ride. But during the exchange, the Harvest Queen falls to her death. Was it an accident, or was she pushed? Very quickly the reader discovers that the political ambitions of Jehal know no bounds, and a simple murder is only the first of many underhanded techniques that he uses in an effort to unite the various nations under his rule. For the most part, this book, and the following series is the story of Jehal’s rise to power.

Many regular fantasy readers will be aware that most authors have no idea how to handle mythical creatures, especially dragons. The whole idea that dragons are little more than glorified ponies just bothers me. At first Deas seems to follow that regular formula, but then he takes the time to hint that there is a reason for the domesticity of the dragons, and only the alchemists know the secret. But then a dragon escapes, and it quickly becomes apparent that the dragons are drugged from ‘birth’. As the escaped dragon begins to realise what has been done to her for seven years, she begins a campaign to free her enslaved brethren. This becomes an engaging second plot.

During this book, both stories remain independent. However, as the series progresses, I can’t help wonder how the increasing independence of the dragons is going to impact on Jehal’s plans.

This is a relatively short fantasy novel without the massive ‘information dump’ that is so common in the genre. The action begins with the murder in chapter one, and continues relentlessly to the battle between the dragons and the alchemists. There are extensive genealogical charts at the start of the book, but personally, I would have loved to see a map. But maybe the fact that I had to construct the geography in my own mind helped keep me engaged in the story.

Certainly I am looking forward to book 2.

Have you ever walked into a movie half way through? Then you know how frustrating it can be as you try to work out who is who, and at least some rough idea of the plot. Well, add to that difficulty a strange mix of traditional magical beings where demons are good and imps are evil, and you have some idea of the problems I had with this book.

Apparently the last book in the series ended with Lila, our hero, marrying her true love. And this book started during the honeymoon, But so little background information is given that a hundred pages into the book I wasn’t sure whether Lila had married Zal or Teazle. Both were certainly in the room in the opening chapter. Or maybe the two are one, like Lila is also the necromancer Tath. Confused? I certainly was.

Unfortunately this confusion quickly became anger. I can’t remember the last time I couldn’t finish a book, but by the time I was half-way through, I was over it.

There are probably hundreds of Justina Robson fans out there who will be upset by this review. But they will have read the series, in order. I only had access to book 3. And Going Under drove me to distraction.

This is another re-release from Gollancz. They have a very nice little sideline of publishing old scifi/fantasy classics in new covers, formats or anything else they can think of to freshen them up. This is actually a collection of the first three books in The Black Company Saga. From what I could find out, the series is now up to 10 books. And it has been established long enough for some Internet sites to refer the saga as a ‘cult classic.’ Well, that cult does not include me.

The Black Company is a mercenary military unit, selling their services to the highest bidder. In the opening chapters they are arranging an escape from one employer and heading north to work for a mysterious Lady. On their way, many of the Lady’s enemies try very hard to prevent the company’s progress and before long they are fighting the highly organised Rebel forces. Things go from bad to worse, and by the time the company actually meets their employer, their numbers are greatly reduced. But new recruits are added and with a mix of military and magic, the Rebels are defeated. But at the moment of success, the Lady’s magical henchmen turn on the Black Company and have a very good try at wiping them from the face of the earth. With no place to run, the stragglers hide in the desert, surviving with the assistance of mythical beings who just happen to be sworn enemies of the Lady.

Make sense? Not really, but then it is virtually impossible to summarise 700 pages into a single paragraph.

This is not your typical fantasy novel. There is no classic battle of good vs evil. The Lady  and her husband, The Dominator, controlled an ‘empire of evil unrivalled in Hell.’ These guys are no heroes, they just fight when they can’t avoid it. So politically the reader may be supporting the Rebels or even better the White Rose, the narrator is telling you all about the good guys on the side of evil.

And speaking of the narrator, this story is told very simply. The title calls it the chronicles, and that is exactly what it is. It almost reads like a logbook, e.g. today we went here and did this. There is no moral questioning, little physical description and less personality. The guys all liked Raven because he was tough. One-Eye and Goblin were funny when they fought, and Croaker was respected not only because he was the chronicler but also because he was the medic. Apparently this series is highly popular with returned servicemen, and I can see why.

If a fantasy story can be thought of as a huge empty canvas for the author and reader to fill, this book is certainly black and white. Me, I prefer a lot more colour 

The Magician’s Guild trilogy by Trudi Canavan has been out for years. And it is very popular with many fantasy readers that I know. But now Canavan has released a prequel for this trilogy. I certainly enjoyed it, but I wonder how many of the fans will be bothered reading about the founding of the Guild.

This story opens with a young girl working with her father who is the local medical man. The term doctor doesn’t really apply because the training and methodology is not very scientific in the modern sense. Anyway, Tessia is checking on a seriously injured slave resting at Lord Dakun’s castle when she is forced to defend herself from unwanted advances. She instinctively uses magic, and suddenly her plans to become a healer are changed. The law dictates that Tessia must be apprenticed to a magician to learn to control and manage her magical talent.

During her apprenticeship, her village is invaded and destroyed by the same man who attacked her. At first Tessia thought the attack was in revenge for her rejection, but it is quickly apparent that this is only the opening stroke in a battle for the survival of her whole country. From simple village healer, Tessia moves to become an active participant in the magical battle between nations.

This is an enjoyable, engaging book. I really liked the character of Tessia, and quickly came to understand and appreciate Jayan, Lord Dakun’s other apprentice. There is a touch of romance, and it is well handled without being mushy. Even minor characters are given a level of complexity that is unusual. As a result, everyone is interesting.

But somehow, this book never got around to founding the Magician’s Guild. Does that mean there are more to come?

Fantasy books are incredibly difficult to review. Either you love them or you hate them. There seems to be no middle ground. And somehow every plot sounds the same. So how am I going to tell you effectively about good this little book really is. Little by fantasy standards, only just over 300 pages.

Katsa was born ‘talented’ on a world where ‘talented’ people are viewed with great suspicion and forced to live at court and serve the king. In that way they can be closely supervised and supposedly the king is wise enough to use their skills for the greater good. Katsa’s grace, or talent, is killing. When she inadvertently kills a baron during a court dinner, she immediately is cast in the role of the King’s personal assassin. She is forced to spend her life breaking bones and removing heads all at the whim of the king. 

Katsa is very uncomfortable with this role. And in reaction she sets up a secret council who works to help the helpless not only in her own kingdom, but in each of the seven kingdoms in her world. This council hears of the kidnapping of King Liend and Katsa begins the search and rescue. Thus begins the adventure.

I loved Katsa as a character. She was strong and caught in a violent profession, but somehow she maintains her humanity. She cares for others, even to the extent of trying to avoid her King’s commands. The scene where she declares her independence is absolutely wonderful. I felt like cheering.

OK so the names are silly, and they get sillier. That is a common fault with debut fantasy authors. But otherwise there is very little to fault in this captivating adventure story. Certainly it was the cause of a very late night because there was no way I was going to sleep before I found out what happened.