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Review: The Wolf Queen, by Marie McCurdy

Review: The Wolf Queen, by Marie McCurdy

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The Wolf Queen by Marie McCurdy

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

The Wolf Queen is an historical novel, set in the time of the early Roman Empire, but focusing on the peoples of Germania across the Rhine. It’s a bloody and violent story about a major incident in the relationship between Rome and its “barbarian” neighbors. It’s also a very sexy and involving love story.

Thusnelda is the daughter of a chieftain of the Cherusci tribe of the Germani. As a girl, she was once betrothed to a young Cherusci warrior named Ermin, but he was captured by the Romans and taken, as far as Thusnelda knows, into slavery. Thusnelda grows up a warrior-woman in her own right, working behind the scenes to prop up her rather ineffectual father and brothers in their position as the leading family of the Cherusci. In fact, she rather despises her family, who are loyal clients of the Roman Empire, and secretly she burns for German freedom.

Early in the story, we see Thusnelda and another German girl assaulted by a Roman patrol. They defend themselves fiercely, killing several Roman soldiers, before being overcome. Thusnelda is brought before the Roman governor of Germania, Publius Quinctilius Varus. The governor reprimands the soldiers and lets Thusnelda go . . . but not before she sees her once-betrothed for the first time in years. Ermin is now calling himself “Arminius” in the Roman style, and he is not only a Roman citizen but also a commander of auxiliary troops under Varus.

Much of the novel is devoted to the efforts of Thusnelda and Arminius to foment a revolt against Roman authority. Thusnelda doesn’t trust Arminius at first, and the two of them often work at cross-purposes. Meanwhile, Thusnelda’s rebellious activities alienate her from the rest of her Roman-loyalist family. Her new fiancé, a chieftain of the Chatti tribe named Reimar, suspects she is becoming romantically involved with Arminius and becomes increasingly hostile. Thusnelda spends most of the story torn among conflicting loyalties, especially after she realizes she does still have feelings for Arminius.

The astute reader will know from the beginning how the historical story will turn out: the German revolt of 9 AD and the famous Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Ms. McCurdy’s retelling of these events is very well-researched and plausible, reflecting what little is known about German society and political culture at that time. She does a great job of taking the available sources – all of them Roman and not necessarily credible – and treating them with critical attention. In particular, her reinterpretation of the documented relationship between Thusnelda and Arminius was very credible.

If anything, I was surprised when this novel drew to a close, because I knew Thusnelda’s story was far from over. I understand Ms. McCurdy plans a sequel, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what she does with that.

The narrative flow here is very smooth. The story is told entirely from Thusnelda’s first-person viewpoint, and we get a good look at her opinions and reactions to everything that happens. Exposition is very gracefully handled; Ms. McCurdy rarely succumbs to the temptation for an “information dump,” instead painting a picture of the time and place entirely through Thusnelda’s eyes. Very nicely done for a debut novel.

Readers should be aware that the story is full of graphic language, explicit scenes of violence, and a few very explicit sex scenes. I caught a few copy- and line-editing stumbles, but they were rare and never had the effect of pulling me out of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wolf Queen, and I’m certainly looking forward to anything else Ms. McCurdy might create. Very highly recommended.

Review: Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree

Review: Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree

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Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

I wouldn’t normally be reviewing Travis Baldree’s second novel, because after the success of his debut story (Legends & Lattes) he no longer falls under the category of “self-published or indie author.” On the other hand, I did review the earlier book, and I really enjoyed this one, so . . .

Bookshops & Bonedust is light fantasy, set in a fantasy universe that’s clearly inspired by tabletop role-playing games, with a dash of Terry Pratchett in the mix. It’s a prequel to Legends & Lattes, focusing on the same protagonist: Viv the orc warrior. Here, though, Viv is at the very beginning of her career as an adventurer.

At the beginning of the story, Viv is a very junior member of an adventuring group called Rackam’s Ravens, who have been hired to deal with a necromancer. During a fierce battle against undead, her recklessness gets her seriously injured. Rackam orders her to separate from the group and take refuge in a nearby coastal town called Murk, where she can recover from her wounds.

Viv reaches Murk, and finds it to be a very quiet place. While she’s there, her injuries are slow to heal, which leaves her struggling to do things she would once have taken for granted. The combination is terrible for a reckless young orc, who very quickly finds herself bored out of her mind.

Almost out of desperation, Viv becomes involved with some of the townspeople of Murk, especially a bookseller named Fern. Fern recently inherited a bookshop from her father, and has been struggling to keep the business afloat in a backwater town like Murk. Yet Fern has a gift for finding just the right book for anyone . . . even an orc warrior who has never experienced the joy of reading.

Viv reads the first book, and comes back for more. Then she begins lending a hand as Fern fights to revive her business. She makes friends among the townsfolk. She even falls into a mystery that may have something to do with the necromancer she had been fighting in the first place. In the process, we get to watch her attain a little hard-won maturity, putting her on the path to become the world-wise veteran we met in Legends & Lattes.

Travis Baldree continues to show a very clean prose style, and the editing here is what I would expect from a traditional publishing house. I caught no significant copy or line-editing stumbles. The story structure remains very direct, told entirely in Viv’s close-third-person perspective.

The plot is a little less focused and unified than the earlier novel. There’s more of a sense of several plot threads moving at once, and some of them are more high-stakes than we’ve seen in this world before. That wider focus didn’t bother me, but it left the story feeling not quite as cozy as Legends & Lattes.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust, and I really do hope to see more from Travis Baldree in this world. Very highly recommended if you enjoy light low-stakes fantasy.

Review: House Aretoli, by K. M. Butler

Review: House Aretoli, by K. M. Butler

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House Aretoli by K. M. Butler

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

House Aretoli is an historical novel which paints a vivid picture of the early Italian Renaissance. Our scene is the Venetian Republic, a city where merchant families rather than warrior-aristocrats rule, yet the schemes for power and influence are no less deadly.

In the summer of 1363, Niccolo Aretoli is a young man serving on the military staff of Leonardo Dandolo, the Venetian governor of Crete. When a sudden rebellion takes place among the native population, Niccolo soon earns a reputation as a military hero. He saves the governor’s life, and assists in the evolution of Venetian citizens from the island.

Alas, when the Venetian exiles return home, Niccolo soon finds his new reputation small consolation. His beloved fiancé has married in his absence – to his own brother, no less – and the family soon suffers a terrible loss at the hands of a rival house’s schemes. Niccolo is forced to plot and struggle for his rights, opposing even members of his own family. In the process, he uncovers a plot against the Venetian state itself.

In Mr. Butler’s previous historical novels, he’s shown a gift for writing stories that fit into the interstices of what little is known today about a given period. House Aretoli is a particularly good example. The titular family and its struggles are fictional, but utterly plausible for the late medieval world. Documented events from the period are woven into the narrative. On the other hand, the resolution of the story is tied up in one of the era’s minor mysteries; the events of the climax aren’t documented, but are surprisingly credible given what little we do know.

Once again, Mr. Butler brings history to vivid life, including the differences between the cultural values of the past era and our own. Character motivations make sense, even when they feel very alien to a modern audience.

The flow of the narrative here is smooth and easy to follow. The story occasionally leaves Niccolo’s viewpoint, but sections told from other perspectives are cleanly labeled and never confusing. Necessary exposition is delivered through character dialogue or internal reflection, and it’s never a distraction. The story’s political intrigues are easy to grasp, even when they become a little convoluted.

The only serious complaint I had about House Aretoli was in the mechanics of prose style. Mr. Butler’s past novels have been quite clean, but this one had enough copy- and line-editing stumbles that I found myself distracted more than once. This was never quite enough to overcome my commitment to Niccolo’s tale, but a less engaging story might have lost me.

As with Mr. Butler’s previous efforts, I thoroughly enjoyed House Aretoli, and I’m certainly looking forward to his further work. Very highly recommended.

Review: Majority, by Abby Goldsmith

Review: Majority, by Abby Goldsmith

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Majority by Abby Goldsmith

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Majority is the first in a planned six-book space-opera series, chronicling the struggle of a few humans and their alien allies against one of the most viciously malign galactic empires ever created in fiction. The book is marketed as a “progression fantasy,” but the tropes of that sub-genre aren’t overly distracting – the story here works very well on its own.

Thomas Hill is an enormously talented teenage boy. He suffers from crippling physical handicaps, and he has grown up in an indifferent foster-care system, but his intelligence is so vast as to be unmeasurable. Even more, he is a telepath, a mind-reader who can absorb knowledge from others at lightning speed. At the age of thirteen, he is already a world-class scientific genius. The one mystery he has never been able to solve is that of his origins – he knows nothing about his biological parents or any family he might have. His only allies are two of his foster sisters, Cherise and Violet, who do their best to protect and support him.

Thomas soon learns that his origins are stranger than he could have imagined. Strictly speaking, he isn’t even fully human. His mother, at least, was a citizen of the Torth Empire. The Torth closely resemble humans, in fact humanity may be an offshoot of their species. The major difference is that all Torth, like Thomas, are telepaths.

The Torth dominate the entire galaxy. In theory, their Empire is a perfect democracy. Every Torth is considered the equal of every other. Every law, every policy, is decided by the “Majority” of Torth minds, linked in a galaxy-wide network. Talented Torth can acquire millions or even billions of “orbiters,” lesser minds who watch their every moment and leap to their aid, like the followers of Earthly “influencers.” On the other hand, the Majority is an absolute tyranny, insisting on perfect conformity at all times. Non-Torth are kept as slaves, subject to torture and death the instant they step out of line. Even high-ranking or popular Torth are always being watched, and might likewise be killed if they show signs of deviance or unwanted emotion.

Incidentally, the Torth Empire works quite well as a satire of the worst elements of modern Internet culture. I suspect that was quite deliberate!

Early in the story, the Torth arrive and capture Thomas. Thomas learns that his mother was Torth, and because of his talents he is offered the chance to join the Empire himself. For a time he is tempted . . . but the Empire has also taken his human friends, reducing them to slavery. The story that follows pits Thomas against himself, against the friends who no longer trust him, and against the constant surveillance and vicious cruelty of the Torth. Thomas and his friends must fight to survive, much less regain their freedom.

Ms. Goldsmith’s prose style is very clean, with no obvious copy- or line-editing problems to pull the reader out of the story. Viewpoint discipline is fairly good; although the viewpoint does shift around among several characters, it’s always clear who has the narrative at any given moment. The plot is tense, suspenseful, and fast-moving. I found the story quite compelling, and I ended the novel very much wanting to know what would happen next.

About the only difficulty I had with Majority was with characterization and character development. These felt just a touch clumsy; there’s a lot of telling, not showing, when it comes to how major characters think and feel about themselves or each other. Changes in characterization sometimes seem abrupt and inorganic. This may or may not be a result of the “progression fantasy” sub-genre; I suspect the emphasis on a character’s skills and abilities may sometimes distract from subtle and compelling characterization. In the end, I was able to stay engaged with the characters here, but it was occasionally an uphill struggle.

Even so, this is a very promising opening to what looks like it will be a top-notch space-opera series. I’m very interested to see what Ms. Goldsmith comes up with next. Very highly recommended.

Review: King of Sartar, by Greg Stafford

Review: King of Sartar, by Greg Stafford

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King of Sartar by Greg Stafford

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

King of Sartar is a compendium of myths, legends, and faux-historical documents, centered around the mythical hero Argrath, set in the fictional world of Glorantha.

(Note: This review is for the “Revised and Annotated” edition of King of Sartar, published in 2016.)

The most important thing to know about King of Sartar is that it is not a novel. Some reviewers have labeled it as an “epistolary novel,” but even that is too suggestive of a single narrative with a unified plot. There’s none of that in King of Sartar. Instead, it’s a collection of many stories, sometimes multiple versions of the same story, all set in the same fantastic world. It’s a tour de force in world-building, and it’s well worth reading on that basis. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a single coherent narrative, with a more conventional plot, characterization, and dramatic tension, then this book is not going to work for you.

The central conceit in King of Sartar is that centuries ago, a hero named Argrath (the name means something like “savior” or even “messiah”) unified the tribes of the kingdom of Sartar, and led them against the oppressive Lunar Empire which had occupied the kingdom for a generation. The result was a period of conflict and cosmic upheaval known as the “Hero Wars.” The gods and forms of magic that had held sway for eons were cast aside. Even literacy itself vanished, as for generations people simply forgot how to read and write. Only in recent times have literate civilizations begun to reappear. King of Sartar is a collection of fictional letters, scholarly papers, and mythical accounts, all written as if academics are trying to piece together the truth about Argrath long after his death.

There are some brilliant intellectual jokes buried in this odd book, familiar to anyone who’s made a serious study of real-world ancient history or mythology. The Hero Wars and the dark age that followed are immediately reminiscent of the Greek heroic age, and the “Bronze Age Collapse” that brought the Mycenaean civilization crashing down. The book’s fictional authors constantly engage in euhemeristic speculation, trying to cut through to the mundane truth they assume must stand behind the magical stories they’re studying. There are debates over whether Argrath was a single historical individual, or whether several different hero-tales were merged into one. There’s even a dispute over whether a “long” or a “short” chronology is more appropriate, with a positively Velikovskian speculation about whether a few centuries of the accepted account simply never happened in the first place.

Meanwhile, the stories themselves are a treasure-trove of lore about the world of Glorantha, famous through decades of tabletop wargames, roleplaying games, and computer games. Fans of any of these, from Runequest to King of Dragon Pass and its sequels, will find lots of clues to that fictional world here.

King of Sartar defies classification – there just aren’t many books like it in the fantasy genre. The closest thing I can compare it to is parts of J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium. King of Sartar occasionally reminds the reader of the Silmarillion, or better yet the volumes of unfinished material later collected by Christopher Tolkien to document the evolution of his father’s creation.

All in all, this is less a novel to be read than it is an intellectual experience to be savored. Very highly recommended if you’re a student of ancient history or myth, if you’re a fan of the world of Glorantha, or if you’re simply interested in how fantasy world-building can be done. Keep your distance, though, if you’re looking for a more conventional narrative.

Review: Dragon’s Son, by M. K. Casperson

Review: Dragon’s Son, by M. K. Casperson

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Dragon’s Son by M. K. Casperson

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Dragon’s Son is a short, suspenseful fantasy novel about a bitter conflict between brothers.

Beotia is a powerful kingdom, which has expanded over the last few generations to rule over many human realms. However, Beotia’s most dreaded enemy is the black dragons who live in the northern mountains. Beotia has long maintained a specialized army of dragon-slayers to defend against this foe, and that army is very much needed.

At the beginning of our story, the king of Beotia is enamored of a mysterious woman, who becomes his mistress and bears him two sons: Villian and Alexis. As the young princes grow up, the king’s only legitimate heir is a weak and unassuming daughter, which encourages their desire for power.

Yet in the end, the conflict that threatens to ruin the kingdom is between the brothers. For their mother was no ordinary woman. She was a dragon in human guise, and she bequeathed to her sons all the ambition, greed, and cruelty of her draconic heritage.

The story that follows is one of conflict between the two brothers, but also of conflict within Alexis himself. Influenced by his young wife, he struggles against the urges derived from his mother’s blood, even though he needs the powers of a dragon to defeat his brother. There’s plenty of suspense in the story, as the reader hopes to find out whether Alexis will overcome both his rival and himself.

Dragon’s Son is a fairly short novel, and the plot moves along at a fast pace. I read almost the entire story in one sitting. I was impressed by Ms. Casperson’s prose style; it was very clean, with almost no distracting copy- or line-editing problems. Viewpoint discipline is very good. The story is written from two different viewpoints (Alexis and his wife Amarea), with strict alternation and each chapter clearly labeled. No risk of getting confused here.

I found a few structural choices a little odd. The first chapter seems to set up a conflict that simply evaporates before it has any significant impact on the story. Meanwhile, the first few chapters from the protagonist’s viewpoint are all epistolary rather than viewpoint narrative. Once the main line of the plot emerges, though, it grabs the reader’s attention very effectively.

One thing that did distract me a little was the presence of historical references that ended up seeming out of place. As someone who’s familiar with Greek and Byzantine history, some character names and setting details seemed to promise that this was a historical fantasy, that certain real-world historical events might make an appearance. That turned out not to be the case, and the story went off in a very different direction than I was expecting. Not a serious issue – it’s probably just a matter of specific inspirations that the author chose not to disguise. Most readers probably won’t be diverted by these.

All in all, a very promising early novel, and a quick and exciting read. I’m interested to see what Ms. Casperson comes up with next. Very highly recommended.

Review: The Murder of Heracles, by J. Edward Ritchie

Review: The Murder of Heracles, by J. Edward Ritchie

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The Murder of Heracles: An Amazon Odyssey by J. Edward Ritchie

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

The Murder of Heracles is a fun historical fantasy novel, which takes the familiar world of Greek myth and drives it in some surprising directions.

At the beginning of our story, four young Amazons are about to become full members of the community: Penthesilia (“Pen”), Bremusa (“Bremy”), Valasca (“Val”), and Antianara (“Anne”). They complete their final trial, defending their homeland of Themyscira against invading men. Victorious, they return home to claim their reward. Unfortunately, on that very night, a more effective army of Greeks invades Themyscira, massacring the Amazons and killing their queen Hippolyta. The leader of the Greeks is the “hero” Heracles, here portrayed as an intelligent but monstrous and barbaric figure.

Fifteen years later, the few surviving Amazons live in exile, scraping out an existence in the wilderness, having lost all their culture and pride. Only Hippolyta’s daughter, Derinoe (“Dee”), offers them any hope as she grows to womanhood as a potential queen. Then the survivors discover that Heracles is still alive, standing at the head of a vicious religious cult that demands tribute from across the world. Pen and her companions set out on a quest for revenge, hoping to find Heracles and kill him for what he has done.

What follows is a journey across the world, full of bloody battles, narrow escapes, triumphs, and tragedies. The astute reader will spot references to many stories of Greek myth, even some that are rather obscure; Mr. Ritchie has definitely done his research here. In most cases, there is some dramatic twist to render the familiar story strange.

In fact, this story gives us a very contemporary take on the Greek heroic age. Character dialogue and authorial voice are all in modern and highly colloquial language. The setting is full of anachronisms, elements of the historical Late Bronze Age mixed with much later eras and the fantastic world of myth. I detected some very distinctive influences here: a dash of Xena, scraps of George Pérez’s take on Wonder Woman, and even hints of a recent Assassin’s Creed game. At times, the classicist in me was having seizures . . . but the recipe honestly works well, and the result is a very engaging story.

After all, the core of this story isn’t the mythical or pseudo-historical premise. The core of this story is its leading characters: a band of tough, cynical, bloody-handed, foul-mouthed women who have already suffered all the pain and betrayal the world has to offer. Their personal development across this story is a delight to watch, and their resolution feels very well-earned.

The mechanics of the prose are strong. I caught a few typos and odd word choices, but it was never enough to break me out of the flow of the narrative for long. Viewpoint discipline is very good – the entire story is told from Pen’s perspective, and we hear only her internal dialogue.

This isn’t a novel I would have written, despite my interest in the setting, but I still found it thoroughly enjoyable. I’m very interested to see what Mr. Ritchie comes up with next. Very highly recommended.

Status Report (23 June 2023)

Status Report (23 June 2023)

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Only a short note today, to report that I’m likely going to be getting little or no creative work done for at least a few days, possibly as much as a few weeks.

My living quarters and home office are in the finished basement of our home, and as of yesterday afternoon, that basement is being flooded. So far it’s not too bad – only a few of my possessions have been water-damaged, and the bulk of my library of books and tabletop games is safe for the moment. On the other hand, the bulk of the carpeting is water-logged and we’ve had to shift a lot of furniture around. As I sit at my workstation right now, the carpet under my feet is soggy and wet.

(No, the image above is eye-catching, but it’s not actually that bad. Even if it’s starting to feel that way.)

We have a specialist coming this afternoon to make an assessment and estimate what would be involved in repairs. I suspect we may need to move most of the furniture and items from my space into storage for at least a few days, cutting me off from my primary work machine and resources while repairs get done. In particular, if the flooding worsens, we may need to move everything to save my equipment and prevent significant losses to my library. In the worst-case scenario, it may be several weeks before things are back to normal.

All of which is to say that work on Architect of Worlds and other projects is at a standstill until I get my space back. I can’t even promise any free updates for this month, and I may miss my monthly book review for June. We’ll see how things go. I’ll post again as soon as I know more, and have some idea how long I’ll be offline.

Review: Silk Road Centurion, by Scott Forbes Crawford

Review: Silk Road Centurion, by Scott Forbes Crawford

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Silk Road Centurion by Scott Forbes Crawford

Overall Rating: **** (4 stars)

Silk Road Centurion is a flawed but very engaging historical novel, centered around the clash of two great ancient cultures.

Manius Titinius is a Roman centurion in the army of Marcus Licinius Crassus, in the mid-first century BCE. At the beginning of our story, he is on detached duty, scouting for the army and trying to discover the whereabouts and intentions of the Parthian army. Unfortunately, he learns too late that Crassus is marching into a trap. He is captured by the enemy before he can make a warning, and it’s implied that the result is the disastrous Battle of Carrhae, in which Crassus was decisively defeated and his legions lost.

Manius himself becomes a slave. He is taken far to the east, changing hands several times, until he comes into the possession of a tribe of steppe barbarians. These people call themselves the Kets, but they are known to history as the Xiongnu, a people of deep Central Asia. Along the way, Manius comes into contact with Chinese people, at first captives like himself, later free Chinese living on the frontier of the Han Dynasty empire. He learns to speak Chinese, learns something of Chinese customs, and is (grudgingly) accepted among them. Eventually he is forced to fight to defend his new friends against the Xiongnu.

As with any historical novel, the quality of the author’s research is important. I certainly had no concerns regarding that element of Silk Road Centurion. The very premise of the novel is drawn from well-grounded historical speculation. It’s long been suspected (although never proven) that some survivors of the disaster at Carrhae may have been sold into slavery, living out their lives somewhere along the Silk Road routes as far east as China. Manius is very plausible as an educated, skilled Roman officer of the late Republic; his beliefs and behaviors all fit what I’ve learned of the period. I’m less of an expert in Han Dynasty society, but the details of the people who take Manius in all seem very plausible too.

I much appreciated that Manius has realistic limits and flaws. Too many stories involving a protagonist accepted into an alien culture fall into the trap of making him almost superhuman. Manius does have one heroic trait – he is stubborn and determined to an astonishing degree – but otherwise he is all too human. He isn’t better at being Chinese than the Chinese who take him in, he isn’t a more effective warrior, he doesn’t convince them to make him their leader, and he doesn’t win the affections of the leading lady. His collision with Chinese culture is entirely believable.

Overall, the story was very engaging and I had no difficulty finishing the novel. Viewpoint discipline was very good, with the story told almost entirely in third-person close from Manius’s perspective.

The one quarrel I had with Silk Road Centurion is that it really needed at least one more copy- and line-editing pass. There were typos and editing gaps, and in particular Mr. Crawford tends to drop into very modern slang now and then. It was enough to distract me from the narrative more than once. If the overall story hadn’t been so interesting, I might not have been able to finish it.

Even so, this is a very good and readable novel about a little-visited corner of human history. I enjoyed it, and I’m intrigued to see what Mr. Crawford works on next. Highly recommended.

Review: The Starved God, by Thomas Norford

Review: The Starved God, by Thomas Norford

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The Starved God by Thomas Norford

Overall Rating: **** (4 stars)

The Starved God is a story of exploration and violent death, set in a world where humanity has diverged into multiple antagonistic species.

Our protagonist, Canna Dawn, is an amateur naturalist, living in the community of Riverbend. What we see of Canna and his people is both familiar and strange. They seem to be human, but it soon becomes clear that there are some odd elements to their biology and way of life. It also turns out that there are several different human species, all of them significantly different from each other, and none of them exactly like us. Riverbend and the kingdom around it seem to be at an early Nineteenth Century level of development, but they are oddly advanced in some ways and lagging in others. The world itself seems very Earthlike, but its geography is strange . . . and the planet is encircled by a prominent set of rings.

Soon, Canna is recruited for an expedition led by the sea-captain Skuld Heel. Captain Skuld has been commissioned to cross the ocean and explore lands at the very edge of human knowledge. He needs a naturalist to help him catalogue the plants and animals they find . . . and to evaluate the distant lands for colonization and exploitation. Canna isn’t eager to leave Riverbend, but he is soon forced to go. The things he learns along the way will have profound implications for him and his people.

The prose style here is quite clean, with very few copy-editing errors. Viewpoint discipline is decent; some passages are told from the perspective of different characters, but the result is clear and easy to follow. The reader will be pulled along by the desire to solve the mysteries posed by the narrative – is this story set on Earth? If it is, how did things get so strange? How will Canna and the other characters cope with the discoveries they make? The story kept me engaged from start to finish.

The world-building here is solid, the strangeness of the setting well-motivated and well-described. Some of its features were a trifle too derivative for my taste. For example, it won’t take too long for the reader to realize the exact Earthly-historical analogue for Canna’s adventure. (It doesn’t help that even Canna’s initials point directly to his real-world inspiration.) The world is grounded in ideas from evolutionary biology and cognitive science, but there aren’t a lot of surprises here.

Meanwhile, late in the story Mr. Norford succumbs to one of the terrible temptations that present themselves to any author engaged in rich world-building. For most of the narrative, he does a fine job of sticking to Canna’s viewpoint, allowing us to watch our hero unravel the world’s mysteries through observation and deduction. Then, close to the climax, the story abruptly drops out of “showing” mode and into a big chunk of exposition in “telling” mode. All the answers are dropped into our lap by a genuine deus ex machina. The overall sense is that of a high-concept, big-ideas, deep-world-building story that doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Still, this is a very well-crafted and intriguing story with lots of lovely scenery and clear sequel hooks. I enjoyed it, and I’m very interested to see what Mr. Norford works on next. Highly recommended.