โ Scribed by C. J. Cherryh
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Despite a few brief, shining moments, Cherryh's (Foreigner) new fantasy novel (her latest SF novel is reviewed below) proves an overwrought concoction. After a moderately interesting foray involving Mauryl, the aging wizard who conjures a "Shaping" named Tristen, the meandering of the nearly empty-headed Shaping takes center stage for far too long. Tristen sets off upon a quest knowing neither who he is nor what he seeks. Fortuitous happenings eventually bring him to Cefwyn, a prince in line to rule the land, and to Cefwyn's wizard, Emuin, himself a former student of Mauryl's. (The villains here are of two types: nebulously motivated men and erotically minded women.) A series of escapades involving prosaically presented political machinations leads to an inevitable final battle?and to the likelihood of a sequel. Several plot threads, such as Tristen's similarity to a golem and an invocation of the "Thirty-Eight," indicate that Cherryh is leaning on texts of Jewish mysticism here, but it's unlikely that even the most diligent of kabbalists would have the patience to wade through this substandard work.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
I have to admit that, until now, I have never read any of C. J. Cherryh's work. A sad oversight on my part and one that I intend to remedy. After reading just one page it was easy for me to see why Cherryh had won three Hugo awards. I fully expect her to win many more inthe future. While there are many good authors inthe field of fantasy and science fiction it is rare to find one with such a powerful grasp of the english language, or one whose skill as a world builder could set her so far above the rest of us. -- Midwest Book Review
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