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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Give it time. This has a rocky start., October 4, 2003
If you start reading Kage Baker's first fantasy novel, The Anvil of the World, you may wonder why the book is so highly rated. That's because the weakest part is the first section. Perhaps it's because so many of the characters have something to hide, or at least some unspoken backstory that Baker feels she must reveal bit by bit, but it took me quite a while to warm up to the tale. In fact, she has so much to hold back about the main character, Smith, that she writes about him almost at arm's length, and I didn't really care what happened to the guy. You might not, either, because the tone in the first part isn't especially smooth (at least compared to Baker's other works, nearly all of which I adore), and it wasn't until the second part (I should really call them several related novellas) that it finally hit me that, Oh! She's being *funny*! I was taking it all seriously, with perhaps a bit of lighthearted commentary. (I bet it'd all be a lot better on a second read. Or you might not have this problem, since you've been warned.) But do bear with that rocky start, because once Baker finds her stride, she immediately proves why so many of her books earn 5-star ratings. While showing us the adventures of one Smith, an ex-assassin who's looking for a better life, she creates a believeable world with distinct races and plenty of conflict to cope with. Her portrayal of demons as, to some degree, technology indistinguishable from magic, is nothing short of great. And the book might be worthwhile for the Fatally Verbal Abuse duel. Do read it. And if it seems hard going to begin with, plod on through. It gets better. LOTS better.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Journey to Salesh-by-the-Sea, September 25, 2007
This review is from: The Anvil of the World (Mass Market Paperback)
The Anvil of the World (2003) is a standalone fantasy novel. The Children of the Sun are a very prolific people, spreading throughout the world. The Smiths are the most widespread people among the Children of the Sun. Their god -- the Smith himself -- expects them to be ingenious, coming up with solutions to all problems.
In this novel, Smith -- not his real name -- is fleeing a blood feud. He is living incognito with his cousin in Troon. When the cousin loses a man to a vendetta, Smith is asked to become the master of his cousin's caravan. How can he refuse?
Lady Seven Butterflies of Seven Butterflies Studio is shipping a gross of glass butterflies encased in a specially developed packing material. Lord Ermenwyr of House Kingfisher is taking passage with his nurse to Salesh-by-the-Sea; of course, he fully expects to die enroute.
The rest of the passengers are listed on the manifest as Lyran and Demara Smith and family, jewelry designers; Paradan Smith, courier; and Ronrishim Flowering Reed, herbalist. All are Children of the Sun, except Ronrishim, who is probably Yendri. Nothing can possibly go wrong on the way.
The caravan crew includes Keymen Crucible, Smith, Bellows, Pinion, and Smith. The runner is young Burnbright and the culinary artist is Mrs. Smith. After these introductions, the keymen crank the gears and springs, the passengers take their seats, Burnbright blows her trumpet, and they start the journey.
In this story, they travel across the yellow land to the first way station, where they set up camp. Caravanmaster Smith meets Lord Ermenwyr's nurse and is quite impressed. Runner Burnbright informs him that Paradan Smith is a gangster; she has seen his tattoos, including Bloodfires' insignia.
The next day, the caravan is attacked by gliders. The first shot hits Smith in the thigh. He and the keymen fire back with their pistol bows, Paradan Smith sends bolt after bolt from an apparently inexhaustible magazine, and Balnshik -- the nurse -- shoots with an immense old hunting weapon.
The gliders veer off and fly away, dropping a firebomb behind them. One of their number, however, has been shot down. He looks like a pin-cushion, struck by a dozen bolts or more. Most of the bolts were shot by Paradan Smith, with three from Nursie and two from the Caravanmaster. Two others, however, are poisoned and unclaimed.
This story includes more assassination attempts, road hogs, and other perils. They finally get to their destination with only minor damage. Even Lord Ermenwyr survives the journey. But Caravanmaster Smith's troubles are not yet over.
Highly recommended for Baker fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic cultures, exciting journeys, and interesting personalities.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very good read; it's not Pratchett and I'm just as happy, September 13, 2005
First, a word to people who are wondering "what's all this in so many reviews about Terry Pratchett? Who is that, and why does anybody care, when this book is not by Pratchett-whoever-that-is?" The comparisons to the author Terry Pratchett are a tempest in a teapot; because both this book and Pratchett's are fantasies based on slightly skewed parodies of our Earth, apparently some folks expected them to have exactly the same style. If you're not already familiar with Pratchett's style, you can disregard all this blather and skip to the stuff that's strictly about this book on its own merits. (Although, who knows, you might want to try Pratchett, too.)
Okay, lots of people seem disappointed that this book isn't an identical clone of Terry Pratchett, judging by some of the other reviews. Get over it, people! Do you really want a world consisting only of Pratchett clones? Look at all the wretched imitations of Tolkein out there; do you want that? I am a Pratchett fan, but that's not the only stuff I read; I like other writing styles as well. In fact, I read this book the same week as I read "Going Postal." I enjoyed them both, but they are both very different. I didn't expect them to be the same, and I wasn't disappointed. Kage Baker is starting from an entirely different place; her science fiction series about The Company is far more serious and more - "technical," I guess. I read this book expecting more Kage Baker, but in a fantasy vein, and I wasn't disappointed.
Let me point out that there are some similarities: the world view that humans are often stupid and overlook the obvious; that many people who try to help others tend to offer theoretical help rather than practical help, and so they ain't much help (Willowspear's sudden realization: "I've been teaching them meditation, when I should have been teaching them gardening!"); the view that some of the other species of upright featherless bipeds in fantasy may well be a better lot than humans - not in the sense of good, wise, elves a la Tolkein, but in the sense of more practical, more able to see the consequences of their actions, be they trolls or demons.
A few reviewers have commented on the rather extensive prologue, setting our stage. I liked it, and felt it was necessary; otherwise, later on, when Mrs. Smith is telling some of her history, you'd wonder why Smith doesn't already know a lot of this. You have to read the prologue to know that Smith gained Mrs. Smith sort of ad hoc as part of the family business, that she was a Mrs. Smith before she ever met him.
This novel features Lord Ermenwyr, who has appeared in quite a few short stories. In this book, he is still a teenager. We also meet a couple of his brothers and a sister whom we have only heard about in other stories. We acquire far more background about his unusual parents. The older brother, Erdway, really is a dolt.
Other things to like about this book:
*real estate developers as incarnation of evil
*supernatural cabbage moths
*demons run insurance companies (does that really surprise you?)
In short: it's not Kage Baker's Company series; it's funnier, and at least as well written. It's not Terry Pratchett; deal with it, you fanatics. It's an unusual fantasy with a happy ending and some inspired scenes along the way.
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