REVIEW: Tales of Abeth by Mark Lawrence
Nona Grey is back with Tales of Abeth, a compilation of three short stories by Mark Lawrence that can only be described as manna from heaven for his legions of Book of the Ancestor fans.
For the uninitiated, the Book of the Ancestor trilogy begins with Red Sister, which introduces us to the brutal ice-covered world of Abeth and its warrior nuns from Sweet Mercy convent. The nuns inhabit a narrow corridor of green that encircles the planet, kept alive by a mechanical moon that focuses light from Abeth’s dying sun.
The lead protagonist of the series, Nona Grey, is a young novice imbued with rare magical powers inherited from the original tribes who settled Abeth.
Tales of Abeth opens with “The Devil You Know,” which ranks as #4 on my list of Top Ten Mark Lawrence Short Stories and describes the aftermath of the final battle scene in Red Sister. “The Devil You Know” provides our first introduction to an important character who appears at the beginning of Grey Sister, while also expanding on the series’ themes of friendship and inner demons:
“Some say we carry an angel on our right shoulder and a devil on our left, and that both whisper to us all the days of our life. The truth though is that we carry them not on our shoulders but within us, and they are legion. Our lives are not swayed by whispers. Our lives are the smoke that rises above the battleground of hearts where the armies of light and of darkness make war.”
For the careful reader, “The Devil You Know” also reveals important connections to the Book of the Ice trilogy and the rest of Mark Lawrence’s interconnected universe. In fact, I’d consider this to be the single most important short story for readers who truly wish to understand the subtleties of the Lawrenceverse.
The second story in Tales of Abeth, “Bound,” takes place between Grey Sister and Holy Sister. This not-quite-novella is billed as a “kissing story,” which is an accurate description. But it also provides plenty of non-romantic action, with magical quantal powers playing a prominent role.
Lawrence’s writing is top-notch, as always. I especially enjoyed the allusion to his famous opening line from Red Sister:
“It is important, when killing a novice, to ensure you bring a force of sufficient size.”
“Bound” is the most unapologetically fun story in this collection and will appeal to anyone who loves the Book of the Ancestor trilogy. While the story itself is self-contained, it recounts some important character development that will carry over into Holy Sister. Hence, reading “Bound” immediately following Grey Sister will enhance the reader’s experience with Holy Sister.
The third and final story in Tales of Abeth, “Thaw,” takes place many years after the conclusion of Holy Sister. “Thaw” elaborates further on the relationships among Nona and her friends. It’s especially interesting to see how they’ve grown in the years since Holy Sister. “Thaw” also reveals an interesting tidbit of Abeth worldbuilding.
Altogether, Tales of Abeth is a must-read short story collection for fans of Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor series. Any time spent with Nona Grey and friends is time well spent indeed.
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