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by Russell Kirkpatrick In best fantasy tradition, the Dark Lord is rising and plans to conquer the sixteen kingdoms of Faltha. He failed a thousand years before, but there is no great hero like Conal Greatheart to defeat him this time. All he has to do is find the Right Hand - whatever that is - and destroy it; then he can rule forever. Only Trader Mahnum has dared to venture to Bhrudwo to discover the Dark Lord’s plans and he was captured, but managed to escape and flee north to his home. For in the snowy far north in a small village called Loulea live his wife and sons, and when he has warned them that the end is coming they must head south to warn the rulers of Faltha. But the Lords of Fear are on the way too, and Mahnum and his family and friends are going to have a long hard trip. Ah, classic fantasy in a tubby tome complete with a dark lord, quest, prophecies, daring escapes and all that. This is a very readable tale surprisingly devoid of magic or strange creatures that succeeds not because it is particularly exciting or original but because Kirkpatrick is such a good storyteller, and adept at describing a scene. The geography is the star here, and I felt as though I could see and feel the snowy landscapes as the little group traveled through them. More excitement might have been welcome, but if you want to really get immersed into a story this one sucks you in and envelopes you with its descriptive powers. One of the pleasures of fantasy is its world building, but this one is better at description than actual creation. So far we have failed to get to know any but the heroes, who do manage to have plenty of flaws and seem well rounded enough with a few exceptions. The villains remain very shadowy indeed; a situation that I hope will be resolved in the next book. Let us hope too that Kirkpatrick is as adept at relating desert travels as he is at relating snowy ones. |
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Across the Face of the World