dls@ahutb.UUCP (d.l.skran) (04/10/85)
An April Vacation's Reading
By Dale Skran
Over my Easter vacation, I read three new books. As I have found more and
more of late, I enjoyed the two fantasy volumes more than the science
fiction.
To Reign In Hell
by Steven Brust
This book deserves the accolades bestowed on it by Rogar Zelazny in the
forward - "engaging story with consummate grace and genuine artistry." The
story follows the events in Heaven that led to the falling out between Satan
and Yaweh. Although less than convincing as theology, as a tale of gods who
are men, TO REIGN IN HELL must be placed with LORD OF LIGHT as a masterwork.
Brust's writing has much to offer: beautiful language, rich characters, a
haunting ring of truth, and a larger significance. At the end, I lusted for
Lilith, respected Satan, and pitied Yaweh. Their final battle and ultimate
destiny is at once unexpected and plausible.
Cross the Stars
by David Drake
Drake continues the chronicles of "Hammers Slammers," a mercenary outfit in
the Pournelle tradition with this tale of a future Odysseus on an
interstellar Odyssey as a retiring "Slammer," Don Slade, journeys homeward.
Although episodic, the story rolls right along, keeping the reader
interested in what might have been, in other hands, an unremarkable tale of
a big strong man. The ideas in CROSS THE STARS may be less than
innovative(although I believe the method of propulsion used by the Alayans
is new), but Drake puts the bite on the reader as Slade gets into tough
spots and tougher moral choices.
The White Rose
by Glen Cook
The WHITE ROSE shares with CROSS THE STARS the distinction of being a tale
of a mercenary company forced into tough spots and tougher decisions. Cook's
Black Company will linger long in the annals of F&SF warriors. The WHITE
ROSE concludes what may(or may not)be a trilogy(THE BLACK COMPANY, THE
SHADOWS LINGER, and THE WHITE ROSE) chronicling how the Black Company came
to serve the Lady in her war with the rebel, how the rebel was defeated, how
the Dominator rose from the grave only to be put down by the Lady, and how
to save Darling the Black Company turned against the Lady. I consider Cook's
series to be many cuts above standard fantasy fare. Cook writes honestly
about hard men facing tough choices, and doesn't gloss over the grim face of
war or allow easy(Dorsi style) victories for the good guys. Best of all, he
has created two of the strongest female characters in fantasy, Darling and
the Lady.
The Lady is a fit successor to Weinbaum's Black Flame, an immortal
sorceress, powerful beyond human ken, yet dogged by a spark of humanity. She
finds her nemesis in Darling(The White Rose), a "magic null" who fuels her
suburb generalship with driving hate. Told by the Black Company's doctor and
annalist, Croaker, THE WHITE ROSE is by far the best of the series, and the
others are good! Among these and other strong characters Cook builds a
fantasy world that includes the Barrowland and the Plain of Fear, the wind
whales and Toad Killer Dog, Soulcatcher and the Limper.
Perhaps a preference for fantasy comes with age, as I recently turned 27,
but I recommend the entire Black Company series strongly to anyone who
enjoyed the Slammers or John Christian Falkenberg, and also to anyone who
hates cute unicorn fantasy and loves dark, mysterious, tortured women with a
soft spot that leads them to a glorious destiny. I also recommend TO REIGN
IN HELL to anyone who enjoyed LORD OF LIGHT. Neither book is perfect - the
characters in TO REIGN IN HELL may be overly monothematic, and the ending of
THE WHITE ROSE may or may not be consistent with the magic used up to that
point in the series, but I couldn't put either one down once I got started.
Both of these books make Power's ANUBIS GATES seem pale. Power has action
and ideas. Brust and Cook add character, passion, pain, and a shuddering
glimpse of the final evil.