Debut Graduate: The Other Lands

The Other Lands (Amazon USA - UK - Canada)
by David Anthony Durham
Doubleday
Hardcover - $28 ($18 at Amazon!)

I first cracked the cover of The Other Lands with a great sense of anticipation, and from the first page to the last, David Anthony Durham did not disappoint.

The Other Lands continues the story of the three royal children of the Akaran family. They are Corinne, who is now queen, Dariel, who could have been king, but let the rule pass to Corinne, and Mena, the warrior princess. There are also several new characters, but it's difficult to introduce some of them without giving spoiling the plot.

Since Corinne resumed the Akaran rule of The Known Lands, the quota trade has continued, but the people have not resumed their dependence on mist, the drug that has kept the populace quiet and happy for hundreds of years. Since the people are sober, they are also restless. They object to sending their children off into an unknown slavery; and they object to crushing Akaran taxes. Corinne has resumed trade relations with the League, and in recompence for Dariel's burning of the League Platforms in the first novel, she has offered them certain lands that might have a warm place in the reader's heart. And they have most diabolical plans for those lands.

Right from the start, the League is up to something. They come to Corinne with a story of a captured spy, a situation that has been the ruination of their trade relationship with the people of the Other Lands. She asks Dariel to go with them to the Other Lands as her emissary. He reluctantly agrees, for they know he is the one who set fire to their platforms in Book 1. Both suspect treachery. Both are right.

Surprises await in the Other Lands, and they are not what you would expect.

In the meantime, Mena is ridding the world of foulthings, twisted creatures left behind by the Santoth after they came to the assistance of Aliver in Book 1. Each foulthing is worse than the last, until she finally tracks down the last one. And she finds a creature that is anything but foul. She forms a bond with the creature, whose nature may surprise you. Or, it may not.

And Corinne is up to more than simply ruling the Known World. She has been studying the Song of Elenet, and she has mastered its music. She begins to use it openly, and the people both love her and are terrified of her, with good reason. She is chilling, but lovable at the same time. As Mr. Durham managed with Hanish Mein, he has created an engaging villain in Corinne. Except I'm not sure she's the real villain. The League would be a candidate for that, or something else, altogether.

There are a couple of marked improvements over the first volume, Acacia. One, is dialog, which Mr. Durham now writes out rather than summarizes, for the most part. The other is Mr. Durham's use of cliffhanger chapter endings. It became very difficult to put the book down at the end of the chapter, or even at the end of a scene break. More than one time, I continued the reading session longer than I intended, for I simply didn't want to put it down. Most of the time, I only put it down when I got to Rialus chapters. But even then they were engaging, because Rialus continues to somehow find himself working with the enemy--despite his best intentions otherwise--so Rialus's point-of-view often gives a window into what the enemy is doing. It is a particularly masterful touch.

The only part that made me wince was a hint of a romantic threesome forming in book three. Nothing happened in this book, but I'm a bit leery about where this is heading. I was hoping for a great romance with this character, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. In general, the romantic subplots in this novel are not strong. Dariel and Mena are both involved with characters that come across as weaker than themselves, but I understand that this is probably intentional. The best romance in this series so far took place in The War with the Mein, and it was between Corinne and her captor and enemy, Hanish Mein. The simultaneous love and hate between them made for some great tension. Since all these characters are so much larger than life, the possibility for a wonderful, self-sacrificing romance is there.

One part in particular made me smile. A while back--back when I first wrote to Mr. Durham about the possibility of getting an advance copy--Mr. Durham replied with something unexpected. After re-reading my multi-part review of Acacia: The War with the Mein, he decided he needed to tweak The Other Lands. He didn't tell me exactly what he had changed, just that my review had affected the story.

I recognized it as soon as I reached that part of the story. Which was very cool.

Doubleday did a fabulous job with the book itself, with maps on both inside covers, the inclusion of a synopsis of book one (no substitute for the original!), and an awesome cover.

Oh, and the ending. It will blow you away. Yes, it's a cliffhanger. But for me, it was still an ending that satisfied, mostly because it was completely unexpected. As was much of the rest of the story. This is now my favorite epic fantasy. I am very much looking forward to reading the next volume. But . I probably have a while to wait!

Here is my multi-part review of Acacia: The War with the Mein, plus some other stuff. Just scroll down.

The Other Lands - Opening Chapters

I've been enjoying the opening chapters of The Other Lands, and got a chance to read some more last night. In fact, I suppose you could say that I'm not even in the opening chapters anymore.

Without giving anything away (hopefully), here's what the main characters are up to.

Corinne is being naughty. Very naughty. Remember how Acacia really didn't seem like a fantasy until pretty far in the book? Well, The Other Lands has magic right from the start. The interesting thing about Corinne is she sees nothing but virtue in what she does. She shivers the spine.

Mena's story is still developing. But I'm in the middle of an interesting chapter that contains a creature which can only be the one mentioned in the blurb. So that makes it all the harder to put down. Mena is my favorite character, except when Dariel is.

Dariel. Aah, Dariel. The League gets their revenge upon him for his destruction of their League Platform in Acacia. And it plunges Dariel right in the middle of an adventure. Except I don't know what that adventure is yet, because the chapter ended right at a cliffhanger!

Other occasional points-of-view include Rialus, who seems to have grown a spine.

The mighty Numrek have betrayed an interesting vulnerability.

And an uprising is in the works. But you know, I think Corinne will be able to handle then. Easily. Ruthlessly. Brutally. Frighteningly.

And those are my impressions so far.

In other news, I am sitting on my already-written review of Servant of a Dark God, because the publication date was pushed back and it's now too early to be posting reviews. So I have been busy, even though it may not look like it.

Oh. And I didn't have the flu after all. Thanks for all the well-wishes!

In Which Tia Loses All Decorum *

Today, I got two new things. One was a wide-screen monitor, which replaced the old-fashioned CRT monitor that died last night.

Ho hum.

The other was a package from Random House/Doubleday. Which I opened eagerly, to glimpse a book within. Which I eagerly ripped out of the package. Which, upon beholding the cover, I shrieked a most girlish, "Yay!" I do believe my feet even left the ground. Keep in mind that I am a matronly 43 years old.

My husband said something like, "Damn, you're more excited about that book than your new monitor." Well, of course. A monitor is useful, to be sure, but an anticipated novel is nothing but pure joy.

Which book could have caused such excitement?

Yes, it's The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham! Possibly the most eagerly awaited sequel for me since I started Fantasy Debut. Why am I so ridiculously excited about this novel? Well, for one, I had to wait for it for two years. Good things take time. And for another, in the past two years, it kind of grew on me in my memory. I liked it when I read it (link opens multiple posts), but as time went by, rather than forgetting it, I liked it even more. Plus, it's a major epic fantasy, the first one I covered at FD. I love epic fantasies, particularly when the author promises fewer than five novels in the series.

I also flatter myself into thinking that I helped discover the author as a fantasy novelist. A fantasy novelist, I might add, who went on to win the John W. Campbell Award this year.

Check out the shiny things that happen to the cover when you hold it just right to the light:

I'll be happily tweeting this novel as I read it using the hashtag #TheOtherLands. Since it comes out on the 15th, I should be able to have a review up on that day, barring life-changing emergencies.

* With apologizes to Colleen Lindsay of The Swivet, for my blatant theft of her signature verbiage.

A Quick Congratulations

Congratulations to David Anthony Durham, winner of the John W Campbell Award for Best New Writer! I loved his novel, Acacia, and I can't wait to read The Other Lands next month.

David Anthony Durham's ACACIA Now Out in Paperback

Of the medieval epic fantasies that I read last year, I'd have to say that ACACIA was my favorite. Ok, so I only read two medieval epic fantasies last year. That doesn't take away from its excellence. If you missed ACACIA last year, now's a good time to pick it up, because it is now out in paperback.

Here's all the info:

ACACIA (Amazon UK, Canada)
by David Anthony Durham (website, blog, forum)
mass market paperback
Random House (Anchor)
Excerpt

Blurb:
Born into generations of prosperity, the four royal children of the Akaran dynasty know little of the world outside their opulent island paradise. But when an assassin strikes at the heart of their power, their lives are changed forever.

Forced to flee to distant corners and separated against their will, the children must navigate a web of hidden allegiances, ancient magic, foreign invaders, and illicit trade that will challenge their very notion of who they are. As they come to understand their true purpose in life, the fate of the world lies in their hands.


Here are my own posts on ACACIA:

Part 1 - Opening Chapters
Part 2 - Cringeworthy Moments
Part 3 - A Dark Secret
Part 4 - Pacing
Part 5 - Character Impressions
Part 6 - Final Review
Part 7 - Thinking About Acacia

Wow; I did seven posts on ACACIA. Today, I mostly do only 3 parts to an as-I-read-it review. This inspired a poll. I'm going to put it up on the sidebar, so if you feed readers want to participate, please click through.

Where Are the Black Elves?

David Anthony Durham (author of Acacia) has a very lively debate going on in his blog about whether readers who claim to be color blind (in terms of what they read and whether or not they will read books from authors of color) really are as color blind as they think. The response didn't surprise me. People have been ruminating over the books that they have purchased and reflecting on whether or not they have been color blind. Many have been willing to admit that most of what they have read has been for whites, by whites. I would have to admit the same. This is not a conscious decision. I gravitate toward the science fiction aisles, where I make my selections.

I don't check the skin color of the author, but when I crack open the book I invariably find a novel about white characters. To be sure, most of these settings are like northern Europe, in a medieval world, where you would indeed expect there to be mostly white people. I have never read about a black elf (except the drow, which I don't think really count). Rarely do I come across novels set in an Egypt-like setting for example, or perhaps Central American. (Tad William's Otherland is a notable exception.) I suspect that this is because, for the most part, people write what they know. Indeed, that is advice that most would-be authors hear.

As soon as I heard that David was black, I wanted to purchase his book. Why? I wanted to read a fantasy from a black point of view. I couldn't recall ever reading a fantasy by an author that I knew to be black. Therefore, David's race prompted me to purchase his book instead of, say, David Bilsborough's The Wanderer's Tale. I'd read plenty of fantasies by British dudes. A black guy? This was the first.

* * *

Now I'd like to take this post a bit further. According to the trackbacks from David's post, this subject is being discussed in a lot of different places. And some of you may be wondering why such things still need to be discussed.

It's a good question, I think. But I also think that many people still feel a need to discuss racial issues, which is reason enough in itself. This is why David has had over 40 responses to his post so far. However, I think most white people feel held back most of the time. I hate to generalize, and this may not be true in your particular case, but for the most part, I think this is true. For evidence, I point to this page on Walter E. William's website. It seems to me, in reading his "amnesty and pardon", that he has encountered this a lot over his long life.

Why do we feel held back? Because many of us are waiting, with the utmost respect, for our black friends to open the way.

Let me compare this with a conversation that myself and my co-workers once had with a Mormon. He knew that we were curious about his religion, but we refrained from speaking out of respect. Then one day he said, "Go ahead. Ask me anything." And we did.

David has said (not literally), "Go ahead. Talk about it." And so we are. The floodgates have opened, to use a tired metaphor. And because we are talking indicates that there is still a need to talk about it. This need will probably take another generation or two to become sated.

Thinking About ACACIA

I put up what I thought was my final post about ACACIA by David Anthony Durham a week ago today. Now here I am posting about it again.

I like it when I find myself thinking about a book a week after I read it.

Anyway, I am rethining earlier conclusions about a certain character's supposed death. I don't have the book right here in front of me, as I am not at home, so forgive me if I get any details incorrect. However, a certain hero-villian was left to die at the hands of another certain slimy character. However, that slimy character is not exactly known for his dependability. He IS known for thinking of himself, first. So, now I'm wondering if the hero-villian is actually dead. Wouldn't he be a nasty surprise for a certain other character?

Sorry to be so cryptic. I'm sure those who read the book will know who I meant.

I've also found myself rethinking a certain fire. It should not have been possible to extinguish the fire. Water would not have worked and the only other possible retardant I can think of is sand, which would not have been available. I suppose heavy woollen blankets might have worked as well, but this was a HUGE fire. Therefore, those that DID extinguish the fire must have had help from somewhere -- or something. Hmmm?

The Danger of the Mega-Series

I went through all my books yesterday, making room for the many books that I intend to read for this blog, and I noticed an interesting trend. The series that I set aside for the used book store were all series that I enjoyed, for the most part. But they had two things in common. Each book was ultra thick and each series went on for more than three books. I realized that -- even if I really enjoyed them -- I would most likely not invest the time in reading them again.

Into the pile went my Tad Williams Otherland series. I love everything Tad Williams has written. However, the only novel I kept is Tailchaser's Song. I have already sold Memory Sorrow and Thorn. I also am going to sell the volumes that I have left from George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice and I've already sold my volumes from Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time.

I kept most the shorter series, even if they weren't my favorites. My favorite book by J. V. Jones is The Barbed Coil. But I also kept her The Book of Words series (that series title never made sense to me). I have Deborah Chester's The Sword, the Ring and the Chalice and Holly Lisle's The Secret Texts. I enjoyed them all, but if I lost them in a fire, I wouldn't replace them.

Which brings me to my point. When it comes to my favorite series, I have actually gone through the expense of replacing worn-out copies. I have purchased no fewer than three copies of Dragonlance over the years, including two omnibus copies and one copy of each individual book. I have purchased two omnibus copies of The Deed of Paksenarrion. I have purchased at least three copies of The Once and Future King, including standalone copies of The Sword in the Stone and The Book of Merlyn.

Why did I replace these? Because I read each series so many times that I actually wore them out. This has turned into extra sales for the authors. True, these aren't mega-authors. But most authors aren't.

Which brings me to Acacia. The jury is still out for this one. The first book took me three weeks to read, but David Anthony Durham has promised only three titles in the series. This alone makes me more likely to keep them.

Do you reread the novels that you love? What titles have you purchased more than once, if any?

ACACIA - Final Review

If I were to have to describe ACACIA in one word, I would have to say it is intense.

ACACIA tells the tale of the four children of a king, and of their individual attempts to win back the kingdom of their father from the Mein invaders.

The kingdom of Acacia owes its stranglehold on the known world through the widespread use of a drug, which it obtains from a mysterious land in the unknown world. In exchange, Acacia pays an annual and horrific sort of a tax, called a Quota, which is paid in human lives. When the Mein take over, they find themselves beholden to the Quota as well. And at the end of the book . . . well, let's just say that this particular situation is unresolved. It is clear that the ultimate villain in this series is whoever it is who lives in the unknown world.

The book has multiple viewpoints. The viewpoints switch every chapter, George R. R. Martin style and includes:

Thasren, the assassin
his older brother Maeander,
their oldest brother, Hamish, chieftain of the Mein
Leodan, the king of Acacia,
each of his four children, including
Aliver, the oldest and the heir,
the beautiful and treacherous Corinn,
the smart and deadly Mena,
and the personable and passionate Dariel,
Thaddeus, the king's councilor,
Leeka, the aging general,
Rialus, a treacherous ambassador

And a few others. One thing that frustrated me about the novel was how often the viewpoint changed in the opening chapters. It interfered with my ability to develop an affinity with any of them. Only during Part Two did I finally learn to like most of the royal family. I also wish Durham could have pruned some of the point-of-view (POV) characters. Was it really necessary to make the reader endure Rialus's point of view when when other POV characters were present? Maybe Durham has a good reason us to know him so intimately, but as a reader when I got to another scene about Rialus (and others), I would more often than not put the book down for a while.

However, Durham is too generous and good of a writer to make me suffer for long. Since the chapters tended to be short, I usually didn't have to read very far before catching up with the less repugnant characters. I'd have to say may favorite characters were Mena, Dariel and Leeka. My least favorite were Maeander, Rialus and Corrine. I don't think Durham really expected me to like any of those characters. Some of them make great villains. Others are merely slimy.

I thought the Santoth would turn out to be bad guys. I was glad to be surprised otherwise. Hanish didn't turned out to be quite the villain than I expected, and a certain other character turned out to be much more of a villain than I expected. Aliver and Corinne turned out to be stronger than I expected, while Dariel and Leodan turned out to be weaker than I expected.

And the death of a certain messiah-type was not really that unexpected. After all, messiahs tend to die, do they not?

Speaking of messiahs, this novel has definite Christian underpinnings. However, they are very subtle. It speaks of the power of the creator not meant to be wielded by the created. I found this a powerful concept. It was behind the world's warped -- almost cursed -- magic system.

Would I recommend this book? Well, that depends on what you want from your novels. This book is not for readers who want a lighthearted yarn. It's not for readers who want a book that makes them laugh. It's not for readers who want a page-turning thriller. It's not for readers who want to finish within 24 hours.

It is for readers who appreciate suburb worldbuilding. It is for readers who enjoy being provoked to think. It is for readers who crave a long-term commitment to an epic fantasy (especially when they have been disappointed by such epics in the past). And it is for readers who enjoy truly unique ideas, and who don't aren't turned off by occasional brutality.

Will I read the next book in the series? Absolutely. As always, I am interested in hearing your opinions as well. I just love discussing books! This post will remain on top throughout the weekend.

ACACIA Links
The Amazon link for the US and the UK
David Anthony Durham's website, blog and forum
My other posts about ACACIA

ACACIA Review - Character Impressions

One device I see a lot in any sort of fiction is that when a character has a "gut feeling", often he or she is right. The gut feeling is rarely a red herring; instead it is a foreshadowing.

One thing I am finding about ACACIA, is that you should expect the unexpected, and just like in real life, gut feelings are often not to be trusted. Leeka, the down-to-earth, tough-as-nails general, was convinced that he found his reason for existing, and that his reason for existing was to bring word of an impending attack to his countrymen.

Another character, the preteen Princess Mena, had a gut feeling that she could trust a guardian that was sent to protect her.

Whose gut feeling do you think was accurate? You don't really expect me to say, do you?

I love being surprised. When I encountered a chapter featuring a new character named Spratling, I admit that I felt a bit impatient. Not another viewpoint character, I thought. Well, I turned out to be wrong. Spratling has another identity, one that I was familiar with and that I didn't expect at all. And so now I have a new favorite character.

I only have misgivings about one character. There are two female viewpoint characters in ACACIA, and I'm wondering if Durham means for his readers to dislike one of them. She is now a captive and seems to be falling in love with her captor. It reminds me of a similar situation in Guy Gavirel Kay's Tigana. So far, the character in ACACIA is remaining strong, but I dearly wish she would develop more of a backbone. At the very least, she could stop being so obedient to her captor. I would be elated if she managed to escape. However, I am going to reserve judgment until the end of the book, because she certainly has plenty of time to redeem herself.

I am hoping, now that I've reached the part where the four royal siblings are scattered about the globe, that the viewpoints focus more on them. So far, so good.

ACACIA Review - Pacing

I'm almost finished with part one of ACACIA, so I thought I'd pause and say a few words about the pacing. It reminds me of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. In that novel, I went into the book knowing that everything up to a certain point was a prologue. I knew that Claire would go back in time, but getting to that point was agony. However, once I got there, I was blown away by the rest of the book.

I'm going through a bit of the same thing with ACACIA. Like Outlander, it is a book that you read for the long haul. Some books are like snack-packs, devoured quickly. This novel is a giant bag of M&Ms, best read in chunks.

However, I know that what one person finds fast-paced, another will find hopelessly plodding. I could not put down Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop, but when I lent it to a friend, she returned it to me, unfinished.

I'm not nearly to that point, and I don't expect to be. The king is not quite dead yet. He has made a last request to his treacherous chancellor , but since the chancellor is not really evil, he is conflicted about what to do next. Maeander, the middle-born prince of the Mein, is every bit as evil and despicable as I thought he would be. Really, some of the things that David thought of for this villain just chills the blood.

My favorite character so far is Leeka, the general. I feel the most connection to him. For all the other characters, there is still a bit of separation. But Leeka is fighting for his life to bring word of an invasion, and who can't help but admire a 48 year old general who still kicks butt? However, I have the terrible suspicion that this character is doomed to die. I hope I'm wrong.

Aliver, young heir to the Acacian throne, is my next favorite character. The conflict between him and his peers is still unresolved; in fact it has not even been mentioned again. The prince has done nothing that makes me think he will turn out evil. Since I know from the cover blurb that there will be a jump in time, I find myself looking forward to seeing him as a grown man. In fact, I'm downright impatient for it.

ACACIA Review - A Dark Secret

Ok, so maybe the assassin isn't such a sympathetic character after all. But in a way, he still is even though he murders and maims people without a second thought. I have not yet reached the point of the assassination in the book, but I sense that I am close. (I don't think I'm giving anything away here since the blurb makes it plain that someone is assassinated.)

If you've read the book (or wrote it) and are thinking "Oh, come on! You haven't reached the assassination, yet?" I'd have to say yeah, you're right. It's turned out to be a bad week for book reading and the weekend probably won't be much better. But hey! I get to feature David's book for two weeks instead of one! (Always look at the bright side, I say.)

The kingdom of Acacia has a dark secret to its longstanding chokehold on the rest of the Known World. However, everyone seems to know the dark secret except the king's four children. I expect that the prince and heir will be finding out soon. He has lived a sheltered existence up until now, so the revelation should be pretty shattering. The secret, which is a bargain of sorts, is chilling. The other partner in the bargain now seem to be working with the Mein, which makes me wonder if they'll make the Mein strike the same bargain if the Mein are successful in taking over the kingdom.

Few elements of a fantasy nature have popped up so far, except for a brief mention of the a sect of sorcerers early on. However, I wonder if the mist drug might have some magical qualities.

ACACIA - Cringeworthy Moments

How do you take an unappealing character and put the reader firmly on his side? Humiliate him.

I generally don't like princes and princesses in fantasy novels; I think there are entirely too many of them. However, I recognize that princes and princesses would be the natural movers and shakers of any medieval world. When this particular prince was introduced, I didn't like him much. He seemed arrogant and petty. However, after he got thoroughly trounced in a sparring match that he instigated, I found myself thoroughly on his side, mostly because he was angry at himself more than at his opponent. It told me that he does have a core of decency.

Unfortunatley, I was unable to finish the chapter before I had to rush off to work. Don't you hate that?

ACACIA - Opening Chapters

Starting a series like ACACIA is like making a commitment. You know that the series is going to be around for a while, and it is like embarking on an exciting quest, yourself. The quest will take a few years to complete. I can think of a few other series that evoked this feeling. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn and Otherland by Tad Williams.

Of these, I only finished reading two series by Tad Williams. The Wheel of Time just ground on too long for me. Rand al'Thor lost his humanity and I grew weary of reading about endless Ass Sedai squabbles. I loved Martin books and recently purchased the 4th book, only to feel cheated. Where are all the characters that I read through the first three books? Chapter after chapter went by without encountering any of them, until I lost patience. There is an apology of sorts, at the end of the book, along with a promise that they'll show up in the next book. Too bad. I won't be reading it. Too many other great books are clamoring for my attention.

Durham promises only three books. Who knows? I may want to read on after three books. At least I know that the series will be finished before my first-grader graduates from high school.

Acacia makes a good start. It obviously will have a large cast, since the first three chapters are about three separate people. There is an assassin in the first chapter, a princess in the second and a councilor in the third. They all manage to be sympathetic despite an evil act by one and the planning of an evil act by another. The princess is sympathetic by default, since she is only twelve.

Of the three, I like the assassin the best. I didn't expect this. He is, after all, an assassin. However, he also has a deep humanity about him in that he has good reasons for wanting to commit his assassination. I love all his disguises. However, I fear he is doomed to die. He expects to. For this reason, I hope he doesn't. It would be a nice twist.

The person that he wants to assassinate also has my sympathy. He really doesn't deserve assassination. But this doesn't stop me from feeling sympathy for the assassin. I like this sort of moral complexity. People usually don't just commit evil acts because they are evil. They justify the actions to themselves so that they are good and virtuous. And Durham's characters do the same.

I know several of you have already read Acacia. I invite you to throw in your comments as I put up these posts.

ACACIA by David Anthony Durham

Readers who have been around a while will know that I've been looking for a male debut author to feature here. I've decided to read ACACIA, by David Anthony Durham. He is not a new author, but he is a new fantasy author.

You may not think this makes much of a difference, but my own mother feels betrayed by Nora Roberts for going fantasy, and she refuses to read any of her newest books. Therefore, Durham actually risks alienating some of his former readers by going speculative.

From the blurbs, it appears to be just the sort of epic, sweeping fantasy that I like.