Review: The Ten Thousand

On the world of Kuf, the Macht are a mystery, a seldom-seen people of extraordinary ferocity and discipline whose prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legend. For centuries now, they have remained within the fastnesses of the Harukush Mountains. They have become little more than a rumour.

In the vast world beyond, the teeming races and peoples of Kuf have been united within the bounds of the Asurian Empire which rules the known world, and is invincible. The Great King of Asuria can call up whole nations to the battlefield. His word is law.

But now the Great King’s brother means to take the throne by force, and in order to do so he has sought out the legend. He hires ten thousand mercenary warriors of the Macht, and leads them into the heart of the Empire.

Is it possible to be a fan of fantasy books and don’t like magic? If the use magic is presented in a ‘believable’ way I have no problem with it; unfortunately to my taste magic is often too contrived or convenient for my (too limited..?) imagination to capture. I have no problem with elves, orcs or trolls – but when they or some uberwizard starts shooting fireballs from their staff or freezing time or something else which can miraculously save the day I’m turned off from maybe an otherwise interesting story or a well build up world.

I am a historical fiction fan boy but I also like to read a good story in a fantasy setting; sometimes maybe even more so because of the fact that knowledge of the ‘real’ history cannot conflict with the enjoyment of the story. So give me a book that tells a good tale in a believable fantasy world but without much (miss)use of magic and I am a happy man.

Enter The Ten Thousand. This is my kind of book. We have the isolated Macht, a human race that lives isolated from the rest of the empire; physically separated by sea and because of events centuries in the past. These Macht are a hard people, warriors to the bone, who’s phalanx fighting style combined with their discipline and endurance make them a formidable foe. This is book is clearly based on the classical tale of the Greek mercenary army that was hired by a pretender prince of Persia to overthrow his brothers reign. The Macht can be compared to the Spartan warriors of legend and the continent they live on is like ancient Greece with its city states. In this book a story similar to Xenophon’s Anabasis unfolds – a pretender brother hires the Macht to take his brother’s throne and takes them to the heart of the empire where a battle will take place between the pretender’s Macht army and the emperors own army. The outcome of this battle sets the stage for the rest of the book.

We get to know Rictus, a city-less warrior who will make a name for himself; Jason, a war leader who discovers a new goal in his life during the campaign; Vorus, a Macht who lived in Kuf for over twenty years and is a general in the army of the emperor, the Kefren Emperor and his pretender brother Arkamenes; Arkamenes’ concubine Tiryn and more secondary characters – some more interesting than others (I would have liked to see more of Proxis and his motivations; I didn’t care much for Gasca).

The battle scenes are what makes this book shine – the reader is taken right to the middle of the battle lines and feels part of the dying; the blood and the guts. I would have liked to see more of the political machinations and the motivations of the main characters. Because of the relative shortness of the book I found that the characters were a bit 2 dimensional and less developed than the world they are part of. I found Kuf to be an interesting world, with a well explained and believable history. Apart from the fictional world of Kuf, the only real fantasy element in this book were the humanoid races of the Kefren and the Juthan (and the Qaf, but they play only a marginal role). The end was a little abrupt and a bit of a blow (eventhough I saw it coming...)

The only gripe is I have with this book is that it could and maybe should been have longer... It’s close to 500 pages in (smallsized) paperback, but with not a lot of words per sentence / page – so it’s a relatively quick read. I would have liked to see a bit more character development, some more of the history of this world and I would have liked to see more background of the different races. Ah well – maybe more stories in Kuf in the future?

Conclusion: Recommended. The Ten Thousand is a quick and fun read for anyone who love an alternate history full of action, blood and guts and who prefer their fantasy with a realistic feel.

7.5 / 10

Review: Acacia, the War with the Mein

An assassin sent from the frozen North on a mortal mission. A mighty empire under siege by its oldest enemy. Four royal children in exile or captivity, bent on avenging their father's death. Prepare yourself to be astonished and transported by Acacia.

Having read en enjoyed Durham’s solid historical novel ‘Hannibal’, I was more than a little curious to his first venture in the ‘epic’ fantasy realm: Acacia, the War with the Mein.

Mixed feelings about this one... Good thing was that I was immediately sucked into the world Durham created with his distinctive descriptive style. The story starts with an assassin, sent by the Mein - a race exiled about 20 generations ago to the uninhabitable, frozen north. He sets out to Acacia, the idyllic island named after the empire where King Leodan holds court. Leadon is an intelligent, sensitive and maybe even soft man. He lives for his four children, and has always protected them from the realities of the world; mainly the reality of where the wealth and position of the Akaran rule is based on. The empire is founded on slavery, the trafficking of drugs (called Mist) and the trading of a ‘Quota’ of children to an unseen peoples; the Lothar Aklun. Leodan would like to see things differently but is effectively powerless to change the reality of his world.

The book is set up in three parts. In the first part we see Leodan’s internal struggles and we get to know his children, his advisor and a general of the army. We also get introduced to the Mein and their motivations to conquer the known world and the steps towards this goal. In the second part the Mein rule and the children are young adults and scattered throughout the empire. The way this came to be is described through flashbacks. We will simultaneously get to know personalities and ‘new’ lives of the four Akarans. In the third part they have come to grips with their past and their destinies and the story comes to a conclusion.

The world building is done very well. We get a believable history, interesting cultural differences and we get introduced to the ‘ways of the world’ regarding the Mist and the Quota. (More than one parallel with the word we live in can be found in Durham’s world...) We can clearly see the beginnings of a much bigger story that can be told about the offstage parts of the world and its inhabitants. Lots of potential here!

But it is not a perfect book. One point of criticism is that the story was too light on dialogue to my taste. The descriptive style, although beautifully done, bogs done the flow of the story a bit. When there is dialogue it is as good as any writers, unfortunately there is not a whole lot of it. Rather than dialogue, there is whole lot of introspection going on, which gives us the info we need. That’s why I couldn’t begin to care much about any of the characters. Also, some actions of some characters either don’t make much sense (for instance the killing of a messenger early in the book), or seem contrived (the development and actions of Corinn in the last pages of the book come to mind).

Even with the negatives in mind I am pretty positive about this book. I like my fantasy ‘light’ – like an alternate history or a parallel world – but with a realistic feel and therefore not too heavy on the magic. There are magical elements here but they are not overdone. Durham’s style of writing and painting the picture of the world is beautifully done. I liked the moral ambiguity of some of the characters. The Mein chieftain was not just a villain and proved to be no worse a ruler than Leodan was. And even though I didn’t care for all the main characters a much as I should, I am still curious how they will develop in the future.

And, nothing to do with the story, the cover art is beautifully done. A big part of selling a book is marketing and presentation and it’s done perfectly here. I already saw the cover of the next book and for me it is impossible not to want this book on my shelve. Hideous cover art has prevented me from buying books in the past (I still want to read Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy but I cannot buy these books with the ugly covers...) Acacia doesn’t have this problem.

Conclusion: Acacia, War with the Mein is a solid and enjoyable debut in the fantasy realm and allthough far from perfect holds big promise for future books.

7 / 10

Review: Fall of Kings

Excellent conclusion to a brilliant trilogy

Darkness falls on the Great Green, and the Ancient World is fiercely divided. On the killing fields outside the golden city of Troy, forces loyal to the Mykene King mass. Among them is Odysseus, fabled storyteller and reluctant ally to the Mykene, who knows that he must soon face his former friends in deadly combat. Within the city, the Trojan king waits. Ailing and bitter, his hope is pinned on two heroes: his favourite son Hektor, and the dread Helikaon who will wreak terrible vengeance for the death of his wife at Mykene hands. War has been declared. As enemies, who are also kinsmen, are filled with bloodlust, they know that many of them will die, and that some will become heroes: heroes who will live for ever in a story that will echo down the centuries.

This book has everything a good book needs: intrigue, bloody action from mass battles to Hector's dramatic one on one fight with Achilles, love and hate, life and death. Helikaon, Andromache, Odysseus, Kalliades, Banokles, Hektor, Achilles, Agamemnon, Gershom - and all the others we came to love or hate have a role to play and will meet their fate, for good or for bad and for some with surprising twists. The sense of bravery, loyalty, grief, honor and happiness and the feeling that you know the characters so closely you feel their triumphs and pain like your own is the same as in the two previous books.

It is hard to tell which part was still written by David Gemmell himself and where his wife Stella took over after David's untimely death. Respect to Stella for this - it's quite an accomplishment.

The complete trilogy is a strong retelling of Homer's classic saga. For anyone who like their tales actionpacked, full of intrigue and great dialogue, with a big cast of characters to be loved or hated - don't hesitate to pick up this book. Be sure to read Lord of the Silver Bow and Shield of Thunder first!

Strongly recommended.

8,5 / 10

Review: Shield of Thunder

Excellent 2nd book

The war of Troy is looming, and all the kings of the Great Green are gathering, friends and enemies, each with their own dark plans of conquest and plunder. Into this maelstrom of treachery and deceit come three travellers; Piria, a runaway priestess nursing a terrible secret, Kalliades, a warrior with a legendary sword, and Banokles who will carve his own legend in the battles to come. "Shield of Thunder" takes the reader back into the glories and tragedies of Bronze Age Greece, reuniting the characters from Lord of the Silver Bow; the dread Helikaon and his great love, the fiery Andromache, the mighty Hektor and the fabled storyteller, Odysseus.

The Shield of Thunder is the follow up to Lord of the Silver Bow and just as good. It takes a about 200 pages before we are reintroduced to the characters of Lord of the Silver Bow, but this works out amazingly well. Gemmell takes his time introducing runaway priestess Piria and two renegade Mycene warriors: Kalliades and Banokles. Especially these two Mycene are characters you can't help but grow to love. Banokles even provides a little comic relief in a book that has it's fair share of battles and bloodshed. These new characters are so well done that we don't even have to miss the ones we got to know in the first book. Later in the book the storylines interweve and we get a perfect set up for the third book: Fall of Kings.

We are also introduced to other new characters. Most notably Achilles, the legendary hero of Thessaly, who burns to show his skills of war against Hektor, Prince of Troy. His first confrontation with Hektor makes for one of the interesting moments in the novel.

History fanatics who can't stand authors who take 'liberties' with events as they supposedly took place, will probably not appreciate this book. Gemmell remixed Homer's tale and made it more of an alternate history than a realistic retelling of the original legend. But that doesn't make it any worse - in fact it reads like a blockbuster movie. For some this may be a reason to dislike the book and the complete trilogy; for me it was a reason to love it.

8,5 / 10

Review: Lord of the Silver Bow

Superb Historical Fiction

Troy: city of gold and heroes, beloved of the gods, where wealth, privilege and rapacious greed walk hand in hand, and where the greatest of tragedies is about to unfold.

Helikaon, prince of Dardania, sets sail for Troy. On board his ship, the largest in the Aegean Sea, but regarded by many as dangerously unseaworthy, is his trusted friend and sea-captain Zidantas. Also aboard is Argurios, a deadly Mykene warrior, intent on revenge. Their journey to the fabled city will encompass storm and near shipwreck, personal tragedy and a bloody sea-battle whose bloody aftermath will haunt Helikaon and his companions for the rest of their voyage. Helikaon will also meet his old friend and master-storyteller, Odysseus, and fall in love with Andromache a woman as beautiful as a goddess. But when he arrives in Troy — a city riven by the destructive rivalries of King Priam's younger sons —he finds a city ready to implode, and, with nearby enemy kingdoms eyeing the city's riches, he knows a terrible war cannot be long in coming.

This is a great book. It is hard to fit it into a categorie - although David Gemmell is a renowned fantasy author, this book is not a classical fantasy. It could be labeled as historical fiction. The word fiction already implies it is not necessarily entirely acurate. Gemmell took some (great) liberties with the classical Troy mythe and created an excellent start to a trilogy.
Gemmell combines epic and historical fantasy into three novels set in the time of the Trojan Wars. This first book is the set up for events that lead to the war between Troy and Mycanea.
Historical figures as Agamemnon, Aeneas (Helikaon), Odysseus and Hektor and many more are brought to life in an exceptional way.

This is a story of war, romance and legend featuring honor versus treachery with characters that are very human, flawed and neither good nor evil. The pace of the story is terrific, it is totally absorbing and believable with realistic characters. The Greek Gods of the myths are almost not present in this tale, which gives it it's realistic feel. The focus is on the people, the characters are multi dimensional and there is no black and white characterisation. There are the supporting 'bad guys' who are a bit two dimensionally evil (like Agamemnon), but the main characters are beautifully developped. Helikaon has a definitive dark side and the character of Argurios, betrayed by Agamemnon and forced to fight against his own people, is especially well developped. The dialogs, the vibe of this classical era, the (bloody) battles - everything feels and reads just right.

Lord of the Silver Bow is an colourful, exciting and action packed book and highly recommended not only to readers of historical fiction but also to fantasy lovers who don't mind the absence of magic, dragons, elves, dwarfs and trolls.

Great stuff anf highly recommended!

9 / 10

News: George RR Martin finally gives an update..!

The man finally sheds some light on his progress. Read his comments here:

"No, it's not done.Yes, I am aware that more than a year has passed since my last update. A lot of you have been emailing me to point that out. Thanks, but really, I did know. Unlike many of you out there, I got my copies of the Song of Ice & Fire calendar, so I knew what date it was.

No, I'm not planning to update the update, for reasons stated in the update itself. Until such time as I can write, "It's done," it will remain the last update... aside from what I may say here from time to time, on my Not-A-Blog.

I made a lot of progress on the book in the first half of 2008. So much so that I was optimistic that I would be done by the end of the year. Unfortunately, I did not make much progress on the book in the second half of 2008. Indeed, I made some regress. (That Sansa chapter I talked about finishing, for instance. It’s still finished, but my editor and I decided it belongs in THE WINDS OF WINTER, not A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, so it’s been moved into the next book. Sansa will not appear in DANCE.)

Some of the reasons were literary, arising from problems in the narrative itself. I’m not going to discuss them here, because I really do not like talking about questions I am still wrestling with on a work in progress. It never helps. Art is not a democracy, and these are problems I need to solve myself. Having a few hundred readers weigh in with their thoughts and opinions — which seems to be what happens whenever I post here about DWD — does not advance the process. I’m sorry, but that’s true. I know that many of you would like to help me, but you can’t. I have editors and I have two capable assistants, and that’s sufficient. I’m the only one who can dance this dance.

Some of other reasons for the delay have nothing to do with the book itself. They’re extra-literary, arising from other things in my life. I could sketch out some of them here, sure, but what good would it do? Those who are inclined to understand would send me messages of sympathy and support. Those are not so inclined would dismiss them as “excuses,” or even “feeble excuses.” A few will even go so far as to accuse me of lying.

That’s the part that really bothers me. For the record, I have never lied about anything having to do with A DANCE WITH DRAGONS or the series as a whole. I have been wrong, yes. I have been wrong lots of time, especially when I’ve tried to predict how long it will take me to complete the book, or when it will be published. Being wrong is not the same as lying. Since the very beginning of this series, I have been guilty of being over-optimistic about how long it would take me to finish the next book, the next chapter, or the series as a whole. I cannot deny that. I have always been bad with deadlines… one reason why I did my best to avoid them for the first fifteen years of my career. That’s an option I no longer have, however. Or at least will not have until A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is complete.

That’s the main reason why I no longer want to give any completion dates. I am sick and tired of people jumping down my throat when I miss them. This latest flood of emails has worn down my resolve, however. So in hopes of quieting it, once more I will step into the breach – I am trying to finish the book by June. I think I can do that. If I do, A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will likely be published in September or October. (Yes, I am aware that I have previously said that I hoped to finish by the end of 2008. And before that, I said that I hoped to finish by June 2008, before I went to Spain and Portugal. And before that, I said I hoped to finish by the end of 2007. I know, I know, I know. No, I was not lying. I was wrong. And wrong again. And wrong before that. This time I hope that I am right. But you know, I can’t swear that in blood. I write one chapter at a time. One page at a time. One word at a time. And then the next.)

That’s all I have. But it’s more than Amazon has, or anyone else.

The INSTANT that I finish the novel and put it in the mail to Bantam, I will post that fact here, just as I did for SUICIDE KINGS a few days ago. Until and unless you read that announcement here, believe nothing you hear from any other source. I have made a lot of progress on the book since August 2007, but this part hasn’t changed: Thanks for your continued support… and for your patience."

So would do we think..? I for one lost interest a bit (although the fact that this news is my 1st post on my own blog may indicate something different...) I can see what GRRM is thinking and I also think he doesn't have to make frequent progress reports to his readers, but: in my opinion the 'updates' he did on his website in the last few years showed at least a little bit of frustration in his own lack of progress in finishing this book and at the same time these updates showed a bit af disrespect to his readers - who let's be honest - made him 'the man' by buying his books. And it is the Song of Fire and Ice that is his biggest achievement. I dare to say that nobody is really interested in his other 'activities', nor in reading his opinions about the NFL. But OK, that's not that important. What is important is that it was in 2000 that we read about our favorite characters like Tyrion, Dany and Jon. AGOT, ACOC and ASOS where brilliant books. AFOC fell short however... The decision to split the POV's into two books was completely wrong I think. It's just been too long since 2000 and the last good book. Well, we'll see - without a doubt I will buy ADOD as soon as it is available; let's just hope it will bring the series back on track.