By John Brown
(Publisher TOR, Tom Doherty Associates, New York)
Advance Uncorrected Proof
Review by Debra Louise Scott, Nov 6, 2009
I began reading the first few pages with a sigh. Great. Another pseudo-medieval-fantasy-society with a cutesy sibling rivalry opening. I’m a big sci-fi/fantasy buff, but I get frustrated with repetitive scenarios. By the second chapter the characters had caught my interest. The third chapter compelled me to keep reading as it became clear this dealt with issues that are near and dear to my own heart.
Once it gets going, the story weaves an intriguing and multi-faceted parable. Prejudices, suspicions, stereotypes, mythologies, and secret societies weave in and out of each other. The ruling class infers upon itself deity status and tyranny with the acquiescence of the country. Unusual disappearances incite a resurgence of suspicion on the existence of a secret society credited with all manner of inhumane, depraved and supernatural practices. An inquisition begins as suspects are rounded up with little to convict them but rumor. No one thinks of the possibility that something else, even darker, may be at large.
I found the developments chilling, as I realized how closely they resembled periods of our own history, when neighbor turned against neighbor because a cow stopped giving milk, or because on old woman developed a wart on her nose. A time when town politicians could implicate their opponents and detractors and send them to the burning stake. A time when someone you grew up with would no longer talk to you, because it might put their own family in danger. A time when it wasn’t safe to disagree and very dangerous to be different.
Interwoven with the hysteria that ensues is a mythological tale that unfolds in diabolically small pieces, unseen by a village too wrapped up in blaming each other to recognize the larger picture. What if the myths were true?
Somewhere towards the end of the book, I could no longer put it down, and found it haunting my dreams. I encourage you to wade through the opening and enjoy discovering, then rediscovering the characters as little by little they reveal and redefine themselves.
(By the way, I’m glad my advance proof didn’t have any cover art. Had I received it with the current artwork I would rejected it. )
Word Seeds 