Chasing the Bard by Philippa Ballantine

I picked this book up at a con in the spirit of sampling works on my publisher's table. (Dragonmoon Press is now part of Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. I'm published by Edge.) I've read a couple other fantasies from Dragonmoon Press which were competent and interesting enough to finish, but this is the first of three I have felt the urge to blog about. So - why did I like Chasing the Bard? For characters like Puck and Anne and Oberon, I think, although Sive and Will himself are the main protagonists. I suspect Sive is Ballantine's invention. A quick google for "Sive" turned up references to an Irish play by John B. Keane and a bunch of acronyms from various industries and adding "Oberon" yields hits from the software industry, not mythology. Sive is Oberon's smarter, tougher sister in the novel and the savior of her kind from the evil machinations of her ex-boyfriend, Mordant. For this she needs to woo Will Shakespeare for magical reasons which play out over his lifetime. I recently did a course on Renaissance literature which featured Shakespeare, so perhaps the interweaving of the bard's story with faery was another reason I enjoyed the book. Readers are idiosyncratic creatures, after all, who respond to what an author offers based on what they have already laid down as a foundation in their own brains. As villains go, Mordant was predictably vile and mindlessly destructive. He is given a little scope by his back story, but not much is made of his betrayal of his former nature. Everyone important seems to grasp, from the start, that he is possessed by the story's god of chaos, the "unmaker". The lively interactions of characters from faery with the world of mortals is the fun part of the story. Ballantine?s portrayal of multiple universes bridged by fey immortals reminded me of Martha Wells? book, Elements of Fire. I suspect anyone who liked one of these books might find the similarities and differences interesting. Both feature a powerful female misfit from faery-land whose alliance with a mortal is critical to beating the bad guys.

Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet

Nathalie Mallet sets up the problems faced by her hero, Prince Amir, on the very first page of her lively novel, The Princes of the Golden Cage. From that point on, she artfully entwines a mystery with a journey of self-discovery that includes a motivating love interest on the side. The characters are individuals from the start, and the tale beguiles the reader with a story-telling armoury drawn from the best tradition of secret passages, hidden identities, supernatural thrills and dramatic combat.

At the center of the story is Prince Amir, a decent young man despite his life?s alarming circumstances who longs to survive the struggle among his brothers over who will succeed their father as sultan so he can fulfill his dream of exploring the world beyond. Unfortunately for Amir, he has over two hundred brothers and must live with them inside the confines of a palace governed by formal rules of combat and gangs led by stronger contenders for the throne than himself. His strategy has been to trust no one and disguise his own strengths in the hope of escaping notice but this, too, his risky because his loneliness and isolation can pitch him into periods of hopelessness. At the start of the novel, his only companions are two mentally ill brothers and his precious books.

Amir?s very reputation as a reclusive scholar gets him drawn into investigating the eerie deaths of his brothers when some supernatural evil begins to harvest them once a month when the moon is full. In the process, he makes the acquaintance of an eccentric but friendly brother named Erik who turns out to be much more important than Amir thought. Because of Erik, Amir becomes embroiled in the struggle for the throne, like it or not, and entangled in the schemes of powerful women, including the beautiful and well-educated princess intended for whoever wins the throne. Politics and personal desires create good chemistry for action with high stakes, emotionally.

The setting in which the novel takes place has a charm of its own. The insider view of life as a surplus prince is plumped out with stolen glimpses of the harem and tales of the past that haunt the present. But Amir himself is definitely the best part of the book. Impelled to act by circumstances and leery of his own better impulses, he betrays a good heart through his choices and his thirst for friendship. His moody hours are easy to identify with and his fear of betrayal is completely understandable even though it can seem peevish at times. His flaws make him human and his misconceptions inject humour. Amir is fundamentally an optimist, game to carry on with whatever comes his way and bold enough to brazen his way through the rough spots. I look forward to seeing him in print again.

The Princes of the Golden Cage is a rewarding read for anyone with a taste for historically based fantasy, a supernatural mystery or just a fondness for charmingly flawed, heroic characters struggling to find their way in life. It is suitable for readers of any age sophisticated enough to understand the historical setting and young enough at heart to enjoy evil genies and a bit of sword play.

Element of Fire by Martha Wells

This is the first book I have stayed up all night to finish in a long time. It happened over the Xmas holidays which made the extravagance possible, but I would have been captivated by the characters and situations of Wells' novel even in the middle of the busiest of weeks. Wells achieves a fantasy setting with enough historical realism to retain the interest of the older, more cynical reader who would like to experience the joy of once more sympathizing whole-heartedly with worthwhile characters. I worried she was going to crush my revived joy in the noble and heroic just enough to be unable to sleep without finding out what happens to the gallant, jaded Thomas and the brash young mortal-fairy hybrid Kade Carrion who begins the tale as a problem for Thomas, the captain of the Queen's guard, but becomes the answer to more than he'd bargained for. Thomas' relationship with the dowager queen and the character of Ravenna herself weave a rewarding counterpoint to the growing entanglement of Thomas and Kade, keeping the story grounded in politics that reminded me of bits and pieces of European history surrounding royal families, their favorites, scheming courtiers, and interminable struggles for dominance with other powers. Students of literature and folklore will likewise enjoy Wells' portrayal of fairy, which cleverly incorporates both the 'ugly and evil' view of fairy-kind based on medieval legend and the 'beautiful but inhumanly cold' alternative, with Kade knocking around all realms as a misfit in every one.

I highly recommend the tale to intelligent readers, young and old, who like to cheer for deserving, if imperfect, good guys and experience the senory pleasures of a romp through an enchanted land.

Element of Fire by Martha Wells was originally released by Tor in 1993. I reviewed the 2006 edition re-released by the author after a tidy-up edit in order to keep the book accessible in print. Cover design for the 2006 edition is by M. Wilson with typesetting by Katya Loney.

PS for a map of the palace to let you locate characters in scenes as they unfold, see Palace of Vienne in the Ile-Rien on Wells' website.