Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Page One of TwoThe Scrolls of the Ancients: Volume III of the Chronicles of Blood and Stone by Robert Newcomb
Del Rey, June, 2004Hardcover, 544 pages
ISBN: 0345448960
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In this third installment of the Chronicles of Blood and Stone,
Prince Tristan and his sister Princess Shailiha, The Chosen Ones
of Eutracia, must face another terrible threat to their world.
A long-lost brother, Wulfgar, has been found and is being
exploited by agents of the Heretics of the Guild to ensure their
return to this world using the Vagaries (the dark side of the craft of
magic) and the destruction of the masters of the
Vigors (the light side of the craft). Now, with an army of
demonslavers and the evil Krassus at his back, Wulfgar --
who has come into his full powers as a master of the Vagaries --
is ready to invade Eutracia by sea and destroy all that Tristan and
Shailiha hold dear.
Robert Newcomb demonstrates the depth of his talent with The Scrolls of the Ancients, a multi-layered and exciting adventure which reveals more of the mysteries which surround the Vagaries and the Vigors, and the mysterious race of Ancients which created the magic that can only be wielded by one of endowed blood. The magical system has a particularly logical appeal. It seems to have a physics underpinning: negative and positive aspects of the craft must be balanced; imbalanced use of the craft can lead to total devastation. There also seems to be a law of conservation of energy at work. And if the magic is science-based, then the fact that the ability to use magic is genetically determined leads to some interesting speculation about the origin of the craft, which one assumes will be revealed as the series proceeds.
This series has two wise wizards: Faegan, the brilliant, crippled exile, and the elderly Wigg, both of whom steal every scene they are in. The passage where Wigg and Faegan must pass through a terrible test of character in order to obtain knowledge to fight Krassus is absolutely riveting. Newcomb never holds back: from the shocking torture scenes in The Fifth Sorceress to the horrors that befall captured humans who are taken to the Citadel to the epic sea battles and the pyrotechnics that accompany powerful magic, the narrative is always gripping. Tristan is maturing into a formidable hero and Tyranny, a beautiful, swashbuckling privateer is a welcome addition to the cast of characters in this outstanding fantasy series.
--Claire E. White
Sign of the Qin (Outlaws of Moonshadow Marsh #1) by L.G. Bass
Hyperion, May, 2004Hardcover, 383 pages
ISBN: 0786819189
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In ancient China, a cruel Emperor rules his country with
an iron hand. The people are starving, the taxes are
high and the aristocrats live lives of luxury and indulgence.
When the Emperor's first son is born, events are set in
motion which will change the world. For little Prince
Zong has been born with the sign of the Qin -- the sign
of an outlaw -- much to his father's disgust. But to the
inhabitants of Heaven, the mark means something else
entirely -- that the boy is the reincarnation of the Starlord
who must unlock the kung fu secrets of the
Twelve Scrolls and save the earth from destruction by Yamu,
the Lord of the Dead. When the Emperor decides to assassinate
Prince Zong, magical guardians are sent to rescue him so that
he can grow up and fulfill his destiny. A calabash-bearing monk,
who is covered in prophetic, moving tattoos and his nemesis, the trickster
monkey who longs for immortality, must join forces to
assist the little Starlord in his quest.
L.G. Bass draws upon Chinese mythology and her own, considerable imagination to create a world of wonder, dragons, demons, fairies, magic and desperate battles. Written in a lyrical and engaging style, the story transports the reader to a complex world where the outcome of the eternal battle between good and evil is far from certain. The trickster Monkey, the tattooed monk and Silver Lotus, the exiled mother of the little Starlord are all vivid, energetic characters who come to life in this original and vastly entertaining book, which is the first in a projected trilogy.
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