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The Twelve
Valtierra, a city-state, is governed by archetypes. Every two years they choose twelve men and women to wear the masks and to become the Wise Old Man, the Fool, the Mother, the Harlot, the Warrior, and the rest of the council.
But now Valtierra faces hunger, decay, and an enemy on their border. When the need for leadership is greatest, one mask is worn by a foreigner and o...more
But now Valtierra faces hunger, decay, and an enemy on their border. When the need for leadership is greatest, one mask is worn by a foreigner and o...more
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published August 24th 2010)
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James K. Burk busts through the box with this one! Twelve amazing points of view, done with depth and character. The Twelve follows Commander Anton to Valtierra, a city-state that is governed by archetypes. Every two years they choose twelve men and women to wear the masks of a specific character, and to become the council. They've lost their warrior, and though Anton just defeated them in battle, they ask him to replace their fallen council member. It's a tough job to shape Valtierra's army, ci...more
Jun 20, 2012
Theo Logos
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
speculative-fiction
The Twelve, James K. Burk’s first novel, is a true rarity – a fantasy novel with fresh ideas and unique perspective. Ignoring outworn fantasy tropes, The Twelve tells the story of the governance of a medieval type city state by a council of individuals each representing an archetype; Warrior, Merchant, Priest, Matron, etc. The action of the novel mostly takes the form of the intrigue and maneuvering between the councilors as a deadly crisis confronts their city, forcing them to rethink their per...more
A quick, well-written read with a truly original premise. The city-state of Valtierra is governed by a council of twelve archetypes. When their Warrior is killed in battle, the council position is offered to the foreign mercenary who was responsible, and the story takes off from there.
The plot involving a neighboring enemy city-state is engaging, but the book really shines when it comes to the characters and their relationships. You are never told the characters' given names (except for the new...more
The plot involving a neighboring enemy city-state is engaging, but the book really shines when it comes to the characters and their relationships. You are never told the characters' given names (except for the new...more
With "The Twelve", James K. Burk delivered a masterful tale, filled with a Council of archetypes and a city-state, Valtierra, lingering on the brink of war.
The tension came to life as the characters each portrayed believable qualities, living up to the societal archetypes that were placed upon them - and thus represented in the form of masks. Each figure was distinct in living up to his or her role, and through simple description and prose, an entire realm was brought to life. I felt like I sat...more
The tension came to life as the characters each portrayed believable qualities, living up to the societal archetypes that were placed upon them - and thus represented in the form of masks. Each figure was distinct in living up to his or her role, and through simple description and prose, an entire realm was brought to life. I felt like I sat...more
James K. Burk’s debut novel—The Twelve—is one of the finer examples of world building and character development I’ve read in the past year. The book tells story of Anton, commander of an army, who leads a victorious battle over the army of Valtierra, a city governed by a council of twelve. Anton then finds himself without a home when his life is threatened by his former Lord. An invitation comes from The Twelve for him to join their number and replace the warrior he defeated, so he goes to Valt...more
Fun pseudo-medieval fantasy with fascinating character development and intrigue. My only gripe (and it's a minor one, at that) is battles happen with such swiftness that they seem over almost before they start. A seemingly slim volume at 200 pages; those pages are large and densely packed, so you're getting your money's worth. I endeavor to read more of Burk's work.
A great exercise in worldbuilding, with many sympathetic characters, although the mystery aspect of the plot (who is the traitor?) turned out predictably.
Feb 06, 2012
Heather
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction-fantasy
Apr 03, 2011
Mary
marked it as to-read
Nov 21, 2010
Elizabeth
marked it as to-read
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