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A review by terminatee
The Way of the Black Beast by Stuart Jaffe
3.0
Disclaimer: This was read and reviewed at the request of the author, who provided me with a free digital copy of the book in order for me to do so.
Stuart Jaffe’s THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel featuring a strong female lead who is skilled with weapons and fighting. Abused and abandoned as a child, Malja is out for revenge. In her quest to find the responsible parties and exact her revenge, Malja is accompanied by a small, diverse (perhaps mismatched?) band. Most of them are human. One is mute. Membership in this band is rather fluid. While these companions generally help her in her quest but they occasionally cause diversions. Sometimes they get in her way; sometimes they draw her away.
Malja's personality comes across well. She’s a no-nonsense, abrupt woman who knows what drives her but who feels conflicted about killing. Jaffe skillfully lets Tommy express strong feelings, even though he can’t talk. Fawbry is a complex character, not very likable but not completely despicable, and certainly not predictable. Tumus is a human-like being who seems to spend much of every waking moment in sorrow and despair.
The basic storyline is a classic one. The protagonist sets out to achieve her revenge but endures pangs of conscience along the journey. The guilty parties meet their demise in the end, but not because the protagonist is successful. Instead, fate has judged them and found them wanting, and the protagonist has a role in that judgment being meted out. The protagonist has come to a deeper knowledge of themselves and has made a change for the better. Along the path to self-knowledge, the protagonist encounters various obstacles, both physical and psychological, that stand in the way of reaching their goal.
World-building in science fiction and fantasy stories is critical. Many fantasy novels are lengthy simply because it takes a lot of words — even in the hands of a talented writer — to create a world for which we are willing to suspend our disbelief. I found Jaffe’s world-building challenging in several areas.
First, the naming of people (and vaguely-human creatures). There is a mix of names in this novel that range from the commonplace (e.g., Tommy) to the unusual (Tumus the Chi-Chun). I was confused why there should be such a mix. To me, there should be at least a suggestion of a certain logic behind selecting names, even those that are totally contrived. The names in this novel seemed randomly assigned.
Second, the history of Jaffe's world. This history includes a catastrophic event called the “Devastation.” Because of the event (described as an explosion), the appearance of technology (including electrical power), and the use of some common names, it would be natural to assume that Malja’s world is a future version of our own world. (The use of titles such as "Mayor" and "Ms." also contributes to this.) The nature of the Devastation is never adequately explained, nor how magic and technology are able to coexist (with magic ascendant).
Third, creatures. Strange and dangerous creatures -- mutants from the Devastation -- are commonplace in this world. Jaffe is certainly imaginative in coming up with these creatures, but I felt that the story attempted to weave in too many kinds of creatures too quickly. In the first quarter of the book alone, there are seven of these creatures introduced. Masters at creating post-apocalyptic bestiaries, such as Terry Brooks and Justin Cronin, only introduce as many new creatures as they need — no more and no less — and they do this at a more measured pace.
Finally, Jaffe's systems of magic - involving tattoos and music - are well-developed, but religion seems out of place. The relationship between the two predominant religions is explained, but the concept of religion really plays no important part in the story and could have been left out.
The story of Malja and her companions continues in a handful of sequels to this novel. I expect that the unanswered questions from this first story are answered in the later tales. In the end, THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST was entertaining, but not compelling.
Stuart Jaffe’s THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel featuring a strong female lead who is skilled with weapons and fighting. Abused and abandoned as a child, Malja is out for revenge. In her quest to find the responsible parties and exact her revenge, Malja is accompanied by a small, diverse (perhaps mismatched?) band. Most of them are human. One is mute. Membership in this band is rather fluid. While these companions generally help her in her quest but they occasionally cause diversions. Sometimes they get in her way; sometimes they draw her away.
Malja's personality comes across well. She’s a no-nonsense, abrupt woman who knows what drives her but who feels conflicted about killing. Jaffe skillfully lets Tommy express strong feelings, even though he can’t talk. Fawbry is a complex character, not very likable but not completely despicable, and certainly not predictable. Tumus is a human-like being who seems to spend much of every waking moment in sorrow and despair.
The basic storyline is a classic one. The protagonist sets out to achieve her revenge but endures pangs of conscience along the journey. The guilty parties meet their demise in the end, but not because the protagonist is successful. Instead, fate has judged them and found them wanting, and the protagonist has a role in that judgment being meted out. The protagonist has come to a deeper knowledge of themselves and has made a change for the better. Along the path to self-knowledge, the protagonist encounters various obstacles, both physical and psychological, that stand in the way of reaching their goal.
World-building in science fiction and fantasy stories is critical. Many fantasy novels are lengthy simply because it takes a lot of words — even in the hands of a talented writer — to create a world for which we are willing to suspend our disbelief. I found Jaffe’s world-building challenging in several areas.
First, the naming of people (and vaguely-human creatures). There is a mix of names in this novel that range from the commonplace (e.g., Tommy) to the unusual (Tumus the Chi-Chun). I was confused why there should be such a mix. To me, there should be at least a suggestion of a certain logic behind selecting names, even those that are totally contrived. The names in this novel seemed randomly assigned.
Second, the history of Jaffe's world. This history includes a catastrophic event called the “Devastation.” Because of the event (described as an explosion), the appearance of technology (including electrical power), and the use of some common names, it would be natural to assume that Malja’s world is a future version of our own world. (The use of titles such as "Mayor" and "Ms." also contributes to this.) The nature of the Devastation is never adequately explained, nor how magic and technology are able to coexist (with magic ascendant).
Third, creatures. Strange and dangerous creatures -- mutants from the Devastation -- are commonplace in this world. Jaffe is certainly imaginative in coming up with these creatures, but I felt that the story attempted to weave in too many kinds of creatures too quickly. In the first quarter of the book alone, there are seven of these creatures introduced. Masters at creating post-apocalyptic bestiaries, such as Terry Brooks and Justin Cronin, only introduce as many new creatures as they need — no more and no less — and they do this at a more measured pace.
Finally, Jaffe's systems of magic - involving tattoos and music - are well-developed, but religion seems out of place. The relationship between the two predominant religions is explained, but the concept of religion really plays no important part in the story and could have been left out.
The story of Malja and her companions continues in a handful of sequels to this novel. I expect that the unanswered questions from this first story are answered in the later tales. In the end, THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST was entertaining, but not compelling.