Customer Reviews

Teots War (Song of Naga Teot, Book 1)

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I had the unique opportunity to read and review TEOT'S WAR before it was widely available. I was thoroughly impressed then (despite odd editing glitches from ACE), and am no less now. Like many others, I find myself returning to Tan, fascinated by Naga's sweet darkness and basking in Drin's light. In those days I was publishing a smallpress zine called PANDORA, and Heather had a number of fans in our camp. We published an excerpt from BLOODSTORM prior to the novel's publication and phone calls, letters, art, and short stories passed back and forth. We printed one of those, too, didn't we Heather? A lucky few have even heard the music from the operetta based on the tale. It is as haunting and lyrical as the written word. Time changes all things, but if book #3 arrives in the spirit of the manuscript I read so many years ago, fans will be delighted. It was not an "easy" book given the subject matter, and at that time not the "end" of the saga. That part was still in transition and full of really interesting possibilities. I won't betray the author, but I will say you'll be scared, you'll be depressed for at least a while (com'n, we're talking about NAGA after all), and you'll be laughing hysterically at some of the events. It is unfortunate that--for whatever reasons--ACE did not support and nurture this author ten years ago. Chalk it up to life (and death) in the midlists. God willing, all three books will be released together. Work and the "real world" may have intruded on Heather's plans for this series, but rest assurred Heather never lost interest. Hope you see this, Heather. Sorry to have lost touch, and very pleased to have found this site to celebrate the books. I still remember that 6 hour phone call!

My copies of the two Teots novels are ragged from rereading them every year. A reprint would be nice, the printing of new Teot novels by Heather would make my day. I can't belive that after the first two novels her publisher didn't sign her to a contract to finish the series. What a dunder head to have a author of her talent and not keep her busy for the last ten years. How many good novels have we missed while Heather was not putting to use her considerable skills to entertaining us with tales war and intrigue. What a waste of talent.

Writing in the first person is never easy, but Heather Gladney somehow accomplishes it with savvy and hard-edged grace. Naga's thought processes are as alien as his culture, and set the tone for an amazingly scripted plot of (as a previous reviewer already said) love, betrayal, and war. Naga's thoughts lend a wierd green light (as of looking though a glass darkly) to the setting during his desperate work to arm Tan. He seems to be the only one who sees clearly throughout the series. Drin tries to see beyond the political mechinations of counselors, but falls victim to a betrayal that only Naga can discern. Naga has many amazing abilities, but it is his flaws that create an utterly believable and powerful character. I'm excited that at long last the third book is upcoming (soon I hope)! I have read and reread the series since it was first published. My only thought to why the publisher didn't support Gladney long ago is that her dizzying writing style is many years before its time. Even now, her world is more real and more innovative than most worlds you find in fantasy today. Continue to write Gladney, you are a ray of hope in these pulp fantasy times.

Excellent 2-volume set, personalities and combat techniques equally well-drawn and valid. Psycological dimentsions very well handled. Have been waiting for years for anything else by Gladney.

Teot's War and sequel (Bloodstorm) are terrific fantasy novels set in a medieval-like setting. Both books are beautifully written, without the tedious descriptions that bog down a lot of artful writers. The often-clashing cultures created are fascinating and enjoyable, as you see them unravel. The author spared no effort in making her world rich and believable.

Great characters and situations grip you from the beginning. I think of Teot's War as being the "character" book, with Naga and Caladrunan both beautifully drawn with passionate beliefs, flaws and heart--everything that makes characters lovable. The love between the two men is filled with angst, irreverence and drama, never sappy or (gasp) romantic.

Naga Teot is a delightful hero. Like many heroes, he's a great warrior (albeit a small one), but it's his unbelievably smart mouth, intense feelings, mental health problems and unstoppable drive that make him so much fun. (He's kind of a *much* darker Miles Vorkosigan.) Leader Caladrunan is more mild mannered and rational. The joy of these books is watching him try to manage Naga, which is a Herculean and sometimes thankless job.

A twist that many readers will appreciate: Naga is of an ill-defined dark-skinned race. South Asian? Middle Eastern? African? Pick the one you like. He's in a world of mostly fair-haired Nordic types, which means he encounters racism and has to earn every shred of respect. Happily, this never comes off as political, preachy or politically correct. It's just a feature of the story that makes it more interesting.

The sequel, Bloodstorm, is the "plot" book, with a can't-stop-reading series of exciting and intense events. It has the best (and most) fighting scenes--well detailed and satisfying.

Thank the goddess for the Internet and used books! Put these at the top of your reading list today.

Cars become antiques when they hit the age of 20 years. But they don't necessarily become classics. What goes into making an antique car a classic is harder to define...the smoothness of the ride, the quality of the craftsmanship, the beauty of the design, the reaction of the audience as it looks back and remembers the times of their lives spent with that car. The same can be said about literature. Many books have withstood time, but how many are classics? Well, Teot's War, originally published in 1987, may be an antique in the best sense of the word, but what is even more impressive is that it is a classic in every sense of the word. Classic adventure. Classic fantasy. And classic homoerotic fiction.

Teot's War is about war, but it is about two wars: the war raging inside Naga and the genesis of an actual war. Naga Teot is a man without a country, land or family. Of noble birth, Naga is the survivor of a massacre of his people, the Upai. At the beginning of the novel he finds himself (along with his prized gana) part of a band of marauders, many of whom were responsible for the genocide of his people and who are intent on overthrowing the ruler of Tan, a great land. Naga is an outcast even amongst these mercenaries. His skin is dark, his ways are foreign. And when the band of marauders is confronted by Tanman, the Liege Lord of Tan himself, they are quick to give him up to their enemy. He is nothing more than a sacrificial pawn in their plot. A wounded Naga is taken captive by Tanman and there begins the story, one of friendship and loyalty and, the need for redress. We go on a journey with these two men as they learn to trust one another. A friendship develops and though Tanman is counseled by his highest advisors that Naga is nothing more than a "Black Man," a barbarian who could turn on him in an instant, Tanman seemingly knows better and accepts Naga's Oath to him and his land. Only when that bond is complete, does the novel move toward the beginning of the physical war.

One of the things with speculative fiction that is always important is the world building. When done well, the author weaves a world we've never been to but doesn't drown us in a plethora of made-up techno babble. Good spec fiction for me builds the world with enough references to our own that I don't spend all of my time trying to figure out what a "dwizzledworp" is (my own made-up word). Bad speculative fiction floods us with terminology we are hopelessly lost to understand, and is most often a sign that an author is enamored with their own abilities, lost within that self-admiration. In Teot's War, Gladney creates her world brilliantly. Everything is clear, the prose and foreign words used exceptionally well. When she introduces Naga and his gana, we can picture them immediately. And because Naga has such a bond with that beast, it becomes a character in its own right even though it does not appear in more than thirty pages. Likewise, the political and social dynamics are set up well. There's no confusing web of lands and conquests to memorize. It is kept simple, but still rich in detail so that you can feel the humidity of the place, know the lighting, and even smell the smells.

But where Teot's war really excels is in the lead two characters. Yes, Naga Teot is a broken and battered man, one with much anger in his heart. But he never, ever wallows in it. He never allows his anger or his drive to eat him alive. He has seen the things he has. He has watched almost his entire people massacred. It eats at him, troubles him. It burns in his nightmares. But it also spurs him on, keeps him focused. He knows that the wrongs visited upon his people must be righted. And they will be. He simply needs to be patient. He simply needs to have a plan. And he does.

A nice dichotomy Gladney weaves in to Naga is that while he is patient for the big picture, he often is terribly impatient and rash when it comes to the more immediate circumstances. He needs, he finds, to temper himself. And, blessedly, he does. That balance of patience and impatience is really defining in him and makes him slightly dangerous in a very good way. And how refreshing to find a hero who is intent on what needs to be done, but is smart enough to work out the best way to get there. Naga is smart enough, patient enough not to just go hacking his way into the unknown. He is, even though he may not think it, methodical.

But Gladney doesn't stop there. Though trained and expertly skilled as a warrior, Naga Teot is also a harpist, one who understands the beautiful things in the world and the songs that tell of the history of the people and its lands. In less trained hands, this aspect of Naga could have turned into a cloying literary trick, a trait that takes a well defined, wonderfully masculine character and feminizes him. But not so here. It is simply another aspect of his character and, thankfully, Naga does not go off spouting love songs. His harp talents and his songs are the way he keeps his people alive in his heart and for the world.

One of the ways that Gladney builds Naga early on is to give us a glimpse into his more noble self. When Tanman takes charge of him, his is severely wounded and treated with less than kid gloves. Despite all of his wounds and all of the rough treatment, his thoughts turn to his gana who died on the battlefield. His only request to the Liege Lord who could have him killed at any instance is that his gana be buried. That one moment perfectly defined Naga to me.

Tanman is equally complex. Here he has this strange man in Naga that for some reason he is compelled to trust. Perhaps it is that, as a boy, he knew Naga's brother and family. Perhaps it is something more: Naga is a breath of fresh air compared to the politicos and responsibilities with which he is surrounded. Perhaps Naga represents a simpler time. Tanman is a strong man, an even-handed, fair ruler who truly wants to be the benevolent monarch. Yet, this doesn't weaken him, either. The reader is very aware that this man can be brutal if he needs to. Like Naga, Tanman's weariness with ruling is never once overwhelming. It is simply a condition of his being.

The relationship between Naga and Tanman is the driving force in this book. The bonding of the two men is wonderfully handled and what is so refreshing is that the homoeroticism of this pairing is so subtle. Their connection isn't born out of lust. The homoeroticism comes from the loyalty and respect and friendship that slowly develops. These men do not moon after one another or crave some quick roll in the hay. They never speak of any attraction for each other. That is blessedly left for us to discern.

Like all good spec fiction, Teot's war also touches on social and political issues. Racism, genocide, religious discrimination, intra-ethnic racism are all touched on but is all done so subtly that, while it washes over you, it leaves an indelible impression. Never does Gladney get heavy-handed or preachy. We see it and feel it through Naga, but like Naga we are simply resolved to find a way to do something about it.

Gadney also does well with her minor characters. Lado, another harpist, and Tanman's sister are but two of the characters who are more than cardboard characters. Not all the minor characters fare as well, but in a nation of peoples, not all can be spelled out in intricate detail. The action in this book is really well handled, exciting and brisk.

This book is the first in a trilogy. The second book has lept to the top of my reading list. The third book has yet to be completed, but I cannot wait to see where the entire series goes. In the end, Teot's War, for me, is a classic. I don't know what the rights situation is, but some publisher would be wise to go in and scoop up the rights. It deserves a shiny new edition.

Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable.

I first read Teot's War when it was first published and have gotten hooked. Since then, I've read it over many times along with BloodStorm and have worn-out the spine on both. I am eagerly awaiting the next series to wear out that one too.

Wonderfully depicted world, exciting action and believably complex characters make these books two of my favorites. I, too, am patiently waiting for anything Gladney!

A wonderful tale of war and friendship. The main character, Naga Teot, is full of strengths and weaknesses and quickly becomes very important to you.

Great book that combines adventure, three-dimensional characters and complex relationships. I have reread both books many times over the last ten years and can't understand why she was dropped by Ace. Write the next one please!