Banewreaker (The Sundering volume 1) by Jacqueline Carey
01/02/2005 . Source: Sana Master 
pub: TOR. 431 page hardback. Price: $27.95 (US), $38.95 (CAN). ISBN: 0-765-30521-6. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.tor.com, www.jacquelinecarey.com and www.tor.com/womeninfantasy
Have you ever wanted to hear Sauron's point of view from 'The Lord Of The Rings'? Why was he 'evil'? What exactly were his justifications? Well, this novel attempts to address questions like this. Carey presents a novel as epic in its scope as 'The Lord Of The Rings' and poses the question: 'If all that is considered good considers you evil, are you?'
She deals with this theme in an intricate manner and delves deeply into the minds of her characters addressing themes such as loyalty and power. Is loyalty simply a decision based on who would be the lesser of two evils? Is power innately a corrupting force and whether society perceives you as 'good' or 'evil' dependent on propaganda and whoever has the louder voice? The novel cleverly confuses the reader. We hear the story from the side considered 'evil' and we are led to sympathise and understand the mitigating circumstances behind the situation. Throughout this, however, we are fully aware that in many other novels with similar themes, we would not be so tolerant.
The novel begins with a recap on the history of the world that has led to the starting point. In the beginning there were seven Shapers (gods) and they all co-existed in peace. The eldest of them was first-born Haomane. He created the ellylon, Carey's equivalent of Tolkien's elves. His sister Arahila created the race of man. Each Shaper had his or her own talent and was lord or lady of a certain trait. Haomane was the Lord of Thought. His children were wisest, most attractive and possessed of immortality. One of Haomane's younger brothers, Sartoris, did not create a race of his own, but he conferred his gift of procreation and desire on his sister Arahila's men. Haomane scorned this gift and refused it for his children. Once he saw how quickly men multiplied in contrast to his own ellylon, he became angry and requested Sartoris withdraw his gift from men.
Sartoris refused and this was how the War of the Shapers began. A war that sundered the world. Sartoris, having no children of his own was hunted and hounded by both ellylon and men across the world and blamed for the sundering. By sheer volume of majority opinion Sartoris was condemned as sole cause of the war.
The reader is introduced to the story from Sartoris' side. The commander of his army, Tanaros Blacksword, is a man who joined Sartoris when his wife betrayed him with his best friend. This friend was a king of men, Tanaros, who in his grief, strangled his wife, killed his friend and joined Sartoris. Jacqueline Carey creates in Tanaros a man who thought he was converting to the dark side, but discovered that evil is a relative term.
The author has crafted this novel very carefully. The text echoes with Tanaros' sorrow and heartbreak, even a thousand years after his betrayal. Sartoris' pain resounds in his frequent sighs of 'Ah, Arahila!' his sister's betrayal hurt him most. This novel deals sensitively with the issues of betrayal and loyalty, good and evil and although the author leads the reader in a certain direction, she leaves the door open for us to question our general sympathy of the accepted moral high ground, the 'good' if you will. The multitude of characters Carey presents are detailed and etched with a fine line, each having individual issues that they have to tackle during the course of the novel. In conclusion, the author has created a thoughtful character-driven novel that addresses issues in an intricate and subtle manner, providing a superb read.
Sana Master |
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