Mont Cant Gold

by Paul R. Fisher

The Mont Cants, rulers of Canys (one of seven kingdoms on a vast island), were not warlike or despotic or treacherous; they had maintained their power for hundreds of years without wars or reigns of terror. Yet they were dangerous, the Princess Sereniel of the Kingdom of Bran said, because they had a magic, a sort of enchantment, about them. But to Rhian Mont Cant, who assumed the throne at seventeen when his father died, the magic seemed less powerful than the evils that rose to plague him. First his twin brother Talwy left home, and it seemed he was seeking a way to steal the throne, possibly with the aid of a dark sorcerer. Then the Princess of Bran, who was to have married Rhian, fell in love with someone else. The War Lord of Canys defected. And Rhian's chief advisor was forced to leave as well. Finally Rhian himself was driven from his kingdom by warriors from Armei, the most powerful of the seven kingdoms. Yet good things happened too. Rhian's brother Pinwy ran away, but came back chastened and helpful. Rhian found a new bride, one who might be more helpful to him in the end. Most of all, he found himself gradually acquiring the approval of the seven Fates that guided and guarded the seven kingdoms--and as he found himself harried from his land and moving into a trap set by Talwy, he discovered that could mean a great deal.

This edition was published as #14 in the MagicQuest series by Ace Books, a reissuing of classic young adult fantasy novels.

Genres: Fantasy

Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Catmagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book very very long ago, I can't remember everything about it, except that it was beautiful. The parts that I do remember more vividly were toward the end, so it might be best if I didn't tell you. There is a sad ending, at least in some ways. I won't give away details, I will only say, the sad ending was part of what made it beautiful. As others have mentioned, Paul R. Fisher has shown us in other books, like the Ash Staff series, that fairy tales don't always have to end happily.

This particular book is written more in the style of an ancient saga than of a fairy tale, but there were some fantasy elements. Some people have complained (nicely) of the Ash Staff series seeming a bit simple/simplistic. Honestly I think that it only seems that way and is really more complex than it seems...with the possible exception of the first Ash Staff book, which was written when the characters and the author were both younger, and which does tend to have a slightly strong flavor of children squabbling. ;-) However, my point here is that Mont Cant Gold is different from that...so different. If you've read the Ash Staff series...and think that therefore you now know what to expect from Paul R. Fisher...think again...expect the unexpected...this is Paul R. Fisher at his best and finest, and probably in a slightly different vein than you've seen him in before. Mysterious, without being a mystery. Fantasy, without being fantastic. This is not a silly book, but it has its delicious moments of humor. Not exactly a tragedy, but it has sorrow enough to break your heart...in the right way, and at the right time. You could say it has a little bit of everything. And if you didn't think Paul R. Fisher could write like that.....then think again. This is not just another Paul R. Fisher book. This is different. It might not be exactly to everyone's taste...but it is definitely different...not your usual Paul R. Fisher book...and not your usual book.

One of the things that seemed "different" about this book. The characters are not kids. Everyone in this is under eighteen, at least all the main characters are, but this book is not about teenagers. (Anybody else getting tired of books about teenagers? Thought so. There's about a gazillion of them out there, and getting to be more and more of them all the time. Aaaaagh! [runs away from books about teenagers]) The characters are not just being pushed into being too "adult" too soon, either. They do have more "adult" responsibilities than they might have expected to have at their age, but more to the point is that, in the world they live in, these characters would not expect to be thought of or treated as "children" or "kids" at their age. These are people nearly grown up, or very young men and women. (No, not "young people" or "young adults"...because that also sounds too teenage...or, these days, maybe even too preteen.) I find that a refreshing change. I think that it may be a change easier to bring about in high fantasy than anywhere else, but even there, you need an author who is able to pay attention to and be in tune with that kind of thing. An author whose characters can be still young without being too juvenile.

And, if you've thought until now that Paul R. Fisher couldn't do that either...then think again.

[Kristin Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid/preteen, especially the imagery of the Fates’ signs. Those symbols have stayed with me for 30 years, while the details of the story, the characters and even the title and author faded from memory. Rereading it as an adult was fascinating: I remembered the scenes as I read them, but could not remember what would happen next (except for the ultimate scene...I did begin to remember what would eventually happen, though). I pictured the characters the same way I did as a teen (one of them like Pidge from the Lion Voltron, which says something about my childhood). However, this time I was struck by how 2-D the character development was. My inexperienced and naive preteen self didn’t appreciate the simplicity of the writing, but my adult self thirsted for more physical descriptions and character development. I didn’t see it as a kid, but this time I could see how the main character was supposed to have evolved; it could have been much better.

Another goodreads review of this author pointed out that he was writing in high school (and he wrote Mont Can’t Gold when he was 21). That explains a lot. I’d love to see what this writer could do with more experience. Unfortunately, I can’t find much on the internet about him or the four MagicQuest books he wrote as a young man.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this story after enjoying the Ash Staff trilogy, as it sometimes happens that authors re-cycle some of their characters from previous stories, but that was definitely not the case here. Fisher did a nice job of weaving another interesting story in a rather different world from the Ash Staff and I felt his pace was just right in weaving the various story elements together for a very satisfying conclusion. Like the Ash Staff, Mont Cant Gold definitely left lots of untold tales. Haven't seen any more books published by Fisher, but if I do, I'm pretty sure I'll be adding them to my library.

[Schmoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was 9, I was obsessed with Paul R Fisher's Ash Staff trilogy. So it was with some surprise that more than 20 years later I saw another book he'd written sitting on the shelf at the used book store.

It's been a long time. I wasn't sure I could get into this style of fiction again because it's been forever since I've read anything in the fantasy genre, and, yeah, it had my eyes rolling a few times at first. But once I got the names and genders straight (I think fantasy authors include glossaries because they make up names banging blindly at keys) I was carried off into Fisher's world.

You have to suspend belief, but Mont Cant Gold is a good adventure story with clear-cut characters. I was quite pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed hearing the tale, even though it is predictable and a bit cliched.