26 May 2004

REVIEW: Son of Avonar: Book One of the Bridge of D'Arnath by Carol Berg
Reviewed by Elizabeth Barrette
www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/index.html

Elizabeth Barrette has studied ancient religions, mythology, and assorted sciences for many years. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a rhetoric major and a women's studies minor. She writes articles, essays, interviews, ritual and invocational material, poetry, reviews, and fiction. Her major fields include speculative fiction, New Age/Pagan, and alternative sexualities/erotica/gender studies. She writes Book Reviews from Hypatia's Hoard for the Webzine Spicy Green Iguana.

This book marks another point in a growing trend: tales that feature an older female protagonist who has already lived through an epic that ended in disaster. In the tradition of Lois McMaster Bujold's Paladin of Souls comes Son of Avonar with the story of Seri, born noble but now living a peasant's life. Seri turned her back on high society and politics after betrayal and prejudice culminated in the gruesome deaths of her husband and son. As the book opens, she wants nothing more to do with history.

The problem is, history isn't through with her. Into her life stumbles a man who, it seems, has lost even more than she has. Naked, filthy, fleeing for his life, bereft even of memory - the man she comes to call Aeren is truly in a pitiable state. Despite his violent temper and unpredictable mood swings, Seri decides to help him, not out of pity so much as the chance to inconvenience her own enemies by doing so. Others are drawn into the situation, including several of her own friends, one of whom she had thought dead years ago.

Arrayed against them are Seri's old political enemies and the Zhid, who practice dark magic. It gradually becomes clear, as they piece together the puzzle, that the fate of two worlds depends on their choices. As Aeren gradually discovers his past, Seri discovers that there are still things she's willing to fight for.

I'm intrigued most of all by the novel's complexity. These characters do good things for ugly reasons, and ugly things for good reasons. They are battered and beleaguered by life's upheavals, but never quite beaten down to the point they won't fight back. Amidst the dark, ominous background of the politics come occasional flashes of beauty, like lightning in a storm. The description of how sorcery actually works is a prime example of this, because sorcerers gain power from joyful experiences.

Son of Avonar is a good, strong beginning for a series. This first book entails discovering the truth of Aeren's identity, the nature of the Bridge and pulling Seri out of her admittedly well-earned shell. Wrapped up firmly, this first story arc still leaves much to explore and resolve in later books. That isn't an easy balance to strike; Carol Berg shows a fine knack for series architecture.

This is excellent dark fantasy with a liberal dash of court intrigue. It's a bit too morbid for me to class it as a romance, but without the romantic thread the whole thing would unravel. Read this if you're tired of fantasy so sweet it makes your teeth squeak. Highly recommended.