The God King, by James A. West

Okay, for my loyal readers who read Kalpar's stuff over here at the Arsenal, this is kind of a sneak preview for both of you. Mr. West or his publisher or possibly his dog (Katie didn't give me the details) has organized an online book tour to promote his first book, The God King. As a semi-famous blog that reviews fantasy books I Smell Sheep was included in this blog tour. As a dangerously loose cannon with his own agenda, I decided to post my review of the book about fifteen hours earlier than it'd appear on I Smell Sheep over here at the arsenal. Just don't tell Katie. If you want to participate in the contest and win a free copy of The God King then make sure to comment on the post over at I Smell Sheep.

The plot of The God King is told from the perspective of three characters: Prince Varis Kilvar of Aradan, an Izutarian mercenary named Kian Valara, and a member of the Sisters of Najihar named Ellonlef. Prince Varis has discovered the Well of Creation, the stored power long-dead gods, and seeks to take it for himself and become immortal god-king of all creation. In the process of taking such godly powers Varis has unleashed the demons trapped in the Thousand Hells and caused massive global climate and geological changes, but that's really a minor inconvenience to his overall plan of world domination. Opposing Varis is the mercenary Kian, who happened to be in Varis's employ when Varis destroyed the Well and some of the godly power spilled into him, which means Kian is very literally the only man who can stop Varis. There's also Sister Ellonlef who serves mainly as Kian's conscience during this journey, reminding him why he must stop Varis and can't just run away to his homeland and hide.

Before I talk about what I like about the book I want to mention a few issues I had because I feel like they're important. The first thing I want to mention, and as editor-in-chief of I Smell Sheep it's kind of a big deal for me, but I feel like the book could have used an editor, or if West used an editor, maybe have that editor run through it again. It may have been because I got a .pdf to read of this book, but there were a handful of grammatical issues and a couple of rough passages. To be fair this was nowhere as bad as Antiquitas Lost, and I still feel Robert Louis Smith should be talking with his editor, but I felt that The God King could have benefited from a little editorial polishing.

Another initial concern I had going into the book was what we like to call "Purple Prose" where there are a lot of adjectives and descriptions that add to the length of the book but not so much as substance. Fortunately this was only in the first couple of chapters and the writing becomes more economic as the book progresses, which I appreciated. I was also worried as I was entering the third act of the book that the plot seemed to be fizzling out and couldn't meet the build-up of the first two acts, however it managed to pick up again and bring the plot to a satisfying conclusion.

Those minor issues aside, I felt the book was overall rather well-written. West creates a unique world mostly from scratch, populated largely by humans, and which we can believe as a sort of low-magic fantasy setting such as A Song of Ice and Fire. (Initially, anyway.) However, West introduces magic in what I consider to be a reasonable manner and I feel like the characters' reactions are appropriate. Furthermore he does a good job of explaining the world that he has created and while it is nowhere as extensive in its world building as other series such as Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire, I felt that West adequately explained enough of the elements he introduced for a reader to understand the world in which his story is set.

I have mixed feelings about the ending of the book because it's set up as the beginning of a new era and I can see it going two ways. On the one hand, enough of the plot is resolved that this could be a stand-alone book without further exploration of the setting. On the other hand, there is sufficient curiosity stimulated by the implications of the ending for me to wonder what happens to the world in the future and the implications of the conflict in The God King. I suppose we'll find out if more books come along from West, but I cannot say for certain at this time.

If you're looking for a High Fantasy novel without having to get into a long and complicated universe like some other series, The God King is a pretty good choice. There are a few teething issues, but since this is West's first book I can definitely see his writing developing for the better in the future. The God King is available wherever fine e-books are sold.

- Kalpar

Ash Wednesday Reminder: Kalpar's Going to Revoluticon

Okay, okay, I know this basically boils down to shameless self-promotion and messes with the update schedule but I want to get this in before pre-registration closes for Revoluticon this year. As a reminder to my ever-loyal fanbase of....two....I have been invited to speak at Revoluticon this year. Well, okay, I begged them to let me do a panel and after I "removed" some of the competition they decided they could risk letting me speak for an hour on Warhammer 40,000. My panel specifically is going to be a sort of 101-style introduction to Warhammer 40,000 for people who are curious and want to know more about the franchise. I'll be covering a little bit about how to play the game, the different factions you can play as, and then a number of ways you can get involved in 40k, including off of the tabletop. This is in no way going to be as in-depth as the Kalpar Lectures, but I hope I'll be able to give a good cursory introduction. Other than the panel, though, I'll probably just be hanging out at the convention, looking at shiny weapons I can't afford and attending a few panels myself. The Revoluticon staff and I were going to see if we could do some demo-play of 40k for people, but pretty much all my 40k buddies have actual jobs and stuff so no dice on that. Hehe, it's funny because 40k uses dice.

Anyway, for my loyal fans who are not in the Netherlands. (Seriously, I checked the statistics today and after the United States the most pageviews I get are from the Netherlands)  I encourage you all to come out and visit at Revoluticon, the best way is to find me at my panel, which will be in the program. You can pre-register for the the convention, or just show up and pay at the gate but you save some money in pre-registration. As a final reminder, Revoluticon is March 16th-18th and is located at the Ramada Plaza of Columbus, Ohio. Who knows? Maybe I'll see one of you there!

(Don't tell the Sheep, though. I swear if I'm in the same state as Katie I might lose what little sanity I have left.)

- Kalpar

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

My first introduction to Neil Gaiman was in the book he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens, which while it's not my favorite book ever it is definitely a book I enjoyed and would recommend to other people. As a result I was curious about Neil Gaiman's writings and made a note to try and pick up one of his books as Borders went out of business. (I know, I know, I keep going back to my going-out-of-business pile. I got caught up in projects and so on.) Anyway, point being the book I picked up was Neverwhere.

Before I get into the actual book itself I want to talk a little bit about Gaiman's writing style, especially compared to Pratchett. I consider both of them fine authors but I have to admit that Gaiman is far darker in tone than Pratchett. Even in his darkest books, like Night Watch, there are still elements of light hearted comedy with Pratchett. Gaiman's books, (granted I'm making this assessment off of Neverwhere and American Gods) have a more sombre tone. So I would have to say if you're looking for a good story and a laugh, go with Pratchett, but if you're looking for a good story with a more serious tone then Gaiman's your man. I also feel that sexuality is more present in Gaiman's novels than in Pratchett's. This isn't to say that it's anything like the smut those crazy people over at I Smell Sheep read of course, it's much more subtle than that. But in the case of Pratchett sex, if it comes up at all, is referenced for some jokes or coyly slipped in, it's not there in your face. Gaiman is more direct about it but I feel like it's more presenting it as one thing out of the many many things which make up the human experience of life rather than the end-all-be-all of existence. Finally, part of what I feel makes Gaiman's books more serious is that he incorporates horror elements. I still get the heebie-jeebies thinking about some of the stuff Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar ate. *shudder*

Neverwhere is set in London and we very quickly discover that there are two Londons: London Above and London Below. London Above is the London with which we are most familiar, the world of those who possess: red buses, black taxis, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, so on and so forth. London Below, the world of the dispossessed, is a world of shadows and magic. The story follows a number of characters, but perhaps most central is Richard Mayhew. Originally from Scotland, Richard moved to London for a job and has been an unassuming businessman and is engaged to Jessica, a social climber. Richard's boring life becomes utterly changed when he helps a wounded girl from London Below named Door. Richard soon discovers that the people of London Above can't see him and don't think he exists and is thrust into Door's adventure through London Below.

Door is the last surviving member of her family, all of whom had the unique ability to open doors and locks where they need to. Door is attempting to find out who ordered Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar to kill her family, while being pursued by the very same gentlemen. It seems that the plotter behind her family's deaths has far bigger plans and must be stopped before they can threaten not only London Below, but London Above as well.

Since we're thrust into this wonderful world of Gaiman's creation Richard is a really helpful as a character because he knows as much as we do and often needs a lot of information explained to him. To be fair there are still a lot of things that aren't fully explored in the book and a lot of loose ends but I'm not as mad about it as I am with other books. Sure I could complain that I never really find out what the Golden or the Seven Sisters are. I can infer from information presented, but there's no real explanation. BUT, that being said the story isn't about them. The story is about Door's quest and Richard's growth as a character. Yeah, I had a lot of questions afterward but I read that Gaiman's considering writing a sequel so I feel less irritated with the loose ends. Also, in the end the loose ends are secondary concerns at best. Door's quest is completed and the plot is resolved, and Richard grows into a new and better person.

I do have to warn you, the book has some pretty gross elements so either be prepared or don't be squeamish. I found the book really easy to read and the pages just sort of flew by so it's definitely worth a look if you're interested in a more serious Urban Fantasy novel. (Also a little less melodramatic than the traditional fantasy novels.) Definitely not for kids but I think teenagers would enjoy it. If I have any teenage readers or readers that are parents with teenagers. I wouldn't know.

Next week I look at The God King which is a big high fantasy novel and uses "bemused" a lot. Also, I think there's a giveaway.

- Kalpar

Eisenhorn Trilogy by Dan Abnett

As my two readers probably know, I am a fan of Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts 40k series and had an opportunity a long long time ago to interview him. I also read a stand alone novel called Titanicus which starred the Titan Legions of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Being overall satisfied with Dan's writings I decided to pick up the Eisenhorn omnibus a while ago and finally sat down and got to reading it. I have to say overall that I liked the books, but I felt it had certain problems which I want to outline. I will say it is a great introduction to the world of Warhammer 40k for people who want to dip into the lore and recommend it for beginners.

I want to begin by stating that this is an omnibus which means it is actually three books combined into one larger book. I actually enjoy omnibuses, at least of Warhammer 40k books, because they're usually about $15 and contain three or four books which individually would cost $24-32 (Averaging about $8 a book) and it takes up less shelf space than the individual books. And I am perpetually running out of shelf space. Basically it's a lot more book for less money and will help tide you over longer if you're a constant reader like me. Well, I read so damn fast at times that I burn through it in a week anyway, but you get the idea.

Gregor Eisenhorn is an Inquisitor and I'll hopefully explain more about the Imperial Inquisition in a Kalpar Lecture down the line, but suffice to say he's sort of like a detective for the Imperium of Man. Inquisitors are tasked with rooting out heresy and Chaos wherever they find it in Imperial society and command tremendous resources and respect. Because Inquisitors work far from the battlefields of the 40k universe and often undercover. As a result the Eisenhorn novels read more like detective novels than the war stories of the Tanith First-and-Only and I personally thought it was a refreshing change of pace. Often times I find myself wondering "Okay, how is this 40k novel different from all the other war stories I've read?" So reading a story that was less combat-oriented was interesting. Granted there is still plenty of action, this is after all Dan Abnett, but it's more something that happens because of the plot rather than being the focus of the story.

Another thing I really enjoyed about these books was that it gave us an inside view of Imperial society and how it works. In the majority of 40k novels, following the Imperial Guard or the Space Marines, we only see Imperial society at war. Sure, sometimes the conflict happens in a hive-city or an Imperial world but what glimpses we see of Imperial citizens are people dealing with living in a war zone. The job of an Inquisitor is to protect Imperial society from internal threats and as a result I got to see how life is for the majority of the trillions of humans who never even see a battlefront. I enjoyed it for its informational value as well as the change of setting.

The other good thing I have to say about these books is that I felt the pacing was handled really well within the novels. I mentioned in my review of Titanicus that the middle part of the book sort of dragged for me, and a few of the Gaunt's Ghosts books I feel suffer from a lack of direction but the Eisenhorn books were solidly written in my opinion. I will say that the final book kind of lacked a denouement but I believe that was Dan's intention rather than any lack of writing skill. I am definitely going to try and obtain the sort-of sequel the Ravenor omnibus and look forward to more of this different perspective.

The good things being said, there is one big issue I had with the book. Eisenhorn's career as an Inquisitor spans over a hundred and fifty years and the books are set at certain points of his career. And I will say that they are highly important points in the overall narrative of Eisenhorn, but I find myself wishing I knew more about the intervening periods. Characters that make up parts of Eisenhorn's staff die off screen between novels and new members join. While I recognize that Eisenhorn's staff is going to change over a hundred years seeing that staff go from five in one book to nearly two hundred in the next leaves me feeling disjointed. Characters I knew and cared about disappear when I wasn't looking and are replaced. Ultimately it became very hard for me to become emotionally invested in the characters. If anything I would have appreciated at least a few more books about Eisenhorn's intervening years just so I could know the characters a little more.

Lack of attachment for certain characters aside, I felt like these books were a good example of Dan's writing. Even if the ending to the trilogy's kind of a "WTF?" moment. If you're new to 40k and want to learn about how Imperial society works I would definitely recommend picking up the Eisenhorn omnibus.

- Kalpar