Ian Swenson .com

I’ve read in a couple places that there are three new fantasy authors that form what I call the New Guard. Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss, and Joe Abercrombie have all made impressive fantasy debut series [apparently, like deer the word series is both the singular and plural form]. They all three write with familiar styles, characters, and plots, but they equally avoid the clichés. Their writings could also be considered fairly literary, as opposed to much of the fantasy I’ve been exposed to.

The Lies of Locke Lamora & Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Amazon calls Locke Lamora a picaresque fantasy, which is a fancy way of saying roguish. The titular character is the greatest of con men, in the vein of Danny Ocean. Like Ocean, Locke has his merry band of men to help him pull off bigger heists than most could conceive. Along the way, Locke encounters more than his share of twists and scrapes, and is generally worse off for his efforts.

I loved The Lies of Locke Lamora. The character of Locke was wonderfully realized, the schemes fantastic, and the villains were wicked enough to make me wonder how everything would come out in the end.

On a bit of a sour note, it was very obvious that the book was written in the three act structure with each act being drastically different in tone from each other. The first act was much like Ocean’s Eleven in tone: airy, witty, and roguish. The second act was dark and the third was filled with action. While I liked each act very much, I would have appreciated a bit more consistency between them.

The followup entry, Red Seas Under Red Skies, was not nearly as good as Lies, but I still found it enjoyable. It nearly fell into what I call the Terry Goodkind Trap: setting up an impossible to overcome situation so that it requires rewriting rules for the heroes to win the day. That’s even worse than a deus ex machina, in my opinion. However, Lynch sets up the near-impossible situation and its resolution is a bit far-fetched but plausible.

Overall, a fine, fine book followed by a fine sequel. Recommended.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Kvothe is a washed-up demigod (in abilities, not divinity). He’s hung up his sword, turned his back on his magic, and gone incognito. A chronicler finds out his identity and asks him to tell the tale of his mythical life. Kvothe, seeing the world and his own life spiraling into darkness, agrees. The storytelling takes him three days. The Name of the Wind is the first of those three days.

Another book that I absolutely loved. More than the other two authors featured here, Rothfuss is a wordsmith. I easily got lost in his writing only to be consistently impressed with his phrasing and word choice.

Since the book’s success hinged on the main character, it is great that Kvothe is such a fantastic character. It was fun watching him grow up, deal with tragedy and hardship and finally joining a wizards’ school not too dissimilar from Hogwarts. I’m sure Rothfuss would cringe at that comparison, but it’s an apt analogy.

The only complaint I can raise here is the fact that the next two books in the trilogy aren’t already published. He has everything written, but the editing process is slow and Rothfuss’s newfound fame and baby-in-the-wings has slowed it even more.

Book one will make you yearn for two and three. Read it if you dare, but don’t forget about it if you choose to wait for the other two to be published.

The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, & Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

Assembled of an ensemble of characters, The First Law series by Abercrombie features cantankerous wizards, barbarian hordes, religious zealots, and a crippled torturer. Armies of mighty nations are arraying against the incompetently-ruled Union. Evil foes are breaking the Laws of Magic and devouring the flesh of man, granting them powerful magics. All that stands in their way is an international grouping of disparate personalities and a tired, crippled inquisitor.

While Locke Lamora and Kvothe are the linchpins of their respective books, Abercrombie does not rely too heavily on any one character. Glotka, Logen, Jezal, Bayaz, West, Dogman, and Ferro are all POV characters. But George R. R. Martin this isn’t; the characters are for the most part together, interacting with one another.

This isn’t necessarily fair of me to put out a review before I’ve finished the series, but I’m a little over halfway through and I can tell you that I love it passionately. Of the new guard, only Rothfuss has the potential to outdo Abercrombie here. Abercrombie’s writing isn’t as sterling as Rothfuss’s, but his characters are tremendous. Glotka is one of the best characters I’ve ever read. Only Dogman and Ferro are at all flat, and I give Dogman a pass because his coolness and that of the rest of the Northmen in his band. I’ve read complaints about Jezal being too whiny and flat, but I rather like the arc I see Abercrombie taking with him. Though I admit he is trying to read about (akin to Martin’s Sansa).

Unless Abercrombie blows it in the remaining book and a half, this will count among my favorite series of all time. Go read it!