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Index Interviews: Thomas Shippey A Horse of a Different Color Ethics of Technical Publishing: Trust Yourself Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
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Fantasy/SF/Horror Book ReviewsThe Alchemist by Donna BoydBallantine, January, 2002Hardcover, 256 pages ISBN: 0345441141 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
New York therapist Dr. Anne Kramer
meets her last patient of the day: the elegant and
charismatic Randolph Sontime. He immediately
informs her that he is the assassin that the entire
world is seeking for a particularly brutal murder
of a famous and beloved public figure. Humoring
him, she asks for his story -- and he obliges.
And what a story it is. It is the story of Egypt before
time -- for he is immortal. In his youth he was known as
Han, and he was chosen to study at the House of Ra to
to become a Practitioner. The Practitioners are Alchemists,
who can reshape reality with their magic. Han and his
two best friends, Akan and the beautiful Nefar combined
their magic one evening -- although it was forbidden to combine
powers -- and a terrible tragedy ensued. Escaping the
devastation of the House of Ra, they made their way into
Egypt, which they longed to recreate as a perfect world,
but their magic was imperfect, and even more tragedy ensued.
From thence forward, their lives would be intertwined
throughout history. Sontime has been known
by many names throughout time, including Merlin and
Rasputin. True Practitioners have a duty to the world:
to keep it in balance. But not all Practitioners are good, or
even sane. From the court of the Pharaoh Ahkenatan
to the palace of the last czar of Russia, to modern day New York,
these three old friends move through time and history. Together, they
have the power to alter the
course of our universe. Their decisions may change the
world -- and not for the
better.
Donna Boyd has created a breathtaking story of love, betrayal, ethics, magic, jealousy and insanity that is broad in scope, lush in language and thrilling to read. The descriptions of the House of Ra are absolutely fascinating. And the story of the three friends, two boys and a girl who together can combine their power with fantastic results, is riveting. The ending leaves room for a sequel, which is certainly good news for readers. Highly recommended. Captain Nemo by Kevin J. AndersonPocket Books, January, 2002Hardcover, 357 pages ISBN: 074344406X Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
Bestselling French author Jules Verne captivated
millions of readers with his fantastic stories such
as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to
the Center of the Earth. Now Kevin Anderson
presents us with a fictional biography of Verne.
In this well-imagined tale, the young Verne
had two best friends: Andre Nemo and the beautiful
Caroline Arronax, the daughter of a wealthy merchant
in Nantes. Andre and Jules stow away on a ship bound
for the high seas, but Jules' stuffy lawyer father
catches Jules and forces him to come home in total
disgrace. Nemo goes on to have all the adventures,
battling pirates, fighting sea monsters, being shipwrecked,
ballooning across Africa etc. Jules eventually turns these real life tales
of his friend into his popular novels. Both Jules and
Nemo are madly in love with Caroline, who has
gone on to become a wealthy and independent
shipping executive, which causes an immense scandal
in the chauvanistic Paris of the 1800s.
Anderson has created an immensely enjoyable adventure, using the conceit of the two friends -- one bold and adventurous and one content to imagine wild adventures -- who are both in love with the same woman. Verne's trials and tribulations as a young writer trying to get published, while attempting to live up to his father's dreams of him being a lawyer in Nantes are quite moving. Nemo himself is a brooding and enigmatic hero who, as a result of his suffering at the hands of various despots, eventually declares war on war itself. Anderson writes in a style reminiscent of the real Jules Verne, an added bonus which will take many readers back to their youth when they could while away the hours reading Verne's fantastic adventure stories. The Dragon Queen by Alice BorchardtDel Ray, October, 2001Hardcover, 480 pages ISBN: 0345443993 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
With the plethora of fantasy retellings of the
Camelot legend -- some good, some bad and some
indifferent -- one might think that the theme couldn't
possibly be rewritten in another interesting way.
Enter Alice Borchardt, author of Night of the Wolf, The Silver
Wolf and The Wolf King, and
the sister of bestselling novelist Anne Rice. Borchardt has been making
a name for herself, and this newest series is sure to
cement her reputation as a top-notch fantasy author
with formidable writing skills. The Dragon Queen
is the first book of a trilogy which focuses on the life
of Queen Guinevere. But this Guinevere is no passive
beauty. She is the daughter of a mighty pagan warrior
queen, and she has the potential to wield great power
and magic. Spirited away as a baby
to save her from the evil wizard Merlin,
Guinevere is raised by a powerful Druid, Dugald,
Maeniel, a shape-shifting wolf/man and
a pagan woman of good family who is rescued by the
three from pirates. Guinevere will be tested by
means both practical and fantastic in order for her
to stake claim to her destiny to be Queen of the Dragons,
the wife of the noble King Arthur and to defeat those
who would stop her from pursuing her path.
From the moment little Guinevere is dumped into a wolves' den as a tiny toddler, she shows grace and courage. A complex and intriguing character, Guinevere is not one to be trifled with. Some readers will be disheartened by the casting of Merlin and Igraine as evil sorcerers who would do anything to prevent Guinevere from marrying the courageous Prince Arthur. But the re-casting of Merlin as the Machiavellian advisor who tries to control young Arthur's destiny provides some excellent plot opportunities, of which Borchardt takes full advantage. Her writing is lyrical and engrossing; she has created a magical backdrop peopled with unusual and compelling characters which should appeal both to fantasy and romance readers alike. --Claire E. White Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of fantasy/sf books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |
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