Hampstead Authors Society Books and Reviews
Reviews for Philip G. Williamson's epic mystical fantasy:
Enchantment's Edge
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'Leth
and Issul are the youthful rulers of Enchantment's Edge. This aptly
named kingdom adjoins the mysterious, misunderstood and feared land
of Enchantment, where minor gods wage unrelenting and callous war -
mainly against each other. On his accession, Leth encounters one of
these gods, Orbus, whose enemies have banished him from Enchantment
and hidden away the soul that he must recover before he can return.
At the same time, Enchantment's Edge is viciously attacked and invaded
by the emotionless and brutal Krai army led by King Anzejarl, himself
thrall to the beautiful but sinister Olmara. Leth and Issul's only hope
of saving their land lies in seeming to abandon it, in learning from
a bunch of fanatics the truth about the strange and demonic Legendary
Child, and in risking their lives in Enchantment in search of Orbus's
soul.
There can't be many trilogies which start with an attempted infanticide,
a queen sending messages to a traitor, and a king exuding a blue aura,
especially when they continue via a succession of cliff-hangers to a
conclusion which appears to contradict all your carefully-formed hypotheses.
Yet Williamson brings this off in a grand tour-de-force. His characterisation
is superb, giving us a splendidly gutsy heroine, an unnerving and unpleasant
Security Chief, and a mixed-up invader who even makes us feel sorry
for him as he disconsolately stalks the corridors of the royal palace.
The minor and short-lived characters are also clearly and neatly portrayed.
Mind you, Williamson also has a great line in outlandish creatures,
too - cold Krai warriors with magnificent huge blue eyes, flesh-feeding
pterodactyl-like slooths, the inhuman Ascaria who captures children
and robs them of their dreams and imaginings. And that's not all: the
web of intrigue and double-dealing is so finely crafted that we almost
begin to question the probity of the heroes. The pace varies from the
frenetic to the calm and thoughtful, and Williamson raises some interesting
philosophical points without in any way turning a yomp into a treatise.
And he does all this in stylish and elegant prose that's an aesthetic
pleasure in itself. this is thoroughly enjoyable stuff from start to
finish'
British Fantasy Society Prism.
'King Leth and his beautiful Queen Issul rule Enchantment's Edge at
a time of growing internal religious conflict which is heightened by
news of a vast army, the Krai - an unstoppable tide of dour and implacable
foes - approaching from the west. Leth's refusal to allow open worship
of the various Gods of Enchantment fuels political and religious machinations
and rebellion. When the city is attacked by unnatural and deadly creatures,
it is seen as proof that an unknown God from Enchantment has allied
with the invaders and that Leth has fallen foul of the Gods. Besieged
from all quarters, Leth struggles not only to retain sovereignty over
Enchantments Edge, but to find a way to unite his people against the
common enemy.
Meanwhile Queen Issul, unable to burden Leth with any more problems,
is on the track of the Legendary Child: a being whose return is believed
to herald the end of the world, according to the outlawed religious
factions, the True Sept. Issul tries to arrange a meeting with the leader
of the True Sept in order to confirm her fears - that the Legendary
Child is already born. Much to the chagrin of the Lord High Invigilator,
Fectur, who is charged with all security and the safety of the royal
line. Issul eventually sets off in secrecy to the village of Lastmeadow
escorted by only a handful of royal guards, in search of answers.
Leth, finding his beloved Issul gone into possible danger without his
knowledge, determines to build a bridge of mutual convenenience with
Grey Venger, the leader of the True Sept. Fectur, whilst begrudgingly
assisting Leth, begins to suspect that the pressures of kingship in
these troubled times has mentally unhinged Leth - and begins to make
plans of his own.
Finally, to add a bit of magic and mystery to an already fascinating
plot, there is the matter of the blue box that Leth's mother handed
to him when she abdicated, a box that for weeks Leth was unable to open.
When one day the box mysteriously opens in Leths hands, he is drawn
into what seems to be another world, a completely 'blue' world, with
apparently only one inhabitant: Orbus. Orbus appears to be a rather
dotty old man who speaks, not in riddles, but of things that are beyond
mere human comprehension. Orbus is one of the Gods of Enchantment, but
Leth struggles, not only to understand Orbus's teachings, but to determine
whose side Orbus is on - can he be trusted?
Having read and enjoyed several of Williamson's earlier novels, he has
become one of those authors that I look out for - one who seems to get
better with every book he writes. Enchantment's Edge is no exception.
Williamson is a storyteller in the true sense of the word, and here
he has created a tale that defies anyone not to want more. A book full
of intrigue, love, war and magic, stirred into a plot that asks questions
of the reader, demands that the reader thinks beyond the page. This
is fantasy at its very best, and if there is any justice, Williamson
should be winning awards for his. Don't take my word for it, folks -
go out and get a copy now!'
Vector - the Critical Journal of the British Science Fiction Association.
'You know
how it is with fantasy trilogies. No matter how grim things are looking,
you're never really in any doubt that good will triumph and everyone's
going to live happily ever after. Unless you happen to be halfway through
the final book of the Enchantment's Edge trilogy, that is . .
.
King Leth was last seen completing a difficult quest in a strangely
familiar otherworld. Now he has to find his way home to Enchantment's
Edge, assuming it hasn't (yet) been overrun by the overwhelming hordes
of Krai warriors. And assuming he can even get to the portal between
worlds, which is unlikely to drop him off anywhere safe or convenient.
Which would be bad enough even if he wasn't encumbered by his two children.
Queen Issul, meanwhile, has crossed over the edge into Enchantment itself,
where she attempts to negotiate with the gods. Cue even more impossible
quests for Leth. . .
. . . The Soul Of The Orb (the final instalment in the Enchantment's
Edge trilogy) is tremendously exciting stuff, with high stakes,
exotic settings and characters you believe in and care about - even
the main villain is interesting!
Overall, a pleasing resolution to a thoroughly enjoyable trilogy.'
SFX magazine
Read the opening pages of Enchantment's Edge by Philip G. Williamson here
Philip G. Williamson: Confessions of a Mutinous Fantasist Click Here
Of Stones, Sand & Survival, and the Big Deep Blue. Phil Williamson's Musings in Egypt
In God's Own Country - Kerala, India.
Auschwitz
- impressions of Krakov and the death
camps
