Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Page One of TwoThe Beyond by Jeffrey Ford
Eos, January 2001.Hardcover, 290 pages.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Jeffrey Ford won the World Fantasy Award for the
first book in this engrossing trilogy, The Physiognomy, which told
the story of Cley, Physiognomist, First Class and his life
in the Well-Built City which was ruled by the brilliant
madman, Drachton Below. Cley nearly destroyed the woman
he loved because of his addiction to the horrific drug, Sheer
Beauty. In Memoranda, Cley had to enter the mind of the
comatose Drachton Below. Now, in his final adventure,
Cley sets out to make amends to the woman of his dreams.
His journey takes him through the Beyond, a vast wilderness
which is dangerous and quite strange.
With his faithful dog, Wood, Cley sets out on a perilous
trail which will leave him and the world around him
changed forever.
The story is narrated by Drachton Below's half-demon adopted son, Misrix, whose own struggles to fit in with humanity are also chronicled. Unlike The Physiognomy and Memoranda, The Beyond starts out a bit slowly. But after a while, the storyline picks up and Cley's adventures are as exciting and interesting as ever; he will meet demons, wraiths, and even a living bush which will serve as his guide. As Cley searches for Paradise and Arla (the woman he wronged), he also is in search of his own humanity, which he has been in great danger of losing through his despicable actions while he was the arrogant civil servant who used to serve Drachton Below. But Cley is a changed man, and Ford keeps both the internal and external journeys of the man as fascinating as ever. There is always a sly humor lurking in Ford's work, and his imaginative worlds are unique. The trilogy gently ties up the loose threads of Cley's life and his search for meaning in life, leaving the reader to ponder the themes in the story long after the book has been put back on the shelf.
Krondor: Tear of the Gods by Raymond Feist
Eos, March 2001.Hardcover, 384 pages.
ISBN: 0380978008.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The powerful and evil sorcerer Sidi has an ambitious
plan to destroy the kingdom of Midkemia.
Sidi sends his servant, the pirate Bear, to
steal the Tear of the Gods, a mysterious and holy
object which is the source of all of the magic in
the world. The Tear is guarded by a holy order of
warrior priests, but Bear and his cutthroats have magic of
their own provided by Sidi. With the Tear in the hands
of Sidi, the world will become a place of darkness and
evil, and the voices of the Gods will be silenced.
Prince Arutha sends his most trusted men on a mission to
find the Tear and return it to its rightful place.
Squire James and Lieutenant William are joined by
the new court mage, the powerful and beautiful
magician, Jazhara. The companions will meet
assassins, monsters, evil magic and even a few friends
in their quest, which takes
them from the sewers of Krondor to the seaside city of
Haldon Head to the underground cavern which is the source
of a malevolent presence which is slowly destroying the
surrounding countryside.
This is the third book in the popular RiftWar Legacy series set in the fantasy world of Midkemia, after Krondor: The Betrayal and Krondor: The Assassins. In this outing, Squire James has some new and useful companions, not the least of which is the mage Jazhara. Jazhara is as skilled a fighter as she is a magician, and her quick wit and skill make her a welcome addition to the tale. Feist excels at creating believable characters and exciting action scenes, and Tear of the Gods is no exception to this rule. Tear of the Gods is classic Raymond Feist: exciting, ingenious and altogether absorbing.
--Claire E. White
Fantasy/SF Reviews
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