The duties of a leader
Apr. 2nd, 2010 09:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altivoI'm really, seriously impressed at the moment. Mind, I already had lots of respect for Kyell Gold as a writer capable of not only a finely turned sentence but of a powerful conceptual message. I haven't always been happy with his apparent obsession with the erotic element, but in spite of that he builds strong characters, portrays them well, and puts them in believable and interesting settings.
I just finished reading Shadow of the Father, his third full length novel set in the world of Argaea. If you haven't yet read it, don't worry. I'm not going to put any spoilers here, but I'm going to tell you to hurry up and get around to it. This book is not about Volle and Streak, but about Volle's second son, Yilon. The manner of Yilon's conception was described in [painful] detail in Pendant of Fortune, but that was all we knew until now. Lord Dewanne, the only other red fox in the Tephos nobility, believed that Yilon was in fact his own son, not Volle's. Ilyana, though, took great pains to make sure that in spite of Dewanne's belief, Yilon would in fact be Volle's own son.
When Shadow opens, Yilon is now sixteen years old, and has been with his father, Streak, and Volyan (his older brother) in Divalia for two years. He resents having been forced to leave his mother and Vinton to go to the court and finish his education. He resents Streak's role in his father's life and feels that his mother has been denied her rightful place. He resents his father for forcing him into what he considers an unacceptable position.
Then word arrives from the remote land of Dewanne. The old lord has died, and Yilon's presence is required so that he can be confirmed as the new lord, and then travel back to Divalia to swear his allegiance to the king. Now he has something else to resent, as he dislikes being forced to travel to an unfamiliar place, to assume an unwanted responsibility that he will be unable to escape for the rest of his life.
Yilon, we quickly learn, really is his father's son. Not just because he prefers male companions, but because he has the same commitment to ethics and responsibility that Volle himself quickly acquired once he was pushed into the role of a ruling lord. He knows he must marry and beget heirs, and that he must take absolute responsibility for those who will be his people, the residents of Dewanne.
He does but one thing that might be irresponsible in nature: he brings his lover Sinchon (a mouse) with him to Dewanne, despite being advised against it by the land's Steward Maxon. Ill advised as it might be, that one thing in the end makes all the difference. I am not going to say why, but it turns out to be just what is needed, not only by Yilon himself, but also by the land of Dewanne and its polarized, divided citizenry.
Yilon learns two things very quickly: first, that his friend is going to be very unwelcome in some circles; and second, that his own right of succession is being actively challenged. He must find a way to protect Sinch and at the same time do right by Dewanne and its people. His first plan, for both of them to escape back to Vinton or Divalia, is quickly replaced by the more difficult one. They will serve Dewanne by righting the wrongs and healing the country.
This is, of course, a coming of age for Yilon and, to a lesser extent, for Sinch as well. Blood will be shed and lives lost before the resolution, but of course the resolution must be the best one possible under the circumstances. Of that I'll say no more. Just read it.
This is an action adventure novel, a new direction for the author. It is also a masterful suspense novel. The book is not erotica, though it has a couple of mildly erotic scenes. It isn't a romance, nor a mystery. It is, however, a superbly plotted adventure with a satisfying conclusion and solid characters. There are any number of unexpected twists to the plot, and several characters who turn out to be something other than what they at first may seem. In the end I think we can safely conclude that Yilon is going to be even better for Dewanne than Dewanne is for him.
Those who are familiar with Katherine Kurtz' Deryni novels have seen this sort of tale before. Her kingdom of Gwynedd presents a similar conundrum to each successive ruler, forcing him to be the best he can and learn that he can be more than he ever thought possible. Gold's characters may not have supernatural magic to help them, but in all other respects they are like the noble families in Gwynedd. Circumstances force them to challenge and exceed their own limits, and grow as a result. Volle did that too, but his son steps out beyond the shadow of his father, and earns his lordship in his own right along with the respect of his people (both foxes and mice.)
I rate this book a full five apples out of five. Not something I often do, but the author has outdone himself just as much as his character Yilon has done.
I just finished reading Shadow of the Father, his third full length novel set in the world of Argaea. If you haven't yet read it, don't worry. I'm not going to put any spoilers here, but I'm going to tell you to hurry up and get around to it. This book is not about Volle and Streak, but about Volle's second son, Yilon. The manner of Yilon's conception was described in [painful] detail in Pendant of Fortune, but that was all we knew until now. Lord Dewanne, the only other red fox in the Tephos nobility, believed that Yilon was in fact his own son, not Volle's. Ilyana, though, took great pains to make sure that in spite of Dewanne's belief, Yilon would in fact be Volle's own son.
When Shadow opens, Yilon is now sixteen years old, and has been with his father, Streak, and Volyan (his older brother) in Divalia for two years. He resents having been forced to leave his mother and Vinton to go to the court and finish his education. He resents Streak's role in his father's life and feels that his mother has been denied her rightful place. He resents his father for forcing him into what he considers an unacceptable position.
Then word arrives from the remote land of Dewanne. The old lord has died, and Yilon's presence is required so that he can be confirmed as the new lord, and then travel back to Divalia to swear his allegiance to the king. Now he has something else to resent, as he dislikes being forced to travel to an unfamiliar place, to assume an unwanted responsibility that he will be unable to escape for the rest of his life.
Yilon, we quickly learn, really is his father's son. Not just because he prefers male companions, but because he has the same commitment to ethics and responsibility that Volle himself quickly acquired once he was pushed into the role of a ruling lord. He knows he must marry and beget heirs, and that he must take absolute responsibility for those who will be his people, the residents of Dewanne.
He does but one thing that might be irresponsible in nature: he brings his lover Sinchon (a mouse) with him to Dewanne, despite being advised against it by the land's Steward Maxon. Ill advised as it might be, that one thing in the end makes all the difference. I am not going to say why, but it turns out to be just what is needed, not only by Yilon himself, but also by the land of Dewanne and its polarized, divided citizenry.
Yilon learns two things very quickly: first, that his friend is going to be very unwelcome in some circles; and second, that his own right of succession is being actively challenged. He must find a way to protect Sinch and at the same time do right by Dewanne and its people. His first plan, for both of them to escape back to Vinton or Divalia, is quickly replaced by the more difficult one. They will serve Dewanne by righting the wrongs and healing the country.
This is, of course, a coming of age for Yilon and, to a lesser extent, for Sinch as well. Blood will be shed and lives lost before the resolution, but of course the resolution must be the best one possible under the circumstances. Of that I'll say no more. Just read it.
This is an action adventure novel, a new direction for the author. It is also a masterful suspense novel. The book is not erotica, though it has a couple of mildly erotic scenes. It isn't a romance, nor a mystery. It is, however, a superbly plotted adventure with a satisfying conclusion and solid characters. There are any number of unexpected twists to the plot, and several characters who turn out to be something other than what they at first may seem. In the end I think we can safely conclude that Yilon is going to be even better for Dewanne than Dewanne is for him.
Those who are familiar with Katherine Kurtz' Deryni novels have seen this sort of tale before. Her kingdom of Gwynedd presents a similar conundrum to each successive ruler, forcing him to be the best he can and learn that he can be more than he ever thought possible. Gold's characters may not have supernatural magic to help them, but in all other respects they are like the noble families in Gwynedd. Circumstances force them to challenge and exceed their own limits, and grow as a result. Volle did that too, but his son steps out beyond the shadow of his father, and earns his lordship in his own right along with the respect of his people (both foxes and mice.)
I rate this book a full five apples out of five. Not something I often do, but the author has outdone himself just as much as his character Yilon has done.
