The Book of Athyra | ||||||||
Steven Brust | ||||||||
Ace, 436 pages | ||||||||
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A review by Cindy Lynn Speer
In Athyra we meet Savn. The son of a flax farmer who is training to become
a physicker, he has no idea of the impact that a chance meeting with a
strange Easterner will have on his life. That Easterner, Vlad Taltos, has
simply been wandering, and is surprised to find that these wanderings have
brought him close to Baron Smallcliff, one of the many people who seem to
want to kill him. Fortunately, Vlad's body is not the one that turns
up. Reins, a cart driver known to everyone, is found dead of unknown
circumstances. Even though there's no sign of a wound or a spell, Vlad is
blamed, and the ensuing manhunt will draw Savn in despite his own mistrust
for the stranger.
The results of this search will include a key point to the next story. Even though it
must be included, it constitutes a major spoiler. (If you
like, you can skip this paragraph.) Savn survives the
fight with Smallcliff, but the shock from the weapon he wielded has put
him into a sort of walking coma. He doesn't speak, or react. He'll follow
you if you call him, eat if you put food in front of him, and little else.
Vlad, grateful to him for saving his life and guilty for the fact Savn's
life is now, hopefully temporarily, ruined, takes him away from his small
village. In his travels to get Savn cured, he is told of an old lady who
lives in a heinous blue cottage. When he gets there, he discovers that the
sorceress will help. Vlad, to pay her back, will try and find away to
keep the foreclosers from kicking her off her land. He realizes that it
must somehow be tied to the death of the Baron Fyres, who owns the
lands. But was his death an accident, or a murder? And why does the empire
seem to be intent on covering the whole thing up? Hopefully, with the help
of the master Kiera, he'll be able to find out.
Steven Brust has a masterful way of telling a tale. He doesn't go at it the same
way each time, but instead finds new angles for the perspective. In Athyra,
the story is told by Savn. We never get into our main character's mind,
really, we just see Vlad through Savn's eyes, and the view isn't always
flattering.
In Orca, we have an entirely different way.
Kiera is telling the story to Cawti, who you may remember is Vlad's beloved,
but estranged, wife. So, they're sitting in a place discussing this story,
which is told sometimes from her perspective, sometimes from Vlad's as he
tells her what he's learned from the investigation. So, while this story
comes to us third hand, it is as richly told as if it were first.
And, most of the time you don't even remember that Kiera is telling the
story, save for the occasional interlude where Cawti asks a question or
makes a comment. It is very likely the same one we're asking or thinking
ourselves. It puts Cawti with us in the audience. Because of these very
different perspectives, we get a very intimate and complete portrait of
Vlad. Mind you, with the other Vlad Taltos books, we would have an even better
one. But I think that, seeing Vlad from the point of view of a distrustful
and naive young man, we get to consider our character in a light that most
series don't allow for. It all proves that Vlad is a solid serial
character, a brilliant and patient detective, a reckless and dashing rogue.
With the jhereg (imagine small dragnonettes) Rocza and Loiosh, he seems
undefeatable.
(As an aside, Brust uses the two jhereg to create another
interesting set of perspectives. In the first book, Rocza is the jhereg we
hear from, though her thoughts are very different, centered around her mate,
very instinctual and animal-like, though no less intelligent. Which makes
for a shock, when in the next book we hear Loiosh's thoughts, as barbed and
sarcastic as his provider's, and often more sensible.)
It is impossible not to get lost in this world. There is a mixture of
mystery as well as fantasy, a cast of infectious characters, and a setting
that is at once completely drawn and filled with possibilities. The
pairing of Athyra and Orca is perfect, giving you nuances and connections that you may
never have made if you read them apart.
Cindy Lynn Speer loves books so much that she's designed most of her life around them, both as a librarian and a writer. Her books aren't due out anywhere soon, but she's trying. You can find her site at www.apenandfire.com. |
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