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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shades of Powers and Swanwick, August 2, 2003
I picked this book up on the strength of the cover blurbs-- Powers called it a "Fellini Carnival" and Swanwick was more than kind. I figured that a book those two liked could not be too far off from my own taste. And that was true, I have to say.
Nylund is a strong writer with a powerful imagination. His story is about a reluctant prophet who is suddenly plagued by a host of accomplished magicians wanting to either help him or hinder him from attaining a goal he never knew he had. The characters are handled well and the plot fits neatly together. It is about as clean of a writing job as you can expect in fantasy.
A few points--
the one way in which the book is not handled well is the female love interests of the hero. Both Linda and Paloma end up as stereotypes, and not terribly well-developed stereotypes, at that. Too bad, because that would have deepened Larry's motivations and our understanding of his character.
Much was clear to me when I read here that the book was intended as a tribute to Zelazny. Explained some weirdnesses around the writer character. I would have rather known it *before* I had read the book.
If you like works in the vein of Swanwick or Powers, you too will probably find this a good read. You may not find it a great one, but it is always good to discover a promising new author.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A mind-blowing tale that will make you dream adventure, September 28, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Dry Water (Hardcover)
Mr. Nylund has done the unimaginable! He managd to keep me quiet for two plane rides. This book entwines its reader with curiousity and allows the long dormant thoughts of whimsy to return to the most "well-grounded" people. I am only 15, and i have yet to lose touch with that side of myself; never the less, I was mystified by the tapestry this tale seemed to weave. I will not ruin the story.. but even reading the back will have you enthralled! lol I hope that any one over the age of 18 will not take my age as a sign that it will be childish. heh, I'm no ordinary 15 year old... I've been reading Mr. Dickons since first grade, (just call me matilda, but it's a true story) ; ) ; ) Thank you for reading my review, and i hope you've found it helpful! ~`*Bright Shadow*`~
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The biggest little book I've ever read, July 14, 2001
There is more compressed into this novel than in any other fantasy I've ever read, and I've been a fan for forty years. Poul Anderson's sf novel The Boat of a Million Years covers as broad a span of history, but in three times the pages and half the complexity. Charles de Lint and Terri Windling have defined contemporary mythic fiction for me, but I was even more bowled over by this book than I was by The Little Country. For creatively dramatizing the complexities in the mythic war of good and evil, Nylund rivals Clive Barker. From the strength of his writing skill, imagery, and characterization, I believe I'll like Eric Nylund's other books too, although I don't expect the rest of them to be like this one; he does say that this is inspired by Roger Zelazny. I don't have space in my small room for keeping many books, but this is a keeper. It's worth hunting down a used copy. Hope that the publishers wise up and reprint it.
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