[Mentalist]

So, i'm no Wert, but I figure this should go here. If i'm wrong, let the mods stike this thread down into the regular Other fantasy forum.

I've mentioned many times on this forum that I absolutely love this author and his works (although most of them are in Russian). He is also one of the best-known fantasy authors in Russia, but, unlike Lukyanenko he (sadly) lacks recognition in the West.

As I was on a big Perumov re-read which started accidentally, and i just finished one of his greatest books, which is also the one book published in English, I figured I'd review it here.

so, to begin, "Godsdoom:Book of Hagen" is considered to be volume one of the "Chonicles of Hjorward" series, which was an exposition series setting up Perumov's Multiverse, the Consistent. However, contrary to the usual perception of a "series", the three books written so far can only be considered VERY loosely connected to each other.

The premise of the book is simple: it is a story of grandose change. the Mage Hedin (note: in the consistent, Mages are what would be considered a separate race)returns to the world after a very long banishment and through his new apprentice Hagen, challenges, essentially the entire world.

the story is told from 2 pespectives: a 3rd person perspective of Hagen, and the 1st person narrative of Hedin himself, and the two alternate, telling the story of Hagen's life and the eventual unveiling of Hedin's Plan to challenge the ruling Young Gods and the entire world order itself.

Those familiar with the works of Steven Erikson will quickly recognise the avalance of names of gods, people and past events thrown at them early on in teh book with explanations trickling in little by little. The many players Perumov introduces to the monumental conflict in his worldbuilding is perhaps the strongest point of the book. This is especially evident every time Heddin takes the time to explain the origin of yet another type of obscure sorcery that he is forced to use to combat his numerous enemies.

The plot itself is fairly interesting and has a few twists that can change the reader's perception of things quickly. Largely, however, the book is about showcasing the new multiverse in which Perumov is writing, in an attempt to bridge his first published works (written as Lord of the Rings fan fiction) to a new world, that is entirely his own.

The principal weakness of the book is Perumov's refusal to give an explanation to his magic system. Based on the fact that for the Mages, sorcery is as natural as breathing, Perumov doesn't bother to explain the hows and the whys of magic. While this adds to the immersion factor, it may be too much "show" and not enough "tell" for some.

The book's other important characteristic is the sense of moral ambiguity. Though this is perhaps one of the most "black and white" works Perumov's ever produced, even compared with his earlier "Ring of Darkness" trilogy, "Godsdoom" still tries to undermine the concept of "light vs. dark", which is common to mainstream fantasy. One of the defining features of Perumov's work is that there are usually at least six sides to every conflict. The world is never static and neatly divided into directly opposing segments, and along with all the players actively involved in the book, there are others who are only briefly mentioned.

Ending off, there's not much to say. This book won't be enjoyed by everyone. Lots of things are left either unexplained, or explained poorly. Not all characters might be very deep. However, the action is nearly non-stop, the immersion factor is huge, and the worldbuilding is immense, if sometimes patchy.

The book can be found on amazon, and i'd encourage everyone who've read Gardens of the Moon to give it a shot.

[Pig Iron]

Great book. Truly epic battles, and Perumov succeeds in making it complex and personal even though the scale is cosmic. Arguably, the protagonists are what in any other story would have been evil, but somehow it's not that easy. Lots of similarities to SE.

[Mentalist]

Pig Iron, on 23 October 2009 - 06:26 PM, said:

Great book. Truly epic battles, and Perumov succeeds in making it complex and personal even though the scale is cosmic. Arguably, the protagonists are what in any other story would have been evil, but somehow it's not that easy. Lots of similarities to SE.

yeah, when I read "Chronicles of the Rift", there were a couple of times I'd go "Holy shit, this is such an MBotF scene".

When I tell people about him, I basically say that he is the Russian SE, at least complexity-wise.