Book Review: Ash and Silver by Carol Berg

Pros: lots of plot twists, interesting characters

Cons: opening drags a bit, some questions of how the Order works in practice

Two years into his training to become a knight of the Order of the Equites Cinere, Greenshanks learns that his real name is Lucian de Remeni. His memory was wiped when his service began, and it quickly becomes clear that he left a lot of important things undone before he joined the Order. Now caught in numerous plots and unsure of who to trust, Lucian works to understand his past while saving the future of his world.

The two year gap and Lucian’s memory loss made it difficult for me to jump back into the story. It felt more like a new story rather than a continuation. Once hints of his past started to surface things began to pick up. The second half of the book was a whirlwind of action and I had trouble putting the book down as the plots within plots slowly unravelled.

There’s a lot of mystery and intrigue, more interesting because while the plots mostly overlap through Lucian, many of the players are unaware of each other. Seeing things purely from Lucian’s POV, it’s hard to know who he should trust and what actions he should take.

I loved all of the new characters, particularly the knights. Commander Inek and Fix were great.

I did have some questions about how the Order remained secret considering it’s populated by Purebloods, people under tight Registry regulation. Do the knights remove all trace of their past lives? That is, do they remove memories of them from their loved ones and removed their names from the registry so that they’re not considered runaways? Or are their deaths faked when they join? Lucian’s wasn’t so why aren’t people looking for all these missing Pureblood men?

There are quite a few major plot twists and my emotions were jerked around quite a bit the last few chapters. I liked that the ending ties some things up but leaves others open, with the world continuing on.

Book Review: Dust and Light by Carol Berg

Pros: several interesting mysteries, great characters, brilliant worldbuilding

Cons: so much bad stuff happens to Lucian it can feel pretty intense in parts

Lucian de Remeni-Masson was punished for his youthful indiscretion by having his magical history ‘bent’ burned out of him, leaving him only his ‘bent’ for art. He was also given a Registry contract, painting portraits of other Purebloods. When his extended family is all killed, save one younger sister, he thinks it’s nothing more than a Harrower attack. But when he’s suddenly contracted out to a common coroner he slowly begins to realize that the attacks on his family aren’t finished. His magic of seeing truth through art reveals that noble children are being killed, and the coroner wants to catch the culprit. But that same art may have revealed secrets those in power would prefer stayed hidden.

It’s been a few years since I’ve last read a novel by Carol Berg and I’ve missed the depth of feeling she evokes in her characters. I’d also forgotten just how much she tortures her protagonists. Her books tend to be very intense reads and the first book in this Sanctuary duology is no exception. There’s no graphic depictions, but you definitely feel Lucian’s despair at numerous points in the book. While it’s set in the same world as Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone, you don’t have to have read those in order to enjoy this one.

There’s a lot going on in this book, from the mystery surrounding Lucian’s family’s murder, the dead children, mythological danae, and what really happens when Lucian invokes his magical bent. There’s also a civil war and famine going on.

Berg’s worldbuilding is as brilliant as always. Her worlds always feel realistic, with complex social systems (here there’s commoners, royalty, clerics, the Cicerons and Pureblood magicians). I love how different characters all have realistic - and often opposing - priorities, making it hard for Lucian to know who to trust. I loved his relationship with Bastian, with the two of them constantly rewriting their roles and how they interact, based on what’s been happening. They slowly learn to trust one another, but it’s always a tentative thing, due to their different backgrounds and expectations.

The ending is such that you’ll want the next volume at hand when you finish.

Blast From the Past: Transformation by Carol Berg

Before I started reviewing books online I loved rereading my favourite SF/Fantasy books.  Since I don’t have time to do that anymore, this column is a trip down memory lane, where I’ll rave about books I love to read.  And then read again.  These aren’t reviews, as I won’t necessarily mention criticisms, they’re my chance to fan girl about books I love and hopefully garner some interest in some older titles.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carol Berg is an author I've mentioned a few times as being highly underread and underappreciated. When I was growing up I developed this certainty that authors only wrote one series I'd like, and once I found that series it wasn't worth reading anything else by that author.  Carol Berg blew that idea away.  While some fantasy authors create one fully realized world that they play in long after they've runt out of original plot ideas to fill the world with, Carol Berg has created new, intricate worlds for each series she's written.  I haven't had the chance to read her Collegia Magica novels or the the Sanctuary Duet, but I've loved every other book she's written.  That's really unusual for me.

The first book I read by her is the stand alone novel, Song of the Beast.  It showed me how

thoroughly she's willing to torture her protagonists, and how she's not going to give you an ending with all loose ends tied up, because life doesn't do that.  She is however, going to give you a wild ride, fantastic characters, and an ending that fits the story and leaves you satisfied.

The second book I read is the one that's remained my favourite, Transformation, the first book she wrote and the first in the Rai-kirah trilogy.  Generally her books can be read as stand alones, in that she typically doesn't leave cliffhangers (though I know the Lighthouse Duet duology breaks this pattern), and Transformation is the same.  

The protagonist, Seyonne, has been a slave for 18 years and at the beginning of the book is purchased by the arrogant, selfish, hedonistic heir to the Derzhi Empire.  When the prince's life is threatened by magics Seyonne was trained to fight in his youth, before he was enslaved, he must decide if the young man's life is worth saving.

The unlikely friendship that develops between Seyonne and Prince Aleksander is fantastic, as is the surprising humour that permeates the otherwise sad, and often horrific, story.  If you like seeing characters go through the wringer to the point that you question how they're able to go on, this is the book for you.  Berg is able to play on your emotions, showing you the worst that can happen and then breaking the tension by making you laugh out loud.  In this book at least.  The other books I've read by her don't have as much humour, which is probably why I love Transformation so much.  

Berg is an author whose world is so immersive, and whose characters Bridge of D'Arnath series each work day was a countdown until I could read again, and my days off were me, perched on a chair, racing through the books as fast as I could turn the pages.

are so compelling, you'll be reaching for the next book as soon as you finish.  Indeed, when I read the four books of her

I cannot recommend her work strongly enough.  If you love fantasy, do yourself a favour and pick up her books.  

Author Interview - Carol Berg

Novels:
Transformation
Revelation
Restoration
Song of the Beast
Son of Avonar
Guardians of the Keep
Soul Weaver
Daughter of Ancients
Flesh and Spirit
Breath and Bone

Novella:
Unmasking, published in the book Elemental Magic

Website: www.sff.net/people.carolberg/

Pitch your latest novel

>The two volumes of the Lighthouse Duet, Flesh and Spirit (NAL/Roc Books, May 2007) and Breath and Bone (NAL/Roc, January 2008) are truly one story. Flesh and Spirit introduces Valen, the rebellious son of a long line of magical cartographers and seers. The restrictions these family connections impose on his life drove him half crazy as a kid, so he’s spent most of his life trying to escape them, even forgoing the use of sorcery so his family can’t track him. Though the world is tough, he’s not greedy and manages to have some good times along the way.

But everything changes when a comrade abandons Valen in a rainy wilderness half-dead, addicted to an enchantment that converts pain to pleasure, and possessing only a stolen book of maps. Offered sanctuary in a nearby monastery, Valen thinks he’s found a cozy place to hole up for the winter, out of the weather and the dangers of civil war. But his book of maps — rumored to lead men into the realm of angels — gains him entry into a world of secret societies, doomsayers, monks, princes, and madmen, all seeking to unlock the mystery of a coming dark age.

Before you know it, everyone in Navronne is after Valen. There is Prince Osriel, a claimant to the throne who steals dead men’s eyes and maybe their souls. There’s the priestess Sila Diaglou and her fanatical Harrowers who want to return the earth to a primitive state to appease the gods. And the Pureblood Registry, determined to catch their most annoying renegade sorcerer. Valen even glimpses beings out of myth—the human-hating, beautiful Danae guardians, whose dancing nurtures the earth. Though lying and thievery have kept Valen free and fed most of his life, his own peculiar sense of honor gets him in worse trouble. Bound by oaths he refuses to abandon, he has to risk body and soul to rescue a young monk, seek justice for a murdered child, and bring the ailing land its righteous king. Harrowing adventures for a guy who just wants a warm bed, good company, and a meal or two a day.

What are your favourite three books (not by you, either in the field or out of it)?

>The Heaven Tree by Edith Pargeter, a grand adventure set in 12th century Wales with one of the best villains I’ve ever read;
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen;
Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner, a lyrical, passionate retelling of the fairy tale;

What was the hardest scene for you to write?

>Content-wise, some of the most difficult scenes were those in Guardians of the Keep, where the villains of the D’Arnath series subtly and systematically corrupt a child, making him believe he is evil, a natural born killer destined to destroy his father’s people. As a mom that was rough (but necessary!) Technically, the most difficult was probably the climax of Restoration. I had told the entire story, two and nine-tenths novels, from a single character’s point of view, and all of a sudden I needed him to take a step that would radically alter his personality, essentially recasting him as the villain of his own story. To shift to a new point of view character so late in an epic work would be as harmonious as putting a Mozart violin concerto on a Jay-Z album, so I had to stay with his perspective, yet take the reader through the scene understanding what “the real Seyonne” had chosen and why, as well as his new perceptions. Tricky, but ultimately rewarding. After bringing that off, I gained a great confidence that I could tackle tough writing problems!

What character is most like you?

>I relate to certain aspects of all my characters. But one of the delights of writing fiction is to write people more heroic, more passionate, more careless, more foolish, more daring than oneself, to challenge them with interesting adventures, and see how their lives play out. I would make an extremely boring fantasy character!

As for which one I feel closest to… Well, of course, Seri (Bridge of D’Arnath series) is a mom, but my kids never got into quite the pickle Gerick did, and Seri was so extroverted and determined from early on that I would find her quite intimidating. Seyonne (Books of the Rai-kirah) dealt with the conflicts of beliefs and ideals, and the disillusionments that we all go through, while retaining his faith in the intrinsic goodness and generosity of those around him – but thank goodness I’ve never had to face the things he did while he was gaining that bit of wisdom. And he was a warrior, which gave him a whole level of experiences that I, thankfully, have not had. Now I’m thinking of it, maybe Jen, from Daughter of Ancients is the one I’d get on with the best. She loved her family, was good at math and her “day job,” and not so good at the extraordinary things. She got riled up about politics, but felt pretty helpless to do anything about it, and had those few awkward physical things she couldn’t get over (hers was heights, mine is crossing rushing rivers on log bridges). But she accomplished more than she expected and came up with some talents that surprised even herself. Yep, I think it might be Jen.

>What was the most fun book signing, convention, etc. you've attended and why?

I always enjoy writers’ conferences such as Surrey or Pikes Peak, and I look forward to any sf convention where I get a chance to hang out with my readers and professional friends. But my most exciting writing event of recent months had to be my stint as the Guest of Honor at the ICon Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Role-playing Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel.
My hosts—my Israeli publisher, my translator, and the convention foreign guest coordinator—treated me royally, taking me to tour the country for four days before the convention, as well as introducing me to much of the Israeli fantasy/sf professional community. Outside my part of the convention programming (thank goodness the guest-of-honor events are held in English, which everyone speaks exceedingly well), I was able time to sit and talk about the books, about writing, and about American politics and life in general with many of the young, energetic, and passionate fantasy readers. I had felt a bit anxious following in the footsteps of Orson Scott Card, Tim Powers, and Neil Gaiman as the ICon GOH, but I felt welcomed every step of the way.

What is your university degree in?

>I have degrees in mathematics and computer science.
And so follows the inevitable question about why I write fantasy instead of hard science fiction. The answer: I write fantasy because I’ve found it to be a delightful way to incorporate many of the other genres I especially love – mystery, adventure, times and places that are not the here and now, spies thrillers, mythology, fairy tales, romantic suspense, and so on. Science fiction can incorporate these as well, but I think science fiction readers have certain expectations with regard to detailed, believable technology playing a large part of the solution of the story’s problems. And when it comes down to it, I’d rather research desert anthropology than Martian geology and medieval beermaking in preference to nanotechnology. I DO use my engineering background every day as I write. Writing any kind of speculative fiction requires starting from a set of premises and developing a story and a world using logic (“if, then, else”) problem-solving, language, and semantics. Which sounds a lot like what I did in my software engineering career.


Do you have any advice for hopeful authors?

> 1. Write because you love it, not because you think it will make a profitable/prestigious/convenient career. Write because you can’t not write.
2. Learn about the publishing business and develop patience.
3. Learn the craft, which means
- Read, read, read. Read outside your chosen genre. Read classics. Read good literature. Read good writing.
- Learn grammar. Learn fiction writing—things like point of view and maid-and-butler dialogue and said-bookisms. Ask yourself what is it about this or that writer's characters that makes them seem real.
- Write. Rewrite. Write more. Put your first work away, write something else while continuing to learn the craft, and then take another look. I’ll bet you dollar to doughnuts you’ll say, “Ewwwww…” Learn to accept critique. Exchange work with critiquers who are readers of many books and writers of your own or above your level.

Do you think it is easier to write fantasy or science fiction?

>Neither is easier than the other. Fiction writers of any genre must address and consciously balance all elements of story – character, plot, setting, dialog, voice, dramatic suspense, and so on – with clarity, while avoiding cliché, infodumps, and all the other pitfalls of writing and storytelling in the particular genre. Both fantasy and science fiction require research in order to create vivid, believable worlds to host the events of the story. Nothing can bump a fantasy reader out of a novel quicker than horses that run like motorcycles, wars that make no historical/anthropological sense, invisible economies, or magic that solves everything. In the same way, nothing can bump a dedicated sf reader out of a story quicker than a planet that behaves just like our earth, despite having three moons, or another use of “reconfiguring the stream of tachyon particles”!

If you could live in your fantasy/sf world, would you? Would you live in somebody else's?

>Heavens no! My worlds are all in deep trouble one way or another. Well, of course, ours is too, but I really like 21st century medicine, transportation, water, education, books, etc. One world I might like to visit is Roger Zelazny’s Amber – but only if I had the power of Corwin’s family to travel between the shadows of Amber. How cool would it be to shift the colors of the sky with your mind and take yourself to a wholly different place?

In the books you've written, who is you favourite character and why?

>You have to understand that this is akin to asking which of my three children is my favorite! The answer can vary depending on the day. Right now Valen (of Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone) is the apple of my eye. Handsome, fun-loving, self-deprecating, he can always find humor in the direst situations. Despite his faults – and he will be the first to confess them - he holds to a firm core of principles that he will uphold even to the risk of his own life. And I so much enjoyed confronting him with the deepest mysteries of his world and seeing his reaction as he realized what they meant for him. This job is SO much fun

Share an interesting fan story.

>I loved hearing from a Navy guy just returned from deployment on a nuclear sub. He reported that during their long months under the Med, he and his shipmates had all read Transformation, Revelation, and Restoration, discussing the stories in between their drills. He said he had to hide his copy of Revelation under his bunk so people wouldn't steal it before he was through. He said that the stories had made their deployment tolerable. That was very cool to hear!

If you could, would you change places with any of your characters?

>No way. I put them through too much.

What was the first novel (published or unpublished) that you wrote and how long did it take to write it?

>My first novel is blessedly unpublished and will remain that way. It took me (and a friend) a year and a half to write.