Tuesday, April 7, 2020

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Sword of Fire by Katharine Kerr




Sword of Fire is the first in a new trilogy by Katharine Kerr, creator of the epic fantasy Deverry Cycle.  It's also a return to that same universe, albeit a hundred years or so down the line, with some references to the old works, but really works as a stand alone novel that survives easily as the start of a new story (with a satisfying ending, even if this is the first book in a new trilogy as well).  I had mixed feelings on Deverry - I read the first two and a half books and skimmed the back half of the third and fourth.  This was because the books contained wonderful characters and dialogue, but by the third book had used tropes that I strongly dislike - in that case, the mind control rape of the main female protagonist, which just....no.  Still, that problematic element came from a book published in 1989, and I was willing to give Kerr's newest work another chance, especially given how much I liked her characters and dialogue.

I'm really glad I did because Sword of Fire is almost perfectly tailored to my interests and is really well done.  The story has elements of epic fantasy - the magic "dwimmer/dweomer", the presence of fantasy races like elves and dwarves, the existence of dragons, etc. - along with romance and adventure, but is mainly a story about a pair of young women, with their allies, battling with words and precedents to reform and modernize rule of the citizens.  No seriously, this book can be summed up arguably as "young woman quests for historical text to show a past precedent for reform in the face of opposition by traditionalists" and it is so damn good for it all.  It reminds me of a combination of some of Guy Gavriel Kay's work and Kerr's earlier Deverry books, with the plot being less about any particular armed conflict, but a bunch of people from different origins trying to work towards a better future for themselves and perhaps others, as times begin to change.  It's not a perfect work - upon reflection certain things do seem to come pretty easily in the end - but it's pretty damn great.


-------------------------------------------------Plot Summary----------------------------------------------------
Alyssa vairc Sirra, though commoner born, is in one of the first classse of study at the United Scholars' Collegia in Aberwyn.  She has channeled her education into advocacy, despite the gender barriers which stand in the way of her becoming either Advocate or Bard.  But still she has worked, alongside the Gwerbret's daughter and her fellow classmate Dovina, to the cause of reforming the Law Courts, which are administered by the Priests of Bel and Judges appointed by the Noble Class themselves, and are easily bribed, such that the common people have no real recourse to any injustice.  Alyssa and Dovina dream of convincing the Gwerbet to change the system to one of independence and fairness, but the Gwerbret is a man who obsesses over tradition, and is not one to listen to changes to past practicese.

But when Alyssa's mentor, the Bard Cradoc, starves to death on a hunger strike for the cause, Alyssa and Dovina embark on a dangerous plan - for Alyssa to head to the hospital/learned town of Haen Marn to obtain an ancient text that shows a precedent of independent justice that far proceeds the current system.  Such a text would allow them to make an argument for overturning the legal system that is irrefutable in good faith, and may make all their dreams come true.  But Haen Marn is set behind the lines of a rival clan with a blood feud against Aberwyn, and the journey there will be incredibly dangerous.

As such, Alyssa embarks with a Silver Dagger named Cavan, a man with dangerous secrets of his own - aside from his incredible attractiveness - on the dangerous journey, while Dovina acts on her own with her father to try and settle things down on their own.  But even if they should obtain the precedent, there are those would do anything to stop them from using it in an argument, and for Alyssa and Cavan to survive will take all of their skill at words, swords, and more - together with a good deal of luck, if they want to change the land of Deverry forever.....
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Like her originally Deverry novels, Kerr tells this story in third person but from the perspectives of multiple characters - mainly Alyssa, Dovina, and Cavan (our main trio), although a fourth, Merryc, gets parts from his perspective in the second half.  The book is split into two parts: the first focusing more heavily on the adventure that Alyssa and Cavan have trying to get to Haen Marn to obtain the book they need, while the second deals with the summit of noblemen in Cerrmor, in which the characters are converging to argue for what they feel is just.  Naturally there are more fantasy elements in the first half as a result, as Alyssa and Cavan encounter not just roaming war bands and bounty hunters, but elves and other magical beings.  The second half is more about the battle of words (although some magical elements are still in play for certain characters) and diplomacy as the main heroines try to advance their cause while others who support them try to help without letting hte cause devolve the situation into all out war and rebellion.

Thus, despite the title, "Sword of Fire" is not a book about combat or fantasy armies or whatever, and such things are limited to minor roles at best, unlike in some of the Deverry novels I have read.  Instead it is one where characters act through oratory and politics when they can, fighting over legal precedent and manipulating outcomes to their own ends.  There are small moments of combat and magic, as I've noted above, but these moments are clearly not the focus of the novel - in fact, without spoiling much, the major triumph of the heroes tends to occur in this book when they avoid combat, or manipulate the circumstances to ensure it is not prolonged.

So naturally, a ton of this book working depends upon the characters working, and they definitely do here.  Alyssa is the most prominent character, and she's incredibly fun to read - a woman who knows that in her time (think an alternate version of the 1400s) she is not supposed to be an advocate (basically a politician/orator/lawyer) and does her best to be the best at it of anyone, while also trying her best to calculate how to adjust for changing circumstances.  Not that she's weak in any form either - despite her common blood insulating her from death, she's quick to adapt to it finding those around her (I won't say more for fear of spoiling) and she sticks strongly to her principles, even in the face of arguments from those she might like or love.  Then there's Dovina, the intelligent Lady who should be the heir if not for her gender, but also doesn't let that stop her scheming with others to try and improve the world.  And most differently is Cavan, the young brash exiled nobleman and now Silver Dagger who finds himself in love with Alyssa and having to change his perspectives on what a woman can be - but is totally willing to do so - and wants for something other than a typical high lordly life.  All of these characters, plus the side characters like Merryc, Dovina's father, the Prince Regent - they all come out strongly and more interestingly than they might appear on their surface, and Kerr makes them all come to life.

If there's a complaint about the Sword of Fire I might have, and honestly it's so minor I didn't think about it till after finishing the book and reading another person's review, it's that plot conflicts in this book are more frequently than not resolved incredibly easily.  All of the moments of tension except maybe one resolve quite quickly in the protagonists' favor, with the one exception I can think of offhand doing so only after a little more page time has passed.  Still, all of this is due to the main characters' foresight and skill with their words, so it's hard to really mind it all.  Also again, if you're looking for resolution to the magical elements of this book, such as the ritual magic that Cavan dreams of and is mentioned at times by other characters, you won't find it here - this book is the setup for that, and contains none of the resolution.  Still, the book resolves its main plot, the fight for justice in the Courts, in a more than satisfying fashion and I will certainly be there for the next book whenever it comes out.

Highly recommended.

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