| Winterbirth | Contributor: Martin | Posted: 12/02/07 | 20:35 |
|
page 2 of 3 These past spectres give the reader pause even as the familiar fantasy tale of boy-cut-loose-from-familiar-moorings-in-a-world-torn-asunder-by-war unfolds. As Orisian and Anyara flee the Black Road hunters who are intent on tracking down every member of the Lannis-Haig clan, the bloody slaughter of the Whreinin and the Black Road haunts everything. Because the genocide against these two peoples is the reader’s introduction to the world of Winterbirth, the natural order of the fantasy novel is slightly disturbed by the lurking notion that there is no good and evil in this story – just warring factions, trying to survive. This dark order is reinforced by the blatant self-seeking and political machinations of the High Thane, Gryvan oc Haig, who is not above using war against a rebellious Thane as a way of thinning the numbers of his erstwhile but inconvenient allies. The ambiguity of Winterbirth is aided by Ruckley’s swapping of perspective between the lead character groups. Orisian’s perspective dominates the novel, but enough is told from the perspective of the leaders of the Black Road invasion force, Kanin and his sister Wayne (uh, yeah), and even Gryvan oc Haig’s steward, Mordyn Jerain, to make the reader at least sympathise with the perspectives of the contending parties. The swapping of perspective is by and large well done, although at times it is over-done and the reader wearies of the dazzling shifts in scene. Haters of the bland rejoice though: Winterbirth has a complex plot. The dark fate of the Whreinin is no more than hinted at throughout the novel, leaving the strong impression that as the first book in a trilogy entitled ‘The Godless World’, Winterbirth is merely setting the scene for events that will be resolved thousands of pages into the future as Osirian and Anyara’s flight continues. The novel is jammed full of intrigues between the Black Road factions, their ‘True Blood’ enemies, war between competing tribes of Krynin and the machinations of the lonely but hate-filled Na’kyrim, Aeglyss, all the while watched over by the other outcast Na’kyrim, readers of prophecies and compilers of lore. At times, some of these multiple plot strands appear to meander, with Ruckley apparently forgetting or losing interest in aspects of his story, or maybe simply struggling to fit the sprawling plot into one novel. But the pace and action are sufficiently swift that these negative impressions are fleeting, as Osirian’s likewise flight from his pursuers and the desperate marches of the competing Black Road and True Blood armies leave little time for pondering just where all these plot strands are going, and how they will be resolved. You just have to ride with it, and it's quite the thrill. |
