Guy Gavriel Kay

For sheer style and worldbuilding, there's very few who compare with Guy Gavriel Kay, whose credits also include a hand in compiling the Simarillion, as well as his own beautiful works.

Kay's forté is in the detail. He excells in taking actual world events, meddling with the geography and the history, and presenting a lavish plot with complex characters to romp over the sub-created earth. He tends to be rather indifferent in his religious world view, favoring no one belief, but presenting impassively what each separate character does. However, his works can be violent, and he almost always includes rather graphic sex scenes, which, although they frequently help the plot along, need not be quite so detailed.

His contribution to Fantastic Fiction is extensive, and any connosieur of Fantasy ought to read him once they are older and grounded in the Faith. Most of his books can stand alone, all are of a goodly length, often the middle two-hundred pages sag.

The Fionavar Tapestry Trilogy
The Summer Tree
The Wandering Fire
The Darkest Road

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

Several university students from this world are whisked to the "first world," Fionavar, which is threatened by the Unraveller. Combining original and Arthurian legend, they must each discover who they truly are and where they truly belong. Most likely the weakest of his novels, best read after one of his other stand alones. Includes some sex, and an unsatisfactory ending to the Arthur myth: (curious Barneyesque menage-a-trois with the three of them floating off to somewhere in perfect love and harmony. Odd, to say the least).

Tigana

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

One of his most interesting books in terms of thought, Tigana chronicals one nation's struggle to regain their place in a world that cannot even hear their name. Includes a small scene of incest, and one of bondage - the latter easily skipped or even blacked out with a pen.

A Song for Arbonne

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

A study in the effect of music and poetry upon the world, A Song for Arbonne follows a mercenary as he is called upon to save a nation from northern invaders. Confusing ending, sexual scenes easily skipped over (the majority of these latter are during the sections dealing with the villain, whose tastes are perverted and whose sections - helpful! ; ) - are written in the present tense).

The Lions of Al-Rassan

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

Based loosely on El Cid, The Lions of Al-Rassan is a wonderful character study of two good men on opposite sides of the battle line. Some unnecessary sexual scenes, gripping plot.

The Sarantine Mosaic Duology
Sailing to Sarantium
Lord of Emperors

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

What if Rome had fallen and Byzantium prevailed? That's the question that forms the backdrop for Kay's latest duology. The first book, Sailing to Sarantium, focusses almost entirely upon the recalcitrant mosaicist, Crispin, who is drafted by the Emporer to design and decorate the dome of the sanctuary to Jad. So Crispin sets forth to Sarantium, accompanied on his journey by a sentient mechanical bird, a barbarian bodyguard, a freed prostitute, and a mission from his own queen with proposal to the married Emporer. Things couldn't be easier! But once Crispin reaches Sarantium, he finds that travelling the wilds to get there were far enviable than wending his way through the political intrigues of the court.

Combining Kay's inimintable driving style, Sailing to Sarantium is a wonderful book, with marvellous worldbuilding that manages to combine just enough of this world into a possible might-have-been. The cast of characters are sympathetic and amusing; the dialogues (for the most part) sophisticated and exciting. There are no explicit sexual scenes - although one fairly hot seduction takes place - however, Kay makes up for that with multiple uses of crude language (most noticeably the f-word, as it were), and likewise rude references to genitals. The story moves right along, so well, in fact, that the ending comes all-too-abruptly (but what do you expect from a duology?).

The second book, however, Lord of Emporers more than makes up for Sailing's sexual lapse with an entire chapter devoted to each character's amorous goings-on. The language is toned down - mainly since the lead character is no longer Crispin but a doctor from our Middle East. Despite this, Lord of Emporers is a gripping book, full of surprising twists and intrigues that keep the reader's nose glued to the pages. The ending is less than satisfactory, though, as our original main character, Crispin, returns to a world in change where his craft is all but obsolete.

Although The Sarantine Mosaic could certainly be argued to be one of Kay's best work, it presents theological problems, by questioning monotheism and, worse, the Trinity. Paganism is quietly revered, and Christ's divinity thrown into a muddle. Eastern Orthodox readers may agree with the final judgement to forbid human representations of the god (although that decision is put into a decidedly bad light by Kay), however will be upset to discover the negative slant against that view, and the ludicrous coupling of that view with the denial of Christ's divinity.

Paula Volsky

A little known author, but invaluable to the genre of fantasy. Her worldbuilding is exquisite, taking the creation of another place entirely to the edges, sometimes to the story's detriment, frequently to the connosieur's delight. Her stories are generally free from sex, but they are not free from graphic violence and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Her earlier novels tend to be completely indifferent to religion altogether - her characters work in a more or less moral world with no thought to a higher power - but her more recent books have shown discouraging trends towards "astral spirits," "celestial excrement," and "planar gods" as well as an increasing amount of horrific torture.

The Curse of the Witch-Queen

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Her first novel. The headstrong son of the Duke of Szar insults a Sorcerer-King, and is punished by an insatiable appetite which eventually turns him into a giant. The only way to return to his original size is to serve the King, which includes going on a perilous quest to find the Witch-Queen to save the King's daughter. Slow-reading, mild horror.

The Fal Ghrizni Trilogy

The Sorcerer's Lady

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager

The Lady Verran is married to the Sorcerer fal Ghrizni whose pride and misanthropy bring destruction upon his house and threat to the land. Terribly exciting, works as a stand-alone.

The Sorcerer's Heir

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager

The son of the Lady Verran and the Sorcerer fal Ghrizni has lived his whole life among the harmonious Vardruls, and - spurrining the violent tendencies of his human nature - longs to become one of them, despite his mother's pleas to the contrary. Difficult to read: Volsky creates a completely alien civilisation.

The Sorcerer's Curse

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager

The Vardrul decendent of Lady Verran and fal Ghrizni's son combats his own kin, the decendent of Lady Verran and an explorer, in a struggle over fal Ghrizni's dying curse on Lanthi Ume. An adequate wrap-up to the series.

The Luck of Relian Kru

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager

Relian Kru has the worst luck possible. On the run from a fanatic Court Assassin for dressing badly, he ends up the slave to the sorcerer Krepose Gavayne, whose love of self leads him to multiple clonings. Relian's dilemma is further complicated when he falls in love with a fellow captive, whom he must also rescue. Strange in parts, scary in others, good overall.

Illusion

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager

Absolutely gripping. The French Revolution meets the Bolshevik uprising in this incredibly complex and fascinating plot. The Exalted Eliste goes from the debauchery of the Vonahrish Court to the gutters of the city, in a story of self-discovery and political upheaval. Scary in parts, sexual possibilities (i.e., she's propositioned) mentioned.

The Wolf of Winter

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Prince Varis, sick of the hypocritical and cruel court, takes refuge in his solitary palace. But isolation soon leads to boredom, and from there to a study of necromancy. The vile art warps his brain and ambition, and soon after he employs his "talent" to kill his brothers and take the throne for himself. Only his nephew and niece escape the massacre, fleeing to another country altogether, where Shalindra falls in with those who have the power to defeat her uncle. Frightening in parts, gruesome in others, possibility of uncle/niece incestual attraction (which actually would have been very interesting if expanded), unsatisfactory ending, but gripping overall.

The Gates of Twilight

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

Returning to the Vonahrish people from Illusion, Volsky takes on the ethical question of pseudo-English colonisation of a pseudo-India. The hero, Renille, is sent to destroy the country's religion by killing its high priest. Adventure and action ensue, awkwardly and episodically written with a love story tacked on. Disturbing in its religion; Volsky begins her "astral excrement" idea of "planar gods."

The White Tribunal

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

In a distinctly un-Volskyish-feeling world, our author recreates something akin to "The Count of Monte-Cristo" - but with considerably more graphic horror, and considerably less character development. Organised religion is the baddy, and again, "astral excrement" and "planar gods" are employed in an unsatisfactory Faust-like manner.

The Grand Ellipse

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Good/Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Combining the entire map of Volsky's world with Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days and a hint of the Imperialism of World War I and the atomic power of World War II, The Grand Ellipse is most likely Volsky's best book, second only to Illusion. We follow Luzelle Devaire of Vonahr, an independent woman living in the third generation from the revolution of Illusion. Always an adventurer, she jumps at the chance to join the Grand Ellipse - a race around Volsky's world - on the sufference of her government, who hopes that, should she win, Luzelle might be able to weasel away from the race's sponsor, the King of Lower Hetzia, the secret of the sentient Masterfire, in order to repel the advancing army of the Grewzians who are quickly taking over the land.

Full of Volsky's excellent wit, an interesting romantic tangle, and lavish worldbuilding, The Grand Ellipse is a joy to anyone who has ventured into Volsky's world before, and a great primer for those who have not. Readers who are familiar with other "quest" or "travel" fantasies (see especially High Fantasy authors), will particularly enjoy Volsky's highly realistic "take" on what it means to travel. Rather than littering her pages with idealised, happy-go-lucky travelling companions who are somehow able to walk with little to no discomfort, or better, to ride without saddleburn, Volsky's characters are held-up by weather, hostile natives, and delayed trains. Finally!

The objections of the Christian are few. Religion is treated impartially, and the morality is more Christian than secular (for example, Luzelle's conscience is hurt when she stoops to stealing and arsony to gain a futile lead). There is an attempted rape, which puts the readership back to teenagers rather than pre-teens, but there is very little else objectionable. Hurry - and read this book today!

Teresa Edgerton

Another incredible worldbuilder, and little known author (hmmm, am I sensing a trend?), Teresa Edgerton is unique in the field for her attempted impartiality in her religious set-ups as well as her complex characters, gripping plot, and emminent rereadability. At the moment, she has two world set-ups, one in a recently Christianised pseudo-Celtic world, and the other in an 18th century that never was.

Keep an eye out for her latest book, The Queen's Necklace, set in the swashbuckling 1700's is due out in June 2001. Perchance - oh please - the success of that book will cause a reprint of her others?

The Green Lion Trilogy
Child of Saturn
The Moon in Hiding
The Work of the Sun

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Teleri ni Pendaran, the Wizard's apprentice, must face her own fears, as well as the machinations of the villainous witch, Princess Diaspad, with the help of a young knight, Ceilyn mac Cuel. Involves some intimations of sexual relationships; author attempts and partially succeeds in showing Christianity (specifically Catholicism) as holy. Jam-packed with plot, characters, and excellent Medieval worldbuilding.

The Castle of the Silver Wheel Trilogy
The Castle of the Silver Wheel
The Grail and the Ring
The Moon and the Thorn

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Tryffin fab Maelgwyn of Gwengelli, sometime govenor of Mochdreff, saves his young cousin, Gwenlliant, by marrying her. However, Gwenlliant has the wild power within her, which is untrained. Struggling between their new marriage, the mysterious grudge of the Mochdreff against the Gwengellach, and a terrible shapechanger from the shadow lands of Mochdreff's past, Tryffin and Gwenlliant find a refuge in each other. Generally good morals, more sexual content discussed than might be appropriate, most sympathy with paganism than the first series. Still, an admirable effort to portray Catholic Christianity as holy. Exciting plot overall.

The Goblin Moon Duology
Goblin Moon
The Gnome's Engine

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Meet Lord Francis Love Skelbrooke, a cross between Errol Flynn and the Scarlet Pimpernel, whose adventures through this exaggerated 18th century Europe and New World will delight the reader and flutter the heart. Edgerton's worldbuilding is excellent here, the violence and sexual tension kept to a pleasant yet exhillerating minimum. The conclusion at once startling and satisfactory. Those with a grounding in the "ideals" of the Endarkenment will find Edgerton's extrapolation of that time an interesting study in what might have happened had the French Revolution had their way universally - especially in regards to religion. Altogether thrilling.

The Queen's Necklace

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

Thoughts from SimoneM

A much fatter, more complex work than anything else she's written, with more sophisticated characterization. The setting is superficially similiar to Goblin Moon but very different in tone: Gobl. is more like Baroness Orczy; whereas Queen's Necklace is more like what you would get if you snatched Georgette Heyer and Alexandre Dumas thru a time warp and set 'em up with a Universal Translator and a copy of LOTR. If that makes any sense. The prologue, which you may have read on her website, is about the "villains" of the piece, who do sort of have a legitimate beef with the status quo-it's just that the heroes have a better case still. Well-written, with great little two paragraph descriptions of all her major cities in italics for world-building junkies's delight. The only literary gripes I had were the not-quite-cliff-hanger ending (current threat resolved, but several enemies still at large and one good guy's fate unclear, tho she's left clues to indicate that he/she is still alive), some of the parallel plotting (almost Tom Clancy cross-cutting among characters who are seemingly only tenuously connected), and one of the major villains, who's, well, a brat, to put it mildly. Theological issues: Ye Olde Freemasonick Wannabees are back, here known as the Specularii magicians. We get an awfully detailed account of their weird and occasionally pantheistic initiation rituals, which are odd rather than being in bad taste. They are presented as benevolent but sufficiently upright and reactionary to disapprove of the swashbuckling and usually-right Wilrowan Blackheart (who's basically your average Errol Flynn character only with brains and marital issues). The one serious monotheist within the Specularii seems to take his magic and his God seriously, but to perhaps take the Specularii pantheism less seriously. Most humans suscribe to a vague ancestor-veneration, the only real religion brought up are the Anti-demonists, a bunch of monotheists midway between Quakerism and Puritanism. When their theology comes up, it is intelligently and sympathetically treated, they themselves are presented as grim and somewhat narrow-minded but not unkind. The chief reason why this might belong in an adult bracket is that Wil and his wife genuinely love each other, but, each believes the other doesn't love him/her. Sooo, they don't really...click...in the...boudoir. The preliminaries and the aftermath are lightly touched on (think of the guy who marries the scarred girl in Moon and the Thorn) and the actual, uh, deed alluded to in general terms. Don't worry, as usual, Edgerton puts things to right between them by the end. Also, some rather dark, very mildly "kinky" (and I emphasize the mildly) sequences involving a character who falls into the power of the villains, and one young (currently old enough to vote) woman who was been forced into a courtesan's life when she was in her early teens. Nothing detailed, and the Antidemonist attitude towards her as sinned against and sinning is really beautifully handled, but it's worth noting.

Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott is generally hailed as an excellent worldbuilder. Her Jaran novels (Science fiction, (Literary Quality: ; Christian Morality: Dangerous; Age Appropriateness: Adult), seem to garner such adjectives as "original," "intricate" and the like from critics (although "feminist" seems to prevail the Christian reports). And on these laurels, Elliott turned her sights towards a quasi-Medieval world in her series, Crown of Stars.

The first book, The King's Dragon (Literary Quality: ; Christian Morality: Dangerous; Age Appropriateness: Adult) seemed harmless enough. The plot was good, as was the initial worldbuilding, and the characters seemed interesting enough - in fact, the mystery of the plot was so interesting, that one brushed over the sexual torture the bad guy (who's supposed to be a priest) imposes on the heroine, and the fact that the rip-off of the Catholic Church has been inverted so that women are in dominance over men. Her second book, though, Prince of Dogs (Literary Quality: ; Christian Morality: Offensive; Age Appropriateness: Inappropriate), not only brings these two elements to the forefront (including one male character who's forced into the convent!), but also includes a good amount of potty humour, unbridled lust, pro-paganism, and rotten literary merit.

Elliott obviously has the makings to be a really good fantasy writer. Her interviews are generally helpful, and the research she's done for worldbuilding generally impressive. However, her insistence on perverting not only the Church (female dominance, opressive/restrictive, uniformly licentious and/or fanatic), as well as Her Doctrines (goddess not God, Christ-figure ONLY human), work against both her literary merit as well as her moral qualities.

Overall, her fantasy ranks thus:

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Offensive
Age Appropriateness: Inappropriate

Ellen Kushner

The award-winning authoress, Kushner was suggested to me by someone who knew my love for Fantasies of Manners. Her literary styling is supurb, although her content often dabbles over the edge. Her Swordspoint and its sequel The Fall of the Kings will be given greater review later this year.

Ms. Kushner is also the host of "Sound and Spirit," a Boston-based radio show that examines the relation of culture and music. She is also the author and originator of "Esther: The Feasts of Masks" and a Jewish version of the Nutcracker. More information can be found at ellenkushner.com.

Thomas the Rhymer

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

Taking the well-known fairy tale of the celtic harper, Thomas, who steals a kiss from the Fairy Queen, is then bound to her land for seven years under a geas to remain silent, and then returns to earth much changed, Kushner takes the tale into the realm of the personal, narrating the story from four points of view. Her storytelling is fairly straightforward, with a few philosophical questions thrown in (such as where, precisely, the fairies rank in the Afterlife scheme of things), but which are never answered. The final section, from Thomas' wife's point of view, doesn't work quite as well as the others, as though Kushner didn't quite know what to do with Thomas once he'd returned to earth. There is a fair amount of "discreet" sex, particularly in the middle section narrated by Thomas, regarding his time with the Fairy Queen. Although this liason provided some possible interesting philosophical or theological insights, Kushner did not delve into them, preferring to only mention tantalisingly that the "Queen would suck Thomas dry of life, if she could." However, the scenes are mild and non-graphic, which is a relief for those concerned. Likewise, Kushner's occasional references to a monotheistic faith are sincere and encouraging. For those who enjoy retellings of legends, you might enjoy Thomas the Rhymer!

Victoria Strauss

I was first drawn to Strauss through an article by her in the e-zine Phantastes that described how she had built the world for The Arm of the Stone. Later, I stumbled upon her website, and discovered that not only was she an accomplished author and journalist, but that she also devoted her time to aiding other authors avoid publishing scams. With such credentials, I was eager to pick up her book!

The Arm of the Stone

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

What if there existed a world that forbade science and promoted magic? This is the world of The Arm of the Stone, and the struggle of its two main characters: Bron, long-lost heir on a quest to reinstate science, and Liliane, bound to oppose him. Unfortunately, what begins as a great idea quickly fizzles into a sort of grey morass of typical plot twists: Bron infiltrating the pseudo-Inquisition "priest" caste, Liliane infiltrating his outpost, the two of them falling in love, her discovering his secret, both being imprisoned, both escaped, and she conveniently pregant with the next heir as Bron rather unsatisfactorially drops out of the picture.

To add to this, the entire book is rather bewilderingly obsessed with the question of theology. Right from the beginning, the struggle between science and magic is put into the hands of the priest caste - in this case, loosely based off of the popular idea of the wildly hyperbolated "Spanish Inquisition". A healthy hatred of such a narrow-minded group of people is fostered by the end of book one, when these cheery folks (re: Guardians) manage to kill not only Bron's family, but his entire village too (except for, of course, Bron himself). This image is maintained as both Bron and Liliane, separately, enter their form of seminary, which seems to be based off of the wildly hyperbolated ideas of convent life. Lots of pointless harrassment, pointless obediences, pointless rules meant to break the spirit (and it certainly breaks the reader's spirit! I was growing ill just reading about such a bleak place!). So far, so slanted violently against what is obviously meant to be Catholicism, or any sort of established Church. To this welter, though, is suddenly thrown in that "Christians" (yes, the word is actually used; presumably to make the reader realise that Bron's world is just an off-shoot of our own, hence the geography and much of the history is the same or has the same source) are against the Guardians. What? Here we spent a good half of the book supposing that Guardians=Christians, and here Christians oppose Guardians? Hooo-kay. The next section only serves to complicate things: Bron, now in the thick of the highest eschaelon of the Guardians - those very same sadistic fellows that killed his village - discovers an underground resistance movement to return the Guardians back to more humane means of balancing magic and science. So, Guardians aren't evil incarnate - they're just skewed in system. And hopelessly skewed, if the conclusion of the book is to believed.

Ultimately, The Arm of the Stone manages to conclude nothing - either in the theological or in the theoretical (magic vs. science) realm. The entire book manages to emit a sense of endless doom; the characters follow typical paths with superficial relationships; the plot skips from this to that with little continuity or explained purpose. All in all: a disappointment.

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Updated 22 July, 2007
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