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next_to_normal) wrote2010-09-23 03:02 pm
next_to_normal) wrote2010-09-23 03:02 pm
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Book review: The Fall of the Kings
Ahhhhh, why does it take me forever to do things? I finished this one last week during my treatment, but apparently I am inept at writing timely reviews. Ah well. I suppose if I spread them out, then you won't notice that I've been spending my time reading the friggin' FEC Campaign Finance Guide instead of, you know, books.
The Fall of the Kings, by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
This is the second (or the third, depending on whether you go by chronological order or publication order) in the Riverside series that started with Swordspoint. (Aaaand, shit. I just discovered that, although I updated my TV index post with DW links instead of LJ, I never updated the other ones. Dammit, will have to do that.) I don't know if Ellen Kushner has sharpened her skills with experience or if it's all Delia Sherman's influence, but this is definitely an improvement. I still thought it suffered from a weak beginning - it was very slow and tedious until things started to get set in motion - but once past that initial hurdle, it was well-paced and dramatically engaging.
This story is set a few generations after the first novel, featuring the son of Swordspoint's Alec, Theron Campion, and his lover, University professor Basil St. Cloud. Theron is a spoiled rich boy with a roguish reputation. Like his father, he is a University student, preferring that life to high society. But while Alec chose to forsake everything and hid his noble lineage until the events of Swordspoint, Theron struggles to straddle both worlds. Basil is a professor of ancient history, and a controversial one at that, since he teaches about the age of kings and wizards and magic, a time the current ruling class feels is best left forgotten. While preparing for an academic challenge to prove that the kings were good and the wizards' magic was real, Basil's research intersects with a cult of Northern students calling themselves the Companions of the King, who believe that it is their duty to bring a new king to the land - and that Theron is the one to rule.
The relationship between Theron and Basil is just as complicated as Alec and Richard before them, though the whole mythical king/wizard aspect of it did ping some of my "annoying trope" buttons. Because they are part of some prophecy thing, there is the implication that they were drawn to each other in part because of the roles that they are playing, and so their love is a consequence of fate or prophecy or something. At one point, Basil even observes that he and Theron are meant to be together because of what it represents in the context of history. Which, blech. I like my romance with a heaping dose of free will, thanks. It also bothered me that a product of the magic and Theron's transformation is that he's unbelievably horny, which stinks of the "sex pollen" trope. Also, not a complaint, but just an FYI, there is a lot more sex in this book than in Swordspoint, so if you were used to the vague, mostly fade to black scenes in that, be prepared for much more... well, not really explicit scenes, since it's still mostly couched in flowery metaphors, but more descriptive, at least. And more of them.
Overall, I thought the character development was much, much better. Unlike Swordspoint, in which Richard and Alec were the only fleshed out characters in a sea of stereotypes, this one felt populated by dozens of real, complex people. A lot more of the minor characters delved beyond a superficial characterization and we got to understand their motivations not just as pieces of some elaborate scheme, but as people with hopes and fears and desires.
Like I said, the beginning is very slow. The "action," such as it is, is centered around the University, and so the book opens with a lot of exposition in the form of history lessons and scholarly debates, which is pretty much like sitting through a college lecture when you have no idea what the professor is talking about (since none of this history was hinted at in Swordspoint). Once the actual plot kicks in, the history becomes relevant and it's a much more interesting tale of uncovering the mysteries of the past, even as they're crashing into the present.
Just like the previous book, the attention paid to the world-building is definitely a highlight. I appreciated some of the ways that the authors showed progress and change while still reminding us of the world we'd grown acquainted with. I liked how swordsmen had become sort of passe, and that Riverside had gone from being a ghetto back to being a reasonable place to live, because Alec, as a duke, decided to stay there (my understanding is that Privilege of the Sword covers this era, so we get to see how it happened, but not having read it, I think it works fine with the big jump ahead). Theron's heritage was obvious and ever-present, of course, but I liked how other descendants of characters were thrown in without making a big deal of their ancestors - Peter Godwin, for example, bears little resemblance to his grandfather Michael Godwin beyond heritage, but just the name grounds us in the continuation of the world. As Duchess of Tremontaine, Katherine evokes her politically savvy and independent predecessor, Diane. But I also appreciated that it wasn't one of those "everyone is the grandson or granddaughter of so-and-so from the first book" type of deals, because that's unrealistic. Just a few gets the point across.
One thing that caught me off guard, though, is that this book introduces kings and magic to Riverside canon, two common trademarks of fantasy novels that were notable in their absence from Swordspoint. I had sort of identified that as something that made Swordspoint stand out in the genre - although it was an imaginary setting, it felt much closer to the historical end of the historical fantasy spectrum - but the introduction of magic and a mythic folklore tradition involving the ancient kings, wizards, and transmogrification as a rite of passage in this book placed a much heavier influence on the fantasy aspect. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily, but it felt like a distinct shift in genre, and the fact that none of this was even hinted at in Swordspoint makes the series seem somewhat disjointed. Which may be intentional, I suppose, since the existence of magic is supposed to be a secret kept by the nobility to deter any threats to their governing authority.
The other thing that troubled me was the ending. I don't want to spoil it, so skip the next paragraph if you intend to read it, but suffice to say that it didn't ruin the story or make me sorry I read it. It's just somewhat unsettling in the way that it leaves major developments unresolved.
More specifically, I felt like the entire story was building up to the climax of Theron becoming king... which then didn't actually happen. But it's not a total defeat, either, because Theron went through the trial and did everything he was supposed to, and he could potentially one day return as king. But as it stands, it seems like nothing has actually changed, and so Basil died for nothing, which is a rather depressing end for a main character. It just seemed as though there was a clear thematic progression throughout the book, only for it to take a sharp left turn at the end. It's also incredibly frustrating that Theron and Basil are the two main characters in the book, and when it comes to the climax we don't really get to see how Basil feels about Theron embracing his destiny OR Theron's reaction to Basil's death. It's a rather bizarre and abrupt end to their relationship arc.
The Fall of the Kings, by Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
This is the second (or the third, depending on whether you go by chronological order or publication order) in the Riverside series that started with Swordspoint. (Aaaand, shit. I just discovered that, although I updated my TV index post with DW links instead of LJ, I never updated the other ones. Dammit, will have to do that.) I don't know if Ellen Kushner has sharpened her skills with experience or if it's all Delia Sherman's influence, but this is definitely an improvement. I still thought it suffered from a weak beginning - it was very slow and tedious until things started to get set in motion - but once past that initial hurdle, it was well-paced and dramatically engaging.
This story is set a few generations after the first novel, featuring the son of Swordspoint's Alec, Theron Campion, and his lover, University professor Basil St. Cloud. Theron is a spoiled rich boy with a roguish reputation. Like his father, he is a University student, preferring that life to high society. But while Alec chose to forsake everything and hid his noble lineage until the events of Swordspoint, Theron struggles to straddle both worlds. Basil is a professor of ancient history, and a controversial one at that, since he teaches about the age of kings and wizards and magic, a time the current ruling class feels is best left forgotten. While preparing for an academic challenge to prove that the kings were good and the wizards' magic was real, Basil's research intersects with a cult of Northern students calling themselves the Companions of the King, who believe that it is their duty to bring a new king to the land - and that Theron is the one to rule.
The relationship between Theron and Basil is just as complicated as Alec and Richard before them, though the whole mythical king/wizard aspect of it did ping some of my "annoying trope" buttons. Because they are part of some prophecy thing, there is the implication that they were drawn to each other in part because of the roles that they are playing, and so their love is a consequence of fate or prophecy or something. At one point, Basil even observes that he and Theron are meant to be together because of what it represents in the context of history. Which, blech. I like my romance with a heaping dose of free will, thanks. It also bothered me that a product of the magic and Theron's transformation is that he's unbelievably horny, which stinks of the "sex pollen" trope. Also, not a complaint, but just an FYI, there is a lot more sex in this book than in Swordspoint, so if you were used to the vague, mostly fade to black scenes in that, be prepared for much more... well, not really explicit scenes, since it's still mostly couched in flowery metaphors, but more descriptive, at least. And more of them.
Overall, I thought the character development was much, much better. Unlike Swordspoint, in which Richard and Alec were the only fleshed out characters in a sea of stereotypes, this one felt populated by dozens of real, complex people. A lot more of the minor characters delved beyond a superficial characterization and we got to understand their motivations not just as pieces of some elaborate scheme, but as people with hopes and fears and desires.
Like I said, the beginning is very slow. The "action," such as it is, is centered around the University, and so the book opens with a lot of exposition in the form of history lessons and scholarly debates, which is pretty much like sitting through a college lecture when you have no idea what the professor is talking about (since none of this history was hinted at in Swordspoint). Once the actual plot kicks in, the history becomes relevant and it's a much more interesting tale of uncovering the mysteries of the past, even as they're crashing into the present.
Just like the previous book, the attention paid to the world-building is definitely a highlight. I appreciated some of the ways that the authors showed progress and change while still reminding us of the world we'd grown acquainted with. I liked how swordsmen had become sort of passe, and that Riverside had gone from being a ghetto back to being a reasonable place to live, because Alec, as a duke, decided to stay there (my understanding is that Privilege of the Sword covers this era, so we get to see how it happened, but not having read it, I think it works fine with the big jump ahead). Theron's heritage was obvious and ever-present, of course, but I liked how other descendants of characters were thrown in without making a big deal of their ancestors - Peter Godwin, for example, bears little resemblance to his grandfather Michael Godwin beyond heritage, but just the name grounds us in the continuation of the world. As Duchess of Tremontaine, Katherine evokes her politically savvy and independent predecessor, Diane. But I also appreciated that it wasn't one of those "everyone is the grandson or granddaughter of so-and-so from the first book" type of deals, because that's unrealistic. Just a few gets the point across.
One thing that caught me off guard, though, is that this book introduces kings and magic to Riverside canon, two common trademarks of fantasy novels that were notable in their absence from Swordspoint. I had sort of identified that as something that made Swordspoint stand out in the genre - although it was an imaginary setting, it felt much closer to the historical end of the historical fantasy spectrum - but the introduction of magic and a mythic folklore tradition involving the ancient kings, wizards, and transmogrification as a rite of passage in this book placed a much heavier influence on the fantasy aspect. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily, but it felt like a distinct shift in genre, and the fact that none of this was even hinted at in Swordspoint makes the series seem somewhat disjointed. Which may be intentional, I suppose, since the existence of magic is supposed to be a secret kept by the nobility to deter any threats to their governing authority.
The other thing that troubled me was the ending. I don't want to spoil it, so skip the next paragraph if you intend to read it, but suffice to say that it didn't ruin the story or make me sorry I read it. It's just somewhat unsettling in the way that it leaves major developments unresolved.
More specifically, I felt like the entire story was building up to the climax of Theron becoming king... which then didn't actually happen. But it's not a total defeat, either, because Theron went through the trial and did everything he was supposed to, and he could potentially one day return as king. But as it stands, it seems like nothing has actually changed, and so Basil died for nothing, which is a rather depressing end for a main character. It just seemed as though there was a clear thematic progression throughout the book, only for it to take a sharp left turn at the end. It's also incredibly frustrating that Theron and Basil are the two main characters in the book, and when it comes to the climax we don't really get to see how Basil feels about Theron embracing his destiny OR Theron's reaction to Basil's death. It's a rather bizarre and abrupt end to their relationship arc.
no subject
I greatly enjoyed your review! I do of course disagree on a few points because I'm contrary by nature, but that's half the fun of it :)
I think the reasons why two of your points of critique didn't have such an impact on me are connected. The king/wizard thing in my mind did not so much cause Theron and Basil's love as much as corrupt it. Theron is a puppy, he just falls for Basil, while Basil to some extent likes to mystify him for his heritage (that he's only struggling with).
There's a short story by sherman about the wizard/king couple they refer to in the book, over here:
http://www.sff.net/people/kushnersherman/sherman/story_alexander_the_stag.htm
The king magic is portrayed as something neutral, not exactly good and as a thing of the past that maybe should better stay there.
Basil becomes meaner and meaner the more he falls into the fantasy of being Theron's wizard. He's controlling, he puts the spell on Theron to either kill him or make him totally dependent of Basil.
To me there was no other way this book could end positively after Basil put the spell on Theron. he was trying to break him, to take away his free will. That in the end he loved him enough to put himself between the blade and Theron was his redemption.
Basil in the end is better than the old wizards, he acts out of real love instead sick possesiveness and destiny.
So those two things worked for me in combination, I agree on the end being dissatisfying though, because Theron is just shipped off and we never find out what becomes of him or the king magic he's infected with. I understand though that there is another book about that planned.
I agree on the side characters being much better in the second book (and even better in the third), I also loved Theron's mom a lot.
In general I liked the way they do family, because like you wrote, the kids are not just the clones of the former generation, but they are also not unaffected by their heritage and how they were brought up.
no subject
Basil in the end is better than the old wizards, he acts out of real love instead sick possesiveness and destiny.
Ah. Yeah, with that reading, the ending makes more sense. :)
I think I just didn't get enough of a sense that the magic was supposed to be a bad thing. In fact, I had a line in the review, which I ended up taking out, about not being sure whether Basil and the Companions were supposed to be seen as fools or heroes ahead of their time. Maybe it's helpful to have the background from the short story?
I did get the sense that the magic could be dangerous, but I also felt like the through-line of the narrative was, as I mentioned, Theron fulfilling this destiny or prophecy or what have you. I mean, it seemed obvious that something much bigger than Basil chose Theron - Ysaud was painting him as the king a year before he even met Basil. The Companions knew him as the Little King before Basil started doing magic. So while Basil may have been corrupted by the fantasy of being Theron's wizard, this idea of Theron as king isn't something that Basil created - he just fulfilled it by putting the spell on him.
no subject
The nobles overthrew that power at some point, which was a victory of free will, but also of corrupted human beings.
The way I saw it the magic was waiting for someone it could pick, Theron being a very good option because of his heritage, but in the end any of the companions could have become the king if Basil had chosen them.
Basil is entertaining a fantasy about old kings and that enables the land to cast him in the wizard role. The whole thing is symbiosis where thoughts fuel power, which I presumed also was a fantasy version of the way political movements catch in universities. With people entertaining high flying ideas and then sometimes ending up with more power than they can handle.
no subject
no subject
But I also think it illustrates quite well that the question is always how to do a story, not really which story is being told.
Because I found the way Basil and Theron work themselves up into the king/wizard fantasy/magic a lot more believable and interesting than Buffy and Angel having a cosmic roofie and bang each other without a shred of believable emotion between them.
Also here despite not being sure if the emotions origin in the landmagic in some way, they feel genuine, while in the Buffy book they go on crack. In S8 it reads like emotions are some toxic waste you get infected with.
no subject