The Belly of the Bow (Fencer, Book 2) [Paperback]

K. J. Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

The city of Perimadeia has fallen. Bardas Loredan, the man who was chosen to save it, is now on the Island—a recluse living in the mountains, away from his family, with only a young apprentice for company. His life as a fencer-at-law is over. Instead, Loredan spends his days perfecting the art of bow making. But his isolation will not last forever, and when the Island comes under attack, his skills as a soldier and leader are once again called into play. The second installment in The Fencer Trilogy, The Belly of the Bow firmly establishes K.J. Parker in the top rank of fantasy writers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of the most entertaining fantasy debuts in recent years… incredibly vivid, refreshing, fun, thoughtful, absorbing.” -- SFX

From the Publisher

These action–packed tales of magic, intrigue, and revenge introduce a remarkable new voice in fantasy fiction.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 521 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group; New Edition edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857239601
• ISBN-13: 978-1857239607
• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.3 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as Good as Colors in the Steel February 26, 2004

By Blue Jay

Format:Paperback

This is book #2 of the Fencer Trilogy by K.J. Parker, and where "Colors in the Steel" was - in my opinion - worth 5+ stars, this sequel is hardly worth two. Main problem: The story surrounding Bardas Loredan's family turns very grotesque and bizarre in this one, which pretty-much destroys the great story line, writing, and character continuation from "Colors". Loredan is turned from a heroic-though-tragic commander of the now-lost Great City to a vengeful hermit with regardsa to his family, and in the process of becoming a bowyer, helps to break-up his family with a very tragic and brutally-vengeful Bardas becoming more of a monster than a person who - though had character flaws (as everyone does) - was able to mount an effective defence of Permeida.

K.J. Parker does a good job with the characters from Book #1, and does a great job of showing how Bardas and his family have problems: a typical dysfunctional family - at least in the beginning. However, the instance involving Bardas becoming less-than-human totally destroys what would otherwise have been a truly interesting character in a series which began with a terrible battle in which Bardas becomes at least a sentimental hero. (Anyone who reads this book - and I don't recommend it, will see what I mean) What Bardas could have become in this book is a military-leader-in-hiding who could have "licked his wounds" in this tale and then turned out to be totally heroic elsewhere. however, again, the story takes a sickening twist, one that left me shocked and turned off to the Third Installment of the "Fencer Trilogy"....

Parker's technical writing - again - shows an ability that far exceeds most of his peers, with descriptions of the area and islands and the cities, military weapons, formations, strategies and tactics, and battle being easy to understand, helping the reader to see what's going on. His character development of Bardas' brother and his family, sister and her position, and vengeful niece, not to mention the feud between two powerful entities, makes this story very interesting. The Religious figures from Book #1 also are int his one and again are called upon to aid and abet both sides in this confilct, their characteristics again superbly intertwined in the story. However, as mentioned above, this story took a very dark and (in my opinion) unnecessary turn, one that has turned me off from K.J. Parker and Book #3. This is definitely a case of "what could have been". If you have any kind of love for your immediate and extended family, this book will leave you sick at your stomach. Read more ›

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical fantasy January 17, 2007

By Christopher R. Magee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was not a great book, and I'd rather give it about 3 1/2 stars, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and rounded up. The thing about this book is that it's not like most fantasy novels, where the fate of the world is at stake against unspeakable evil. The best way I can think of describing this book is that it's not too serious. It reads more like the author is just having fun and taking some shots at different types of people, similar to a book like Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. There is a war in the background, but it is really incidental to the story. It's really a book about people and how they relate to each other. But like I said, it's not very serious, so you don't really get caught up in worrying if they're going to win or to survive because it doesn't seem to matter that much. Unfortunately, the lack of seriousness makes it hard to be affected by the tragic moments because you can't just switch moods like that.

I found this one easier to read than the first book in the series, which really seemed to drag. Not a lot happens in either book, and I can't say I highly recommend the series, but if you are sick of the same old thing in fantasy, you might want to try this for a change of pace.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great fantasy novel about self-denial and family dysfunction December 5, 2012

By A. Whitehead TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Shastel is a country owned and run by an academic foundation, whose bank holds the debts of its impoverished citizens in perpetuity. Spying an opportunity for profit, the Loredan Bank has taken over the nearby island of Scona and is undercutting the Foundation's economy, sparking a trade war that is in danger of turning very real and very bloody. For Bardas Loredan, living in seclusion as a bowyer in Scona's backwater, the last thing he wants is anything to do with the schemes of his ruthless brother and pragmatic sister. But he is soon drawn into the conflict, even as he comes to realise that his attempts to live a good life may be nothing more than a sham.

The Belly of the Bow is the second volume of K.J. Parker's Fencer Trilogy. At first glance, this is a slighter novel than Colours in the Steel. Whilst Colours centred around a massive siege and the attempts to defend a city, The Belly of the Bow is a much more personal story focused on the dysfunctional Loredan family. The war this time is more in the background, and played for maximum cynical impact. Parker's black humour and refusal to glorify the horrors of war combine to provide a damning indictment of violent conflict and the reasons for it.

As a personal, more character-focused story the novel takes a while to get going. The complex relationships between Bardas, his sister, brother and niece are built up steadily but the thematic point of the novel is elusive until a shocking late-novel development throws everything into sharp relief. The book is essentially a character study of Bardas Loredan, who believes himself to be the 'good' member of the family, a hard worker who sends money home to his younger two brothers on their farm and has always tried to do the right thing.... As the novel demonstrates, Bardas is kidding himself (his previous careers as soldier and lawyer-at-arms being steeped in blood and mayhem) and his self-belief is a rather brittle thing. When faced with a revelation of a betrayal on an massive scale, his reaction isn't reasoned or understanding, but a cruel and merciless lashing out that is genuinely unexpected.

The novel pivots on this moment (which happens very late in the book) and doesn't fully work until you realise that moment - a moment of gut-wrenching horror that even George R.R. Martin might consider excessive - is coming. As such, the book works a bit better on re-reads. However, as well as Bardas the novel concentrates a lot on his brother, Gorgas. Gorgas is best described as an ex-sociopath who has genuinely reformed from being a violent lunatic and is now seeking to make amends for his past mistakes. Unfortunately, Gorgas is rather disturbingly single-minded in this attempt to seek redemption, and the crimes he commits to achieve it actually dwarf his original offence. The contrast between the two brothers (and Bardas's angry denials he is anything like his brother, which ring increasingly hollow as the trilogy unfolds) is a key point of the novel that Parker develops effectively.

As with much of Parker's work, the tone is often deceptively light-hearted whilst masking a cynical edge, the humour is jet black and the characterisation is strong, but takes a while to come to the fore. Also, as it standard, the novel is packed with information on the creation and use of a standard fantasy weapon of war, in this case the bow. These passages of mechanical engineering may appear skip-worthy, but Parker actually cleverly uses the bow as a metaphor for her(?) characters and the world they live in. Other characters from Colours in the Steel return and there is some more information on the Principal (less of a magic system than an ability to nudge future probabilities to get a more favourable outcome, but due to chaos theory this is wildly unpredictable), but the focus is firmly on the Loredan family and their issues.

The Belly of the Bow (****) is a less-obviously engaging novel than its forebear, but once the scope of Parker's ambition for the book becomes clear it turns into a much more impressive work. The novel is available now in the UK and USA. Read more ›

4.0 out of 5 stars Intricate and rough August 17, 2012

By M. Johnston

Format:Paperback

I'm a huge fan of the author's work, and while I agree that the scenes near the end of the book are among the most grotesque I've read, I also could understand the character's insanity driving him to it...If you're a fan of fiction that is well researched and written, I'd recommend the series, but be aware you'll need a strong stomach to make it through this one.