by
Allan Cole
ISBN: 0-345-40177-8 Order from: Amazon.com
A story about coming of age and corruption of power, full of action and sorcery in an interesting but somewhat sketchy world.
Reviewed by David on August 13, 1998
Genre: Fantasy (High Fantasy)
Synopsis: This is a tale of two young men, from their meeting and friendship as teenage boys, to powerful men controlling a continental empire. As they grow up, they separate, and pursue separate paths, one as a student of magic, the other as a conquerer bent on carving territory and a place in history.
Full Review: Safar Timura was an boy in a remote mountain village, among people who value peace, education and art, when a boy his age, Iraj Protarus, first comes to live there. Iraj, though a distant kin, comes from the plains where a man's worth is determined in raids and wars, and blood feuds are a daily threat.
The two boys become friends, allying against village bullies and village parochialism. They dream of glory: but where Safar wants to become a scholar and a mage, Iraj dreams of an Empire, one that would once more unify humans and demons under one glorious ruler.
As they separate, each pursues his own dreams, through perils and temptations. Eventually, as both come closer to their success, the two meet again, and Safar resumes his friendship with Iraj, lending advice, magic, and compassion to the young but increasingly successful and ruthless conqueror.
However, the closer they come to victory, the more their individual ambitions come into conflict. Ultimately, the struggle for glory becomes a struggle for honor.
The world of Safar and Iraj is pretty interesting, partly based on the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The demons, although ruthless predators, are actually a humanoid race with their own culture, politics, and ability to coexist with humans. In fact, once their mages were honored and respected among the human lands, and they could even interbreed with men.
There are wonders of beauty and danger in the world, of nature, magic, and human devise. Safar is a sympathetic character, combining a certain naivete with great intelligence and good will.
The conclusion is satisfying, and the book is complete in itself, although there is a sequel out, Wolves of the Gods, which continues the adventures of Safar Timura.
Overall: 6; Plot: 6; Characters: 6; Style: 5; World-building: 6; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 1997, Ballantine Publishing Group (Del Rey), March 1998, Mass-market
ISBN: 0-345-40177-8 Order from: Amazon.com