DRIVERS ONLINE: Kencyrath Madness or a Foolish Promise

Friday, June 1, 2018

Kencyrath Madness or a Foolish Promise

One of my favorite, and Id add one of the best, fantasy novels in the past thirty-five years, is P.C. Hodgells God Stalk (read my review at Black Gate), first in her Kencyrath series. Since it came out in 1983 Ive read it half a dozen times or more. The sequel, Dark of the Moon (look for my BG review next week barring any disasters at my buddys 50th Birthday Pig Roast this Saturday), Ive read only a time or two less.

Hodgell is one of the unfairly recognized truly good authors toiling away in the fantasy Dark of the Moon in 1985 she didnt publish the next novel, Seekers Mask, until 1995. After that she was silent until 2006 with To Ride a Rathorn.
fields. Aside from the hit-or-miss nature of any books popularity, she fell off the scene for a while. After

From what shes written, it was a combination of an academic career, family obligations, and the unfortunate collapse of two publishers out from under her. Fortunately, since 2006, shes been writing like a fiend and moving the story forward.

Every time a new books come out Ive ordered it at once. But I havent read four of
the seven novels yet. Everytime a new one comes out Ive felt compelled to go back and start at the beginning. Hodgells books are complex, filled with intricate relationships, and slathered with crazy invention and I want to be up to speed.

The latest book, The Sea of Time, just came in the mail this past Sunday. Putting it on the shelf and not knowing when I was going to read it ticked me off enough to start in at once on Dark of the Moon. Which made me promise myself to read the rest this summer. Once and for all, Im going to get to the end of the books before anymore are published.

Now, Ive got a bunch of things I have to read this summer. Ive got a Sacred Band book to read and Ive got to read Changas Safari II before III is released. Theres a pair of James Enge and Howard Andrew Jones books staring at me along. Then therere the books Im still in the middle of reading. And Ive got my aunts house to clean out. Oh, well.

Its fascinating, and more than a tad depressing, to watch the changing covers over thirty years. The first, for God Stalk, is perfect. Dark, mysterious, and fantastically detailed. Things are bearable until the two Baen covers for Bound in Blood and Honors Paradox. Hodgells character is a flat-chested teenage girl, not some inflated pinup girl. Fortunately, the newest cover is much better, even if not perfect.

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