A Discourse in Steel by Paul S. Kemp (A Tale of Egil & Nix)

The ending is the beginning, or at least that’s how Paul S. Kemp begins his second Egil and Nix novel, A Discourse in Steel. Or for another comparison, a quick mini-adventure which introduces the plot element of the main narrative of the novel… Our intrepid (though if either one of these two men heard me call them intrepid they’d probably say “Fak off”), duo enters, the Blackalley, a dark portal in an attempt to save a friend’s mentor. Meanwhile, in a somewhat bungled assassination attempt, one of the sisters the duo saved in The Hammer and the Blade, Rose, is affected by the assassination. You see, the person assassinated is the head of the Thieves’ Guild and at the moment he was killed, Rose was performing a seeing, trying to look into his future. As a result, a supernatural/mental shockwave hits her, leaving Rose in the equivalent of a magical/mental coma. The Thieves’ Guild attacks the bar the duo own and try to burn it down in an attempt to kill Rose. So what does our Leiber-esque duo do? Why, they bum-rush the Thieves’ Guild to extract revenge and in the process of escaping, manage to kidnap Channis, the head of the Thieves’ Guild, a rank with the title of The Upright Man. These events barely bring readers to the midpoint of this breakneck-paced novel.

Their quest to heal Rose from the mind-blasted coma leads them to a powerful, ancient magic which is nigh legendary mainly because the mage who can heal them is something of a myth. Along for the journey with Egil and Nix are Rose’s sister Mere and the aforementioned head of the Thieves’ Guild. Action and dialogue pulls the narrative along equally, making the novel work on multiple levels. The banter between the characters provides more insight into who they are and why they act the way they do and the action/scenery provides more depth of the world Ellerth.

I said in my review of The Hammer and the Blade that Kemp is evoking Fritz Leiber, that evocation/homage continues here in A Discourse in Steel quite nicely. The protagonists Egil and Nix are fully realized characters who breathe and banter in my head like old friends. Kemp’s writing/storytelling with this duo puts you in the room, the tunnel, or dungeon with them; essentially, it feels as if you become part of their group. Sword and sorcery can be considered the fantasy equivalent of the buddy movie and Egil and Nix, along with Scott Lynch’s Locke and Jean, are perhaps the most entertaining buddies in the genre. Egil and Nix are a bit more experienced, which adds another layer to their dynamic and the depth of their history. At times I’d almost expect one of them to echo Murtaugh in saying I’m too old for this shite. That age and history comes into play as the Blackalley plays against a person’s fears, sorrow and loss. This affects Egil very profoundly as the regret over his lost wife and child continually come back to him as the duo progress through the narrative.

Kemp also follows members of the Thieves Guild (Rusk and Trelgin) they pursue their leader who was kidnapped by Egil & Nix. The banter between these two men isn’t quite as fun as it is between Egil and Nix, after all, the men in the Thieves’ Guild are often jockeying for position in the guild and the two men here are no different. This parallel narrative, or rather, narrative that chases the narrative of Egil and Nix provides a contrast to relationship between our heroes and provides a snapshot into the Thieves Guild.

Once the two groups finally catch up in the land where the mythical sorcerer who *might* be able to heal Rose resides, the magic hits the proverbial fan. A greater depth to the history of Ellerth is laid out, expanding beyond the more local confines in which these tales of Egil and Nix have taken place. With both of these novels, Kemp has done something superbly well – told a complete story in one volume that invites speculation about these characters and world (where they were, where they are going), and hints at things to come.

A Discourse in Steel is a fun thrill-ride that builds on what came before in The Hammer and the Blade, but stands on its own, while teasing things to come. In short, Paul S. Kemp has published another fine sword and sorcery novel. I can’t wait to read the next one, A Conversation in Blood.

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