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Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand |
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Songs Of The Earth by Elspeth Cooper Gollancz Supplied for review by Hachette New Zealand |
Reviewed By: Simon Litten |
| Songs of the Earth is Elspeth
Cooper’s first novel, and is the opening opus in a new high fantasy trilogy The
Wild Hunt. The story concerns Gair, a disgraced novice in a religious martial order who has been exposed as a witch and is now expecting to be burnt at the stake for his witchery. Gair is given a reprieve of sorts, evades recapture by the knights of his former order and is taken away to learn how to use his witchery. There are, of course, other events and stories happening while Gair comes to terms with being a witch and learning his craft but these are yet to intersect the main story (wait for books two and three). During the course of the book Gair makes an enemy or two, gains and loses a lover and comes to accept he is important in the witchery world and is left waiting for the a big confrontation or quest to give his life meaning. Gair is a witchery prodigy, having great natural strength and ability, and is also a foundling so is unable to account for his preternatural abilities. To add interest the world in which Gair lives is separated from at least two other worlds by a veil of transubstance, with at least one wearing thin and in danger of being breached – and should that happen then the wild hunt will ride unhindered through the realm of mortals. So much for the story, how about the delivery? For the first half of the book Ms Cooper used an intriguing style. For every chapter that featured Gair as the protagonist she began with very realistic nightmare dreams that disintegrated into rationality as Gair woke. At some point she stopped doing that and for me the book was the lesser for it as Gair ceased grappling with some intense personal demons. By loosing the dreams he became less of a flawed character and less interesting, which more the pity made his subsequent triumphs less heroic. As to what happens next, whether a quest for Gair or a tear in the veil between worlds one is left guessing. Book two will reveal more. |
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