Malice

April 13, 2015
Gwynneâs ambitious and well-constructed high-fantasy debut accelerates past a sluggish beginning to provide ample intrigue and action. The Banished Lands , a loosely allied collection of kingdoms, is viewed through multiple perspectives, but while Gwynne goes to great effort to connect readers to his primary characters, at times they are difficult to tell apart because of similar traits and missions. A prophecy of a coming war converges story threads, hinting at who will be faithful and who will fall. Ambitions lead to treachery, throats begin to be slashed, and prominent players are not spared from the bloodletting. Although written in a workmanlike style with scant flourish, the book is clearly influenced by epic series such as A Song of Ice and Fire, the Wheel of Time, and the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Having established the world and characters, the novel concludes on firm footing, with the promise of a rousing and rewarding epic to come.

December 1, 2013
A middling Middle Earth-ish extravaganza with all the usual thrills, chills, spills and frills. All modern fantasy begins with J.R.R. Tolkien, and Tolkien begins with the Icelandic sagas and the Mabinogion. Debut author Gwynne's overstuffed but slow-moving contribution to the genre--the first in a series, of course--wears the latter source on its sleeve: "Fionn ap Toin, Marrock ben Rhagor, why do you come here on this first day of the Birth Moon?" Why, indeed? Well, therein hangs the tale. The protagonist is a 14-year-old commoner named Corban, son of a swineherd, who, as happens in such things, turns out to be more resourceful than his porcine-production background might suggest. There are bad doings afoot in Tintagel--beg pardon, the Banished Lands--where nobles plot against nobles even as there are stirrings of renewed titanomachia, that war between giants and humans having given the place some of its gloominess. There's treachery aplenty, peppered with odd episodes inspired by other sources, such as an Androcles-and-lion moment in which Corban rescues a fierce wolven ("rarely seen here, preferring the south of Ardan, regions of deep forest and sweeping moors, where the auroch herds roamed"). It's a good move: You never can tell when a wolven ally will come in handy, especially when there are wyrms around. Gwynne's effort pales in comparison to George R.R. Martin's gold-standard work, but it's nothing bad; the story grinds to a halt at points, but at others, there's plenty of action.

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Starred review from December 1, 2013

Corban, the blacksmith's son, hopes to join the army of King Brenin but knows that he must first learn how to use a sword. Veradis, whose brother rides with the army of the High King Aquilus, hopes to do the same but is elated to join the newly formed war band of Nathair, the king's son. Evnis swears loyalty to the Queen of Cambren and to the dark god she serves. The fortunes of these and of other individuals come together when the High King calls a meeting of all the rulers of the Banished Lands to unite these kingdoms to withstand the dark forces he sees coming. VERDICT Gwynne's debut epic fantasy launches a series that promises the same degree of complexity and depth found in Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" books and George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series. The author skillfully juggles many plot threads, and his worldbuilding is richly detailed and filled with characters who evoke the reader's interest and sympathy.

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