Customer Reviews

The Drawing of the Dark

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brian Duffy is just your average work-a-day soldier for hire when he is pulled into a plot involving forgotten heroes, strange magic, and bizarre creatures. Encountering monsters straight out of legend and meeting up with some guy named The Fisher King, Duffy slowly learns that his past stretches much further back than he realizes.

In typical Tim Powers style, the plot of this late Renaissance fantasy begins with threads of story weaving in all directions, and resolves at last by the end of the book. Powers works in the invading armies of Islam, King Arthur, a mystical brewery in Vienna, Vikings, and more in this fantastic yarn.

I enjoyed this book overall, but it wasn't Mr. Powers's best (which can be forgiven, seeing as it was his first book). The plot moved a bit slowly at times, and the ending seemed a tad rushed. But overall, this was an enjoyable read and very funny. Great for taking a break between other, more "serious" fantasies.

Here's an unheralded classic, returned to print after a decade on the shelf, which is simply one of the more marvelous fantasies out there. I was simply spellbound by this book.

A brief description of this novel tends to emphasize what's not important about this novel. There are several important things here that make this a delight.

First, simply, are the characters. Brightly drawn and lovable, be they knaves or heroes. The texture and dialog do not (as many fantasy novels do) evoke modern Americans, even though there is no dialect used.

Second is the feel for medieval Europe, history, and realism (in what is a rather fanciful novel). Although this novel features such things as dwarves, dervishes, King Arthur, Merlin, Excaliber, the Fisher King, Norse gods, etc., the sheer realism of the novel never is pierced.

Third is the delight that infuses the whole work. Why the title alone is at least triple entendre, if not quadruple. I mean: how can you dislike a work who's central premise is that Western civilization is based in no small part on quality beer?

So by now it is obvious that I love this book. If you like books such as Silverlock or Brunner's Traveller in Black, I think you'll be enchanted by this gem.

Though not the first work of fiction I have ever read by Tim Powers, THE DRAWING OF THE DARK remains one of my most favorite of his novels. I could not believe how he managed to breathe life into a tired cliche (I cannot say more without spoiling the book). Along the way he gives us very human characters that endear themselves to the readers while not scrimping on the magic and mayhem (some very chilling moments). History blended with wonder and brewed long and dark until one cannot help but finish the book, drain the glass, and sigh contentedly.

It is 1529, and the West is in turmoil. The vast armies of the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent have swept north from Constantinople, and threaten to breach the very gates of Vienna and overrun Europe.

Even in Venice the winds of war and carnage and death and madness sweep over the canals and around and about the spires, clattering their razor-sharp claws against the shutters, seeking entry: an itinerant Irish swordsman, Brian Duffy, is accosted and nearly skewered by three thugs on a Venetian sidestreet.

Being in a good mood, he merely knocks the ruffians off into one of the canals. Being lucky, he gets hired for a decidedly offbeat gig.

His new employer: the shadowy Aurelianus, who favors cryptic instructions, keeps his shutters closed tight, and likes to smoke dried-out snake cigars. The gig? Travel posthaste to Vienna to work as hired muscle for The Zimmermann Inn, an---erm, *investment* of Aurelianus's, and the maker of the Hezwesten Bock, the finest beer in Europe.

Did someone say Beer? I'm in---and so is Duffy, with one small caveat: he's gotta be there---up over the Alps, cross the Sava and the Dava, follow the Danube to the City---by Easter.

So---with old loose ends to be tied up in Vienna, stung with the memory of his own inglorious role in a campaign against the Turks on the fields of Mohacs years before, and with the promise of some jingle-jangle in his purse, Brian Duffy squares his gear, polishes his rapier, and heads out.

But what's with this shadowy Aurelianus guy hiring muscle for a hefty premium---in Venice? What's with the bizarre, frightening visions Duffy is starting to see?---cloven footed, goaty barkeeps, gnomes skulking in the Vienna Woods, monsters haunting the craggy passes of the Alps? And why is someone---or some Thing---trying desperately to destroy the Zimmermann Inn?

Whatever. Half the fun in Powers' work is just giving in to the whole sulphurous madness, enjoying the juice, the sense of place, the wildness, the archaic, the delicious heady juxtaposition of the wild and weird and woolly and historic and completely insane.

Not as deep or resoundingly epic as Powers's masterpiece "The Anubis Gates", "The Drawing of the Dark" is a rowdy, tasty little romp, drenched with atmosphere and intrigue. It is rich with Powers's strangeness: the notion of the real centers of the East and the West, and their respective secret Kings; a lost Viking longship and its hoary-bearded crew, in search of Wotan and the end of the World; bat-winged, scimitar wielding assassins, Turkish deviltry, the friendship of a hunchbacked bombardier charged with the cannons atop the battlements of Vienna---and that's just scratching the surface.

Drink long, drink hard, tilt 'em back, and watch that Dark---the potent brew at the very bottom of the old Herzwestern brewing vat. It's got a real kick.

JSG

It's so good to see this book back in print. When I first got hold of it, I was amaxed as to how good it was. Over the years I've had cause to re-read it a number of times and each time I find something new.

Powers skillfully leads his readers on a grand adventure, while at the same time keeping everything light and fun and easy to read. By the time you've breezed through to the end, you realixe he's slipped in a whole boatload of allegorical messages about dealing with parents, following your dreams and not always seeing what you believe.

And then there's the beer. Only someone of Powers' ability can make drinking beer an integral part of the Aurthurian mythos.

I'll raise a toast to that!

I'ts been a while since I read this book. But I cam to Amazon hunting for a copy. Yes, I enjoyed the story that much. The blending of fantasy and history make this a truly wonderful tale. The characters are always interesting and the plot progresses well for the entire story.

This book offered a wonderful mix of history, fantasy, allegory, mythological creatures, and a middle-aged, drunken, grumpy hero. What's not to like?

Okay, if I had to pick something to criticize, I'd say that I found the plot a little slow at times. Also, the ending seemed a little rushed to me, and it didn't give me that sense of closure I was hoping for.

However, the writing style was gorgeous. Very atmospheric, beautifully detailed, mixed with just the right amount of humor. A perfect blend.

The characterization was also spectacular. Aurelianus / Merlin was my favorite character... but then again, that might just be my thing for cute old wizards again. I liked Duffy also. His grumpy attitude made him more endearing than any swash-bucking hero attitude he might have had. I also liked Bluto. Then again, I have a thing for hunch-backs too. ;)

And last but not least, I was utterly stunned when I finally realized where the title comes from! I won't give it away though... needless to say, it's very clever!

I'm looking forward to reading more Tim Powers novels. This was a very promising start, and I hear it only getts better from here! :)

Tim Powers is a marvelously gifted writer, whose stories blend real history with incredibly ingenious fantasy. The factual basis for this story is the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1529 led by Suleiman the Magnificent. But Powers takes that historical event and blends in Merlin, King Arthur, an ancient brewery, his own reluctant hero Brian Duffy, and an amazing cast of characters to create a unique and superb fantasy. This is just great stuff. Wait until it becomes obvious where the title of the book comes from... I would have never guessed. Very highly recommended.

Even early on Tim Powers made sure he stood out from the pack. As an author writing in the fantasy genre, he clearly had ambitions beyond having characters go running after the same old magical items and experience winding neverending quests through lands with hard to pronounce names. His type of fantasy retains all of the fantastic elements but shifts the setting to more urban places, adds a bit of cleverness and manages to remain as entertaining as anything else out there. In this novel, he centers the novel around beer and manages to come up with one of the more original premises for a fantasy novel ever. Now, this isn't beer in the sense of drunken frat boy parties, this is beer in terms of the old European tradition of crafting fine beer. In fact, the story itself takes place in the sixteenth century, in the days prior to an invasion by the Eastern lands (mostly Turkey), as the enemy comes apparently to take over the lands but maybe for another reason entirely. In this mess walks Brian Duffy, aging soldier for hire (an underused fantasy character if there was one), who takes an assignment from an elderly but mysterious man to look after his brewery . . . except he finds that it's not simply an inn and he's simply not Brian Duffy, man for hire, anymore. Powers gets lots of credit for not only recreating the time period here and writing it authentically (as far as I can tell) but for making it fun to read as well. Bonus points also go to his mingling of Arthurian mythology with European legends and some Eastern myths as well (oh yeah and Norse myths, to boot, his local library must have loved him) . . . along with some other stuff that he probably made up and managed to slip in seamlessly. Even at this early date his plotting is second to none, with loads of threads weaving effortlessly throughout the novel, innocous elements coming into play later in the oddest ways. His explanation for why everyone should care about beer makes perfect sense in the context of the story and it's a testament to his ability that he can write a thrilling story about protecting a keg. Brian Duffy remains a fun character, weary of the world, sarcastic, not completely believing what's going on around him and in the end accepting what he is and doing what he has to do. The mixture of fantasy, reality, suspense and humor makes for a heady brew (I couldn't resist) and although it's not Powers' masterpiece it's a fun bit of writing that gives a nice break from the endless trilogy quests that so often populate the fantasy genre. Just about anything by Powers is worth a read and this is no exception.

Tim Powers has a magical way of finding an odd piece of historical trivia with a little bit of mystery shrouding it, and weaving a fantastic story of mystical forces and occult arts around it.

The story revolves around one Brian Duffy, and brings to the surface such mythological characters as the Irish hero Finn Mac Cool, Sigmund, King Arthur, and Dionysus. Powers seems to love the myth of the Fisher King, and this has been a recurring theme through many of his novels.

It is obvious that this is one of his earlier works, a lack of depth can be felt in the historical details as well as the writing style. But the plot is an engaging one - this author is wildly creative. The Drawing of the Dark is an easier read than some of his other works, and quite entertaining.

If you love what he does with the Fisher King storyline, read Last Call, Expiration Date, and Earthquake Weather. If you enjoy his habit of weaving an occult story around historical fact, make sure you read Declare.