Peter R. S. Thomas

Tag: Fantasy

  • Book Review: The Name of the Wind

    Book Review: The Name of the Wind

    I’m a bit late to the party with this one, I know. The book had been sat on my shelf for two years before I read it. It has been published even longer. (I’ve had a lot on, okay… don’t judge me!) I have now read it, and I understand why it has become an instant classic of the genre. And yes, I can now join the legions of fans anxiously clamouring for the third instalment. Hopefully by the time I’m done reading the sequel…

    The Name of the Wind is an epic fantasy ambitious in scope. It truly lives up to the ‘epic’ part of the genre. Told in both third person (in the present) and first person (as the protagonist recounts his life story), it follows Kvothe as he grows up and attends university. It is a detailed, thorough, character-driven story that rarely relents in excitement. The character development is superb. I love a character with a background in the performing arts—it’s a great way of explaining their charisma, and giving them a way of plausibly talking their way out of trouble (or talking their way into trouble). It also makes them a little more dynamic than the warrior-hero archetype. Rothfuss strikes a great balance between the genius of Kvothe’s character (he learns fast, has great instincts for almost all his studies) and his flaws—he still has obstacles he finds difficult to overcome. He is intelligent, but occasionally foolish, and brash, sometimes over confident. He is limited by his background as part of a travelling troupe as much as he his aided by it.

    There is an overarching story that the book sets up but delves little into. Despite this, I didn’t feel in too much of a rush for that side of things to develop. The drama of Kvothe’s life as he moves from travelling performer to street urchin to university student keeps the reader hooked. There is also an expansive world with different magic systems, from runes and artificery to more abstract controlling-the-elements-by-speaking-their-names. The wider world is nicely constructed, with different peoples and customs that intersect at different places. It gives the setting depth, and let’s the reader know that there is more to explore.

    The story slows down a little towards the last third, around the time that Kvothe finds out that he’s a heterosexual male and that women exist. Periods of courtship and pining after an elusive and mysterious woman become a little drawn out at times, but I can see why they’re there, and it doesn’t stall things for too long. In the end, the relationship the protagonist has with his love interest does drive the story forward.

    So, safe to say, I am hooked! This is an epic story with excellent character development and an expansive world. I look forward to reading The Wise Man’s Fear…

  • Book Review: The Call of the Sea

    Book Review: The Call of the Sea

    The Call of the Sea by Kate Schumacher is a maritime take on the Arthurian legends, told with an ensemble of characters and through multiple viewpoints. It is set in a land being changed—not for the better—by a monotheistic, orthodox religion (a thinly veiled critique of christianity) that seeks to keep women bound in their homes and sees homosexuality as sinful and shameful. It also seeks to rid the world of its old magic and those who can control it (hypocritically, of course, given that to detect magic one must possess magic). A series of events leads its three core characters—Jenyfer, Ordes and Arthur—on a mission to find themselves, find each other, and, yes, find the grail.

    The story is beautifully told, with vivid descriptions of the scenery and subtle world building. At the heart of the story are the relationships between the characters, romantic and otherwise, and they are deliciously lustful and thirsty for each other (be prepared for lots of burning flesh and clenching legs). The pacing is consistent and slow, with plenty of time for reflection and characterisation. This might put some people off, but it is deliberate, and it works, and people looking for a break from breakneck pace will find something to love here.

    Given its emphasis on the persecution of women and gay people, the author is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects. There are some graphic scenes, so just be warned going in.

    The first in a trilogy, this book does more to set up the characters and the problems affecting the world, so don’t expect much resolution as you get to the end. But, given the richness and depth of the world, I don’t doubt that after finishing this you will be hungry for the next instalment.

  • On Stranger Tides

    On Stranger Tides

    One of the biggest influences on my writing has been On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. The book is a historical fantasy novel that includes real historical figures, and involves the search for the Fountain of Youth. It is rich with magic, drawing on the ‘voodoo’ of Creole Caribbean culture. For me, one of my favourite parts of the novel is the unusual protagonist—John Chandagnac is a puppeteer, an occupation that is drawn on in a creative and entertaining way towards the end of the novel.

    The characters and their motivations are all incredibly interesting, the magic systems are rich, and the mystical world beyond the real world is beautifully crafted. I loved the story; it did lose me a bit towards the end, and there were times where, for me, the logic and flow didn’t quite work. Some have criticised it for its pacing, which I can see as an issue. But there’s nothing unforgivable. As action and adventure goes, this is a solid offering.

    The book draws on classical elements of pirate lore, such as zombies, sea battles, sword fights, and, of course, voodoo, and interweaves these in an entertaining and original narrative. The voodoo is, as far as I understand it, researched well and in keeping with traditional conceptions of the spirits (e.g., the Loa). 

    It has, of course, had an immense impact on popular culture, famously the Monkey Island video game and The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (though the less said about that film, the better). The mixture of magic and history has directly influenced my own creative writing, and it’s something I’ve explicitly drawn upon or paid homage to in my work. Fans of pirate adventures could do worse than find themselves On Stranger Tides.