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jemck at 10:53am on 24/01/2008
jemck at 10:53am on 24/01/2008One of the plusses of being not actively engaged in writing* at present is I can read fantasy fiction for pure enjoyment. Oh, I did enjoy Spirit Gate!
There's this country, The Hundred, where local lords and largely independent cities rub along well enough, their laws etc loosely supervised by reeves, who patrol on giant eagles and enforce the laws once upheld by the now disappeared Guardians. All well and good. Until someone refuses the unspoken consent that keeps such systems working. Someone who's attacking reeves and their eagles and conniving elsewhere to undermine this whole society with brutality and corruption. Joss and the other reeves of the Clan Hall, the reeve hall that's supposed to supervise the others by mutual consent, find themselves increasingly imperilled.
There are other realms outside The Hundred. Anji was born noble in the Sirniakan Empire but his mother had him sent away to her own people, the Qin. That's not going to save him from the murderous Sirniakan politics any longer so he flees with his loyal soldiers and his new wife, Mai, one of the Kartu people now subjugated by the Qin. Reaching The Hundred, they must challenge the rising malice if they’re to secure a lasting refuge.
( more behind the cut )
All of this holds together perfectly at a heroic tale that needs no clumsy ‘relevance’ waving flags in an attempt to claim undeserved merit. At the same time, it’s quietly resonant with themes that will prompt reflection in anyone taking notice of our own world, its politics and power-structures. Kate Elliott is an author who shows how subtly powerful modern fantasy writing can be.
Highly recommended. Now out in the UK from Orbit, pb, £7.99. A bargain.
*Not actively engaged in writing means ( this )
There's this country, The Hundred, where local lords and largely independent cities rub along well enough, their laws etc loosely supervised by reeves, who patrol on giant eagles and enforce the laws once upheld by the now disappeared Guardians. All well and good. Until someone refuses the unspoken consent that keeps such systems working. Someone who's attacking reeves and their eagles and conniving elsewhere to undermine this whole society with brutality and corruption. Joss and the other reeves of the Clan Hall, the reeve hall that's supposed to supervise the others by mutual consent, find themselves increasingly imperilled.
There are other realms outside The Hundred. Anji was born noble in the Sirniakan Empire but his mother had him sent away to her own people, the Qin. That's not going to save him from the murderous Sirniakan politics any longer so he flees with his loyal soldiers and his new wife, Mai, one of the Kartu people now subjugated by the Qin. Reaching The Hundred, they must challenge the rising malice if they’re to secure a lasting refuge.
( more behind the cut )
All of this holds together perfectly at a heroic tale that needs no clumsy ‘relevance’ waving flags in an attempt to claim undeserved merit. At the same time, it’s quietly resonant with themes that will prompt reflection in anyone taking notice of our own world, its politics and power-structures. Kate Elliott is an author who shows how subtly powerful modern fantasy writing can be.
Highly recommended. Now out in the UK from Orbit, pb, £7.99. A bargain.
*Not actively engaged in writing means ( this )
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