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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Vance uses a lot of fantasy tropes with self-awareness and a matter-of-fact narration style that regards ridiculous scenarios so casually that it only further emphasizes how silly traditional fantasy tends to be. In one of my favorite side anecdotes, a duke and his friends attend a solstice festival pageant: "...they agreed that the maidens who represented the Seven Graces were remarkably charming, but could form no consensus as to which was supreme. They discussed the matter well into the evening over wine, and at last, to resolve the matter in a practical way, kidnapped all seven of the maidens and took them across the water to Malvang." I'd read a few Vance short stories before this book, and all read in a similarly snarky voice. There are warring kingdoms, magicians, fairies, and a smattering of monsters, and most of them have enormous egos: as a result, the political and magical disputes that would normally read as epic fantasy feels more like a sitcom of petty grievances.
Characters tend to fall cleanly on the good and bad side, and the good protagonists are blandly angelic with moments of violent justice. There isn't a single protagonist, as Suldrun's Garden consists of five separate narrative threads that come together nicely in the end. Though the heroes suffer from blandness, their journeys take the reader through a large scope of the world; they're also abused almost everywhere they go, setting up several revenge quests that end up being the more engaging parts of the story.
I really could have done without the fantasy trope requiring all ladies enduring sexual harassment/abuse. Every female character is threatened with rape, especially a girl who is frequently described as not yet a woman. There's a somewhat worrisome amount of adults and trolls lusting after and forcing themselves upon prepubescent girls.
Characters tend to fall cleanly on the good and bad side, and the good protagonists are blandly angelic with moments of violent justice. There isn't a single protagonist, as Suldrun's Garden consists of five separate narrative threads that come together nicely in the end. Though the heroes suffer from blandness, their journeys take the reader through a large scope of the world; they're also abused almost everywhere they go, setting up several revenge quests that end up being the more engaging parts of the story.
I really could have done without the fantasy trope requiring all ladies enduring sexual harassment/abuse. Every female character is threatened with rape, especially a girl who is frequently described as not yet a woman. There's a somewhat worrisome amount of adults and trolls lusting after and forcing themselves upon prepubescent girls.
Too much exposition for me. The characters' descriptions/vocabulary were roundabout/remote, which made it feel like I was watching the events from a bird's eye view.
Jack Vance puts together a huge cast of characters, a large island full of political intrigue, fairy realms and magic. Through all this, he comes up with a solid story and great prose to boot.
Politically, this island (south of the British Isles, west of France) has intrigues and minor skirmishes aplenty. At the mid point of the novel, two of these nations undertake a minor war, framing that section of the story and introducing one of the many main characters.
Magically, this island has several reclusive wizards who are mostly in competition with each other, though respecting some sort of compact. The upstart attempt to enter this collection commences with the theft of magical items from another of the many main characters.
... and that's just two of the stories interwoven here. Further fleshing out awaits the fairy realms (more than a few, with different kings but respected boundaries), the truce between two warring factions (not likely to hold long) and the reappearance of a wizard destroyed. Whew!
Jack Vance closed this story off fairly well but left a lot open, as you can see. For me, this is never a great thing in the first book of a series, and being 30 years old is no excuse. That said, I will seek out more from this Grand Master of Science Fiction in the near future - including the second book of this fine series!
Politically, this island (south of the British Isles, west of France) has intrigues and minor skirmishes aplenty. At the mid point of the novel, two of these nations undertake a minor war, framing that section of the story and introducing one of the many main characters.
Magically, this island has several reclusive wizards who are mostly in competition with each other, though respecting some sort of compact. The upstart attempt to enter this collection commences with the theft of magical items from another of the many main characters.
... and that's just two of the stories interwoven here. Further fleshing out awaits the fairy realms (more than a few, with different kings but respected boundaries), the truce between two warring factions (not likely to hold long) and the reappearance of a wizard destroyed. Whew!
Jack Vance closed this story off fairly well but left a lot open, as you can see. For me, this is never a great thing in the first book of a series, and being 30 years old is no excuse. That said, I will seek out more from this Grand Master of Science Fiction in the near future - including the second book of this fine series!
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Opening movements of Vance's final and greatest fantasy series. Some aspects are troubling, but considering the structure of the entire trilogy I believe they are meant to be so, and that Vance is managing the trick of depicting but not endorsing. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2021/02/12/apres-madouc-le-deluge/
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I never cared about any of the characters enough to be concerned about what did or didn't happen to them.
I'm beginning to realise that these classic swords and sorcery authors are not my cup of tea. i found the narrative too detached and the characters too thin to really get into this. I think it is just a matter of taste rather than a reflection of quality.
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish