Customer Reviews

Odalisque (Percheron)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Superb.

That about sums up my description of Odalisque. The first volume of McIntosh's The Percheron Saga, this book brings together well-developed characters, logic and consistency with then setting, an interesting storyline, and true wordsmithing. The book is a joy to read.

This book is only nominally your typical sword-and-sorcery. Yes, the setting is where swords may be the weapon of choice, and magic is a part of the landscape, but this novel goes far beyond the typical fare. McIntosh's Percheron is not the typical pseudo-European medieval environment. Percheron is more of an Ottoman-inspired setting, which opens up intriguing political and social situations to explore, such as that of harems, eunuchs, palace guards, justice, and the like which are not available in standard sword-and-sorcery tales. (Although not in Odalisque but rather in the second volume of the saga, Emmissary, the conflict between the Percherons and a more Arab-influence group of the same overall religious beliefs who feel the Percherons have drifted off the true path can be taken as a deep commentary on current Persian/Arab differences.)

The story centers on some main characters as they deal with a religious conflict. The Goddess Lyana is resurrected every thousand years or so, and she is fought by Zarab, a male god. Over the last few millennium, Zarab has triumphed, and the worship of Lyana has faded throughout Percheron in favor of the worship of Zarab. The story begins as events unfold to start this cycle once more.

The cast of characters include Lazar, a former slave who has risen to be the head of Percheron's military, Ana, a young girl brought into the harem for the new 15-year-old Zar, Boaz. Boaz's mother, Herazah, works to influence her son and try and maintain her own power. Her ally/nemesis is a huge eunuch, Salmeo, the Grand Master of the harem. Boaz and Lazar rely on Pez, a dwarf who fakes insanity to everyone else.

As Lyana prepares for her appearance, her allies start to maneuver to assist her ascendancy. Zarab, meanwhile, sends in the immortal Maliz, a demon who can take over someone's persona, to be ready to destroy Lyana.

What makes this story work so well is McIntosh's ability to weave a logical and believable storyline in a colorful and clever universe. Her characters are very well fleshed out, and all of them have degrees of both "good" and "evil." None of them are one-dimensional. And as in her Quickening trilogy, being a main character in a McIntosh tale does not assure one's survival.

Percheron is an often violent place. Some of the scenes are horrifying, such as a castration of a young slave. People are readily tortured and executed. That the violence never seems gratuitous is a tribute to Mcintosh's skill in writing. These actions are a normal part of the society.

One thing that is so rewarding to me is to observe McIntosh's evolution from being a fantastic wordsmith to a fantastic writer. In the Quickening trilogy, McIntosh's way with words was very evident. She was and is a true master. But while that and her story landscape were outstanding, her characterizations and storylines were a little more standard for fantasy novels, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong. I loved that trilogy. But with The Percheron Saga, McIntosh has upped her game to join the very top echelon of writers. Not just fantasy writers, but all writers.

The Percheron Saga is selling quite well worldwide, but not as well in the US (her Quickening trilogy sold very well in the US). The author was told by some US booksellers that this might be the Middle-Eastern setting which turns some Americans away. This is a travesty. No current political leanings should keep people away from this series, and even if political leanings were evident, so what? This is a fictional novel, for goodness' sake! It is not a treatise on Al Qaeda or the Taliban. It is just a book set in an Ottoman-like setting. As a Marine vet who served in Iraq, I can write with 100% conviction that there is absolutely nothing in the trilogy which is offensive or should turn anyone away.

Odalisque is a tease that starts strong but fizzles into a formulaic, predictable novel. The only redeemable feature is the unique, Ottoman-inspired setting, with its emphasis on the harem. Unfortunately, the setting barely influences the story. Any setting could have been used without altering the storyline.

This novel has a lot of faults, in my opinion. First, the characters are bland and absolute, without any ambiguity: The good characters are wholly good and distinguishable by their simplicity, whereas the bad characters are wholly bad and distinguishable by their extravagance and ambition. Why is ambition a bad trait? Lazar would have been a more interesting and complex character if he had ambition. He is the best warrior and has the support of the army. Why doesn't he take steps to remove the bad guys or secure his position? And what is his position? Although he commands the army, Percheron does not seem to be at war with anyone. If there is no one to fight, why is he so important? Second, we know events before the characters do, thereby ruining any suspense and mystery. For example, we know about Tariq while none of the characters knows. Wouldn't the novel be more fun if we had to guess who Maliz would corrupt? Third, there is a lack of action and conflict. If this novel were made into a film, it would be a "talkie" because very little happens besides talking. Fourth, everyone notices that Pez and later Tariq are more than what they seem, but no one does anything about it. How stupid are these people? Fifth, the harem has all of these rules that are routinely broken for the sake of the story. For example, no men are allowed in the harem, except for Pez. How convenient considering his role in the novel is to take messages to everyone. Once Zoreb dies, why is Pez allowed to run free in the harem? He should have been eliminated as soon as Zoreb drew his last breath. Sixth, the involvement of the gods is superfluous and insensible, considering that religion never plays much of a role. Where are the zealous priests and religious ceremonies? Religion was a significant part of Ottoman culture, but it barely makes a ripple here.

The novel's overall fault is that it suffers from "volume-itis." Instead of being a compelling, stand-alone work, it is the first volume in a trilogy. It provides the setup. The problem is that it is all setup and no progress. For example, a Galinsea invasion is implied but never develops. How can Galinsea be considered a danger if we do not see one Galinsea soldier? I believe that every novel, whether part of a series or not, should stand alone as a whole and satisfying work. Odalisque does not.

Let me tell you how Odalisque could have been better. Forget everything about the gods because they are unnecessary. Imagine this: While Percheron is on the cusp of war with Galinsea, the Zar dies unexpectedly. While the Zar lived there was balance between the rival officials; once he dies, a power struggle ensues. The heir is just a boy; someone must guide him to power. Who will it be? Through intrigues, plots, alliances, and deviousness, someone among Lazar, Salmeo, Tariq, and Herezah will emerge as Boaz's regent. At the same time, a young girl joins the harem, and we get to experience that strange world through her eyes. Will she also be a player in this power struggle? I would read that novel.

Let it never be said that Fiona McIntosh is not daring. Having established herself quite firmly with the solid work of the Quickening Trilogy, involving readers in more tried-and-true fantasy climes with castles and familiar settings, this time she takes a gamble. Rather than hold steady and go through the motions, she plots a new course and opens up an array of excitement and intrigue in Percheron, her fantastic take on a culture and community reminiscent of Constantinople.

Lazar, when we meet him, is a slave, brought for trade to the city. The law of the Zar dictates that a slave may fight for his freedom against a professional soldier. Zar Joreb is witness to the fight, amazed that this slave could best a dozen men, refusing to kill them as is customary. Joreb makes Lazar his Spur, protector of the Zar and of the city, from both without and within.

When Joreb dies, one of his many wives, Herezah, seeks to place her son, Boaz, upon the throne. To do so, she must eliminate the other children, for they could be potential assassins and enemies of the Zar. Her intentions are purely personal, seeking the power that comes with being the mother of the Zar and thus enabling her to bend the will of the world to her whims.

Lazar does not trust her and is bound to Boaz through more than just title. Boaz, only 15, trusts and respects Lazar. His only other friend is the mysterious and troublesome jester, a twisted dwarf by the name of Pez. They fear for the young Zar because those who would seek him the most harm are actually the ones who are the closest to him, and Lazar may not be capable of protecting him from all angles. It is more worrisome when Herezah sends Lazar away to seek odalisques for the new Zar, separating the young man from his protector and leaving only the mad dwarf to aid him.

Yet even more powerful machinations are at play, and powers greater than could have been imagined begin to awaken and put their pawns into play. All of Percheron hangs in the balance.

As in her previous works, McIntosh has a deft way with a story; she rushes you along, never slowing for you to become bored but never too fast for you to struggle to keep up. The details of the various plots and schemes web across one another, and intensity builds until the very end when you are left waiting for the follow-up title that will answer your questions and no doubt open up greater pitfalls.

The characters in ODALISQUE are exquisite and interesting. The beauty of them is their mystery, for they all seem to hold secrets that we never really know up front. It is as if you are meeting them and have to learn about them over time. Lazar is nearly superhuman in his warrior abilities, but something lies within him that needs to be learned. Pez, for all of his peculiarities, is far more than he appears. In fact, he may be more than even he realizes. Herezah and her minions are simply foul individuals but are so nicely drawn that they have their own allure.

Percheron itself is wonderful. With McIntosh's descriptions of the city and its surroundings, you get a deep sense of love that the author felt for the project. It is vibrant and beautiful, savage and deadly --- a backdrop not often utilized in the fantasy world. In this case it is a welcome and well-presented change of pace.

Fantasy fans should be so lucky as to find a larger palette of worlds to discover --- and luckier still if they were as astonishingly well-written as this. It is refreshing to see an author challenge herself and spread out into a new realm so vastly different, alluring and seductive as to capture the imagination instantly. Yes, Fiona McIntosh took a gamble.

It paid off very, very well.

--- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

McIntosh's Odalisque, Book one of the Percheron trilogy, is set in a beautiful city where horrible things happen to people, with beautiful prose depicting acts of brutality. There were several parts that were not easy to read, but I was drawn in, and became thoroughly engrossed in the world that McIntosh created.

This is a character-driven fantasy - do not expect epic quests or sword battles. Instead you will find political intrigue and solid characters as Percheron is prepared for an eons old battle between gods. So, perhaps in later books there will be fighting and questing, it just isn't here. I know I am looking forward to reading the next one.

I recently tried Myrren's Gift and did not like it at all, and I expected the same from this book. I was actually considering not reading Odalisque, but I am glad I did. It grabbed my interest from the beginning and left me wanting more. As others have said, Odalisque is an introduction. Don't expect a complete plot, or any type of closure, but do expect entertaining characters, and a well developed world with an interesting history. The stone statues and the history of the gods was interesting to me, but what really shined was the characters. I prefer to dive right into the novel and start learning about the lead characters. I don't like starting a book and having to read about lineages, world layout, history, and political structure. Just give me some interesting characters and have them explain the history throughout the course of the book. Overall, Odalisque does a great job of setting the stage for future novels. Some things came across as a bit predictable, though I'm sure the author will try to sell them as shocking events later on, and some characters I enjoyed reading more than others, but I just couldn't get enough. I eagerly await the next installment and I think that fans of character driven fantasy will enjoy Odalisque.

I was very surprised that this book was not rated higher than three stars. There is alot going on plot wise and without giving anything away I must say that this book reminded me of Carol Berg's Rai Kirah series or Anne Bishop's Black Jewels writing. I have enjoyed Fiona's Quickening series and Royal Exile too. This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys their fantasy on the dark side. I think fans of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series will enjoy this book too.

As with her previous series, McIntosh can really hook one with her settings, characters, situations and no-holds barred, but dramatically placed, bits of cruelty and violence. This time we are in a world much like Ottoman Constantinople--centered about the Harem of such a place as Topkapi Palace at the time of Sulieman the Magnificent. Here, we have the great and beautiful city-state of Percheron (I keep thinking of horses!), long ruled over by the zar, Joreb, until his untimely death. Into the power vacuum steps the ambitious Hezerah, The Valide, first wife of Joab and mother of his teen-aged heir, Boaz. She has climbed to the top by virtue of her ruthlessness, her intelligence and her ability to please the zar and give birth to his first son, and she has no intention of letting anyone stand in her way now that Joab is dead and she can reign supreme (Boaz is young and inexperienced, but is closer to her than any others--and still needs her). She secures Boaz's and her power by immediately ordering the death of Boaz's younger siblings (graphically described). Life is harsh, amidst the beauty and culture of Percheron!

But there are others who vie for power in the Palace, such as the inept, bitter, ambitious Vizier and the powerful head Eunuch, who oversees the harem. Caught in the power-plays is Lazar, a foreigner who fought his way out of slavery to become the head of the zar's military. He was totally loyal to the zar and is one of the few true friends of young Boaz, and the one may who may help Percheron stand against the fierce Galinseas, who may launch an invasion some day. And there is Boaz's other friend, the mad dwarf Pez, who is more than he seems. Finally, there are ancient gods and old, evil sorcerers coming to life after long ages. It is a mix that seems to bode ill for a number of people and places...

The writing is competent, the characters interesting, the situations-- often alarming and brutal but intriguing, however some motivations and actions are puzzling and some characters are less realistically drawn than others (primarily the horrible ultra-cruel head Eunuch). But however flawed, there are still enough of those marvelous hooks to make the reading compelling (although often in the way train-wrecks are difficult to look away from).

I felt that book was very good, the intrigue and plot was very catching and set up for a good time with pondering the plot. However at times when things of matter would happen like death, injury, or the like, many of the characters would think of what they had done wrong instead of rashly declaring revenge. Besides this the book had a supreme cast of characters which are very well thought out. The way the author brings the gods into the story with an agenda of their own is superb!

I ordered this book online because I was intrigued by the Middle Eastern setting. The typical fantasy trilogies are set in a Celtic/European setting and I thought this would be refreshingly different. Unfortunately the writing is so simplistic that I could not get through the book. Lazar, the hero, is tall,dark, handsome, brave, etc. He seems to have no flaws. The heroine Ana, is perfect as well, beautiful with golden blond curls. Our hardened hero falls for her almost at first sight despite the fact she is only 14 years old and he must be in his 30's or older. All the characters are very evil or perfectly good. The whole style seemed more suited to a YA type book except for the graphic castration scene. There really was no depth to the writing what so ever.I will not be reading the rest of this series.

I don't generally like to give out bad reviews of books but I might have to make an exception for _Odalisque_ by Fiona McIntosh. I respect authors and the hard work it takes to write a novel and get it published, particularly for writers who are not well established. I read _Odalisque_ to the very end, hoping it might become better, that it might have some interesting cliffhanger perhaps that would somehow redeem the book, maybe even convince me to read the book's sequel. Alas it was not to be and the book was something of a chore to finish.

I thought the book's premise was promising. The setting is Percheron, a city with a culture clearly inspired by the Ottoman Empire at its height; a very old city, powerful politically and economically, seen by both its inhabitants and outsiders as being highly cultured and very influential, a city built with an excellent harbor and at a great crossroads of trade. The culture has many of the trappings associated with the Ottoman Empire; huge palaces, a powerful ruler (in Perchereon the ruler is referred to as a Zar), served by among others a vizier as well as eunuchs, the latter of which guard a harem of women, who like many of the woman of the setting wear a veil except in private.

The main characters are the Zar of course, first the aging Zar Joreb, who dies early on in the book and is replaced by his son, the young teen-aged boy Boaz, his mother, Herezah, favorite of the late Zar and who is ostensibly at least going to rule Percheron in Boaz's name under the title Valide Zara, Lazar, a foreign-born individual who serves as the chief of the Zar's security with the title Spur of Percheron, the scheming Vizier Tariq, the equally scheming Grand Master Eunuch Salmeo, in charge of the harem, and the court jester Pez, a "mad" dwarf who was given special protection and privileges by Joreb and is one of the best friends (along with Lazar) of Boaz.

The book is really two books, neither of them very good in my opinion. The main story is the course of events in which Boaz ascends to the throne, establishes himself, and deals with the political maneuvering and sometimes outright treachery posed by the various powers in the palace in order to be the secret power behind the throne (these people being Herezah, Tariq, and Salmeo), often opposed by Lazar. Much of the plotting centered around the treatment of a new odalisque by the name of Ana, brought to the new harem created for Boaz by Lazar, with Lazar having fallen in love with Ana, trying to find a way to still see her - legally - even though she is to be locked away within the harem and Salmeo eager to keep his standing intact and to oppose the hated Lazar by seeking to reign in and even punish Ana.

A key player in all of this is Pez, who is not really mad at all, but a very intelligent and thoughtful individual, his sanity only known to a select few (at first only Lazar and Boaz), able by the order of the previous Zar to go anywhere in the palace he wished at any time, even the harem. Unfortunately, the author tiredly and doggedly reminded the reader again and again that Pez is not insane or an imbecile (and that he is allowed to go pretty much everywhere he wanted to) largely through the words of other characters. In addition to be annoying, I found it hard to believe that in a world of cloistered intrigue, where every member of the palace is continually seeking political advantages and plotting to get more power and to be a favorite of the Zar, that Pez was able to keep his sanity secret for twenty years! Further, as the book progresses, more and more people are let in on Pez's big secret. Hardly a secret anymore!

The other plotline was less well explained, but is a familiar idea from other fantasy books; the gods are about to rise again in a cycle that repeats itself again and again in this world. On the one side is the downtrodden Goddess Lyana, barely worshipped anymore, and her servant and herald Iridor (apparently a big and intelligent owl), and the other side the male god Zarab, the opponent of Lyana, and his demon servant Maliz (who unlike Zarab is clearly evil), who can only exist by inhabiting and manipulating bodies he was invited into.

I don't think the two plotlines meshed well and seemed to have little to do with one another. Apparently Pez, Lazar, and others will play pivotal roles in the coming struggle between the gods, either as their chief agents in the mortal world or as physical reincarnations of some of these beings. Talk of these gods felt to me too much like wordy exposition and almost a shoe-horned in distraction from the palace intrigue that formed the majority of the novel.

Other complaints include that the characters seemed pretty one-dimensional at times. Lazar read like he was some refugee from a romance novel as the author continually described how stoic and mysterious he was, how handsome he was, how all the women from slaves to the highest officials of the palace desired him, of his little known past. Ana was the over earnest youth, described several times as having an "old soul" but seeming to me a doe-eyed innocent most of the time, very happy when she was happy, very sad when she was sad. Having just read the really well done intrigue of Daniel Abraham's _A Betrayal in Winter_ this book really suffered in comparison.

I have no plans to continue reading this series.