[Review] The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2), by Cinda Williams Chima

The second instalment of the Seven Realms quartet—The Exiled Queen—speeds up the sleepy plodding of the first book (The Demon King), kick starting a much pacier story with plot twists aplenty. Thankfully, it also retains the deep character development and attention that made The Demon King such an offering of ‘slice-of-life’ fantasy.

Our characters are on the move, each and every one of them, and their separate paths lead to one single place: the Academies. Mystwerk House for wizards, Oden’s Ford for soldiers; the full cast from Han Alister and his bitter rival Micah Bayar, to Raisa ana’Marianna and her childhood friend-come bodyguard, Amon find themselves in one central place. A place where their stories mesh, mingle and merge, shaping the plot and driving it forwards, sideways and sometimes around corners unseen without a mirror.

Han’s been forced into a bargain he’d rather refuse by the Clans; the very people he sought to trust. Raisa’s forced herself into protective exile, her identity a secret from all around her, save her bodyguard, who’s now more closely linked to her than she could imagine—yet still not close enough for the princess’ tastes.

Class is in session

Despite the main cast having enrolled at what is essentially either magic school, or military school, this is no Hogwarts set up. Mystwerk House schools natural born wizards, and somehow, Han’s found himself there: finally free of the cuffs that sealed his power, clamped onto his wrists by the very people who removed them. But for a price: in exchange for the very things Han needed—money, security, a life—the Clans have agreed to sponsor him through Mystwerk House, on the condition that Han returns to them once his training his complete. With little choice, yet little inclination, Han’s hands are tied and off he goes to train his magic, accompanied by his long-time friend Dancer.

Soldier Girl

Raisa ana’Marianna might not be the strongest built lass, or the tallest—or the prettiest since she lopped off her hair (she’ll never let her fellow soldiers do that again) and now sports something resembling a floppy rat—but she’s got balls, for a girl. Shirking her royal life, Raisa has no plans to return to the palace, avoiding it as one might a nest of vipers. That’s all the crown princess sees when she looks to the royal court of her homeland: machinations and intrigues develop and spawn in secret, whilst political power shifts dangerously, beginning to resemble a time when the world was once broken. A pivotal piece in the power-game, Raisa is safe from no-one. Should anyone find her at Oden’s Ford, and should Amon not be able to protect her, whomever holds her in hand could well hold the next few moves on the board.

Baying for Attention

Handed a much more sizeable role in the story this time, are the Bayar twins—Micah and Fiona—introduced in the first instalment, and with Micah receiving more stage-time than his sister. Desperate to steer Raisa towards his own subtle plans, Micah has spent the summer searching for the runaway princess. However, when term begins, the wizard son of the High Wizard—Gavan Bayar, presently worming his way into the Queen’s fancy, brushing aside all laws that would forbid him to do so—is obliged to attend Mystwerk House. Little does he know, that his would-be betrothed is soldering just across the way at Oden’s Ford, just out of his reach. For now.

Fiona on the other hand has her own games in mind, and upon meeting Han, also a first-year, she quickly includes him and his power in her schemes; even if that means going against her own brother. Of course, Fiona doesn’t wish Micah ill, but neither does she support his father’s view to make him King at Raisa’s side. After all; what’s the harm in a new Queen in a Queendom in need?

Young as they are, barely seventeen, the Bayar twins’ machinations might just outplay the defter games their father has in play. They might also outplay each other.

A Deeper Game

Not everything at the Academies is happy lessons and drilling in the yard: at the very places where Raisa and Han believe they’ll be safe, danger lurks close enough to hear it breathing in the dark. Whilst Raisa must do all she can to remain hidden as herself, ever posing as Rebecca Morley, Han finds himself in the tutelage of two wizards, both flaunting better, brighter power than his own, and invariably better and brighter futures that what the Clans have offered. Unable to refuse one, and unable to identify another—whom only appears in dreams—Han’s options aren’t as open as he at first thinks.

Farther afield, back in Fellsmarch, the Queen is quiet: with Gavan Bayar close, and his game playing out differently to he expected, he begins to set his sights on Raisa’s sister, petitioning to make her the Queen’s heiress in Raisa’s stead, claiming her running away as contrary to the interests of the Queendom. A single letter from her mother is all Raisa receives in return for her correspondence; a letter that serves only to confuse the princess heir further as to who she can and cannot trust.

In this game of power, influence and magics—both natural and intrinsic—Raisa, like Han, would do better to trust only a few honest friends.

Not so sleepy, but still not awake

Although the plodding pace of The Demon King has been nudged to a slow trot for The Exiled Queen there is still little action and little clear development of a real and world-influencing plot. The synopses for both books claimed dark, dangerous powers and spoke of the title-cited ‘demon king’. There is still little sight of this great wizard, and whilst it could be suggested that this second novel—and subsequently the two final novels to follow—chart his rise to the power his birthright suggests, this answer falls a little short and something is still lacking.

Why should I read this book?

Nevertheless, The Exiled Queen is an excellent and enjoyable read. The series has solidified itself in this second instalment as being a ‘growing up’ sort of story. Much like Harry and his friends come of age, and grow into strong teens-then-adults in the Harry Potter series, the same can be said of our friends from Fellsmarch.

Whilst the plot lacks the punch of more epic fantasy settings/stories, this doesn’t do The Exiled Queen enough of an injustice that it matters. The story is fun, better-paced than The Demon King and overall, better delivered. The character development—the best part of the series so far—continues strongly and by the end of the book, the cast has matured considerably. They have struck out into the world against all rules and wishes, setting up The Gray Wolf Throne to be an exciting and different style of novel considering what we’ve seen of the Seven Realms series thus far. aHarr

[Review] The Demon King (Seven Realms #1), by Cinda Williams Chima

Although The Demon King isn't strictly Chima’s debut, it feels like it, as previous fantasy novels by Chima were set in our real world. This appeals to some, however the leap from the real-life set Heir series to the Seven Realms quartet feels like a first foray into a medieval-esque fantasy setting. The Demon King opens the quartet, followed by The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and a fourth, currently unnamed novel.

The Demon King takes the reader to the Seven Realms, and to Fellsmarch; a queendom long ruled by women, and up to the Clan-inhabited Spirit Mountains. The Clans with their gentle, subtle magic, are at constant odds with the Wizards of the realm, whose deft, dynamic power offends. This great power, in the hands of a dangerous and reckless wizard, almost broke the world.

Nonetheless a fragile peace exists in the Fells: the Wizards are banned from the Spirit Mountains, and the Wizards—advisors to the queen in the shape of the Wizard Council—loathe the intervention of the camps in queendom affairs.

Further afield, despite the neighbouring lands’ princes warring between themselves upon their father’s death, the peace stretches to Oden’s Ford, the military training school, and Mystwerk House, the magic school.

That is until machinations from within the palace and council spill across the realm, spreading to the Spirit Mountains and filtering into the city and beyond. But there is never only one selfish scheme at play in a story; the Clans too harbour secrets that could change the course of magic and power.

Amidst the chaos stand two people, worlds apart, distanced by more than just status.

Ragged “Cuffs”

Han "Cuffs" Alister is a streetlord gone good, or he would be, if his past would leave him in peace. At just sixteen, Han's reputation precedes him; he's feared throughout the city and despite quitting the Raggers, he knows neither his old friends nor enemies will let him leave the rough trade that easily. And to make matters worse, when members of a rival gang start turning up dead, who gets the blame? Something strange is going down in the city, and Han’ll be damned if he gets the swing for it.

With a mother and little sister to care for, Han is tempted to return to his old ways when money runs dry and Mari starts getting sick. If he could, he’d pawn the silver braces he’s worn since he can remember—but they won’t come off, and his mother refuses to speak of them.

Instead, making odd money here and there from jobs that trickle in, Han takes solace in the Spirit Mountains, favouring the company of his friends Fire Dancer and Digging Bird to the gritty existence awaiting him in the city.

Demonai Princess

Fathered from a Demonai Clan royal in an arranged marriage, Raisa ana’Marianna has always been different: she’s hot-headed, determined and not at all the blushing flower her mother—Queen Marianna, monarch of the Fells— is content to be.

Determined to be a good queen, Raisa accepts she has a lot to learn, but refuses to believe the palace, pampered and cushioned, is where this education will blossom. Raisa wants to live, to learn and to become a strong queen. However with the natural tensions between the Clans in the Spirit Mountains and the Council of Wizards, Raisa herself is a tool for continued peace, as well as an asset towards tipping the scales of power. Raisa will soon realise she is a very powerful piece in a very dangerous game of magic, power and lies.

A gentle introduction

Whilst the title and the blurb hint that there will be the appearance of a “demon king”, the manner of which once broke the world, this instalment of the Seven Realms series grossly disappoints. The “revelation” of the Demon King’s identity is too late in the book for it to feel as though it was given an introduction at all, and readers might feel as though the story progresses with little attention to that side of the plot. It’s easy to forget when reading through that there is a great power lurking, and a man with the potential to wield it. The story revolves entirely around Han and Raisa and the relationships they forge with the supporting cast on either side.

Han’s story is that of his struggle to escape his rough past, as he grows closer to his Clan friend, Dancer, whilst eluding blame for murder and dodging persistent wizards demanding the return of an item in his possession.

 Raisa’s story sees her growing confidence in herself and her thirst for a real, worldly education. Disguised, she heads out into the city with her bodyguard and childhood friend, Amon. Trouble ensues when she and Han cross paths, and then proceeds to dissipate when they part ways.

A sleepy adventure

All said, not much actually happens in The Demon King: the world is explored, characters are built and machinations from all sides are set in motion by the end (some only at the very end). There are murders, dangers and secrets and yet the plot seems very sleepily delivered. It feels very “young adult”. Not necessarily a negative point, but the YA-crossover style does the novel few favours in helping it deliver a gripping story.

The story is good, but not enough happens. Too little of the book is spent gripping the reader, and far too much spent literally following Han around from the city to the mountains. It feels like Kvothe’s (The Name of the Wind) time in Tarbean delivered badly: where Patrick Rothfuss had the skill to keep the reader entertained merely with his writing, Chima doesn’t quite pass the bar, and where Kvothe’s day-to-day struggle in the city is entertaining, Han’s simply isn’t.

Why should you read this book?

Readers who appreciate most fantasy should give this a try. The Demon King succeeds in drawing you into the lives of the characters, and if you like reading a good story with decent writing, and a “slice-of-life” approach as the world and writer find their feet, then give Han and Raisa a try. 

[Review] A Darkness Forged in Fire (Iron Elves #1), by Chris Evans

Evans’ debut novel A Darkness Forged in Fire—the first instalment in the Iron Elves Trilogy—shows off Evans’ passion for military history and fantasy, by joining the two in a gritty, imaginative marriage where army life and Napoleonic era tactics coexist with fantasy staples. The trilogy continues with The Light of Burning Shadows and will be completed by Ashes of a Black Frost, due for release in summer 2011.

Konowa Swift Dragon has led his regiment into shame and exile: he murdered a Viceroy and now the honour of the Iron Elves is as bloodied as his hands. A shamed regiment, stripped of everything—including their leader—the once glorious elves are but a stain on the Calahrian Empire’s colours. Konowa, court-marshalled and banished, has had plenty of time to dwell on his predicament as he wanders the dense forests he despises so fervently, with only his loyal bengar, Jir, to keep him sane.

But with a darkness on the horizon blacker than Konowa’s mood, the former commander is wrenched from his misery and thrust back into the fray. With a new draft of soldiers to fill his beloved Iron Elves—and not a single elf amongst them—Konowa must face not only the rising elf-witch, the Shadow Monarch, as she vies for domination, but also himself. Deep in the forest, ordered to find the scattered original Iron Elves, under the constant scrutiny of an inexperienced, adventure-seeking prince, charged not only with defeating the rising evil with which his destiny intertwines, but restoring order throughout the Empire, Konowa will soon realise that his black ear-tip—the Shadow Monarch’s mark on her chosen soldiers—along with his fate, cannot be forgotten.

For the Empire

Whilst it is the grander scheme of the Shadow Monarch that underpins the series thus far, without the innovative and insightful details into the Iron Elves as a living, breathing branch of the Imperial army, the notion of a powerful sorceress bent on world destruction would come across too clichéd. Instead, the Calahrian Empire’s struggle to maintain order as she struggles to promote her own brand of progress—as equally important as defeating the Shadow Monarch—coupled with the raw mechanics of a regiment on the move, actively fighting the forces of the elf-witch, whilst dealing with its own problems, brought by injury, death and obligation, present the old cliché in brand new colours: the colours of the Imperial army. Everything is in the name of the Queen, whether Konowa and his men like it or not.

Dwarves need not apply

A regiment smells, and A Darkness Forged in Fire captures this scent in every page. The soldiers of the Iron Elves are diverse and it is through them that the regiment is given life: a religious zealot, a single grudge-bearing elf of the original Iron Elves, a sly trouble-maker and a mismatched pair whose camaraderie invites the reader deeper into the unit.

Reluctantly sworn into the Iron Elves, is Alwyn; a bespectacled young man, whose eyesight is as bad as Yimt’s manners (a veteran dwarf whose stories will make your hair curl) and whose courage is always shaken, but never shattered. Together, Alwyn and Yimt—the only dwarf in the unit and sworn in by pure cheek alone—pull the reader to the level of the soldiers, away from the lofty, tense world in which Konowa—at the side of the prince—exists in the unit, and through their friendship a real taste of what their life in the cursed Iron Elves is like is offered.

Green magic

As a counterpart to the grit of the Iron Elves, the side of those opposed to the Empire is given, though not as the Iron Elves’ adversaries, rather, as companions and allies. Visyna Tekoy—high-born noble from Elfkyna, sent to drag Konowa from exile—wields a gentle magic and even gentler respect for nature that clashes with Konowa’s strong detestation of the forests of his birth, despite the seeds of turbulent romance planted between the two. Another female seeks to balance out the thick macho cast—or would, if she weren’t brasher than most of the men combined. Rallie, official reporter for the Queen, is a cigar-smoking old crone, who whilst she is more than she first seems, remains a constant oracle, doling out guidance and advice to Konowa and to the unit, delivering both wit and wisdom as she sketches her way through trouble, chain-smoking all the while. Although brash, Rallie’s subtle gentility and mysterious powers make her a close confidant for Visyna and a solid pillar to which to wine about Konowa and the Empire.

 Marching narrative

The style is straightforward, without droning on, and whilst details about the setting are presented, they’re not as important to Evans’ as the plot. The setting is explained as the story progresses, and little time is devoted to the background of the situation: enough is divulged and explained meticulously to allow the reader to continue happily and immerse themselves in the world, although readers expecting a military-standard, encompassing description of the Empire’s rise will find themselves disappointed.

Keep it moving

The weakest point of the book is movement, especially during battles: it appears at times that Evans’ has completed forgotten to move his characters as they fight. This is especially true of the final battle of the book, where it seems Konowa and another officer observe the fight from stationary places, like cardboard cut outs, when in fact, the narrative and dialogue suggest they actively participate. Furthermore, the descriptions of both the elf-witch’s magic and its effects, especially during battles, bring down the overall excellence of the book, as sometimes it is just too difficult to grasp precisely what is transpiring, and the reader needs to grasp at the following narrative to understand the resulting situation.

Why should you read this book?

A Darkness Forged in Fire is a different take on commonplace fantasy elements, combining both sorcery and military conquest, with classic sword-clashing and a struggle to save the world from death and darkness. It is a vivid and gripping debut, by an imaginative and strong writer, whose strengths far outweigh his weaknesses, and whose original, vibrant characters bring the world to life in place. If you’re a fan of elves, but fancy something grittier, something different, then give Konowa and his Iron Elves a try.

4/5

[Review] Among Thieves (A Tale of the Kin) by Douglas Hulick

I’d heard a great deal about the book I’m reviewing today—I’d heard people say great things; interesting things; and even a few things I was unsure of, especially regarding a certain Amazon.co.uk blurb. However, I’m a sucker for books that everyone’s talking about—especially if they’re fantasy.

The first thing that strikes about Among Thieves: A tale of the Kin, is that Drothe is the bad guy—at least in part—and that whilst the reader should already be flagging him as a ruffian and a lowlife, already the intrigued reader is merely altering the bearings of their moral compass to fit.

Drothe is a Nose (those unfamiliar with this sort of street-talk can probably discern the nature of his work, but for those who’re purer in the fantasy they read, told in the first person, by Drothe himself, explanations of the more important aspects are helpfully included); a damn good nose, at that. From the get-go there are no illusions as to his nature, but despite his grey areas, Drothe instantly presents as a likeable, fun and downright awesome character.

Among Thieves is atmospheric above all else: the setting is artfully vague, but presents enough stock fantasy architecture to allow the reader to assimilate a view of the city. For me, Ildrecca (my own jury is still out on the pronunciation, as I’m seeing Italian double-c sounds here, assisted by the knowledge that Douglas Hulick totes a degree in Medieval History, and fences in the Italian style) is a warm, sandy—or muddy, or cobbled, it depends!—city with old air and older stone. A city constantly built, torn down, and rebuilt again, Ildrecca captures a warm, Southern European medieval vibe, whilst sprinkling in its own fantasy imaginings.

City-set fantasies draw me in far quicker than vast plains and valleys traversed on horseback, and I’d rather streets, than tracts: Ildrecca delivers here, and Hulick’s obvious talent brings the city to life within mere pages. Ildrecca is his city. Moreover, it is Drothe’s city, and as he guides us around, going about his life, we see, hear, smell and taste it firsthand.

The basic premise is that Drothe is Kin: a member of the criminal underworld, essentially preying on other Kin, occasionally the Rags, and finally, the Lighters (‘normal’ people who live in the ‘light’, instead of the ‘dark’ the Kin permeate). In addition, Drothe is looking for a relic—a pen, we find out in due course—and its acquisition is proving not only difficult, but appears to be involving him in something deeper and darker in nature. Relics are tricky things as it is—trinkets touched by one of the incarnations of the eternal emperor, highly valued and even higher risk—let alone a trinket that happens to contain blasphemous musings of a woman once close to the emperor, before he became eternal, before the practice of his endless reincarnation.

Drothe wouldn’t usually get involved—too high risk, too messy, and definitely out of a Nose’s league when there’re Degans, White Sashes and (worst of all) the Grey Princes of the Kin after the book—but choice isn’t always easily come by, and the Nose winds up finding himself light a few pounds of the luxury.  

Before long, the Nose realises that to stay alive in this game—let alone stay ahead—he’s going to have to insert himself right where he doesn’t want to be: in the thick of it. With an organisation, a secret family relation, and, whilst he’s at it, the entire Kin to protect, Drothe’s decision to play this dangerous game is not as much his own as his bravado will have you think.

With excellent pacing, mysterious relics and a handful of secret players who’ve not yet taken to the stage, let alone placed their markers, Drothe soon realises that he’ll not only be playing one side against the other, but might have to factor a few things he’s not so willing to gamble on in the stakes—friendship, loyalty, and despite himself, honour.

There may be no honour amongst thieves, but when it comes to Drothe, he clearly missed the memo.

Hulick’s debut is literally stunning: there’s nothing to fault. Friendships are handled superbly, and contrasted perfectly against his relationships with the fellow Kin he must use and abuse along the way. Drothe’s desperation, panic and sheer terror drive the plot onwards, and each chapter adds to the breathtakingly wide-reaching plot. Twists are delivered skilfully, whilst the overall plot is seamlessly joined, with the links between events and characters hidden beneath layer upon layer of smooth storytelling.

There is nothing in this book that doesn’t surprise or delight. Absolutely nothing.

Among Thieves should appeal to fans outside the genre, too: the city setting is almost­-historical, and although the story revolves around glimmer (magic), it’s not too far a stretch to liken it to the alchemical and historical occult ‘magic’ found in so many alternative-history settings—especially in Medieval Europe.

At the heart of Among Thieves lies a mystery: a great portion of the book is dedicated to unravelling it, before the various puzzles can be threaded and linked together. In part, it’s also a treasure hunt—the relic is treasure. It’s old, it’s valuable, and it’s been lost for centuries.

Everything in this book aims to please, and it delivers effortlessly.

Why should I read this book?

You should read this book, not because Brent Weeks called it an ‘unalloyed pleasure’, and not because praise for this book has been splashed all over the internet. Not even because Hulick’s fresh and exciting new talent has been likened to the debuts of both Rothfuss and Abercrombie—but rather, because Among Thieves might possibly be the best book you’ll read for some time.

Unique, excellent and delivering far more than promised by the blurb, Among Thieves is an absolute pleasure and adventure to read. Fans will relish the fantasy-mystery, whilst newcomers will drink up the atmosphere of a city that appears so familiar, so real, that they’ll see the genre with fresh eyes, and understand that where there’s magic, there doesn’t have to be dragon eggs, or monsters.

All in all, an absolutely wonderful book. 

5/5