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Lair Of Bones (book 4 of The Runelords) by David Farland check out website: www.simonsays.co.uk and www.tor.com and www.runelordsthemovie.com
If you are new to the books, David Farland has created a huge fantasy world. It has its own complex economic system both in terms of wealth but also in people's abilities and strengths. Using Forcibles - a sort of branding iron made from a rare blood metal, people can donate things like grace, metabolism, wit and so forth to a particular person through facilitator.
This
can give the receiver almost super-human abilities, but leaves the giver impaired
or crippled. The magic system as well is also impressive. Some people are born
with innate magical gifts that are attached to the powers such as water, fire,
earth, etc but runes and magic still need to be learnt. His kingdom of Mystarria was devastated
by the war with the Reavers -huge insectoid-like creatures which communicate with
smell - and his enemies. There is now an even greater threat. Four powerful kings
are poised to claim Mystarria for there own and an even larger army of Reavers
are amassing, moving from the underworld, to wipe humans and life from the Earth's
surface. Gaborn no longer has the ability to warn his chosen people
of pending danger so resorts to sending messengers to alert the people of Mystarria
of the coming danger. Gaborn assisted by a nine-year old wizard, Averan, goes
into the underworld. The small band enters the Reavers Domain searching for the
One True Master. Totally evil, The One True Master not only controls the Reavers
but also servants above. Raj Athen seeking power and immortality has
lost all humanity in the process. With thousands of endowments, he surrounds himself
with a huge army, mages and flameweavers, seeking to take Mystarria for himself
and destroy the Earth King. This is a huge fantasy series. Complex multi-threaded stories, a world
system that wouldn't be out of place in a role-playing game and some magnificent
characters. Plots are intricately woven. There is an enjoyable pace up to the
final approaching battle. There are plenty of moments where characters are placed
in a dichotomy. For example, Celinor is presented with what seems to be a new
Earth King in the form of King Anders. Throughout the book, you follow her through
her own turmoil as she tries to decide if this is true. There are numerous
points in the book where facts are smudged and greyed out. The interplay with
the characters and the political angles are used to full advantage and the final
battle is not the be all and end all of the book. It's these small interactions
that really push the book. I like the fact that the Earth itself is portrayed
in an almost Gaia-like manner becoming a character in itself. David
Farland's descriptions are well-balanced but can be a little graphic at times.
If you want classic style fantasy you certainly have got it here. The further
expansive descriptions of the Reavers and their habits and society are fascinating
in itself. This sense of depth allows a more realistic world in the reader's mind's
eye. When the book was released in the US, many fans complained that the ending seemed rushed and there was a lot of loose ends left hanging. I would myself disagree with this. I think Farland wanted some finality to the book but didn't want to completely kill off the series so plenty was left open for future books. I actually liked the abrupt end to the proceedings. Some fantasies can just trundle along for far too long and become tedious. This left you wanting more and questions to be answered. Perhaps a little more expansion might have appeased some readers, but I feel this is a more than satisfactory ending to an impressive series. Phil Jones
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OTHER REVIEWS - August 2004
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This is the fourth book in what turned out to be a mammoth
fantasy series. Now the series is to be made into film(s) on the tail of Peter
Jackson's 'The Lord Of The Rings' cinema outings, this book brings 'some' finality
to the series.
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