The Swords of Night and Day

ISBN: 1-84505-077-0 Order from: Amazon.com Recorded Books

Reviewed by David on August 28, 2005

Genre: Fantasy (Swords and Sorcery, Post-apocalypse)

Synopsis: Excellent, interesting characters, thoughtful dialogue and elements of fierce combat suffer from a weak plot and some view hopping.

Full Review: The novel is set in a larger continuum of the post-technological world reminiscent of Gene Wolfe's creations (Shadow & Claw. The technological background is subtle enough that the "artifacts" can be regarded as magic—as indeed the characters in the book do. The background world, with its politics and conflicts is very well portrayed, as are the characters. Both the good guys and the evil are multi-dimensional, and flawed and likable. The maturity and intelligence of many characters allow them significant insight into history, morality, and consequences of their own behavior.

To this skillfully executed mixture of world-building and characters, the author adds a relatively weak plot. While significant developments in the history of the world occur, the main character plays a relatively small role; which in turn requires shuffling the point of view.

The novel takes place in the world of the Drenai and uses some of the characters from other books, but has really no dependence on them, and can be enjoyed by itself.

Universe: Drenai

Overall: 6; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 6.5; Style: 6; World-building: 7; Originality: 7;

ISBN: 1-84505-077-0 Order from: Amazon.com Recorded Books