It is winter on the lawless steppes of Emmenrule when Lady Isola, traveling to the fortified city of Croad, is kidnapped by the dreaded Beauceron, the Dog of the North. But Beauceron is no mere brigand; he has bigger schemes in mind: it is his life's ambition to capture Croad itself—whatever the cost. But what is the source of his obsession? Meanwhile in Croad, Arren, a young man of talent but obscure birth, is taken under the wing of the city's ruler, Lord Thaume, and grows into a young knight of prowess and reputation. But as his fortunes rise, those of his childhood friend Eilla decline. Years later, Beauceron has returned with Lady Isola to his home, the frozen city of Mettingloom. He is determined to raise an army to defeat his enemies in court and capture the city he loathes. In Croad, when Eilla is forced to take employment as a servant in Lord Thaume's household, Arren realizes that his love for her is more important than his prospects for advancement. They plan to elope, but Lord Thaume's jealous daughter Siedra is much more dangerous than Arren realizes. The Dog of the North is an exquisitely written tale of loyalty and treachery, heroism and cowardice, homeland and exile, set in a brilliantly imagined and utterly spellbinding world.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Debut author Stretton skillfully chronicles court intrigue in rival city-states in this unique fantasy tale. Arren is a young boy taken from poverty and brought into the Lord of Croad's household. Beauceron, the Dog of the North, is a vassal of the Snow King of Mettingloom and obsessive in his desire to capture the city of Croad. Each plot line moves adroitly through themes of love and revenge toward a surprising climax. Stretton adeptly uses courtly, carefully structured discourse and Italianate names and places to evoke an almost Shakespearean atmosphere, providing hints to Beauceron's identity but never giving too much away. This cleverly plotted fantasy mystery is full of intelligent dialogue, enthralling characters, and dramatic world-building that will hold readers' attention to the last page. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
A graduate in English and American Literature from the University of Kent, Tim Stretton lives in West Sussex.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crackling Historical Fiction from Another Land,
By PaleolithNick (Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Dog of the North: The Annals of Mondia (Paperback)
Stretton's The Dog of the North is fantasy not of the Tolkien vein or the Lovecraft vein. It feels much much more like the quasi-historical fiction of Lawhead or Cornwell, only instead of taking place during an ancient period of England, the action takes place in the land of Mondia. Full of statecraft and battle, intrigue and strategy, Stretton's real interest is in humanity of of his main characters: Arren and Beauceron. The former, a young man growing up in a world he never quite understands. The latter, a man trying to punish the world for not being what he thought it should be.
It is hard to do do justice to the Dog of the North in a brief review, for there is no wasted narrative, and to talk about the story would be to give away too much. Stretton's world-building stands out among fantasy authors, as some of the sharpest I've read. The reader is given a strong sense of Mondia, its land and its culture, without any needless exposition. The world is built and described through the story, not through digression. Likewise, Stretton uses remarkable dialogue and lively action to quickly give the reader an idea of who characters are, again through the story itself. The book is 460+ pages, and every one of those pages serves a purpose. The Dog of the North is a book with great humor and sympathy, and at its core a sense of moral justice that every character in the book is grasping for. Some have satisfied themselves with a simplistic vision of some small piece of that justice, and are content with the world. Some are unable to envision any form of justice, but hang on to the concept as an elusive thing to be sought. A few have determined to create their own, personal justice, in lieu of any universal moral. Stretton has not written an elf and wizard opera. There is magic, and there is a land of majestic sweep, but these things are secondary. This is the story of men and women, overwhelmed by their world and fighting to make their place in it. I eagerly await The Last Free City!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Literary fantasy,
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This review is from: The Dog of the North: The Annals of Mondia (Paperback)
The Dog of the North is an excellent, well-paced novel of adventure, betrayal, and court politics.
Throughout we are given a feel for the people and ways of the world Tim Stretton has created; there are many things to look forward to should he choose to continue chronicling events in Mondia. Tim Stretton, in his acknowledgements, mentions his delight and inspiration by the works of Jack Vance, who is one of my own favorite writers; there are definite stylistic similarities in Stretton's writing to that of Vance, which can only be a good thing for discerning readers hungry for a special mixture of dry wit, clever plotting and thought-provoking asides. Stretton has a previous novel, Dragonchaser, available on Amazon, I plan to acquire and read it as soon as possible. Happy reading!
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