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An Exercise in Futility
Beyond the borders of the mighty Kalharian Empire, the Tribes of Gurdur wander a vast plain. When the border falls under dispute and his tribe prepares for war, Ezekiel is left behind to train with his mysterious uncle. There he learns the art of necromancy, and begins to If a man can be brought back to life, why not a civilization?
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First published June 7, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 16, 2011
This is yet another self-published ebook by a debut author, the first part of a presumed trilogy, 'The Histories of Atreus'. This one was cheap, but not that cheap (£2+ for each part adds up). As always, such books are a leap into the unknown, but this one is better than most.
The first part of the book is rather ho-hum - a young man learning to be a wizard of sorts as his people are caught up in a war of annihilation. It turns out that his ability is as a necromancer, or raising the dead, and about half way through the book, this talent leads to an unexpected and far more interesting turn of events. This section felt rather odd, like turning a page to find yourself in the middle of a Terry Pratchett book, and I found it hard to take seriously. I also thought the logistics needed more thought. I don't want to give anything away here, but let's just say that it was extremely fortunate for Ezekiel that he had the Elf thinking things through and preparing for the consequences.
The book was quite short, noticeably shorter than the average fantasy, and although it seems churlish to complain about that (most fantasies are way too long), I do feel the story would have benefitted from a slower pace, and a little more depth, both to the characters and to the situations they found themselves in. Charity, Meunig and perhaps Ruth are among those who needed to have their personalities drawn out in greater detail. Charity's decision to leave the safety of the mountains and return to the plains, for example, seemed rather abrupt, and her motivation wasn't as clear as it might have been. This brevity led to a rather flat writing style - 'Ezekiel decided ...' or 'he understood that...' - with very little emotion. This made it hard to engage with the characters, even when they were in terrible danger or suffering physically or mentally. But on the whole, the characters were interesting, with some depth, and all of them felt believable (I particularly liked the Elf). My only reservation was Charity - she felt like the compulsory love interest, with no other real purpose, and her sections seemed rather dull to me.
The story itself is excellent, moving along at a nice steady pace, with some neat twists and turns - nothing wildly original, but none the worse for that. The author makes the point that people are much the same, whichever side of the war they may be on, and there is good and bad on both sides. The magic system is interesting and well thought out, and the created world is believable (what little we saw of it), although the transition from nomadic to settled way of life is perhaps rather too simplistic. Overall, I found this an enjoyable, thought-provoking read, with more substance than many fantasies, and only marred by the emotionless tone of the writing. A good 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
The first part of the book is rather ho-hum - a young man learning to be a wizard of sorts as his people are caught up in a war of annihilation. It turns out that his ability is as a necromancer, or raising the dead, and about half way through the book, this talent leads to an unexpected and far more interesting turn of events. This section felt rather odd, like turning a page to find yourself in the middle of a Terry Pratchett book, and I found it hard to take seriously. I also thought the logistics needed more thought. I don't want to give anything away here, but let's just say that it was extremely fortunate for Ezekiel that he had the Elf thinking things through and preparing for the consequences.
The book was quite short, noticeably shorter than the average fantasy, and although it seems churlish to complain about that (most fantasies are way too long), I do feel the story would have benefitted from a slower pace, and a little more depth, both to the characters and to the situations they found themselves in. Charity, Meunig and perhaps Ruth are among those who needed to have their personalities drawn out in greater detail. Charity's decision to leave the safety of the mountains and return to the plains, for example, seemed rather abrupt, and her motivation wasn't as clear as it might have been. This brevity led to a rather flat writing style - 'Ezekiel decided ...' or 'he understood that...' - with very little emotion. This made it hard to engage with the characters, even when they were in terrible danger or suffering physically or mentally. But on the whole, the characters were interesting, with some depth, and all of them felt believable (I particularly liked the Elf). My only reservation was Charity - she felt like the compulsory love interest, with no other real purpose, and her sections seemed rather dull to me.
The story itself is excellent, moving along at a nice steady pace, with some neat twists and turns - nothing wildly original, but none the worse for that. The author makes the point that people are much the same, whichever side of the war they may be on, and there is good and bad on both sides. The magic system is interesting and well thought out, and the created world is believable (what little we saw of it), although the transition from nomadic to settled way of life is perhaps rather too simplistic. Overall, I found this an enjoyable, thought-provoking read, with more substance than many fantasies, and only marred by the emotionless tone of the writing. A good 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
April 10, 2016
From the author of the very funny Klondaeg books (Klondaeg The Monster Hunter), An Exercise in Futility is a much more serious, even tragic, book. When the nomadic Gurdur tribes are threatened with conquest by the ruthless Empire to the south, young Ezekiel longs to join in the battle. Instead, his magical gifts dictate he go away for training to fight in a different way. His gift turns out to be for necromancy, which has obvious uses in war. But while any garden-variety necromancer can raise an army of the undead, it takes an extraordinary one to think of using his powers on himself - and on an entire culture.
Though the story is epic in scale, the book is short; the author leaves out all the unimportant stuff in between the important things, so the story moves right along. The characters are engaging, well-rounded, courageous, and concerned with doing the right things - even the villains have what reasons for doing what they do instead of being evil for the sake of being evil. I sympathized with the plight of the Gurdurs while still understanding why the Empire thought what it was doing was for the benefit of the tribes (and maybe even agreeing a litte!)
The writing is clear and easy to follow. Nothing fancy, but the beauty of the plains, the magic, and the hardships of war and the plight of the refugees are vividly described. While the overall tone of the book is somber, some comic relief is provided by the good-natured insults exchanged between Ezekiel's teachers, Joseph and Kianel, and the teachers' prodding of Ezekiel and his fellow student.
As suggested by the title, the story of the Gurdur struggle against the Empire doesn't necessarily end the way Ezekiel would have liked it to, but it also proves that in some ways, the human spirit's desire for freedom and love can never be defeated.
Though the story is epic in scale, the book is short; the author leaves out all the unimportant stuff in between the important things, so the story moves right along. The characters are engaging, well-rounded, courageous, and concerned with doing the right things - even the villains have what reasons for doing what they do instead of being evil for the sake of being evil. I sympathized with the plight of the Gurdurs while still understanding why the Empire thought what it was doing was for the benefit of the tribes (and maybe even agreeing a litte!)
The writing is clear and easy to follow. Nothing fancy, but the beauty of the plains, the magic, and the hardships of war and the plight of the refugees are vividly described. While the overall tone of the book is somber, some comic relief is provided by the good-natured insults exchanged between Ezekiel's teachers, Joseph and Kianel, and the teachers' prodding of Ezekiel and his fellow student.
As suggested by the title, the story of the Gurdur struggle against the Empire doesn't necessarily end the way Ezekiel would have liked it to, but it also proves that in some ways, the human spirit's desire for freedom and love can never be defeated.
July 1, 2012
"An Exercise in Futility" by Steve Thomas tells the story of a war between nomadic tribes, the Gurdur, and their ancient enemies, the Kalhar. The story focuses on a small set of people, from the protagonists Ezekiel and Charity, as well as their families, to the antagonists, Emperor Kathelm and General Meunig. Each character tells part of the story, creating a patchwork of viewpoints.
I found the book a quick and entertaining read. While I found some of the plot to be predictable, the author created such a good story that I didn't mind the predictability. The characters grew within the story, each of them coping with the whims of fate.
I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy books.
I found the book a quick and entertaining read. While I found some of the plot to be predictable, the author created such a good story that I didn't mind the predictability. The characters grew within the story, each of them coping with the whims of fate.
I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy books.
September 8, 2012
I was completely and fully blown away. I was not expecting much when I first started this novel as the beginning felt like history class but then before I new it I was on the most amazing trek through the most amazing world and I have this author to thank. If you can stomach a little dry history to get to the juicy details then this novel is sure to please. One last word for the Author, when and where can I get more.
April 16, 2014
The story was well-written, but I don't like books where I have to read a map or an appendix in order to understand what is going on within the story. Novels should be something you can simply pick up and enjoy without having to put extra research into them.
September 23, 2016
I was completely and fully blown away. I was not expecting much when I first started this novel as the beginning felt like history class but then before I new it I was on the most amazing trek through the most amazing world and I have this author to thank.
April 2, 2012
A good fantasy book. Interesting story line. With magic, death, undead and a little bit of love what else could you want. Will read next book by author.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews