The Grand Ellipse

ISBN: 0-553-10804-2 Order from: Amazon.com

A colorful, but somewhat repetitive travelogue in the half-familiar world of Volsky's other adventures, this quest loses personal suspense by using conventional character roles and showing too many countries.

Reviewed by David on November 11, 2000

Genre: Fantasy (Romance, War, Intrigue)

Synopsis: In the civilized and somewhat ineffectual republic of Vonahr, few people people believe in magic or the brutality of war. When the nearby Grewzians embark on a widening campaign of conquest, the Vonahrish can't really believe that the well-disciplined, polite and clean-cut Grewzians are going to threaten the world. After all, they are only correcting a few slights, and defending their interests. And the stories of their brutality in the conquered territories are surely exaggerated.

By the time the government gets scared, it's too late to try to build up the armies to stand up to the Grewzian Empire. A desparate gamble puts a young, unconventional explorer, Luzelle Devaire, in trying to secure a secret weapon—an invention reputed to work by largely-scoffed magic. The quest is complicated by an old romantic involvement, and the possibility of a new one.

The sportsmanlike race to win the weapon quickly degenerates into a desparate and murderous race for victory, as the Grewzians get involved.

Full Review: This novel takes place in Volsky's vaguely European world of her earlier novels, including Illusion and The White Tribunal. In this later period, with distinct feelings of pre-World War threats (both wars) the technology has progressed to very early automobiles.

Howver, the magic—mostly ignored by the more developed countries—sometimes makes a huge impact. Rather reminiscent of A College of Magics, the plot turns on the rare but powerful magic.

Volsky's style of occasionally sarcastic, and generally realistic characters is pleasant, and her world seems solid, strange while paralleling real Europe remarkably.

While the world-building is pretty good, the conventionality of the romance subplot, and the episodic nature of the quest as different countries are visited provides little emotional involvement. The author has consciously tried to recreate a number of familiar plots, and has suceeded too well. While generally entertaining, this book is not as good as her more focused earlier novels.

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 4.5; Characters: 5; Style: 5.5; World-building: 6; Originality: 5.5;

ISBN: 0-553-10804-2 Order from: Amazon.com