|
|
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic Fantasy by a New Author, July 15, 2002
Path of Glory, by Bret M. Funk, has all the clichés: reclusive Elves, powerful magicians, and
long-forgotten evil in a pre-industrial society. But if you thought the classic fantasy novel had
nothing left to offer, think again. Told mainly from the intimate perspective of two intriguing,
three-dimensional characters, Funk puts a realistic and thought-provoking spin on the typical
sword-and-sorcery tale. This first book in the Boundary's Fall series combines modern prose andsensibilities with the epic storylines of Tolkienesque fantasy. The story follows Jeran, a farm boy living with his uncle, and Dahr, an escaped slave whom
Jeran's family befriends and unofficially adopts. When two former warlords escape from a
magical prison, Jeran and Dahr find themselves saddled with the duty of reporting the news to
the king. They are aided by two Magi, who help Jeran discover his illustrious family roots and
his own magical abilities. Jeran's ambivalence regarding his magical "gift" is one of many double-edged topics in Path of
Glory, and it adds a degree of thought and relevance that few fantasy writers even consider.
Magi are responsible for most of the civilization's greatest accomplishments, yet they are
resented for their power and have been hunted nearly to extinction. The mysterious Elves, while
revered as wise and nearly immortal, have both helped humanity and enslaved them at various
times in their history. The king of Jeran's land must cope with bickering politicians before he
can worry about the decay of a millennia-old magical Boundary. Not many fantasy novels
discuss the economic disadvantages of tariffs, but Funk avoids Star Trek preachiness by
introducing questions, not answers, and leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions. In fact, just as with real bureaucracy, years pass before the various countries and races gear up
for the impending war reported by Jeran and Dahr. The story rejoins the boys, now young men,
as they embark on a diplomatic mission to the Elves-the first Elf-Human encounter in over a
century. The friendship is shared by a third, the young prince Martyn, who hasn't quite figured
out the balance between authority and responsibility. The journey along the title Path serves as a
test of strength and loyalty, especially when Dahr is forced to choose between his sworn duty
and his lifelong hatred of slavery. The book ends just as the party enters the Elves' domain,
leaving the rest of the story maddeningly untold until the next installment is published. This novel is a character-centered work; events unfold in an episodic fashion, but the main
storyline barely gets beyond setup in this first entry of the series. Instead, we experience the
characters' everyday life. Dahr's knack with animals and Martyn's addiction to flirtation are
demonstrated in numerous character-building scenes. The writing is not nearly as concise as one
expects; scenes can exist simply for atmosphere and entertainment, but the witty dialogue among
Jeran, Martyn, and Dahr keeps boredom from setting in. The writing style wavers somewhat
between archaic formalism and modern slang, but taken as a whole it's a fast read and doesn't get
bogged down in purple prose. The whole novel has a warmth to it that is atypical of story-driven
fantasy and Sci-Fi; characters don't just exist to fill a plot point, they have their good and bad
points that grow on you over time. The strength of Funk's writing is his ability to evoke
sympathy for the characters; you are drawn in to their struggles without really noticing, and
putting the book down becomes more difficult each time. However, there's more to Path of Glory than guilty pleasure. The author has taken great pains to
weave a history of his world; the tales of warriors and noble sacrifices will satiate even the most
hard-core fantasy reader. The descriptions of controlling and using magic are creative and
evocative on their own, but the passages truly come alive in the context of Jeran's experiences.
The bond between the reader and the characters heightens the drama of every situation, holding
the reader's interest throughout every extraordinary revelation. Path of Glory makes the classic fantasy approachable for every reader, even those turned off by
fantasy series in the past. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in seeing down-to-earth
characters coping with larger-than-life events.
|
by Bret Mathew Funk
by Bret M Funk
See all Editorial Reviews
