The Dragonriders of Pern

The Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, the White Dragon Anne McCaffrey Date: October, 1999   —   $28.00   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

Sometimes the classics are best, and when it comes to Anne McCaffrey, her first Pern novels are indeed classics. They're actually pretty spare in the beginning; a lot happens without much text describing the event.

Dragonflight, the first, always seemed to me to be an overcast book. Everything seems tinged with that high cloud cover that even makes hot days seem oddly dark. I'm not sure why certain books have a weather overlay, but hey, I'lll take the impressions that I get. It's the struggle of a group that is important but which has lost all of the privileges associated with that importance as time has wiped away the memory of why the group is needed.

In short, the dragonriders, who are bonded with their dragons, are important because they are needed to clear the periodic deadly menace of Thread from the skies. It's been over four hundred Turns since Thread was seen, and most people think the dragons are no longer necessary. Their view is buttressed by the fact that where there used to be six Weyrs and thousand of dragons, there is now only one Weyr— and one breeding queen.

That queen's rider wants to find out the mystery of where the other Weyrs disappeared to, before Thread brings the menace that both she and the Weyrleader knows is coming.

Now, here's an interesting point— sometimes I read the back of the book and think the story is going to be entirely different from the one that is in the book. This is one of them. I misread the phrase "from humans who had long ago ceased to exist" as "from humans— who had long ago ceased to exist!" That story would have been from a dragon queenling's point of view, and quite possibly very interesting in its own right.

Dragonquest, the second book, was more than a bit over my head the first time I read it. It's about the problem of "future shock," a topic dealt with very nicely by Spider Robinson's short story "The Time-Traveler", which is about a man thrown in a Central American prison for over two decades. By the time he gets out, the world has changed to the point that he doesn't recognize it anymore.

So you have people reacting in ways that seem just plain stupid to me, mainly because they can't accept the fact that the world has changed.

And another thing— Anne McCaffrey has sometimes seemed to me to need a continuity editor. There are a few changes made from the first book. One— the changing of Fort's Weyrleader from T'ton to T'ron is quite plausible given how Weyrleaders change, except that it's never quite made clear if they are actually supposed to be two different men. The second is more interesting, given how McCaffrey started differentiating dragon types. In the first book, Lytol's dead dragon was said to have been a green. By the second book, with no explanation, that's changed to a brown, which gives Lytol more retrospective status.

It also deals with a picky little problem that McCaffrey must have seen the moment she started the second book— and this is a reason that went straight over my head at that age. You see, the green dragons are female, and since dragonriders are very powerfully affected by the sexual experiences of their dragons, McCaffrey eventually developed (very circumspectly) that many green riders prefer the company of males. This would never have done for Lytol's backstory, as he married, had a family, and became a strong influence in a Crafthall— which are not as tolerant as dragonriders in that regard.

But as I said, it's very circumspect, and went straight over my head as a child. Even in the later Pern books, McCaffrey doesn't make a big deal about it.

The White Dragon is the misfit story, about a young Lord Holder and his runt of a dragon. It's very much a coming-of-age story, and Jaxom is a very likeable central character. That's not hard to imagine, since Jaxom was modelled, to a certain extent, on McCaffrey's son Todd (who is now publishing Pern books of his own, though I'm going to have to look up his actual last name for his earlier work.)

Actually, I saw a recent picture of him, and mentally aged the picture Robin Wood painted of him for People of Pern, and damned if she didn't use him as a model.

At any rate, Jaxom burns to prove himself, but since he's a very nice boy, and has been very well raised, it's interesting to see him try to come out of his shell. This is a big contrast to McCaffrey's female characters, who also have to come out of their shell but who are aggressive instead of shy.

I was again surprised at how much happens in these books. The only unfortunate bit is how the sparse descriptions occasionally make you miss something— I never quite get a handle on Mirrim the way I do in the Harper Hall books, and even then I don't quite see her annoying aspects.

Oh, well. First three books in the Pern series, depending on how you count them.

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern Anne McCaffrey Date: 12 September, 1984   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

I seem to be drawn to plague novels. There's The Plague, by Camus, that has the trials of the bubonic plague in modern-day Africa; Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis, that deals with the bubonic plague and a modern-day flu simultaneously; The Stand, by Stephen King, where the superflu runs rampant... and Moreta, where an influenza pandemic threatens to topple Pern.

As opposed to most of the Pern novels, this book takes place in a very short period of time. (The Harper Hall novels are the other exception.) From the opening Gather Day when the contagion spreads to the time of Moreta's Ride (of which a ballad is refernced in those novels set later), the book lasts less than a month. If one reads the description of The Ballad of Moreta's Ride in Dragonsinger, one will notice substantial discrepancies between that version and this book, ones not ascribable to translation error. McCaffrey is a bit notorious for such lapses— things a good continuity editor could fix, such as making sure that rider/dragon names remained consistent, or at the very least, rider/color— though in this case, I am pretty sure that it is the result of changing her mind about the circumstances. It is hard to plot the spread of an unspecified disease with an unspecified cure (nuts and herbs, indeed!) so why not use a well-established disease, with an understood method of prevention?

Moreta, as a central character, is well-drawn. My only complaint is that as her current behavior is apparently a radical change from before, it would have been good to have some sketch of her character prior to the change, so that we could appreciate her newfound freedom and assertiveness.

The Quartered Sea

The Quartered Sea Tanya Huff Date: 01 May, 1999   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

I always find myself a little reluctant to read this book, perhaps because the protagonist is a little too self-pitying. Benedikt is a Bard, but his one quarter is Water instead of the more-common Air. He's extremely talented in that one quarter, well beyond the norm. But because everyone expects the Bards to Sing Air, he feels left out. (He also had parents who, while trying to be fair, had no notion of how to go about the business, and instilled in him a rather thorough inferiority complex.)

When the Queen of Shkoder asks for volunteers for a Bard to go along on a journey to find the land of a mysterious sailor, he is overjoyed when she picks him, not knowing he was the only volunteer. Though, quite honestly, his strength in Water is such he would be a logical choice. But an insane storm wrecks the ship and his only link to home, and he is washed up in a land where social missteps are extremely dangerous, and where his talents are going to be used or abused.

This is the other reason I have trouble returning to this novel. Benedikt is tortured in a very disturbing manner, and though it seems at the end he is going to be rescued, it is still hard to endure the problems of an alien culture. Despite my reservations, though, I enjoy the book while I'm reading it. It's just afterwards that it disturbs me.

No Quarter

No Quarter Tanya Huff Date: 01 April, 1996   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

To further the story of Vree, we now take the officially retired assassin to Shkoder. The events in this novel are so directly related to those in the prior novel that it would be impossible to discuss the plot in more than general terms without being spoilerish to Fifth Quarter. So to be general, Vree thinks the Bards of Shkoder can help her with her problem. Her brother Bannon is extremely upset at how Vree behaved in the previous novel, and in a frighteningly immature fashion wants to force her to return to the way things were before. The problem with the living dead has passed into Shkoder, and Vree is going to get involved again.

And her head's still a bit crowded.

She encounters Annice's daughter in this novel, an impetuous young woman who has great experience with the "fifth kigh", what we might call a soul or, possibly, a force of personality. She is, unfortunatly, also exceedingly romantic and flighty and apt to follow Vree into extreme danger because of her duty as a healer. Which makes for an interesting setup, which of course will be fulfilled with all due danger and threat.

I think that's as far as I can go. Sorry for the vagueness.

Fifth Quarter

Fifth Quarter Tanya Huff Date: 01 August, 1995   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

In this return to the world that holds Shkoder, we go south to the Empire. In particular, we go south to the Imperial Army, where a pair of sibling assassins are set to take out a particular target. But a problem arises when Vree, the elder, is delayed, and comes upon her target already dying... and speaking to her as her brother Bannon.

Their target is a body-switcher, and Vree manages to take the essence of Bannon into herself. With two people inhabiting her body, she sets on the trail of her brother's body and the person who inhabits it, with the intention of restoring her brother. But the body-thief is very clever, and too canny to be forced out in turn. He extracts a promise from the assassin that if she assists him to a body with a higher status, he'll allow her brother back in.

Most of the tension in the novel to the point where they enter the capitol is centered in Vree. She was raised in the army and very tightly disciplined. Her training as an assassin is beyond compare, as she has survived far longer than the average. Now she is completely without guidelines, with her hotheaded brother all too close for comfort, and as his memories very closely parallel hers, the boundaries between their personalities are very fragile. That alone makes for an entertaining novel.

But once they get to the capitol, a new complication arises from the body-thief's past, and there's living dead in the streets. Heh. That's a major geek point right there. As soon as you've brought zombies or their equivalent into the story, you're as good as gold. More to the point, Vree's relationship with the body-thief becomes complicated and confusing, as the implications of his... uh, lives... begin to sink into his head.

Huff is a solid writer. Her characters are well-rounded without being too realistic (this is, after all, a fantasy). If some of them are just a little too good to be true, well, what's the fun of writing about mediocre sorts?

Scarlet Ruse

Scarlet Ruse John D. MacDonald Date: 09 March, 1996   —   $7.50   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Travis McGee, taking his retirement in installments, has a slight problem when the city plans to ban houseboat living. (This is a situation that occurs again and again in the increasingly few places where houseboats are still allowed.) To take his mind off his troubles, he lets a friend talk him into hearing the problem of a philatelist. A philatelist is one who collects stamps, and this one is a known broker of exceedingly rare and precious stamps.

The problem is that a collection of stamps for a particular buyer has been stolen— or, more accurately, swapped— and if it cannot be recoverred, he'll have to reimburse his client the full value, an amount that would cause him to liquidate his business. What's worse is that the book was taken from under the noses of a bank that records its vault visits, and the client in question never handled the stamps himself.

So McGee investigates, and his search will take him into the path of syndicates, killers, and a dangerous woman who is all too self-centered. Because in pre-Miami Vice days, you had to have some kind of hardboiled action in Florida...

Sing the Four Quarters

Sing the Four Quarters Tanya Huff Date: 01 December, 1994   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

Interestingly enough, Tanya Huff seems to be the writing heir to Mercedes Lackey. One could make a transition from one author to the other and barely notice a blip in the writing style. That is probably why I like Mercedes Lackey so much upon encountering her for the first time. She's new but still familiar.

This novel is set in a country called Shkoder, a tiny little principality in which Bards (note the capital, just like Heralds!) are trained in singing the kigh, embodiments of the four elements. Each element has a Quarter, and every bard has a specialty in one or more quarters. With training, a person to whom the kigh naturally respond can get them to do things. A person who Sings Air can call up breezes or send messages. One who Sings Fire can raise or calm a blaze. Bards strong in Earth are good for assisting growing things, and those who Sing Water can divert floods and move ships. All in all, some handy talents.

Annice Sings all four quarters. She has just returned from a Walk, which is a circuit that is designed to help spread information and gather rumor. Annice, however, brought something else back... a growing pregnancy. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but Annice is the disowned sister of the king, barred from further issue. And to make matters worse, shortly after she returns a plot is set in motion to frame a particular person for treason... and that man just happens to be the father of her baby.

There's several cultural notes that bear looking at. In this country, as in many of the countries surrounding it, women are on a very equal footing with the men. They serve in the army, run shops, and get into trouble the same as their male counterpart. Also of note is the fact that there is no issue about same-sex pairings (if this bothers you, avoid this whole series)... and, more to the point, political joinings are made with no gender barrier and sometimes, with complete disregard of the preferences of those involved. While the latter statement is a common feature in history (marriage as a political tool was only in the last century or two replaced by marriage as a love match), there is nothing in our history that would allow for the former, as children of the match were as important as the match itself.

I'd love to see a reasoned justification for the absence of necessary children in political joinings. Maybe they just bring in a ringer.

At any rate, though Annice is most definitely not in love with the father of her baby, she still has to find out how he was framed and clear his name before her own life is endangered. Though honestly, her brother's not as implacable as she thinks.

Deep Blue Goodbye

Deep Blue Good-by John D. MacDonald Date: 31 May, 1995   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Travis McGee is a product of his time. He deeply appreciates women— one at a time and in sequence, though none for long term, and he treats them with a sort of rough chivalry, usually made rougher when he doesn't want to seem a soft touch. He bullies men only when necessary and treats them with gruff courtesy other times. In all reality, he seems like a beach-bum version of James Bond.

This book was written in 1964, and you can't imagine Travis McGee acting this way today. He would be up on sexual harrassment charges incredibly fast, in spite of the fact that it would utterly bewilder him.

I picked these books up because Spider Robinson has his characters rave about the man from time to time. Spider has often been called the heir to Heinlein— something I never saw— but it's MacDonald's writing style that he most clearly reflects. So if you've read any Spider Robinson, you'll have a gauge for how well you'll like this style of writing.

On to the novel. Travis McGee is a relaxed sort, one who is "taking his retirement on the installment plan." He does a big job and lives off the proceeds until he needs to work again. His line of work is to retrieve things that are both difficult to find and which may have legal obstacles in the way, and he takes a hefty half of the proceeds. In this case, the missing items are unknown except that they were brought back from overseas— probably illegally— by an army guy, and stolen by a son-in-law after the man's death. His daughter would like to have whatever it is back, in no small part because the jerk not only abandoned her but returned to flaunt his newfound wealth.

Junior Allen is the nastiest little sociopath I've ever run across in a novel. He hasn't graduated to outright murder yet, but as written, he soon will. He's an utterly chilling personage, and I say that as one who has read through Crime Library's descriptions of various nasties. This is long before such things were widely available, and in fact, the term "serial killer" was only coming into common parlance, yet Junior Allen has all of the hallmarks of incipient psychopathy.

Travis McGee is very competent at his job, yet he's a little amateurish in that he never seems to understand the depth of the danger he's about to be in. (He deeply appreciates it while he's in it.) As it happens, it's a very close thing for him at the end, with deaths and injuries on all sides.

This is one for the hardboiled category.

The Viscount of Adrilankha

The Viscount of Adrilankha Steven Brust Date: 18 August, 2003   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

The Paths of the Dead
The Lord of Castle Black
Sethra Lavode

For years, Brust promised a third book to the Phoenix Guards series. And as sometimes happens, that one book grew larger and morphed into several. While technically these three books are a trilogy, and a trilogy sequel to two previous novels, the action moves across all three in such a way that you should under no circumstances attempt to read one alone. I am sure that an omnibus edition will eventually make its way to market, possibly with a companion omnibus in the form of The Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After.

But for the moment, let us merely consider them as one story in three volumes.

The thing that I find most striking about this series is that the Dragaerans are presented as gently dumb. Sometimes it is merely them being slow on the uptake— such as Morrolan not figuring out that his living several centuries while all around him people die after a normal span might, somehow, be considered unusual— and sometimes it is having to be beat over the head with something before they get it. This may be a feature of the pseudo-historical style that Brust has adopted (after all, sometimes Dumas' creations seem more than a little dumb) or it might be a reflection of the true comparisons of intellect. After all, Vlad Taltos is valued precisely because he's a pretty bright guy— not smarter than the smart Dragaerans, maybe, but certainly swifter of thought than the general run of them.

This story covers the end of the Interregnum, the return of the Orb and the re-instatement of the Empire. Of course, such things do not come easily, and there's usually people with plans of their own who get in the way...

You know, I don't think I can speak really well to the substance of these books since they're all bound up in my head with the very long train trip we took to Denver, and with the large amount of time I spent staring out my window as we went through the Rockies and the Sierras and red rock country. They're good and they're fun but really, it was a very long train ride. And the geography wins hands down.

Five Hundred Years After

Five Hundred Years After Steven Brust Date: 15 March, 1995   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This is that good old story , "Let's get the old gang together and save the world." Except that they don't. This is the story of the fall of the Dragaeran Empire, the creation of a new sea of chaos where the capital used to be, and the beginning of the Interregnum. Not, shall we say, a happy time.

This is set five hundred years after the previous novel, which in Dragaeran terms is equivalent to fifteen or twenty years of useful human lifespan. Khaavren's just thinking of getting married, for example. He'd be the emotional equivalent of a guy of thirty or thirty-five.

This book is as florid as the previous novel, though thankfully nowhere near the turgid prose of The Man In the Iron Mask (which should more accurately be titled The Four Musketeers Get Old and Die.) It is not as engaging as the Phoenix Guards though it is a good continuation of the story. It even introduces an enemy of the four friends, one whose identity is cleverly concealed behind a pseudonym. This is clever because the pompous author (the fictional one, Paarfi, not the real one, Brust) does not have enough conversational quirks or description for us to tell who this is, because we have met this person before.

And holding a grudge for 500 years is not beyond Dragaerans, who are a bit petty sometimes.

The Phoenix Guards

The Phoenix Guards Steven Brust Date: 15 June, 1992   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This is The Three Musketeers, even going so far as to have four instead of three (The Three Musketeers was about four musketeers, completely confusing the issue.) Instead of Porthos, Athos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan, you have Pel, Aerich, Tazendra, and Khaavren, not necessarily direct cognates. These four, of varying Houses (which in Dragaeran terms mean not only genetic heritage but personality types) have decided to join the Phoenix Guards and, of course, get into all manner of trouble.

The language is convoluted and flowery, the situations are ludicrous, and the adventure is quite real. Brust once said that he giggled all through the writing of this book and is vastly surprised that anyone would publish it. If you are the sort of person who giggles helplessly when confronted by flowery phrases that say very funny things*, then this is the book for you. If you are, instead, the sort of person who can't understand the appeal of Dumas or Jane Austen and just want the author to get to the point, then stick to Brust' Vlad Taltos novels. They are very different in style and should keep you entertained sufficiently.

*This may also work if you giggle when confronted by a character whose weapon of choice is a barstool, which he carries with him wherever he goes. And in the absence of someone to hit, he always has something to sit upon.

Take a Thief

Take a Thief Mercedes Lackey Date: 01 October, 2002   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

Does that cover scream pre-teen girl to you? It sure does to me. It's got the magical talking pony with big blue eyes on the cover, and it's lavender. Lavender, for crying out loud.

That's kind of interesting, since this book is about as close to a boy's adventure novel as Lackey gets. You could give it to a ten-year-old and watch his eyes light up as the protagonist, Skif, deals with extreme poverty through means of thieving.

That is, if he could get past the very very girly cover. Boys that age are sensitive to such things.

So this, then, is the story of Skif, one of Talia's friends. This is his life before he became a Herald, and how his acceptance causes much surprise in the Herald community, who aren't generally the types to have criminals, petty or not, in their midst. It's full of minor derring-do and includes the man that Fagin would have been had he cared a little more. It doesn't add a whole lot to the overall plot arc— some people complain about such things— but is an excellent character description and, let's face it, fun.

Exile's Valor

Exile's Valor Mercedes Lackey Date: 05 October, 2004   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

I'm beginning to wonder about Valdemar. From the books I've read, it seems that there is a continuous line of wars and plotting against the throne. Good Lord, don't these people have anything else to do?

Following the Tedrel Wars and the death of the king, the young Selenay is put upon the throne. Naturally, her advisors try to rule her life (and her country) and just as naturally, she resents this. And Alberich is spending all of his time teaching weaponry and tracking down plots.

Now consider that Alberich has been a Herald for perhaps twelve or fifteen years when Talia enters the scene at the age of thirteen. So he's been a Herald for twenty-odd years at the end of the Queen's Own series.

And he's been tracking down plots that entire time. Some of them are even the same plot, or variants thereof, though admittedly many of them are the small-time criminal stuff.

Come on, Valdemar. Get a little self-respect. It's not as though you're ruled by a despot. Some countries go for literally centuries without somebody trying to depose the monarch. Coup-d'etats are not the norm.

Well, anyway. It just seems obvious to me.

So... then. This is more Alberich. If you liked Exile's Honor, you'll probably like this one. The humorless Weaponsmaster actually cracks a smile or two, and it's not hard to have fun when somebody occasionally breaks into Yoda-speak. (Alberich finds it very hard to understand sentences with the verbs in the middle, where they can apply to anything.)

Exile's Honor

Exile's Honor Mercedes Lackey Date: 07 October, 2003   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This is the tale of Alberich, the weapons instructor of the Heralds in the time of Talia (Queen's Own.) More accurately, it is the tale of his Choosing, of his life after his gift of Foresight got him condemned to death by the priests of his culture. Even more specifically, it is the tale of his fitting in to a land which has been his land's long-term enemy... and his struggle to fit what he is learning into his faith.

It's a good story, told in far more depth than the Talia books. Alberich holds true to his principles without taking a reflexive stance against those things he was brought up to fear. He is the ultimate warrior, always seeking the true enemy... and he is the best weapons instructor the Collegium has ever had, as he is merciless to his students, lest a gift of easy training lead to their deaths on the battlefield.

And eventually he has to come to terms with the fact that the hereditery enmity between his homeland and his adopted country is about to boil to the surface again, and that choosing either side will run counter to everything he holds dear.

Oathbreakers

Oathbreakers Mercedes Lackey Date: 03 January, 1989   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This book has none of the problems of the previous novel. It is a true novel, not a compilation; it has a full plotline of itself, and the characters are truly developed. Kethry and Tarma are getting close to their goal of having enough fame and money to start a school so that Kethry can begin to resurrect Tarma's clan. (Not to say that she will actually resurrect the dead; Kethry is merely to have children to begin the clan anew, and they will likewise hand-select new members.)

But naturally enough they are willing to risk their dream to help a friend whose disappearance could be due to foul play. As that friend is the captain of the best mercenary force in the country, her disappearance is fairly disturbing. What's more disturbing is the possibility that Kethry and Tarma may be set up... and the only way to know is to find out themselves.

If Oathbound had been written the way this one is, I have no doubt that the two together would be considered Lackey's crowning achievement. As it is, this one is far better than the first but it still feels as though there are gaps in the background.

I really need those other Tarma/Kethry short stories!

The Oathbound

The Oathbound Mercedes Lackey Date: 05 July, 1988   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

Kethry and Tarma are a couple of characters that Lackey first introduced in a short story. This book, unfortunately, suffers from the fact that they are not introduced within the novel, and from the fact that this book reads more like a bunch of conjoined short stories— which it partially is— than a whole novel. That is a pity, as these two characters are quite engaging and well-rounded. I can understand why Lackey would have put the book together this way, but I wish she had done it otherwise.

That aside, if you don't mind an episodic read, this book is filled with interesting tales, sort of like "Selections From the Life of Kethry and Tarma." Not so bad. And as opposed to the Talia books, the sexuality in these books is almost exclusively the kind where a woman is wronged... and the protagonists avenge her. No underaged sexuality here, though one does have to contend with the brutality of rape (undescribed, thankfully.)

Arrow's Fall

Arrow's Fall Mercedes Lackey Date: 05 January, 1988   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This final book of the Talia trilogy is full of omens. Talia has not revealed her bond to Dirk, a particularly plain Herald who is afraid that Talia has fallen for his handsome friend Kris instead. The Council is pressuring Queen Selenay to betrothe her daughter Elspeth to the son of an ally, and though she approves of the father, she knows nothing of the son. And over all hangs a Foretelling that Talia will not find her greatest joy until after her greatest grief.

And that grief... well, it's a doozy. My recommendation is that instead of getting the trilogy as three separate volumes, you buy the omnibus edition (entitled Queen's Own) and treat it as one book. Because as it turns out, there are things hinted at in the first novel that come to fruition in this, the third, and that way you don't lose any momentum.

Arrows of the Queen

Arrows of the Queen Mercedes Lackey Date: 03 March, 1987   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This is the first book of Lackey's Valdemar series, and the first one she wrote. In some ways, this shows; a conspiracy that is unmasked is done so in the most general of terms, while the focus seems to be entirely on the growing up of Talia, a young girl raised in an oppressive society whose being chosen as a Herald comes as a complete surprise to her, and as the fulfillment of a dream.

It's also a bit heavy-handed in spots, over-emphasizing the trait of Valdemar as a tolreant society, at least officially. Unofficially, Talia is in constant danger of her life, because she has been Chosen precisely because she has a hope of taming the Brat, the Queen's daughter... who cannot be Heir unless she is also Chosen. And the Choice is made by Companions, magical harse-like beings who don't pick people with nasty temperaments, because Heralds have to be the arbiters of justice.

If this sounds like a pre-teen's fantasy— magical horses with silver hooves and blue eyes!— you'd be right. They are a bit better than that premise might suggest, however... though occasionally I look at the cove art and think magical ponies with silver hooves and blue eyes! It's inescapable.

One thing that some people have an objection to is the early introduction of sexuality to Heralds. Fourteen and fifteen-year-olds are sometimes depicted as having sex or as wanting it (offpage, naturally; it's not hot & heavy), and there is at least one homosexual relationship revealed. (Lackey was lauded for her writing on the latter; at the time, there were almost no renditions of same-sex relationships that treated them with any sympathy.) My take on the business is that it is in keeping with the society of the time; when Talia runs away from her people it is at the age of thirteen, and they have told her it is time to get married. As little as a century ago it was not unheard of for fourteen-year-olds to be married and working on their first pregnancy... but it is worth warning about, and if such things disturb you, don't choose these books.

Arrow's Flight

Arrow's Flight Mercedes Lackey Date: 01 September, 1987   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

This second book featuring Talia is set at the end of her training. The last step in her training is to perform a circuit with an experienced Herald, doing those functions that Heralds do. Her particular talents, mainly a gift for empathy, have given rise to certain suspicions in the Council, and they will have to be addressed. However, in doing so, her doubts get magnified to the point of crisis, because as a powerful empath, her emotions not only feed on themselves, but can be used as a weapon..

This is, naturally enough, a coming-of-age novel, but it's a little different in that instead of coming into one's own, this novel deals with what can happen when certain assumptions you've made turn out to be very wrong, and how sometimes you need to start over in order to do things right. That's an oddly mature concept to sneak into a book that is essentially escapist fantasy.

The Toll-Gate

The Toll-Gate Georgette Heyer Date: 22 November, 2005   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Romance

I'm not quite sure what is up with this one. It's almost more of an action novel than a romance, as the impetuous Captain John Staple takes over a toll-gate on a whim, so as to protect a young boy whose guardian is missing. Then he sees the beuatiful Nell Stornaway and resolves to stay as long as necessary... and somehow gets drawn into a web of intrigue and danger that seems simply absurd. It's fun but a little strange.

In many ways, this reminds me of Elizabeth Peters' Legend in Green Velvet, which is hardly surprising as her mysteries are often thinly-veiled romances, while this romance is a thinly-veiled mystery. So there's your crossover read: If you like Elizabeth Peters, you'll probably like Heyer, and vice-versa.

The Quiet Gentleman

The Quiet Gentleman Georgette Heyer Date: 10 January, 2006   —   $4.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Romance

Here we have another of Heyer's Regency romances, and this time the protagonist is a congenial Earl, whose arrival back home is to the dismay of his stepmother and half-brother, who long felt that the earldom was their by default. Gervase wants to win them over, however, but that might be a problem as attempts on his life start taking place. Somewhere along the line the book becomes a bit of a mystery— but only a bit, as the perpetrator can quickly be deduced by a bit of inverted logic. Because really, if the obvious person cannot be blamed, that only leaves one real suspect.

The romantic interest is anything but romantic. Practical Drusilla helps when necessary, does the right thing, and steadfastly refuses to swoon in a crisis... much to her dismay, when she realizes that she has fallen for the Earl. A wonderfull bit of humor comes up when her anti-royalist parents (friends of Mary Wollenstonecraft, the early feminist, anti-establishment mother of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein) hear of her inclinations; her father is gruff and disapproving while her mother is jubilant that she's in the good graces of an Earl. When Drusilla's father expresses astonishment that an anti-royalist author could be so overjoyed at the favors of a peer, she quickly admonishes him that he is confusing theory with practice!

As you can imagine, it all ends happily. This is a romance, after all. I do wonder, however, at the speed of its consumation; Heyer neglected to give us the signs of favor that the characters could evidently see. Pity.

The Foundling

The Foundling Georgette Heyer Date: 1977   —   used   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Romance

Georgetter Heyer is best known for her Regency romances. They primarily deal with a period of English history that at its widest runs from around 1650 to 1810 (which is bigger than the actual Regency period, but the definition is a bit fast and loose anyway.) In this way she can deal with various orders of nobility and have various plots that hinge on such things as inheritance and marriage for love. In romance terms these are the anti-steamy romances; about the most you will get is passionate kissing, usually at the very end of the novel and even then only if the parties involved are mature.

And they all get married, of course. Anything less wouldn't be respectable.

In more general terms, I think of these books as "Austen Lite"; they tend to be similar in feel though the Austen is much deeper and (naturally enough) more authentic. Heyer's books tend toward the silly on occasion, but a little silliness rarely hurts someone.

The Foundling is the tale of a young duke who feels utterly smothered by his overprotective relatives and servants. Since he's a nice guy, he finds it completely impossible to tell them all to go to the devil, and ends up proposing to a girl under general expectaions of their marriage... and under the misapprehension that she is friendly to him solely out of a sense of duty, and that their marriage is to be entirely loveless. In his frustration with the whole situation, he runs off to help a cousin in need, setting off a fairly ludicrous chain of events where he falls in and out of danger, finds himself protecting a somewhat brainless pair of youths, and starts rumors about himself that have no help of being quenched.

This book is quite silly, and very thin on the romance side. But that's good; too much lovey-dovey gets cloying.

Polgara the Sorceress

Polgara the Sorceress David Eddings Date: 26 December, 1998   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

Second verse, same as the fist. A little bit louder and a little bit worse.

Now we get to hear Polgara's side of the story, and what she tells is quite often different from her father's side of the story. To begin with, there's a whole lot about her mysterious mother Poledra, which is quite a trick seeing as how Poledra isn't really in the picture starting with Polgara's birth (along with that of her twin sister, Beldaran.) Polgara is, probably to her surprise, the major mother figure of the series. The French artists had a field day with this one, choosing to depict her in abstract, a face in the trees, or a rock formation (with requisite weeping child in the background.)

The only real gripe I have with this is that as an "autobiography", Polgara's "voice" comes across as virtually identical to that of Belgarath's. It's probably not something most people would notice, but little things such as phrasing shine through. The story is different but the author is the same. Oh well.

Belgarath the Sorcerer

Belgarath the Sorcerer David Eddings Date: 28 February, 2002   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

I chose the book link that I did because I want to know what on earth the French artist was thinking. Armor. And wings. On a horse. With cows in the background.

All of which has utterly nothing to do with this novel.

This novel is the somewhat indulgent telling of the history of Belgarath the Sorcerer, perhaps the most powerful man in the world... and a thief, a drunk, and a storyteller above all else. It's all the bits and pieces that this somewhat rotten old man has dropped throughout the series, told in expanded format. We know how the story ends— that's what the Belgariad and the Malloreon were all about. So there's no massive amount of tension, since this is an "autobiography" told after the fact. We know he's okay, obviously, but he's so wonderfully flamboyant that we want to hear his side of the story.

Incidentally, I've yet to see a really good cover for this book. The American artist tried to replicate the styles used on the Belgariad and the Malloreon covers (done by Lawrence Schwinger and Edwin Herder, respectively), but ended up looking unfortunately cartoony. (The reason for comparatively cartoony styles on American fantasy has to do with the fact that the vast majority of books in America are bought not at bookstores but at supermarkets. Lame.) The English cover's a little better, but so vague that I'm not really sure what it has to do with this world. It's a guy with his back to the audience. Holding a sword. On a big round rock. (Which had damned well better not be the Orb.) With mountains in the background! Whee!

This book is for those who read the sequels and prequels and side bits and guides. It's well told, and a lot of fun, but it doesn't go anywhere new. Just so you know.

The Malloreon

The Malloreon, Vol. 1 David Eddings Date: 30 August, 2005   —   $11.67   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

On the one hand, this is a complete retread of the Belgariad. On the other hand, it's so much fun that you don't really care. And it does have enough differences to be truly worthwhile, while Eddings himself points out the similarities. Farmboy Garion is all grown up with a family now, and his family heritage definitely shines through. The characters developed in the Belgariad are realistically aging but still fascinating.

It's the writing that really makes this. I know that Eddings didn't intend this as a comedy but his characters are such geniuses at saying the funny thing that I constantly find myself giggling. And somewhere in the second book— in the caverns of UL, as it happens— I figured out something that was going to happen at the end of the series and had to put the book down so I could laugh— for twenty minutes. Not precisely a mystery, but don't feel bad if you don't figure it out until later. Sometimes I can really sense the narrative flow for certain writers. (George R.R. Martin is a continual surprise.)

Again, no spoilers. If you liked the Belgariad, you'll almost certainly like this, unless you hate even a hint of sameness.

The Malloreon, Vol. 2 David Eddings Date: 30 August, 2005   —   $10.37   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy

These spoiler-free reviews are kind of dull. I almost feel like I should include a Princess Bride-style recommendation: "Quests. Dragon. Magic. Jousting. Prophecies. Comedy both high and low. True Love. Gods and demons and sorcerers."

And it makes it sound like something else entirely, you know?

The primary appeal of this series is its approachability. You can imagine going on a quest with these people, sure, but you can also imagine going with them to market, or seeing them on a farm, or chopping wood. In many fantasies, the humdrum details are excluded to the point that you can't see the characters as real people. In Eddings' world, these people would be instantly recognizeable on the street, should you happen to run into them. And you'd probably like most of them.

So go in for the ride and deal with the fact that these highly implausible people seem like friends by now. Except for the mute. When a writer is good at creating witty dialogue, a mute character sort of fades into the background a bit.