by H. David Blalock
Review by Erika Raymer, author of The Mahr.
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by H. David Blalock Review by Erika Raymer, author of The Mahr. |
Synopsis:
Andalarn Thran journeys to the island of Adylonis to re-establish his family�s House, or political standing, after three generations of exile. From the beginning, his effort is met with hardship, grief, and personal turmoil. Dealing with three of the eight establish Houses proves to be more than he anticipated.
House Suum, an ancient rival to House Thran, decides that it wishes to force its hand at bringing the entire isle of Adylonis under its influence. Naturally, House Thran is an obstacle because it is the only House who managed to reach that goal in its history, and is still in good standing with the neutral city of Moorkai. Moorkai is the city of magic users, where all House disputes are settled and where the seat of the Ascendancy, or ruler apparent, resides. Moorkai has the final say in all disputes as well as the final say in who becomes the Ascendant.
Since Thran�s exile, the Ascendancy has remained vacant. House Suum wants the Ascendancy filled, and is determined to fill the seat. With Andalarn Thran�s return and his known purpose to re-establish House Thran, House Suum accelerates its plans of conquest. To that end, House Suum employs the help of two other powerful Houses: Horon and Djemo.
As Jarl, or king, of House Thran, Andalarn is faced with incredible odds. The other four Houses are not strong enough to aid him, but he seeks their support anyway. Even though a word from Mookai could stop House Suum�s advances, the frustrations of politics rule on Adylonis as they rule elsewhere, and Moorkai must remain neutral. In the end, Andalarn must seek the aide of those who caused his House�s exile.
The non-human Kel (elves) and Telmet (dwarves).
It is ironic that in order to preserve his House, Jarl Thran must turn to the very people who were the reason his family was exiled from the island. After all, prejudice and racism are powerful vices and helping non-humans can hold terrible consequences. House Thran was punished for aiding non-humans against humans. Now, the non-humans are aiding House Thran against humans.
Review:
Naturally, there is more going on, but the main story is compelling. There may be no definite line between good and evil in this story, but there is a definite distinction between right and wrong. Each decision has a consequence, and the individuals making that decision have to wrestle with their own conscience, if they have one.
The most refreshing aspect of Thran Reborn is the reason behind the Kel (elves) and Telmet (dwarves). Though each is preferred in fantasy novels, they seem to serve no other purpose than to remind the reader of the mystical quality of the world they are reading. The elves represent the guardians of nature, which humanity could achieve if only materialistic desires were abandoned. The dwarves represent the master craftsman who are also able to imbed magic into their items, the craftsmanship humanity can reach in a lifetime of trying but will always be unable to match the quality and mystique of dwarven items.
However, in Thran Reborn the Kel and the Telmet are as much a part of the world as the humans. As Baliak Kel Mari confirms to Andalarn�s son, it is not that the Kel do not wish to interact with the humans, it is that the interaction itself is regulated. The same can be implied of the Telmet. Unlike many fantasy novels, in addition to being representations of ideology the Kel and the Telmet have purpose. They guard against a powerful being which has the ability to reshape reality to its own ends, thus destroying the current reality. This means the end to all living things, as they know it. As with all creatures, their ultimate reason is survival, but that reason is all encompassing. The Kel and Telmet cannot protect their own survival without protecting others, and since they are long lived they are the only ones who remember the truth of ancient legends. This makes their plight against the humans who wish to destroy them all the more tragic.
Non-humans, magic items, and even dragons, or great wurms, all have purpose in Thran Reborn.
Concerning the humans, they are portrayed convincingly as three-dimensional. Everyone has good and evil inside them, and the ability to choose right or wrong. Depending on their upbringing or chosen profession, each character is portrayed as someone with desires, motives, and shortcomings. Situations can be frustrating, exhilarating, or painful depending on the players. Very much like everyday life. An indication the writer not only put thought into the story, but also mapped out characteristics and flaws to make the story more involving. Andalarn Thran is a man driven to restore his heritage. Baliak Kel Mari is there to both help him in his personal quest as well as ensure that the Kel�s overall survival is assured, and befriends him along the way. Adyl of the Tialsar is a priest of mysterious ability has his own opinions of the heretic Kel, but puts the political wishes of his Emperor above his own preferences. The mages of Moorkai would like nothing more than to continue their studies, but are often interrupted by the incessant squabbling of the eight Houses. The stoic Telmet want their ancestral homes restored, but have to battle the greedy humans of House Suum constantly to do so.
These characters and more help flesh out Thran Reborn beautifully.
Overall, Thran Reborn is an enjoyable read. The first in a series of six, and one which definitely leaves the reader wanting more. Some may say the story starts slow, but setting up the atmosphere of this story in a few paragraphs does not seem possible with this particular book. Those readers patient enough to get to know the characters in the beginning will definitely not be disappointed in the end.