Customer Reviews

The Long Look

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Tymon the Black has a reputation as an evil magician, capable of the most heinous crimes. What he really has is the gift of foretelling the future, which he visualizes during his "long looks", a kind of trance-like state. Alas, this gift is sometimes incomplete and often puts him in the position of taking actions that lead to the future he has seen during his "long looks." Most of his "visions" are of horrific ends to nations and people, that must be averted. His companion is Seb, a dwarf who's smart, resourceful and thoughtful, but who is not above attacking and defending if needed.

What is interesting about this book is that the main characters (there are many) are multi-faceted and have depth to their behavior and actions. Nobody is inherently evil or good, which I think reflects real life. There are twists and turns, lots of humor, sarcasm and wit...everything you want in a SFF.

I would definitely recommend this book to science fiction fantasy fans who like magic, intelligent dialogue and action in their books.

Yes, I love it for the lean and lyrical prose that never distracts. I love it for the wonderful characters that drive the plot. This is a can't-put-down-until-the-end sort of book, one that you'll read again and again. I did.

Solid plot, excellently developed characters, superb writing. As other reviewers have said, many unexpected turns. One quibble: the characters are all intelligent, principled (though not necessarily admirable) and courageous. Then I remembered that I was reading a fantasy.

Highly recommended.

I love Parks' short fiction, so this novel's excellence no surprise! The evil wizard Tymon the Black is actually not so evil - he's an unfortunate precognitive who's compelled to arrange events for the best possible outcome for the world. Which makes his actions seem inexplicable, if you're not his loyal companion Seb.... and makes him seem like the bad guy to the rest of the world. Parks has a deft, humorous touch. Very recommended.

He is thought to be a demon, a dark magician, a sorcerer who practices the blood arts, but the truth is both much simpler and much more complex than the rumors. Tymon the Black has what is called THE LONG LOOK as he can see future tragedies with the knowledge some can be changed even prevented; he works to do so. One of his Long Look makes him kidnap the Ashesa, the princess of Morushe, whose future husband he must lure him to Ttymon so he can kill him and prevent a war.. Instead the princess appeals to him to let the prince live. He heeds her request leading to leading her to see her future husband will plunge them into war. She ends up killing him.

The dark prince's brother Galen wants to marry Ashesa because he loves her; she agrees to their state marriage. Galen's enemies are planning to kill him and place a puppet on the throne. While Tymon sees their plot, an advisor to Duke Laras wants to push his lord into claiming the throne as he has a legitimate argument that he should be the ruler. Galen in a quest for revenge and brings something dark and evil into the realm to destroy Tymon. However he loses control of the darkness. Tymon is capable of saving the world by dying and his various enemies are planning to just that in a confrontation at the.
Black Pits.

Tymon is eyed as a vile villain, but ignores the monster label to do what he believes is right to include killing someone in order to prevent a greater catastrophe (mindful of the Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever"). He hates killing, but knows he must do what it takes for what he perceives is the greater good. Richard Parks has written a fascinating fantasy with a deep morality question of when is it okay to kill an innocent and then there is the question of the time paradox in which changing the future with one death may lead to unforeseen consequences worse than what you prevented as the hero learns to his dismay.

Harriet Klausner