Nights of Villjamur (Legends of the Red Sun, #1) by Mark Charan Newton

Sep 27, 2011 mark monday rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-gave-up, fantastickal

EH? EH! it took a while for my feelings of annoyance and disdain to really flourish. unlike the last travesty of a novel that i gave up on, there was at first some intriguing world-building that kept my attention. and so i made excuses for the incredible weaknesses apparent on the first couple pages. first and foremost, the author seems to suffer from an advanced case of Steven Erikson-itis: his ability to write dialogue and interesting characters falls far, far, faaaaar short of his potentially...more

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Dec 24, 2009 William rated it 3 of 5 stars

There have been many fantasy novels written over the years which are set in a city which is meant to be more than just a place for the plot to happen, but is meant to be an integral part of the story itself. The latest attempt at a great city is the titular Villjamur in “Nights of Villjamur”, the first book in Mark Charan Newton’s “Legends of the Red Sun” series. Villjamur is an ancient city, built on the ruin of a long-lost civilisation and the capital of an Empire stretching across the Boreal...more There have been many fantasy novels written over the years which are set in a city which is meant to be more than just a place for the plot to happen, but is meant to be an integral part of the story itself. The latest attempt at a great city is the titular Villjamur in “Nights of Villjamur”, the first book in Mark Charan Newton’s “Legends of the Red Sun” series. Villjamur is an ancient city, built on the ruin of a long-lost civilisation and the capital of an Empire stretching across the Boreal Archipelago, a wintry chain of islands where life away from the cities is harsh and about to get much harsher as the islands prepare for the onset of what they believe will be a decades-long Ice Age. As the weather worsens, the rulers of Villjamur stockpile resources and food to sustain them during the long winter whilst outside the walls a growing number of refugees are setting up camp, hoping to be let into the city that fears to admit them, believing that resources are insufficient to feed everyone.

There isn’t a single central plot-thread in the book, instead there are multiple characters all with their own plots and motivations which occasionally overlap with one another and it’s difficult to really say which plot should be considered the main one. One plot thread focuses on Inquisitor Jeryd, a member of the non-human Rumel race who share the city with humans who despite his non-human origins is in every other respect a traditional fictional detective, trying to solve the grisly and seemingly supernatural murder of a city councilman while dealing with his overly-ambitious aide, a conspiracy involving a banned underground religion and his unhappy love-life as he tries to win back his estranged wife. Another plot thread is centred around the seemingly carefree Randar Estevu, a young man from a remote tribe recently arrived in the city to work as the Emperor’s daughter’s dancing tutor who is secretly indulging in some seduction of wealthy widows and a bit of simple theft in an attempt to raise the money needed to pay for a cultist’s magical cure for his mother’s illness. The third major plot thread focuses on Brynd, the commander of the Night Guard, the Emperor’s elite bodyguard who are ambushed by a mysterious enemy during a mission to obtain some vital resources who also has to deal with the ambitious Chancellor Urtica’s war-mongering and investigating the mysterious disappearances of large numbers of people on one of the Empire’s outer islands. The final major plot features the rivalry between two of the city’s most powerful groups of cultists, cultists being the only people who know how to use the seemingly magical technology left behind by ancient civilisations.

One consequence of having so many plot threads is that they can seem a bit disconnected from each other. For example, the Cultist plotline only has fairly loose connections to the rest of the story and by the end of the book has very little directly to do with Villjamur itself. Presumably, the plotlines will be better integrated in later books, since this is the first volume in a four-book series.

Nights of Villjamur is Newton’s second novel, and at times that inexperience can be apparent. It is an ambitious work with a complex story, some impressive world-building and Newton’s writing seems to aspire to be higher quality than that of most fantasy authors. He is only partially successful in that ambition, most of the time the quality of the prose is fairly high but it can also seem a bit clunky on occasion, particularly with some awkward exposition early in the book. The dialogue is often a particular weak point, attempts at dramatic speeches often end up seeming a bit trite (for one example, the underwhelming scene where the Chancellor tries to rally the council to declare war on a rival nation) and attempts at everyday conversation sometimes don’t seem to flow naturally or convincingly. Another area where the book falls slightly short of its lofty aims is in the depiction of Villjamur itself. The world-building is intriguing and mostly described efficiently without excessive exposition after the initial introduction to the world. However, the descriptions of Villjamur itself are never quite as evocative as they should be and although the characters frequently remark on what a unique and awe-inspiring place the city is, the actual portrayal of the city fails to make it truly memorable.

Characterisation overall is reasonably good, with a varied group of characters all of whom have believable motivations and distinct personalities. However, some of them don’t really get enough time to properly develop, even fairly important characters like the cultist leader Papus, the artist Tuya or the Emperor’s heir Rika largely remain enigmas throughout the book and some of the characters who do get a bit more time spent on them can seem a bit bland – Jeryd is a likeable character but the honest-but-troubled detective is more than a little bit clichéd and despite being non-human he never feels in the slightest bit alien. Probably the weakest bit of characterisation is the main villain, who ends up being a bit of an over-the-top caricature of a greedy and ambitious politician.

The book is well-paced, getting quickly to the heart of the story without too much introduction and Newton does pack a lot of plot development into its 440 pages. Several of the plot threads are genuinely intriguing and compelling, the book building to a satisfying climax which provides a reasonable amount of resolution to some plot threads while leaving plenty of material for the sequels to explore. The world-building also hints at much greater depth to be revealed in later books, the world Newton describes is interesting and it has some fairly novel elements such as the stresses placed on the civilisation by the problems of the coming Ice Age, problems without any apparent easy solution.

In summary, this is an example of a book that could have been great but has to settle for merely being good. The world is interesting and the plot intriguing and overall it is an entertaining read, but I feel that it might have been a better book if Newton had a few more years experience writing since the occasionally uneven prose and dialogue are flaws that many debut novels (or second novels, in this case) have. Hopefully the later books in the series will build upon the promising foundations of this novel.
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May 29, 2009 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a book that reads like Joe Abercrombie, set in a Jack Vance-like Dying Earth and written with characters the equal of Moorcock and Mieville. Too good to be true? This book might just meet your expectations.

The novel is mainly set in Villjamur, an enormous city, set on a world where the weak red sun heralds the coming of a decades-long Ice Age.

Amidst such a widescreen vista there is a pleasing range of memorable characters. Brynd Lathraea, an albino commander of the Emperor’s elite Night...more Imagine a book that reads like Joe Abercrombie, set in a Jack Vance-like Dying Earth and written with characters the equal of Moorcock and Mieville. Too good to be true? This book might just meet your expectations.

The novel is mainly set in Villjamur, an enormous city, set on a world where the weak red sun heralds the coming of a decades-long Ice Age.

Amidst such a widescreen vista there is a pleasing range of memorable characters. Brynd Lathraea, an albino commander of the Emperor’s elite Night Guard, is a hero of this tale. Ambiguous in attitude and sexuality, his mettle is tested when Emperor Johynn commits suicide and he is set the task of maintaining order in a rapidly changing world and retrieving the Emperor’s heir, the eldest daughter Jamur Rika.

As a counterbalance, the main villain of the book is Chancellor Urtica, who has designs upon the Empire, not to mention a desire to instigate a war with the northern Varltung race in order to enhance his own political standing. His connections with the outlawed Cultists (practitioner of the black arts) lead to a furtherment of his career and war between the rival mage groups in Villjamur.

Between them are Errol Flynn-like rogue Randur Estevu, whose relationship with Princess Eir (the younger sister of Rika) evolves through the book. All of these have complications which read sensibly and logically throughout the book.

Other characters also further widen the novel’s viewpoint, though Mark sensibly concentrates on a few characters in depth rather than attempt epic battles and broad catalogues of people. That’s not to say there aren’t battles and well-written fight scenes, and written well at that, but the emphasis here is on the characters. Of all the book’s strengths, for me it is the range of memorable characters and the places travelled that are the pinnacle.

Similarly, the city is clearly outlined, bringing to my mind images of Viriconium and Lankhmar. The urban setting for all these characters is unveiled through a murder plot, the deaths of a number of the city’s Councillors. Leading the investigation is the ramel (an alien-type race) Investigator Jeryd, who in typical noir-fashion has personal problems which seem to be almost as complex as the case in progress. His relationship with his work-partner, Tryst, is difficult, as Tryst was recently passed over in promotion, whilst his marriage to Marysa seems to be on the rocks.

Often, in larger tales, a reader can lose track of characters, places and events. This didn’t happen for me here. There are instead impressive actions, dark alleyways and soaring towers, places of grandeur and power, scary monsters, eldritch magic and alien races that are in enough variety to keep the reader engaged. For some writers such a variety can be quite a struggle to maintain, juggling all these elements, but I was pleased that Mark, for such a relatively new writer, was able to do so with skill and élan.

In fact, NoV is a great book, which takes old tropes and re-imagines them into something new and memorable. It is an assured tale written with style, intelligence and skill, written inside a fantastically set premise and brilliantly focused novel that shows all the strengths of the genre and relatively few of the weaknesses.

The main disappointment for me was the fact that when I finished the book I wanted to read further (the book is the first in a proposed series.) Though the book finishes at an acceptable place, the book does have that feeling at the end that there are many unresolved events set in motion that will be examined in future novels.

In summary, though, very highly recommended. Definitely my favourite fantasy of the year so far, in what is a very good year for the genre. This will be a ‘best of the year’ novel, unless I’m much mistaken.

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Sep 15, 2011 Pauline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, own, part-of-series

Nights of Villjamur is part political intrigue and part mystery. There are two separate story lines that intertwine in the universe. The first deals with a murder of a chancellor within the city of Villjamur. The murder investigation is conducted by Jamyur, a rumel. While investigating he finds that there is a much more sinister plan going on behind the scenes. The second story is about Brynd, the albino commander of the capital's elite Night Guard. His story line takes us on the journey to brin...more Nights of Villjamur is part political intrigue and part mystery. There are two separate story lines that intertwine in the universe. The first deals with a murder of a chancellor within the city of Villjamur. The murder investigation is conducted by Jamyur, a rumel. While investigating he finds that there is a much more sinister plan going on behind the scenes. The second story is about Brynd, the albino commander of the capital's elite Night Guard. His story line takes us on the journey to bring back the crown princess to be queen and the subsequent journey to find what is attacking the people of the country.

All of this is set in the backdrop of an approaching ice age. I really thought that the author captured human/non-human reactions that would happen if an ice age were to being creeping up on us. The migration of people to the capital for shelter, the stocking of materials for warmth and the unease that come with a sudden influx of people which they do not have the provisions to provide for.

The only thing that really bothered me was that there was a lack of description of some of the fantasy creatures--mainly a rumel. From what I got, it is almost like a gargoyle but I'm not sure. It was extremely choppy in the beginning in regards to the writing style. However, halfway through it stopped bothering me since the plot really began to pick up.

By far my favourite character in this book was Brynd. I like the fact that he is homosexual and that he is always slightly worried that someone is going to find out since he would be killed. I feel as though it reflects his character (seen as an outsider since he is an albino) and this is the first book I've read that addresses such issues. Makes me happy.

There are a lot of unresolved things at the end of the book which I am assuming will be addressed in the sequel. I'm looking forward to getting started on that one.

Overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who prefers a fantasy that is not quest oriented. In particular a mystery/thriller reader who wants to get into fantasy. (less)

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Oct 06, 2011 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Carol by: Fantasy Aficionados monthly

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasy

Slow going. Love the concept of the oncoming ice age forcing a political revolution. Starts with the usual disjointed narrative, hopping from person, place and time, which drives me up the wall. My most frequent review complaint: why must everyone write the deconstructionist novel? I'm convinced that it's a writing shortcut--it's so much easier to keep doing brief sketches from each viewpoint rather than strive for a cohesive whole. And it's a lazy-ass way to develop suspense when the characters...more Slow going. Love the concept of the oncoming ice age forcing a political revolution. Starts with the usual disjointed narrative, hopping from person, place and time, which drives me up the wall. My most frequent review complaint: why must everyone write the deconstructionist novel? I'm convinced that it's a writing shortcut--it's so much easier to keep doing brief sketches from each viewpoint rather than strive for a cohesive whole. And it's a lazy-ass way to develop suspense when the characters are acting against each other. However, we mostly stick with four or five or six main characters: Randur, the dandy and dancer; Tuya the artist; Investigator Rumex Jeryd, a runnel; Brynd the captain of the elite Night Guard; the cultist Duncan; the high Councilor Urtica; the princesses Rika and Eir... okay, now that I think about it, we get to see inside everyone's head. Too bad. It's a whole mish-mash of people, both protagonist and antagonist, and unfortunately, a lot of them sound like the neighbor down the street pretending to be different people at the office when he's telling a story. I enjoyed following some of the storylines, but think the details in each could have been bulked and individualized by not switching narratives so often. Doing so created a sort of homogeneousness of narrative voice and vocabulary.

There were some creative moments--a lot of the underlying ideas were interesting, even if they lacked structure to make a cohesive whole. The setting and the concept of the ice age is fascinating. The races are kind of interesting to me. The cultist concept and Duncan's preoccupation with death is an interesting set-up.

I do have to note that this book involved some of the most awkward sex scenes that I've read in a long time (edited snarky comment here). I'd rather Newton just left it out, as it gave very little insight into the character(s) or setting--or even vicarious enjoyment.

(view spoiler)

Nonetheless, something about the coming ice age is fascinating to me--could be my preoccupation with post-apocalypse novels, so I'll likely get the next book from the library to see how it develops. Or maybe I'm just OCD and I want to see what happens because I can't quite guess how this mess well end up. Well, actually, I can. Eir will be crowned after a long and bloody revolution that pits soldiers/commoners/runnels against the old nobility. Some cultist device will be used. A couple characters will be killed.(less)

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Jul 23, 2011 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: spec-fic

"P2009. Started off really well but towards the middle, I kind of realised that I did not actually like any of the characters other than Investigator Rumex Jeryd. Then, I didn't really care about what happened although it was fairly predictable. I persevered but it was a bit of an effort. The premise and plot was good and the writing style I found to be sparse but effective. There are some suprising elements in the book which makes it worth the read. Not sure if I will worry about getting volume...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I should declare something before I actually start: epic fantasy makes me twitchy. Very twitchy. Eddings makes me run a mile, for reasons I don't entirely fathom. So present me with the first novel in a series that looks - well, epic - and I start jittering.

But.

This is no ordinary fantasy novel: epic or no. It's literary, literate and deeply atmospheric. As the ice closes in on the city of Villjamur, the sense of claustrophobia and impending doom increases, but there's no melodrama to it - it's...more I should declare something before I actually start: epic fantasy makes me twitchy. Very twitchy. Eddings makes me run a mile, for reasons I don't entirely fathom. So present me with the first novel in a series that looks - well, epic - and I start jittering.

But.

This is no ordinary fantasy novel: epic or no. It's literary, literate and deeply atmospheric. As the ice closes in on the city of Villjamur, the sense of claustrophobia and impending doom increases, but there's no melodrama to it - it's just there, present and palpable. It's beautifully pitched. And while I never quite bought into some of the characters, they tended to be the more minor ones as major players are well-sketched and given enough space to develop on their own: something that's becoming all too rare in contemporary fantasy.

The city of Villjamur itself was, for me, the heart of the book. While epic fantasy might set off my tics and twitches, I'm a sucker for a well-built city, and that's how Villjamur feels (the last place I wanted to explore as much as this was Ankh-Morpork. Admittedly with heavily armed guards in the case of the latter, but you get my drift). If you push me, I'd say I would have liked to see a little more life in the streets, and to get more of a sense of it being as packed as it was presumably intended to be - but you can also argue that hey, it's snowing, it's the end of the world... people are more likely than not opting to stay indoors. Of the inhabitants we do get to see, the garudas were particular favourites - and so was Randur... I like my protagonists like my cities: a little roguish and rough around the edges.

There were one or two points which did catch me out: one, I'm freely willing to admit, was most likely down to my own prejudices - and that was the use of "bistro". Clearly I'm falling into the trap of defaulting to "inn" or "tavern". I blame Tolkien. Not my fault. The other was a reference to a cult within Villjamur: the Ovinists. Why, I couldn't help but wonder, do they hold up pig hearts and not sheep hearts? Surely that should make them Porcinists? Still, it's a small thing and one I'm willing to trust the author on.

I get the feeling this is a book you either buy into completely or you don't: no half-measures. Personally, I enjoy Newton's style and I like the world he's building. There may well have been things that didn't entirely convince me as I went along, but - and here's the important thing - they're minor niggles, ones that I'm willing to overlook in favour of the whole. Because that's what fantasy is about: allowing yourself to be transported. If I'm completely honest, I was kind of sad to come back (even if it is warmer here....)(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, audio, not-a-fan, dnf

I tried, but failed. I made it through a little over 4 of 14 cd's (I calculated it to about 100 to 120 or so pages) and it just wasn't working for me.

I guess, and maybe it's because I'm getting older or because I have a one-year-old and all I read every day is Goodnight Moon or Thomas the Train, but I'm just tired of books being completely focused on sex. I read fantasy because I like fantasy elements like medieval times, swords, adventure, different races and lots more.

I don't read romance.

I...more

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May 06, 2011 Judah added it

Shelves: dark-fantasy-new-weird-dystopia

Another of those books that the first time I picked it up, I made it about 50 pages into, and it just didn't "click" with me...picked it up again a few months later, and was immediately sucked up into it. So much so that I'm making the 45-minute-drive to the nearest bookstore--during a tornado watch, nonetheless--to pick up the sequel, even though I haven't *quite* finished this one yet!

I'd put it in the "New Weird" category, without being OVERLY weird. You never find yourself thinking "okay, y...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Carly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasy

This book fulfils most of the hallmarks of epic fantasy: a positive throng of characters, a large amount of worldbuilding, lots of dire forebodings about a coming end of the world, super-evil evil characters, etc. I'm not a big epic fantasy fan. I find that when it is good, it is really, really good, but when it is bad... well, you get the picture. So if you are an epic fantasy fan, ignore my review and try this book. There are a lot of original ideas and epic potential here; it might be a good...more This book fulfils most of the hallmarks of epic fantasy: a positive throng of characters, a large amount of worldbuilding, lots of dire forebodings about a coming end of the world, super-evil evil characters, etc. I'm not a big epic fantasy fan. I find that when it is good, it is really, really good, but when it is bad... well, you get the picture. So if you are an epic fantasy fan, ignore my review and try this book. There are a lot of original ideas and epic potential here; it might be a good fit. Even better, try it on audio. The reader is fantastic. It seriously gained an entire star, possibly a star and a half from me, solely because of general reader awesomeness.

If I could pick one word to describe this book, it would be "incoherent." To get the idea, let my try to describe the characters and plot.

In a world with several different races and a large and imperialistic empire, an ice age is coming, and everyone is afraid about it. (Apparently an "ice age" means a few decades of bad weather, and no explanation is ever given as to how the people know to predict said ice age.) There are a bunch of sects of cultists who collect powerful relics (no explanation for said relics), a random banning of all but a few major religions (no explanations here, either), a power-hungry chancellor full of nefarious schemes to gain power, a sorcerer who is raising the dead (not a good explanation of why said sorcerer did so is really ever given), a bunch of mysterious murders by magic in the city (a ridiculously inadequate explanation for the method and motivation is given here. (view spoiler)), a quest for another world, and the arrival of a bunch of alien lobster-like monsters who apparently seek to invade and destroy (you guessed it...no explanation),... well, the number of elements to the plot just keep coming. All of these ideas are good by themselves, but to me, it felt like none of them were sufficiently well thought out or developed. The book just couldn't decide what it wanted to be: it has a few elements of political thriller, but the politics are made too black and white to fit this genre. We have a few battles, but no focus on the warrior characters. There are several elements of mystery and intrigue, but just as they start getting interesting, the narration swaps to the point of view of the villains and we find out the whys and wherefores. This left the plot as an jumbled muddle, a tangle of plot thread resolutions and introductions, and no coherent arc.

The biggest failing for me is one that goes hand in hand with the epic fantasy genre: a certain sense of grandeur and a tendency to take itself far too seriously. For example, I felt like the book tried very hard to be acute political satire, but it lacked subtlety and dimension. For instance, we have an evil leader who uses a vicious attack on a small set of soldiers to claim that a rival country has ~~weapons of mass destruction~~--uh, powerful cultist relics--to justify an imperialism-driven attack upon them. This same leader uses fear to shut down the borders of the city and prevent refugees from entering (They're illegal aliens! They carry disease! They'll take away food and jobs!) and threats of potential terrorism to enforce ~~a Patriot Act~~--uh, I mean, stronger search and seizure laws. He secretly wants to exterminate all the refugees...apparently for no better reason except that they look messy. Said leader is indisputably evil-evil; he murdered his own parents because they irritated him. It's all a one-sided characterization. Making a character that evil is lazy; anyone with him is automatically bad and anyone against him is automatically good. See what I mean about lacking subtlety and actual analysis? At the same time, the protagonists' attitude of let-the-refugees-all-die-during-the-ice-age-but-don't-outright-kill-them is...you guessed it... incoherent.

As is standard for epic fantasy, there are a *load* of characters, and the book bounces between the perspectives of well over a dozen of them. To name the major ones, we have a noble albino guard, a privileged princess, a thieving cassanova, a scarred prostitute, a dutiful member of the inquisition (which functions as police, among other things), an ancient cultist trying to find a secret to let him live for ever, an uber-evil chancellor, ... well, the list just keeps going. In my opinion, we get the plot from the perspectives of too many characters, even for epic fantasy. It seems to me to be a lazy way of plot exposition: rather than developing characters or figuring out how to really tell the story through the eyes of a limited set, just keep switching them to get to the action scenes. And unfortunately, characterization wasn't well done. All of the characters have very similar voices, and all sounded oddly artificial to me, rather like a 21st-century LARPer trying to stay in character. The audiobook was a saving grace here: the narrator managed, via intonation and accent, to inject a touch of personality into each of them. Even with this, the characters felt to me to be...you guessed it... incoherent. For example, our friendly lathario is perfectly happy to borrow someone's identity, act as a gigolo, and rob jewellery from his victims, ostensibly because he wants to help his mother live forever. And then suddenly he falls in *lurve*, forgets about his mother, and becomes a noble rescuing hero. It didn't feel like character development to me; he didn't go through any form of self-realization or dramatic event. It just felt like inconsistency. The same was true for all the other characters as well. The narration tends to fall into the "tell rather than show" zone when trying to get into the characters' heads, so all felt flat and impersonal to me.

Overall, I think the author has a bunch of creative ideas. Unfortunately, he tried to shoehorn them all into a single book at the expense of coherence and developed characters. If you really, really like epic fantasy and you're willing to be in this one for the long haul, take a look at this. In particular, check it out on audio. Despite the serious cliffhangers and unanswered questions (seriously, why are there random crustacean monsters running around?), I'm not planning on picking up the next book; however, I think the author has a lot of potential and will be worth watching out for as he develops his craft.(less)

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Dec 26, 2011 John Onoda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nights of Villjamur is the first book in a fantasy series. Because a police detective investigating a series of strange murders is at the heart of the story, the novel has something of the feel of a police procedural, although the investigator isn't human and there is dark magic involved.

In the story, an ice age is overtaking the world and it's unclear if many will survive it. Most of the story takes place in a major city, increasingly surrounded by refugees who want shelter from the freezing co...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Megan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Re-posted from http://theturnedbrain.blogspot.com)

So if you buy a book solely because the cover is beautiful, or because the title is intriguing, then you accept the risk that the book might be not so good. But when you buy a book because you've seen it mentioned all over the place and because the plot sounds like ten different kinds of awesome, then you're your expectations might be somewhat higher. And yet, sometimes, the spur of the moment book will be fantastic and the anticipated one, well...more

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May 08, 2011 Jacob rated it 4 of 5 stars

(Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/0... )
This was a difficult novel for me to review: superb in some aspects, aptly first-novelish in others. In conclusion, I'll just have to rip off Pornokitsch's accolade for Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, and turn it on its head. Nights of Villjamur is 'conceptually brilliant'.

Nights of Villjamur is set at the dawn of a new era: an encroaching ice age threatens starvation for the empire's capital, the city of Villjamur. As refugees cluster...more (Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/0... )
This was a difficult novel for me to review: superb in some aspects, aptly first-novelish in others. In conclusion, I'll just have to rip off Pornokitsch's accolade for Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, and turn it on its head. Nights of Villjamur is 'conceptually brilliant'.

Nights of Villjamur is set at the dawn of a new era: an encroaching ice age threatens starvation for the empire's capital, the city of Villjamur. As refugees cluster outside its gates, the empire itself is passing to a successor, and a escort is sent for the new Empress: Rika. However, intrigue is rife within the city (isn't it always? This is fantasy, after all) and a banned cult are plotting to take power. Meanwhile, Randur Estevu, an islander under an assumed name, comes to take up an occupation in the palace: teaching sword and dance to Eir, the second in line for the throne. But there's more afoot in the crumbling city - a Councilor has been murdered, and Inspector Jeryd is called upon to investigate the crime. And out on the ice, reports of a bizarre genocide are spreading through the Empire...

The ideas, for the most part, are fantastic: Villjamur is a Mieville-esque setting filled with plot opportunities in a crazy, New Weird-style mix. Banshees mourn the dead, cultists engineer relics of ancient civilisation to accomplish incredible feats (there's even a glimpse of a 'magic junkee' on one street, which I found a fun idea). The plot, likewise, could have been brilliant: there's something for everyone in the varied plotlines, with mystery in Jeryd's viewpoint chapters, a military endeavour with the guardsmen, and the occasional glimpse of the cultists' recovered magic. Furthermore, it's set in the preparations for an ice age, where food and fuel are scarce and the certainly isn't enough for anyone. If it had focused on this, it could have been an incredible transformative fantasy, with tough decisions being made constantly. Instead, Rika's attempts to help the doomed refugees are barely commented on or criticised as futile - the refugees are merely there in the background as vulnerable targets. The focus on the cult shifts everything away from the initial apparent target of the novel, which I found a slight decline in what could have been an even more original novel.

Nevertheless, a lot of what Newton does is superbly crafted: Randur's viewpoint is initially mysterious enough to intrigue us with questions. What is he after? Why under an assumed name? What does he want with the cultists? Although the tension isn't quite held up, there is definitely a fun climax to his plotline. Unfortunately, some of the technical aspects weren't quite so well handled: the relationship between Randur and Eir didn't quite seem convincing to me, and I though Brynd's partner needed more development. The cult, as well, were a bit of a letdown for me, seeming fairly stereotypically evil without much apparent reason: although I can see them making harsh decisions for the greater good, their reasons aren't elaborated on at all.

Despite these problems - which are very subjective - Nights of Villjamur is an intriguing fantasy with plenty of potential for future books in the series: I've heard that the sequel, City of Ruin is even better, so I'm looking forward to reading this. In conclusion, Nights is definitely a good book, but it could have been an incredible book: as its sequels may well prove to be.

6.5/10(less)

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Aug 06, 2010 Liberty Gilmore rated it 5 of 5 stars

What’s Good About It

There’s a lot going on – political intrigue, dangerous unknown threats on the outer islands, an ice age. All these big things are played off against the small concerns – a husband trying to reconcile with his wife, a son trying to save his mother, and it’s the contrast that works so well. Often epic fantasy is so concerned with the epic that it forgets about the human interest, the telling details that help us relate to the characters and their struggles, and through them tak...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Ole Imsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is one thing that can annoy me to the point that it seriously hampers my enjoyment of a book: How a word is pronounced. This may have something to do with me being Norwegian, sometimes my Norwegian and English pronunciations will battle for superiority. It happened with the name Lathraea in this book. In Norwegian it would be Lath-ra-eh-ah. Fortunately Twitter exists so I could ask the author and get told that it is actually pronounced La-threy-a. -The wonders of modern technology put to...more There is one thing that can annoy me to the point that it seriously hampers my enjoyment of a book: How a word is pronounced. This may have something to do with me being Norwegian, sometimes my Norwegian and English pronunciations will battle for superiority. It happened with the name Lathraea in this book. In Norwegian it would be Lath-ra-eh-ah. Fortunately Twitter exists so I could ask the author and get told that it is actually pronounced La-threy-a. -The wonders of modern technology put to good use.

Nights of Villjamur is medieval fantasy of the type they used to make back when vampires didn't sparkle. It can seem pretty standard if you list the elements present: Princess, rogue, warrior, and conspiracy. But if you also list zombies, detective, and environmental disaster, it becomes clear that this is something that is fresh and exciting.

One of the central storylines is that of a murder investigation. Newton uses this to show us much of the workings of the city of Villjamur. The investigation is also used to uncover several other strands of the story, and this is done in a way that feels natural and not forced. It is also done in a way that always leaves you wanting more. I found that as I progressed in the book my breaks became fewer and further apart. The pace of the story really drives you along, and the pages fly.

Most of the story happens in the city of Villjamur, and we get glimpses of most parts of the city throughout the story. And I for one really got a good feeling of how the city functions. Both the architecture and the people of the city are well realized. I never felt that there was something left out that needed to be known about this location. That being said, there are only tantalizing glimpses of the world outside of the city. You get told there is a larger world out there, but you only gets to see parts of it. There is nothing wrong with this, in fact I think it helps the book that Newton has concentrated on showing us the city. And of course there will be sequels to the book that more than likely will show us much more.

One thing that I really liked in this book was the way Newton handled the winter. Most people probably don't think much about that, but when you grow up in Norway with four months of snow a year you notice if it's done badly, and Newton has definitely pulled it off. The scenes with snowball-throwing made me both nostalgic and guilty about my own childhood.

This book is definitely going onto my list of favourites. I would like to recommend it to anyone who likes a good story. It's brilliantly written, and sucks you in in the way all great books should.
Mark Charan Newton is certainly an author to keep an eye on for the future.(less)

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Jun 23, 2011 Efseine rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: unfinished

Horribly disappointing. I made it to page 51 and couldn't force myself to continue. Perhaps if I were in a less critical mood (reading dozens of queries and manuscripts at work does that to you) I might have been able to overlook this novel's flaws, but as is I found them insurmountable.

The intriguing world-building lost its charm quickly in the parade of clumsy info-dumps. The prose seems to believe itself more literary than it is, repetitive language and awkward phrasing undermining its streng...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Swan rated it 1 of 5 stars

From the blurb it sounded interesting. Once I started reading it, though, it became plain very early on that it was not for me.

The writing left me cold. It feels like an early draft that needs rewriting. Characters felt a bit on the cookie cutter side, and I couldn't bring myself to care what happened to them. I struggled to picture the city (and the rest of the setting), and repeated uses of 'OK' in the dialogue, and references to things like anorexia punted me right out of setting and back int...more

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Mar 24, 2012 James Everington rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've not really read fiction of this genre since I was a teenager, finding all too often these kind of trilogies (and they always *are* trilogies) seem to be cliched and generic. Fortunately this series seems to avoid that trap. Some of the characters are a tad familiar, but the author does in a good job in making them individuals; sexuality, of all persuasions, is particularly well handled will out being too overbearing.

The setting is mainly urban, and the story in part describes the machinati...more

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Sep 23, 2010 Vincent rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

In Nights of Villjamur, Mark Newton has managed to combine several threads in one compelling story. Part Day after Tomorrow, part Kim, it is a fantasy tale that melds ideas from the east and west. Boiled down to its basic components, a boy tries to find a necromancer to keep his mother from dying. In doing so, he must get help from one of the local cults to find a Necromancer. The backdrop of this is a planet whose sun is dying – causing a long winter to set in. There is a dynastic change, polit...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Reed rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There has been a lot of hype the past year about Mark Charan Newton's debut novel Nights of Villjamur since it's UK release. For the most part, I feel this hype has been warranted. It is unfair for any novelist's first book to stand up against the copious amounts of praise heaped upon this novel, so while I was a little disappointed in the book--most of this disappointment stemmed from the fact I was expecting and imagining Newton to produce something I've never experiences before.

First off, don...more There has been a lot of hype the past year about Mark Charan Newton's debut novel Nights of Villjamur since it's UK release. For the most part, I feel this hype has been warranted. It is unfair for any novelist's first book to stand up against the copious amounts of praise heaped upon this novel, so while I was a little disappointed in the book--most of this disappointment stemmed from the fact I was expecting and imagining Newton to produce something I've never experiences before.

First off, don't take my criticisms as a reason to ignore this novel--Newton tells a good tale, it is worth reading, and I look forward to the second installment.

I think my largest problem stems from the method of storytelling Newton has selected. He has created a large cast of characters, and bounces amongst their points of view almost willy nilly. We move from Jandur the rake, to Eir the princess, Rika her heir-to-the-throne sister, to Inspector Jeryd, to the scheming Urtica, to the prostitue Tuya,to . . . you get the idea.

Muliple viewpoints, when done well, can certainly enhance a story's power (see Guy Gavriel Kay, for example). In this case, I don't think Newton quite has the chops to pull it off. Yet. There are sections where it works well, just not at all times. In fact, he seems to change it up a bit near the end of the novel. As it picks up the pace, he changes viewpoints less often and the narrative flow smooths out.

Additionally, while I enjoyed the world Newton created it does feel at times like he took a mishmash of other authors he has enjoyed over the years. You get the dying earth of Jack Vance, the New Weird of Mievelle and Vandermeer with crustacean humanoids, banshees that wail for the dead, etc. Some bits of "borrowing" are just plain annoying--for example in one scene a character comments on their "fuligin" cloak, a color that is darker than black, and reflects no light. Is this intended as a awkward homage to Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun and his amazing character Severian's "fulgin" cloak with the same characteristics? I certainly don't know, but it came off as a novice author stealing a cool idea, and changing the word by one letter.

But like I said, my criticisms should not prevent a fantasy reader from checking out this book. These missteps merely kept a very good novel from becoming a great one. Recommended. (less)

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Jan 02, 2010 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed-first-or-limited-edition, weird-and-new-weird, 2006-2010, science-fantasy, mystery, crime

4.5 to 5.0 stars. A superb debut novel and an excellent beginning to what may be a great new series. This is a gritty, noir like fantasy set in a "dying earth" setting and filled with great characters and an interesting plot. The world-building elements, many of which are only hinted at in this first book, are what set this book above the lesser works in the genre. A very good book. Highly recommended!!

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Mar 17, 2009 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009_release_read, genre-fantasy, read_2009, review_fbc, top_25_2009_novels, aq_more_favorites, series_read

Superb book - epic fantasy debut of Mark Newton who has published one small press sf novel The Reef before.

Under the Red Sun, the long-awaited Freeze is coming and presumed to last for some decades at least and the Villjamur archipelago Empire centered on its capital with the same name is preparing.

The corrupt ruling Council led by Chancellor Urtica wants to keep the population as low as possible so tens of thousands of refugees from neighboring island-provinces are allowed to starve in tent...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Ranting Dragon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: marty

http://www.rantingdragon.com/nights-o...

Mark Charan Newton’s debut novel, Nights of Villjamur, is the first in his The Legends of the Red Sun series. The Legends of the Red Sun will consist of four volumes, with the second volume released in 2010 and the third slated for a 2011 release.

An ice age is coming as the sun grows old and red. The people of Villjamur, the mighty fortress city of the Jamur Empire, say the ice could last for fifty years, but there are greater worries than just the coming...more

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Jul 18, 2010 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Filled with interesting, well-developed characters, political intrigue and a magical system that's really just advanced science, the Nights of Villjamur is a super-interesting read very much in the style of China Miéville.

Set in a world where the Freeze is coming, locking the world down into a place of haves, those already inside the walls of Villjamur, and the have-nots, essentially everyone else.

The Emperor dies, forcing his eldest daughter to return from a monastic-like life to take over. She...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Neil Pearson rated it 3 of 5 stars

First off, Mark is a welcome new voice in Fantasy. He has done an amazing job at developing an entire world in a very short space. The history of the world is tangible and if he doesn't have notes on events that go back 10,0000 years he has done an excellent job of fooling me. The main city is well characterised and there are a myriad of cool "monster races" that are described and I really hope Mark delves further into the Garuda and Banshees. Not only that but he includes some nice gestures and...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Christoph Kappel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 02, 2010 Jana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not a bad start so far. A number of characters have already been introduced and I did not feel sympathetic to a single one yet. But that might change as soon as I learn a bit more about them. Well, one is dead already. :) I like that.

Weeeeeell, I just don't know. I connected with none of the characters. I have some hopes that Empress Rika might get the chance to develop something like an interesting character/personality in the next instalment, but I'm not even sure that I will give it a chance...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Jennie N rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Nights of Villjamur contains a lot of ideas but I had some problems with its execution. The plot threads took too long to come together and the characters did not get sufficient time to develop and connect with the reader. There was a lot of characters and we are only given a glimpse of them before moving on. The narrator tells us what we need to know in between (at times) awkward conversations. The world was well constructed with an ice age threatening the majority of the population. The politi...more Nights of Villjamur contains a lot of ideas but I had some problems with its execution. The plot threads took too long to come together and the characters did not get sufficient time to develop and connect with the reader. There was a lot of characters and we are only given a glimpse of them before moving on. The narrator tells us what we need to know in between (at times) awkward conversations. The world was well constructed with an ice age threatening the majority of the population. The political machinations were, frankly, boring because I found the political schemes simplified (but they actually worked!) and the majority of government useless (maybe deliberately made so by the author).

Each character was vivid and interesting. There are many characters that have their own little histories and events in their past that define who they are in the present. It’s amazing to see that every single character defying cliché because they are all shaped by their histories, environment, families etc. The author spends a lot of time ‘explaining’ everything to us. A lot of characterisations depend on the narrator who simply tells us about the character instead of us unravelling it ourselves.

Brynd, the albino commander, is visually the most striking character. His character, sadly, is not really developed, but we see his resourcefulness, self discipline and dedication to duty that masks his loneliness. The book would have been a lot more interesting if there was focus on one or two characters instead of flitting from one to another.
I could spot the romance between the princess Eir and womanizer Raundur from a mile away. Randur is an engaging character until he falls head over heels for Eir and then he is all I’ll-sacrifice-everything-for-my-love. Eir’s mastery of the sword after a few months of instruction is unconvincing – after all she hasn’t encountered ‘real’ combat. The empress Rika really disappointed me. I thought she had some hidden intelligence, maybe her blandness was a facade used to fuel her enemies, maybe she has a twisted religious ambition...but nope, completely bland, to the very end. She becomes slap-worthy in the second book.

Jeryd is a reptilian/humanoid investigator who is the epitome of something we are very familiar with: the working man who overworks and neglects his family. When he appears, the plot moves very slowly (more on the pacing later). I found it harder to connect with him at first, because his character is based on a stereotype that is overused in movies.

The author likes to use ** to ‘cut’ from one character to another, but it was overused. The characters do not have proper interactions; I just didn’t feel real ‘chemistry’ between them. Their conversations were passable but not memorable because I really could not feel the ‘voice’ of each person. Being spoon fed what they think and feel backfires because I lose interest if I am given everything too easily!

The world building is amazing though. I enjoyed the satire very much. My brief review of the world here would not do it justice, it has a rich history and dark future with big questions about what is right and wrong (utilitarian? Or compassion? Etc). Chancellors coldly trying to keep refugees outside their city (and their not unreasonable justifications), the colonisation of tribal races, the illusions held by both the rulers and the ruled...ideas such as these really define the novel as being different from the other standard sword-and-sorcery epics out there with evil dark lords and their minions.

I don’t know why the writing style did not resonate with me very much. There were occasional awkward sentences, awkward conversations, and a lot of awkward ** splattered around. Even so, I like this world very much, especially the architecture of Villjamur, the remnants of a technologically advanced civilisation, the coexistence of familiar and unfamiliar races, and the snow everywhere! (Alright, I just like snow, and I’m biased towards post-apocalyptic stuff as well. I can only read so many books where people journey across forests wearing medieval clothing and blasting villains with glowy magic).

I really, really struggled with the first half of the book because there was literally no direction, no suspense, and zero interaction with our leads. Too many pages were dedicated to setting up the story, the characters and the world. Mysteries were not explained until much later and by then I had half forgotten about it and I wasn’t interested. (Good) Characters did their jobs and followed the rules for a long time until much later where they were forced to react or be killed. (Evil) Characters spent a lot of time thinking and plotting and spying before anything really happened. Not a lot of suspense in the first book; it reads to me like a first chapter of a very long multivolume novel.

Overall, the story picked up in the second half, but I wish I didn’t have to endure the first half to get to the good parts. Nights of Villjamur has a lot of potential but functions more as ‘setting-up-the-stage’ rather than giving us readers a hell of a ride. I truly would not mind if I was thrown in the middle of the action and flashbacks were used to tell the back story rather than (tediously) progress chronologically like this. It was a good read and I enjoyed it though.
(less)

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Jan 29, 2011 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, read-2011

4.5 Stars...There is a lot to like in this dark fantasy. First the world building is superb and truly set this up to be a great series. Not since I read China Mieville and his city New Crozubon have I been so into the world building. Villjamur is very similar in scope, in beauty, in horror, and in the style of New Crozubon. Newton blends and bends magic with technology, and cult religions into a fascinating art form. This book is filled with dark magic, prostitution, artwork that comes to life,...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Suse rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anfangs war ich von dem Buch total begeistert. Interessante, düstere Hintergrundgeschichte, die mir ziemlich kalt den Nacken runterlief, interessante Charaktere – und eine interessante Sprache. Zuerst war ich davon etwas verwirrt, denn hier wechselt sich klassisch geschwollene High-Fantasy-Sprache in den Dialogen plötzlich mit moderner Alltagssprache ab, doch nachdem ich mich daran gewöhnt hatte, fand ich genau das ziemlich erfrischend.
Doch im letzten Viertel des Buches ließ die Spannung nach....more

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Nights of Villjamur (Legends of the Red Sun #1)

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