The Adamantine Palace

I've finally managed to sit down in some peace and quiet to type down my thoughts on Stephen Deas and his wonderfully crafted the Adamantine Palace. It's the first novel, and apparently debut, in a series titled Memory of Flames, but so far I've not managed to learn how many books are planned.

I have to say, from what I've seen so far, Stephen Deas' work this far in my reading experience is one of the finest debuts I've seen, though he's facing stiff competion when compared to Saladin Ahmed and his Throne of the Crescent Moon, even if they are very different in tone and style.

Deas has done a good job breathing new life into one of the most characteristic features of the fantasy genre, the dragon. Deas' breed have more in common with the dragons of Reign of Fire than most generic fantasy dragons, and we see a species that have to be kept tightly in check or they're likely to wrest control away from humanity.

Stephen Deas has a pretty direct and brutal style of writing that's reminiscent of Abercrombie, and even though in quite stark contrast with Erikson's intricate world and enormous cast I saw more of Erikson in Deas' writing than any of the other 'touted inheritors' novels that I've read so far this year.

A torrent of flames poured from the sky, swallowing the white dragon and her Scales in its fury. The river waters steamed. Stones cracked in the heat. Huros stood stock still. He was fifty, sixty, maybe seventy yards away. A little part of him that wasn't paralysed with fear noted that this was too close. At the last instant he turned his face away, as a wall of hot air and steam seared his skin and slapped him back towards the woods. He caught a glimpse, as he did, of the stranded rider, the one who'd been shouting at the Scales, catapulted into the air, snatched from the ground by the dragon's tail. Of the Scales himself, there was no sign.



Gollancz cover

Worldbuilding-wise and character development-wise I'd say Deas and the Adamantine Palace is somewhere between Glen Cook and Paul Kearney. It could definitely do with some added depth but it is a masterful debut that throws you into the action pretty much from the first chapter.



The book has a strong political intrigue with the known world divided into realms ruled by Kings and Queens with their will enforced by the now cowed and domesticated dragons. The dragons are bred for this specifically, carefully plied with poisons and chemicals from the politically independant order of alchemists. An unscrupulous young prince, Jehal, embarks on a mission to grasp control of all the realms as Speaker of the Realms and will stop at nothing to gain his goals.

His path is quickly littered with betrayals and murders and though a highly unlikeable character his chapters are a joy to read as they push the pace up bit by bit.

Standing against him are Queen Shezira and her daughters, Shezira herself grasping for the title of Speaker as well as Hyram, the current Speaker of the Realms. The Adamantine Palace has many twists and turns in the court intrigue and by the last few pages you've probably been led back and forth a couple of times.

Outside the court, but not far from it's influences the two mercenaries Kemir and Sollos do dirty deeds for one of the many intriguing factions setting themselves up perfectly for a seemingly impossible task. When Queen Shezira is marrying off one of her daughters with Prince Jehal as part of a political powerplay the bridal gift, a perfect white dragon, is stolen on it's way to Jehal's family keep. Kemir and Sollos are conscripted into guiding Shezira's dragon knights in their search for the missing dragon. With time though, without the alchemical intervention and far from the dragon roosts, the white dragon Snow is awakened from the drug-induced slumber that the dragons are kept in. And with her awakening, the fury and hunger of the species slowly rears its ugly head.



The book plays out at an amazing pace, and the reader is left with little time for in-depth characterization or wider worldbuilding but at a fully crammed 379 pages the book rarely suffers from this. I can imagine the series having to see some development both of the characters as well as the world into the next book, but Deas has left me fully expectant that he will be able to pull it off.



US Cover - Penguin



I am impressed by Stephen Deas' development of his own kind of dragons, both their history and their general characteristics lead to a wanting to learn more, and the small fact that they are seemingly reborn upon death is an intriguing idea. Kemir and Sollos was a great read for as long as it lasted, reminiscent of many of Erikson's epic pairings. And though Jehal is home to a host of dislikeable mannerisms he is one of the more interesting characters and mainly the one to push the plot on.

All in all Stephen Deas' the Adamantine Palace is a great read, all the more special for being the author's debut, with a crackling pace and no shortage of plot twists. There's room for development in both the as yet unseen King of the Crags, which coincidentally is the name of the next book, as well as the mysterious Taiytakei who we've only seen fleetingly so far. I'd definitely reccomend the Adamantine Palace as a must read.

READSTER MAGNITUDE SCALE: 6.4

REMINDS ME OF: Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold in that it is distinctly brutal with many of it's seemingly central characters as well as a story that is packed full of violence, sex and intrigue in equal measures. Daniel Abraham's the Dragon's Path in that it's a powerful first novel in a series that does a good job of putting down groundwork and re-working some of the usual tropes. A promising first that will hopefully lead to even bigger and better things in the coming work.

Scourge of the Betrayer

Jeff Salyards with his Scourge of the Betrayer has been touted as a future star in the gritty fantasy genre, even mentioned as an heir to Glen Cook. I'm beginning to feel a bit trite with whoever's making these comparisons, but I guess the joke's on me since I keep falling for it.
I'm not saying Scourge of the Betrayer is a bad book, and I'm not saying Jeff Salyards is a bad writer, but to me the style and story feel pretty far off from Glen Cook and his work. Apart from having a narrator and a first person narrative but I'm sure there are others out there like it.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it irritates me some because I expect high paced, direct and brutal fantasy and get a well-planned story-telling approach to the whole ordeal. It's not really a negative side but I'll warn people to take the Glen Cook with a healthy dose of salt.
This is Jeff Salyards debut novel in the fantasy field though, and a fine one it is. The worldbuilding hasn't picked up full steam yet, but you get bits and pieces to show you forward and there's plenty of groundwork made for book two.

Salyards' story is a traditional build-up with the main character, Arkamondos, a wide-eyed youngster bored with his life as a quiet scribe who signs on with a troop of Syldoon mercenaries to see the world and get out of his mundane life. As the mercenaries' mission slowly unfolds Arki, as he is called, gradually feels more and more out of his depth. In a way it feels like a classic farm-boy story, the difference being I can't see Arkamondos finding a magic sword to whisk him out of trouble.

Most of my previous patrons could hardly stop their mouths - they regaled me with mundane minutia and inane stories, most of which involved the glories of mercantile conquest. Hardly riveting, but it was why they hired me. Pollus the apothecary, old wheezy Winnozin the priest, Nullo the foul-mouthed (and foul-smelling) tanner, Lektin the pinched-faced banker. Dull and duller, the whole lot. Even the Lady Anzella, who inherited her husband's shipping business after the plague took him, and managed not only to keep it afloat, but to make it thrive... beyond the novelty that she was a woman entrepreneur and a scuccesful one at that, she was just as mannish in her ability to bore a person to tears.

Captain Braylar Killcoin is an intriguing character slowly unfolded before Arki, and the reader, and we slowly learn more about his legendary Bloodsounder and it's impact on his life. It's a great concept, and a good read that's slightly reminiscent of Elric and his Stormbringer. The Syldoon that he command are a great lot of elite warriors being used as mercenaries in the neighbouring kingdoms, and their relations and dialogue within the group makes for a great read. The Syldoon are a feared people hired for their ruthlessness and effectiveness in battle but as the story goes on it's more and more apparent that the Syldoon have an agenda of their own, dragging young Arkamondos into the middle of mysterious plots and counter-plots leaving him scrabbling for firm ground.
The characters aren't really developed that much since this, the first novel, only stretches for a brief period of time. Salyards shares the trait of many of his contemporary writers in his, if not eagerness, then at least willingness to kill off many of the more central characters without much apparent sentimentality.

Being touted as the re-inventer and new poster-boy for the gritty realistic string of fantasy and being compared to great writers like Glen Cook, Richard K. Morgan and Joe Abercrombie lends to understandably high expectations. I'm not sure Jeff Salyards is quite there yet, he's not quite the finished product and he is still working on the world-building and development of his characters. He's got a fair bit left before I think he'd motivate comparisons to the above mentioned as his general style feels more like traditional fantasy. The combat-scenes are gritty and realistic but I think Salyards story suffers a bit from using young Arkamondos as the focal point. He's not a strong enough character to shape the writing, and his convictions colour too much of the story, at least to me, if he is to be compared to the likes of Abercrombie, Cook and Morgan whose writing is defined by a prominent touch of moral ambiguity, which in itself leads to a darker and bleaker world.

That's not entirely Jeff Salyards' fault though, it's not him drawing comparisons to great writers, but his writing is quite capable of standing on it's own though and it's a fine debut indeed. I just think he comes off lacking when you compare him to writers as direct and focused as the above. He is doing very well in setting up events for book two in the Bloodsounder Arc, and with the world-building on it's way as well I think he can continue to build on this in the way Daniel Abraham has with his Dragon's Path. It will be interesting to see where Salyards will take the still innocent and wide-eyed Arkamondos as the pace picks up and more pressure is applied to the Syldoon.

READSTER MAGNITUDE SCALE: 5.6

REMINDS ME OF: The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham in what feels like a more traditional fantasy set up with a lot of groundwork being made in the world-building and setting of style and mannerisms of characters and settings. Some strong points in the action sequences but a need to show more to justify a higher RMS. It's still a good read.

Orb, Sceptre, Throne

I will try again with a review for this, the fourteenth novel of the Malazan series (including Night of Knives but excluding Erikson's novellas and the newly released Forge of Darkness), written by the ever over-shadowed Ian Cameron Esslemont. I say over-shadowed because as part of the dynamic duo putting out novels, novellas and stories in the Malazan world Esslemont will always be second best behind longtime friend and perennial speculative fiction powerhouse Steven Erikson. Esslemont is a fair few books into his own Malazan stories, this being his fourth with a further two contracted.
Together with Steven Erikson he has created the world and the legends of the Malazan world while roleplaying during off-hours in their daily work as archeologists. It's a work that winds back and forth between the two authors and their respective stories and timelines, something that might feel a bit daunting taking on if you haven't tried either of the two out yet.

Esslemont is a writer who has grown with the task for every previous novel, and it is true in parts for this book as well. He takes up the torch following Erikson's massively climactic Toll the Hounds, Erikson's eighth book, and the events leading up to its close. The book sets up in the familiar city of Darujhistan and its surroundings picking up on the loose threads of a storyline from the very first of Erikson's books, the mythic return of a great tyrant from the city's past.

He set the tips of his fingers on the two-handed grip of his longsword and walked out to the middle of the amphitheatre sands. Over the years he had lost count of the many Thirds who had come and gone beneath him. The ranks of the Agatii, the top thousand were like a geyser in this manner - ever throwing up new challengers. And this one was an impatient example of a notoriously impatient ranking.

We see a host of old acquaintances as Esslemont gives his account of Kruppe the Magnificent, as well as the surviving Bridgeburners and hangers on; Picker, Blend, Spindle, Duiker and Fisher. Further in the Darujhistan crowd we see Torvald and Rallick Nom, Lady Envy among others. And finally, after much foreshadowing and building up, we see a more in depth characterization of the supremely skilled Seguleh and their history. It's an action-packed book that doesn't quite reach the level of Stonewielder which I would consider Esslemont's finest hour so far but it does well in removing - or closing if you will - some of the loose threads that have been left hanging by Erikson and Esslemont both.

A side-story sees Antsy travel to the crashed and sunken Moon's Spawn where he comes across several new introductions as well as some old ones thrown in for good measure. The two storylines are interlined with Antsy being confronted by Seguleh, Tiste Andii and notorious mages and necromancers which end in the climactic end to the Seguleh vs Moranth conflict. In a way.

As is the case with most of the Malazan books the first third/half of the book deals with a lot of stage-setting and plot-building which, at times, gets a bit tedious. Esslemont does have a more direct style than Erikson though, even as he can draw on the great sweeps of canvas that they've both prepared for these latter parts in the series. The concept of the Tyrant was a great one, with an awesome ominous feel to it, even if the Council chapters and the inevitable ending seemed a bit anti-climactic. You felt a bit cheated with this whole trying to tie together every loose end when you've seen some, at times, great character building that kind of fizz out due to what feels like Esslemont ran out of words. It is very likely that this puts the Darujhistan-storyline to a rest, and focus will now turn towards the mythical continent of Jacuruku with the Crimson Guard and the rifts therein.

I wouldn't say it's the finest work of the novels and novellas in the Malaz world but it's apparent that Esslemont has kicked on and upped his standard a fair bit since the first novel, Night of Knives. Malazan fans won't be let down; with thunderous battles between the Moranth and the Seguleh, legends from the Seguleh as well as great build-up on the Tyrant and his concept. Brief cameos from everyone's favorite necromancers in the Moon's Spawn was a nice touch as well. But in general the book suffers a great deal from it's rushed ending sequences. I can't really motivate a re-read value, I will most likely do it myself but that's because I'm entirely sold already on the Malazan way of life. Others though, I'll excuse you if you go through the catalogue at least once.

READSTER MAGNITUDE SCALE: 5.8

REMINDS ME OF: Acacia by David Anthony Durham. I would say David Anthony Durham has a lot more in common with Ian Cameron Esslemont than he has with Steven Erikson, and their works share a lot of similarities in that they have a decent enough ground to build upon but then, at least in my opinon, they rush through everything towards the end which lends an unfinished air to the whole. It's still good reading though.

The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan because in a way they share, to an extent, the same direct writing style. Esslemont has the benefit of a fully developed world beforehand but Morgan is the more technically gifted writer, and slightly darker in tone.

Readster Magnitude Scale

So I finally decided on a grading system for the books I've read and reviewed. I'm gonna base it on the Richter Magnitude Scale for earthquakes, as it gives some depth to the grading while being able to sort several books into the same scale, well mostly without all the fancy logarithms of the Richter system. I'm still working on the specifics but it will look something like this;

READSTER MAGNITUDE SCALE
Magnitude - Description - Effects
0.0 up to 2.0 - Avoid, always - Not worth suffering through
2.1 up to 3.0 - Time waster - Even if you finish it, there were always better alternatives
3.1 up to 4.0 - Underwhelming - Once read you won't remember much of it
4.1 up to 5.0 - Decent read - Decent, but not really worth a re-read
5.1 up to 6.0 - Good read - Should be on everybody's radar at least once

6.1 up to 7.0 - Must read - Go out of your way to read these

7.1 up to 8.0 - Reread ad infitum - Books that will have you returning as soon as possible

8.1 up to 9.0 - Genre (re)definer - One way by which you will measure other books

9.1 up to 10.0 - Life changer - The sheer awesomness will make you a reformed person

Hopefully, I won't come across any of the RMS 0.0 up to 3.0's but you never know. I will try to give examples of books that I'd categorize in each of the Magnitudes. Barbara Hambly's Planet of Twilight is a good example of something that you'll typically find in the RMS 0.0 to 2.0 (lets give it a 0.7). I was far into the Star Wars extended universe and gems such as the Han Solo trilogy meant you'd swallow mostly everything set in the same backdrop. But Planet of Twilight is one of the worst reads I've had, and we still reference it when citing our most awful books of all time. It's hard to put a finger on just what it is that fills me with revulsion, but I also know that I can't be bothered at all to even try. I did actually finish it though.

Try as I might I cannot find another example of a low magnitude book than another Star Wars extended universe story. How Vonda M. McIntyre's the Crystal Star got to be a New York Times Bestseller I will never know, but I do know that it was one of the most tedious books I've ever had to read.

I'd rate it a Time Waster-magnitude of RMS 2.1 to 3.0 based on the fact that already there were other more interesting books to be found, even if the Del Rey books of the same period struck you as more mainstream sci-fi than Bantam's books. I'll give the Crystal Star a whopping 2.2 on the Readster Magnitude Scale. It's simply not worth the trouble you'll get from trying to plow through several pages of dullness. I wonder if the author was aiming for suspense, because the only feeling I got was to finish it as quick and painless as possible.

I might be incredibly harsh on Paul Kearney but with the accolades of Steven Erikson and most of the blogging holy rollers I expected a lot more from someone who was touted as a successor to both Erikson and Glen Cook. What you got was something that felt unfinished and rushed through. There were some good moments, but they were drowned in a story that hurtled along in a break-neck speed, something that isn't always a problem but with Kearney I felt that everything about the story, characters and the world suffered because the author was in such a hurry to finish the two books in the Monarchies of God. As things stand I rate Paul Kearney's Hawkwood and the Kings an underwhelming RMS of 3.1 to 4.0. Because there were interesting moments, mainly with Hawkwind and later with the development of the faith I'll give The Monarchies of God, volume 1 a 3.8 roundabout.

Another of the touted heavy-hitters of the new batch of fantasy writers David Anthony Durham was critically acclaimed and listed as a great debut into fantasy after his exploits in historical fiction with award wining books about Hannibal you'd be expecting a rich reading experience. He was mentioned for his world-building skills and developed characters, something I can't really get my head behind. To me, both Kearney and Durham have a flavour more reminiscent of Glen Cook's clear-cut and cleanly-shaven approach to writing, but both fall far short of creating the same kind of atmosphere and realistic milieu that Cook seems to create effortlessly (at least in his Black Company series). I'd say both remind me of the worst moments in Cook's new Instrumentalities of the Night-series. Would be epic battles just roll by uncommented, and the character development that I've seen so far seems pretty linear and predictable. I wasn't as disappointed in this novel as I was with Hawkwood and the Kings but it wasn't far off. I'd give David Anthony Durham's Acacia an RMS of 4.1 to 5.0 and probably landing it square in the middle at a 4.5.

Struggling to come up with something close to Durham's Acacia I'll go with a novel of the previously mentioned series of Cook's, the Instrumentalities of the Night. With Glen Cook I always know I will get something that I will hunger to finish, and I'm yet to be disappointed. The one problem I have with Glen Cook's Tyranny of the Night is that it, much like the two novels above, feels rushed through and seems to have much lacking in between in terms of character development, plot drive and world building, something that, at least to me, is astonishingly rare with Cook's writing. I haven't followed through the series yet though, so it might well be that the series will grow on me as a whole. But with the high standards Cook has previously set I'm a bit let down and will label this novel a Good Read-rating of an RMS of 5.1 to 6.0, and probably fixed at a 5.2.

Scott Lynch's the Lies of Locke Lamora sent him hurtling to the spotlight with a debut that was both traditional in it's tone and with it's setting. Pretty standard story of a young thief growing up on the city streets with close companions and struggling against mightier nemesises and wrenching plot twists. A genuine good read that shouldn't be missed by anyone who still appreciates more traditional fantasy stories, but Lynch has injected bottlefuls of rejuvenation in the usual tropes. What you get is a pacy, witty and action-packed story that unfolds piece by piece with brilliant characters fully realised and added depth to by the backdrop. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a prime example of a Must Read-rating with an RMS of 6.1 to 7.0 and if pressured I'd fixated it at a 6.7 probably. It actually reads a bit like a crime novel.

For those books that you find you can just read and re-read over and over again I will go to an old classic of mine. Glen Cook's the Silver Spike sees his second mention in the lists, and it's not through any fault of me not reading a wide enought assortment of books. I could easily have placed any of Fritz Leiber's stories here as well, and probably most of the Malazan Books of the Fallen as I've probably re-read them just as many times. But the Silver Spike is a novel of between 300-400 pages and it manages to do what most others need a collection of works to accomplish. It's a free standing novel within the world of the Black Company and features a wizards Gossamer, Spidersilk and Exile as well as Toadkiller Dog and Old Man Fish, characters that are so cool they might well make your eyes melt. There are so many shades, so much depth that adds to the other installments that I find I can just immerse myself however many times and still not feel the need for maps, poetry or wonderous prose. Glen Cook delievers on an RMS of 7.1 to 8.0 and I'd gladly give it a 7.8.

As we draw closer to the ultimate book (which I am quite sure I have not yet seen, nor think I will ever do) we've gotten to the books at an RMS of 8.1 to 9.0, the Genre (re)definer. I would say you need to turn no further than to the absolute king, and probably co-creator, of the Sword & Sorcery genre. Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar, the first volume in the tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser is a lesson in economic writing with fantastic prose, a richly detailed world and characters that quickly become like good friends. You get to know their ins and outs, and in the background you have a wealth of supporting cast at whose faiths you wonder whenever you get a moment to reflect and absorb the stories. The likeable combination of a towering barbarian who is by no means a dull slugger and the quick little thief has been borrowed or blatantly stolen many times over the years, but no one does it quite as well as Fritz Leiber. I'd put Lankhmar; Tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser at a solid 8.8.

Throughout my reading I've gone through maybe a hundred books and a very select few have come close to what I would consider giving me as close to a life-changing experience as I would think possible for a book. China Miéville's Perdido Street Station is definetely one of those books. Everything about the story is simply enthralling; starting out with Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin, theorist and researcher taking on a job from an exiled Garuda who has lost its wings. The story spirals out of Isaac's control when his studies result in the break out of a vicious predator, the Slakemoth, which sets in motion a chain of events that might spell the end of the entire city of New Crobuzon and it's inhabitants. The book turns into a  race against time where the stakes are raised with every passing chapter and Miéville keeps the suspense going until the very last page. And throughout we see a development both of the main characters as well as of the world of Bas-Lag as a whole with a richly detailed background of cities, races and the characters that we meet. Miéville has a unique talent for combining the scientific with the fantastic that gives a rich detail as well as an immersive world that is wholly believable in its unbelievability. Presently Perdido Street Station is the finest book I've read and definetely consider it having broken into the Life-changer RMS of 9.1 to 10.0. I'd rate it a record-breaking 9.5.