Finished The Steel Remains. The plot is classic hardboiled noir. Ringil is asked to find a missing woman, his cousin who has fallen foul of the seamier side of society. However, this quickly gives to a more typical fantasy plot concerning ancient races, formidable sorceries, age-old wars, and threats against humanity. What distinguishes this novel is an emphasis on sexual relationships and the use of sex to advance the plot and the self-destructive qualities of the lead characters. The Great War, which is so often the focus in more epic fantasy stories, has already been fought, and though there are many small and bloody skirmishes in the book, these are juxtaposed with personal, internal battles. Another distinguishing feature is that the book discards the usual medieval setting common in fantasy and adopts a science fantasy setting, harking back to Michael Moorcock, who Morgan acknowledges as an influence. The lead characters are all outsiders within society. Ringil is a war hero but also an outsider living in self-imposed exile because of his sexuality. Egar is a barbarian chieftain struggling to fit back into the traditional ways of his clan after years in the more civilised Empire. And Archeth is a half-breed Kiriath, the last person of alien stock left on Earth. Even though each of these people are flawed, they are all essentially moral people, at various stages of the novel each helps a weaker person in need of assistance. For example, Ringil helps a war veteran beat back police that are harassing him in a scene obviously inspired by the Vietnam experience. Ringil is perhaps the least sympathetic. He is emotional, quick to anger, violent, and has committed at least one unforgivable atrocity in his troubled past. He is also the character we are asked to spend the most amount of time with. So perhaps there was some emotional distance in the book for me. With mixed success Morgan attempts to balance exaggerated emotion and an emphasis on plot and action with an attention characterization and twists of black humour. At points the novel feels emotionally overwrought and I think would have benefited from a lighter touch. In contrast, there is his usual unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. Gritty realism is smeared over the melodrama which is becoming the middle ground in the fantasy market post-Martin. Morgan does this better than, say, Joe Abercrombie. I also liked the fact the book was mercifully lean compared to most the fantasy market. Ultimately, I thought this was a polished and stylish story drawing on a rich heritage of science fantasy. However, despite the strong characterisation, there’s a frustrating lack of emotional subtlety that did prevent me from truly engaging in the story.
Reply With Quote
eBook "War for the Oaks" by Emma Bull
. Not a completed series yet.
Originally Posted by ...
), and I was going to put it down after a page, but I gave it another chance, and I was glad I did. The main character is this woman who is obsessed about color-wheels (before this I had no idea people even tried to match colors, why bother?) and she is extremely intense about it, which I found highly amusing. The book is a comedy/action/romance thing and if you want a laugh you should give it a try.
Bookmarks