The Scroll of Years

Gaunt and Bone #1

by Chris Willrich

It's Brent Weeks meets China Mieville in this wildly imaginative fantasy debut featuring high action, elegant writing, and sword and sorcery with a Chinese flare.

Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are a romantic couple and partners in crime. Persimmon is a poet from a well-to-do family, who found herself looking for adventure, while Imago is a thief in his ninth decade who is double-cursed, and his body has not aged in nearly seventy years. Together, their services and wanderlust have taken them into places better left unseen, and against odds best not spoken about. Now, they find themselves looking to get away, to the edge of the world, with Persimmon pregnant with their child, and the most feared duo of assassins hot on their trail. However, all is never what it seems, and a sordid adventure-complete with magic scrolls, gangs of thieves, and dragons both eastern and western-is at hand.

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Epic Fantasy, Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Chris Willrich writes fantasy and science fiction, and is best known for his sword-and-sorcery short fiction about Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone -- a pair of lovers, partners in crime, and, far more often than they'd like to admit, heroes. The first novel featuring Gaunt and Bone, THE SCROLL OF YEARS, appeared in September 2013 from Pyr, followed by THE SILK MAP in May 2014.

Willrich is also the author of THE DAGGER OF TRUST, a book set in the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing. DAGGER is a tale featuring bards, secret agents, sorcerous evil, monsters, and betrayal.

Willrich is a former librarian for the Santa Clara County Library District who lives in Mountain View, California with his family. He is frequently attacked by youngsters with lightsabers.

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy Review Barn

Damn it Nathan, just write a review for the book!

I am trying, but honestly I don’t know where to start.

Well, what is the book about?

Two lovers, one great with child, fleeing a nasty set of villains. They end up in a land with a heavy Asian influence (or at least what an American may see as an Asian influence). Once there they meet interesting characters, learn their unborn son is of much interest to important people, meet a dragon or two and a couple of teenage bandits. Oh, and a magical piece of artwork makes everything a lot more interesting.

That is a summary, but I still don’t know how to review it.

A lot of people are comparing the book to the works of Mieville, Valente, and Leiber; perhaps you can run with that?

Who the hell is Leiber?

I don’t know, Google it. I know you have read the other two mentioned; does the book fit their mold?

I dunno, I guess? I mean I can see the comparisons. The writing has a certain something that stands out from the pack a bit, that is true. I’ll be honest, I usually skip poetry inserted into fantasy books because usually it bores me to tears and feels more like an author wanted to show off that something that belongs in the book. Here that is not the case. And the book just flows, I never want to put down a book but this is the type of writing that makes me forget to check my watch periodically. So sure, in terms of prose it can be compared to those two masters loosely, though I hesitate to compare anything to Valente on that front.

In terms of originality I guess it also belongs in their category. Though more grounded in reality that say, Perdido Street Station, there were a couple of creations that could have fit right in in Bas Lag. I would have loved to see Hackwroth from this book fight the Weaver from Mieville’s work. The dancing between realities of the Weaver vs the premonition possessed by Hackwroth could…

Not everyone has read Mieville, you really should stick to talking about this book Nathan.

Hey, you are the one who brought it up. But you’re right. There was more to this book that just ‘weird’ though. Relationships played a heavy role, many couplings that played with a Yin/Yang concept in subtle and not subtle ways depending on the couple. A former couple now following different ‘paths’ both seeking the unborn child for entirely different reasons, with neither trying to harm the child? You just don’t see this type of thing enough. Gaunt and Bone themselves are interesting enough; protecting each other with neither taking a dominate role. And the growth of young friends Next-One-A-Boy and Flybait was charming; full of youthful innocence.

Anything else?

This book has a powerful ending, something of a cliffhanger on par with few I have seen. This only works because I cared so much about these people by the end. I only want what is best for the young man Gaunt bore, is that too much to ask?

Oh, and my love of dragons is well known and here I get yet another unique and interesting take on them; pretty sure I have not seen them born of falling stars and made of stone before.

So you like the book a lot. 5 stars?

No, not quite. Some of it was a bit heavy handed, some of it a bit too anachronistic for my taste. Gaunt made some pretty astute political observations early on, and Next-One-A-Boy was pretty advanced in her feminism without much support around her. (Really there was some inconsistency there, as there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of entrenched misogynism for her to be fighting so hard against; certainly gender didn’t seem to hinder any of the major characters throughout the book. At one point we even see a women leave the husband at home with children for her own quest). And while the first short story was included at the end of the book I felt that there were a few items that only would have made since had I read it (and any other short stories floating out there) first. Felt like I should have done some homework before starting it.

I have seen your transcripts, if someone gave you that homework it would have remained undone.

But as I said I loved the writing. Loved the wit, consistently funny Though the characters often spoke like actors in a play they still felt like people, quite a feat. I will join many others in praising this debut, and I cannot wait for the next in the series.

4 Stars

Copy for review was provided by the publisher.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

The Scroll of Years sees Chris Willrich taking his characters Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone into new territory, in more ways than one. To date, the pair of adventurers have appeared in a handful of short stories (and the first one is actually included in the back of this volume) but now the two of them are starring in their own full-length novel.

A dynamic dual and partners in crime, Gaunt and Bone are also lovers expecting their first child. Caught up in some trouble with Night Auditor assassins at the beginning of this book, the pair flee across the ocean to Qiangguo, a land very much inspired by ancient Imperial China. To protect themselves from enemies and other factions who already have designs on their unborn child, they will need all the help they can get, and allies apparently can come from the most unexpected of places.

There is much to be said about Chris Willrich's ability to make me feel so connected to his main protagonists, since I have not read the short stories and The Scroll of Years is my first introduction to Gaunt and Bone. Already, the two are in love and starting a family, which offers a very interesting kind of dynamic you usually don't find when picking up the first book of a series. It's not often that one gets a chance to read a fantasy novel from the perspective of a couple of parents-to-be, after all.

Quite frankly, it gave me positive feelings towards this book and its main characters right away, especially since the emotional nuances are always so close to surface whenever Gaunt or Bone find themselves in a quandary. On a personal level, Persimmon Gaunt's experiences as an expectant woman and then a new mother were humorous at times, and tugged at my heartstrings at others. Overall, these characters have a lot of depth and are just written so well.

The world in which the story takes place is also beautifully crafted, achieved without overt info-dumping. I have a great interest in Far East traditions, and to my delight the author has taken some Chinese myths and legends and incorporated them into this story, also creating some of his own at times to add to the richness of Qiangguo. Clearly, a lot of care was taken to blend fantasy, history, and his own research and knowledge, as evidenced by some of the stories and poetry found in this book, and even by simple things like the name given to this land of the Heavenwalls ("Qiang" meaning "Wall", "Guo" meaning "Nation").

The writing is also something I feel I have to remark upon, because the prose is definitely not of a typical style. Even so, this makes it no less beautiful or impressive in my eyes. It did take me a lot longer than expected to read this book, but only because Chris Willrich's style was something I felt really needed to be taken in slowly and savored. Because a certain level of attention is required to do so, this might make The Scroll of Years a difficult book to get into, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded by many subtle surprises in the writing. For example, I for one was not expecting much humor in this novel, but there were actually quite a few funny moments that came out of nowhere and made me laugh out loud.

All in all, I can safely say I cannot remember the last time I came across a book like this. Highly recommended for readers of fantasy who love a good action-adventure tale, especially those who might be on the lookout for something a bit different with an elegant and subtle touch.

[Danya · Rating 4 out of 5]

While The Scroll of Years is the first full-length Gaunt and Bone adventure, Chris Willrich introduced these characters – and some very important context – in short stories, the most famous of which is The Thief With Two Deaths. For some inexplicable reason, Pyr chose to include this story after the full novel rather than before; thankfully many of my blogging friends told me that I should read the short story first.

For it’s in The Thief With Two Deaths that we are introduced to the enemies of Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone, two adventurous ne’er do wells who are falling in love. Unfortunately for the lovers Bone manages to royally piss off the infamous kleptomancers, the dark sorcerers of Palmary who gain their power by literally stealing hearts. From people’s chests. These baddies are powerful enemies who vow to make Bone and all those he loves suffer.

Which brings us to The Scroll of Years, in which Bone and a very pregnant Gaunt (the irony is too good) must flee mercenaries sent by the kleptomancers they wronged in The Thief With Two Deaths. One of these things doesn’t really make sense without the other, so try to bear that in mind. The mercenaries chasing Gaunt and Bone are called Night Auditors, creatures who can erase your memories and turn you into little more than a dried out husk.

If Gaunt and Bone are to outwit the Night Auditors, they must befriend the people of Qiangguo, the Eastern province where they now find themselves. Qiangguo is a wonderful setting, clearly influenced by traditional Chinese culture: subsistence farmers work on rice paddies, and they abide by the Way. The Way is a philosophical ideal of behavior and consciousness, so of course it creates a lot of tensions among the people of Qiangguo. But this nation is far from a cultural melting pot: people of all races, religions, and linguistic backgrounds converge in this great empire to trade – and to influence the tide of a nation. For Gaunt and Bone soon realize that their presence in Qiangguo was born of more than just desperation, and that their unborn child may be the real target of those who pursue them.

As they meet new friends and allies, their fates converge with those of two other pairs of lovers. These three couples are all in different stages of both life and love: one pair dances around their potential courtship, one is expecting a child, and old wounds and pride have separated the final pair. Of all the couples my favourite was youngsters Next-One-A-Boy and Flybait. Their whole shtick as bickering adolescent bandits who live among the urban poor was very Dickensian and I loved every second of it.

Unfortunately Willrich’s commitment to representing a traditional view of yin and yang, like and unlike through these couples meant that he missed an opportunity to explore a nuanced same-sex relationship. In fact there wasn’t a single queer character in the whole book – and there are a LOT of characters thrown around. Many of these characters also tell each other Qiangguo’s famous legends, which often feature love stories, and none of these involved LGBT people either.

This absence of sexual diversity really irked me because I felt like Willrich could’ve done so much with a queer couple. His impeccable writing is highlighted throughout The Scroll of Years as he describes countless cultures; for this to be a five-star book I needed him to push the envelope a bit more and it just didn’t happen. I don’t need a queer character or couple in every book, nor do I need a cishet romance, but for a book that’s so reliant on romantic relationships to exclude sexual diversity was a pretty big wasted opportunity.

Hetero-normative relationships aside, The Scroll of Years was a delight to read, with its unique world building and lovable characters. It’s no wonder that the art of storytelling takes on such an important role in The Scroll of Years, since Willrich himself is a wonderful storyteller whose lyrical prose elevates this novel from a fun quest book to a thoughtful examination of ancient philosophies. Another awesome element was the different magics that Willrich introduced. Wulin warriors can manipulate chi, allowing them to perform otherwise impossible physical feats; dragons from both the East and the West fly through the skies, their mating rituals causing fiery explosions; and of course there is the titular scroll of years, a landscape painting that allows people to hide inside its canvas. SO COOL!

The final chapters of the book were chock-full of action, and the last few pages revealed a secret that actually made me gasp. Call me oblivious but I did NOT see that one coming at all! It was the perfect kind of ending: some plot threads wrap up, but not too tidily, and there are exciting developments without any god-awful cliffhangers. I can’t wait to see where these new developments will lead in the sequel, The Silk Road. Bring it on!

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this book... and given the positive comments it has received both on goodreads and elsewhere... I hoped I would. Unfortunately, I don't... and I'm not even sure I can be bothered to finish it.

However, in fairness, here are the positives.

1) it takes place in a pseudo-Medieval Chinese setting, complete with Wuxia action with martial artists jumping here and there in fights. There are far too few of these out in the market, fantasy tending to be dominated my western based mythologies (on that note, I strongly recommend Guy Gavriel Kay's novels set in a pseudo-China).

2) an interesting take on dragons and the differences between western mythology on dragons and eastern mythology on dragons. Having said that, much of the information on dragons comes by way of an info-dump, and in a 259+ page book, those info-dumps tend not only to be distracting but seriously unnecessary.

3) the writing itself is very well done, even poetic in some parts.

Now, my main complaints....

1) the characters are BORING!!!!! We have a thief, his lover/poet, a (hindu/buddhist?) priestess, two gutter-urchins, two evil wizards and a myriad of others. However, none of them came across as having any real personality, emotion or charm. I really hesitate to use the term 'two dimensional' but... the characters in the stories within the story are more interesting and show more personality. I'm one of those people who needs to like the protagonists or at least be interested in them. This book did not accomplish either.

2) which reminds me, while I appreciate that the author wanted to give us some background information, the continued use of the info-dump and the story within the story in such a short book don't help the books at all. In fact, IMHO they prevent the reader from ever really getting to know the characters (see complaint #1).

At the end of the day, I view this book as being more of a middling travelogue to the author's fantasy China than as an adventure or character driven piece. I will probably avoid buying the next book.

I do realize that I will be in the minority here but am accepting of that.

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The world-building is dense and vivid, very well done. And I'm a sucker for complicated protagonists, so the cover blurbs describing "partners in crime" Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone had my hopes raised.

Unfortunately, while I bumped my way through the first few chapters, I never really got drawn into the story. Partly this was due to the writing style--long, long sentences only work for me if they have a rhythm, a music to them, which the writing here lacked. The other trouble was the detail-heavy text, which told me things I would rather have been shown. I found myself working hard to parse the dense writing, so hard that I had trouble keeping track of the overall story.

While this book didn't work for me, I'll certainly try Willrich's work again later, and see if either the style or my brain has changed enough for the two to meet in the middle and have some fun. I hope they will.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scroll of Years by Chris Willrich is a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre with poetic writing and a beautifully unique world (with cool dragons!). The characters Gaunt and Bone are well named to convey just how odd of a couple they are, but it is refreshing to see a committed couple starring as the main characters. Another unique twist in The Scroll Years is that Gaunt is actually pregnant for most of the story and yet still very kick-ass ;-). I honestly think a pregnant main character in a fantasy is a first for me!
Note: I received The Scroll of Years from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



The Scroll of Years by Chris Willrich (Gaunt and Bone #1)
Published by Pyr on Sept. 24th, 2013
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Length: 270 pages
How I got my copy: Publisher

Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are a romantic couple and partners in crime. Persimmon is a poet from a well-to-do family, who found herself looking for adventure, while Imago is a thief in his ninth decade who is double-cursed, and his body has not aged in nearly seventy years. Together, their services and wanderlust have taken them into places better left unseen, and against odds best not spoken about. Now, they find themselves looking to get away, to the edge of the world, with Persimmon pregnant with their child, and the most feared duo of assassins hot on their trail. However, all is never what it seems, and a sordid adventure-complete with magic scrolls, gangs of thieves, and dragons both eastern and western-is at hand.

Strengths:
The writing of The Scroll of Years is of course ridiculously difficult to explain because it has such a poetic and beautiful tone to it. Gaunt is a poet, so whenever she or Bone (who she has trained to describe scouting results poetically) is speaking, the dialogue is just lovely. However, the whole book is written in a very classic bardic tone. Gah, it’s just really pretty okay?!
The Scroll of Years introduces TWO very cool fantasy worlds >.>. Two you ask? Well you’ll just have to see, but it is awesome.
Besides the fun of Gaunt and Bone, there are many secondary characters in The Scroll of Years that add comic relief, their own personal plot lines, and a broader view of the world. I enjoyed the focus shifting between many of these characters since it really conveys just how epic this series is going to be. Big things are brewing!
The plot of The Scroll of Years is of course delightfully complicated, with quite a few different groups with complicated motives. I enjoyed the greyness that is introduced because of these vying goals, where I as the reader couldn’t actually decide which group was “good/correct” and which was “bad/wrong” in their desired outcomes. I look forward to finding out more about each of the factions introduced!

Weaknesses:
So there is a short story at the end of the edition of The Scroll of Years that I read which is actually a prequel short story. I really really would have preferred it be before the main text since it puts a lot of background into context. I honestly felt like I was missing something during part of The Scroll of Years and it was explained in the short story. Do yourself a favor and flip to the back to read that first!
The Scroll of Years has lovely writing, but that ended up making some sentences rather awkward to the point that I was pretty sure there was a typo or two because I just couldn’t sort out what the sentence was supposed to say.
Also due to the poetic writing tone of The Scroll of Years, I felt strangely removed from the characters and their plights at times. Instead of feeling like Gaunt is the big sister I never realized I was missing (how I feel about most adult female characters >.>), she’s still just a character in a book to me. It’s a bit difficult for me to sort out why this is exactly, but I think it has to do with the particular tone of the writing. I’m really curious as to whether any of you who have read the Scroll of Years got a similar feeling!

Summary:
The Scroll of Years is an excellently fresh fantasy that dives into a new world with charming characters and beautiful writing. I can tell this series is going to be a fan favorite (it kind of already is, I’m so behind, haha), and I’m excited to see where it goes. I do definitely recommend reading the prequel short story first so that you can better understand references, but I still really enjoyed The Scroll of Years!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really not sure what to think about this book. It had about as much right with it as it had wrong and I'm still trying to decide whether or not I liked or disliked it. Let me put the pros and cons in list form and maybe that will help me work it out:

Pros-
*Great writing. Chris Willrich is clearly a talented prosemeister. His descriptions of this fantasy world and the creatures that inhabit it are original, detailed and beautiful. So much of so-called 'imaginative literature' is stitched together with cliched and bland sentences that it's a real treat to find someone who actually gives two farts about sentences.

*Great setting. No boring elves or dwarves here. The author draws on mythologies all over the world, ancient and modern, and colors them with his own sparkling imagination. From wizards with shards of magic mirror buried in their brains to a city shaped like the palm of a hand, this is one fantasy that doesn't try to show us what we've already seen before.

*Great pacing. Unlike most epic doorstopping fantasies that go on for multiple volumes of 1000+ pages each, yet move at a snails pace "The Scroll of Years" is short, to the point and pretty much nonstop forward momentum. It's a great antidote to all the "Wheel of Time" copycats out there these days and that trait alone might be sufficient to recommend it.

Cons-
*Poor characterization. Every character speaks in almost exactly the same way and they are differentiated by only the most cartoonish and trope-y of character traits. If you took away indications of who was speaking it would be hard in some places to understand who the speaker even was. This is despite vastly different backgrounds, ages and languages of characters.

*Ridiculous tweeness. One man's whimsy is another's twee. Personally I found this book to be fairly damp with self-regarding sentimentality. I like to get teary and cheer on characters as much as the next reader (and as an expectant father myself it would have been easy to get me to do so) but it has to be earned. I would say that the unfortunate effect of the book's fast pace is that it does not give itself time to earn our fondness for the characters but honestly that's BS. The fact is that the author simply expects us to care because that's what we're supposed to do.

I'm still ironing out my opinions. I suppose the short of it is: I thought this was a mediocre book, but I also think that Chris Willrich has a lot of talent and I will be keeping an eye out for what he does next.

[Richelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before you read this book, note that this is the story of characters Mr. Willrich introduced in a series of short stories. I also discovered after reading the book, that one of those short stories is in the back of the book. You might want to read that first.

At the beginning I was a bit lost or felt less invested in the two main characters because there is no background given. The story begins with you being plunged in without knowledge of why these two are together, their history in the place they are visiting, or why they are being pursued. I guess it's assumed you've read the short stories.

As the story moved on, it improved as a new plot opened and gave me something to hang on to. I like the ideas and world building, but it does still read a bit like a series of related back-to-back short stories. I'm interested in reading more from Mr. Willrich as he continues to grow as a writer, because I see great potential. This story was entertaining, but I'd like to see more depth of character and a less episodic story style. It seems there is a sequel coming by the nature of the book ending, so we'll see.

In summary:
Writing style: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
World building: 3/5
Characterization: 2/5
Re-readability: 1/5

Light reading while eating lunch or riding the bus, no objectionable material that I recall. Swashbuckling action and violence, but nothing graphic. Don't recall any foul language.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little "removed" at times and overly episodic at others, but beautiful prose and INTERESTING themes and concepts.

http://www.staffersbookreview.com/201...

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like it as much as loved the premise. I couldn't quite get into the story.

My Rating: 3 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a extract from my review, full link: http://afantasyreader.blogspot.ca/2013/09/the-scroll-of-years-review.html

Take two partners in crime with a conscience (you don't steal from just anybody you know), a fantastical setting and a troublesome and mysterious past and you get a canvas for a series of sword-and-sorcery stories with heists, adventure, magic, weird encounters and romantic mocking. That's the background of The Scroll of Years. I would recommend to every reader who picks up the book to start with the first Gaunt and Bone short story included with the book, The Thief with Two Deaths. I didn't do it and I think that it gives a great insight into Gaunt and Bone relationship before getting into the specific tale of the book.

The couple's crazy adventure starts with them trying to find a safe shelter for their unborn child (a crucial factor impeding their struggles in creative and challenging forms) and various items of value gathered through the years. That situation is too perfect for wanted murderers of powerful kleptomancers. Right from the start, the likable duo find themselves facing Night's Auditors and fleeing to a faraway country, Qiangguo, right into an unanticipated conflict. From there on, the book shows action and magic aplenty in a fast paced story written with short chapters and alternating points of view. A true incarnation of sword and sorcery you don't want to miss.

The author was told stories from the Eastern world and he took advantage of it to spice up his narrative with ingredients from these tales. Willrich also borrows freely from diverse elements of the Chinese culture for his world building. This particular world is a colorful extrapolation of the arts (mostly calligraphy), mythology, spirituality, martial skills and political structure of old Chinese dynasties. I was drawn in effortlessly. Magic and fantastical elements are incorporated into the tapestry (the fantasy elements pop out right at the start) and a more complicated than it seems backdrop is created for the peculiar duo to fight for their future and that of their offspring while using their skills to survive and help those who would give them a hand, be it with an agenda or not.

A skilled roof runner and a rebel poet could become caricatural but Imago Bone and Persimmon Gaunt are more than what they seem. Bone's past, his dedication toward his beloved accomplice and his self-assurance create a concoction of both rigor and easiness, doubtlessly believable, easy to succumb to. Meanwhile, since they become separated for a good part of the story, Gaunt is coping with late pregnancy and find herself trapped with unlikely companions. She was a less compelling protagonist for me but didn't interfere with my overall satisfaction for the book.

The couple may be the stars and namesake of the series, the author still worked hard in developing gripping and elaborate characters to accompany them or spar against. Nemesis ex-lovers, a precognitive with part of a mirror embedded into his head, the self-portrait of a sage painter, you name it!

Willrich's prose is elegant, stylish and learned. It's not often that this level of skill accompany a sword and sorcery book and a debut at that. The Scroll of Years is a fast, fun and entertaining read, one of the first in the genre I liked this much since Alex Bledsoe's Eddie LaCrosse. It came as a surprise and I recommend it to everyone with a knack for heroism, humor, ingenious devices, twisted dragon lore, poetry, fighting and skin saving while making morally dubious choices.

I still have one thing to add: character naming. I always liked Erikson's Malazan marines names or Joe Abercrombie's titles for his Northern barbarians. Willrich will be added to my list with his gang of bandits including Feng Axe-Big-As-Himself, Muttering Chung or Exceedingly Accurate Wu... but the best: Next-One-A-Boy!

[Katter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll be the first to say that I do judge a book by it's cover. I know that it's wrong but I simply can't help it! The cover art for 'The Scroll of Years' drew me in. I thought the way it looked was amazing and promised me a good reading experience.

Now let me state that the plot isn't too bad, it's just the execution that is not up to par. So the foundation of the story is about a thief and a poet who need to find a safe place to hide. The thief is a man named Bone, and the woman is named Gaunt. She is all gloomy and adores death. How charming.

Anyway, Gaunt is pregnant, and instead of enjoying the idea of having a family, the two are on the run because Bone killed a few nasty people from his past. Well not killed them per say but gave them the means in which they died.

Kleptomancer's now want revenge for their fallen members and have enlisted the services of some nasty bounty hunters. They are called Night Auditor's, and they steal the memories of people. Depending on how much they dislike a person they may only take a few memories, or they may leave that person a vegetable.

The Night Auditors are named Lampblack and Hackwroth, a father and son team. The concept of these bad guys is really pretty cool. Lampblack has this lantern that carries a spark named Flick. Flick is a nasty little booger that doesn't only burn people, but it can also shoot through peoples ears and take their memories in a type of brain fry.

Hackwroth has a shard of mirror jammed in his forehead that allows him to see future actions, which allows him to see possible outcomes and dangers. Due to that shard the duo are ridiculously hard to get away from. Not to mention they seem to be nearly impossible to kill. Not just because of Hackwroth's abilities, but it's almost like they are invulnerable.

No matter how much damage they take they just don't die! It's like these bad guys are one of the monsters from a terrible Syfy channel movie that can take several rounds of a gatling gun and keep going.

Now there are no guns in this book but there are many skilled fighters that are somehow still no match for the Night Auditors. You think the future seer would be disoriented with so many outcomes when near his enemies but he's not. No way Jose! He is always focused!

I think that is one huge point that irritated me about this book. Lampblack and Hackwroth could have been super interesting characters but instead they came off as the predictable villains. They also have a dragon named Kindlekarn which was pretty awesome but still came off as cheesy with that whole god complex thing.

The plot did move along at a decent pace but the telling of it was weird. The PoV kept changing and a good portion of the prose were just awful. Mr. Willrich is terrible at describing things. Sometimes he did an okay job but the ratio of bad to good was 70/30.

Most of the time my mind just felt jumbled while reading this. The tolerable base plot is not worth this kind of torture. I certainly won't be reading the next novel. I don't think my brain could take anymore god awful philosophy sparring, or just plain old bad wording.

'THEY BIND MY KIND. THE HEAVENWALLS CONSTRAIN OUR MATING. I PISS MOLTEN GOLD UPON THEM!'

The above is stated by Kindlekarn. Sounds great, yeah? Then we have this one:

'For mating with their male counterparts brings storms of mad ferocity, in which eggs of cloud are quickened by sperm of fire and shot into the encircling night, whence they become the nearer stars."

Again, this has to do with dragons. It is still one of the weirdest things I think I have read in a published book. It was seriously off putting and the idea of 'sperm of fire' made me cringe. The book is chalk full of stuff like this.

Steer clear of this novel. It is not worth the blank and dreary feeling that it gives you. Seriously, my brain feels like jelly. Do not be pulled in by the cover art! Burn the scroll and flee!

[Fantasy Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Scroll of Years, Chris Willrich’s short story characters, Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone make the jump to their first novel. Gaunt, who comes from one of the city of Palmary’s “better” families, is a rebellious poet, and Bone is a thief. They are lovers, and as the book opens they are expecting their first child. In their time together, Bone has taught Gaunt quite a bit about fighting, fleeing and breaking and entering; Gaunt has help Bone develop his gift for language.

These two will need all their skills to escape their current predicament. The Night Auditors, supernatural assassins, are pursuing them, sent by the kleptomancers of Palmary. Gaunt and Bone flee to the continent of Qiangguo. Before the adventure ends, they will face dragons, thieves, soldiers, magical scrolls and a pair of fighters who would be right at home in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
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[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story! I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first...the format is odd with a prologue in the normal place and a short story about the beginning of the series at the end. But once I got into the story, I really liked the fantasy world Willrich makes up...Gaunt, the incredibly thin and agile thief who owes his life and happiness to Bone, the practical poetess. In this book, they flee mind-sucking wizards and dragons to land in a mystical empire, surrounded by walls and reflective of China. Two groups oppose each other in this land: The Garden, based on a former emperor's need for law and order, and The Forest, based on that same emperor's daughter need for autonomy and life. How Gaunt and Bone, pregnant with their firstborn, get caught up in their ages-old opposition and try to evade mind annihilation makes a great story!

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Willrich works in a classic fantasy vein, but he’s an inventive and imaginative writer, which is often not the case. “The Scroll of Years” (Pyr, $11.99, 289 pages) is the first novel about Imago Bone and Persimmon Gaunt, though the pair of thieves have been introduced in a series of short stories.

Those unfamiliar with the previous works, though, will have no problem jumping in, but here’s a thought: Go to the end of the book and read the short story that was the very first Bone/Gaunt adventure and then start “The Scroll of Years.”
What you’ll then discover is a fantasy adventure set in a semi-China with lots of references to the “Taoteching,” Chinese modes of thought and Chinese culture. All in all, it’s a fun book that moves quickly – and not surprisingly, it’s clearly intended to be the first in a series.

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take Barry Hughart's " Bridge of Birds," and mix it with William Goldman's "Princess Bride," and you have " The Scroll of Years!" This is an enchanting read.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Willrich takes his skill at writing the short story and uses it to puzzle together multiple stories into a beautiful novel. Enjoyable read, but personally I wanted more action.

[K.V. Johansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty sword and sorcery.

[Jeffrey Bluhm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly entertaining, though there are a few reasons I'm going to give this a less than top rating. The characters seem both likable and complex, but the origin story, for reasons only know to the editors, is placed at the end of the book, rather than the beginning (so, if you read it, start at the end with short story The Thief with Two Deaths). One of the major ongoing conflicts is between a representative of the Forest against one of the Garden but, again, the background of that isn't given until about 2/3 of the way through the book and earlier placement would have given the reader useful information. Nevertheless, the pace of the novel is measured, the magic is interesting, and the ending sets up nicely for the sequel. Which is the reason for the final complaint - the three-book series is out of print (guess I shouldn't have let the first one languish on my To Read shelf for lo these many years). I'm trying to find a used trade paperback online, as I'm interested enough to try to continue the series. If I am successful, look for a review of The Silk Map in the near-ish future.

[Peter Darbyshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know how to talk about Chris Willrich’s The Scroll of Years. It’s a fantasy novel, sure. But it’s as if it were a fantasy novel co-written by the ghosts of Italo Calvino and Fritz Leiber and transcribed by a dragon monk who sees only in ethereal. This is a tale that revels not only in unconventional characters and unexpected twists but also in storytelling itself. In fact, this is very much a novel about storytelling at every level — the characters’ greatest powers are their abilities to tell tales, the narrative ventures into one different genre after another, and the idea of being able to escape into a good story is actually key to the plot here. It’s not an easy read, and it will demand your attention at all times. But it is a unique read unlike anything else being published at the moment. Five out of five scrolls.

[bookwormmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty much a one day read and I liked the story enough that I’ll likely read on. It is written like you’re watching an adventure movie, which probably has a fancy name I don’t know. It isn’t my favorite style because it tends to rush through things more than I prefer, but there were some (albeit brief) nice little bits of writing that kept me going. It isn’t a stand alone, so don’t expect any closure. My favorite authors write a lot longer books than this, so I’m looking at it like a pause between chapters, though if I’m being honest I’m not usually that generous about unfinished stories.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a word: A unique magical world where East meets West, a poetic writing style that works well with the folklore-ish tale, and dragons!

Persimmon Gaunt was even paler, but she was near to bursting with a barbarian baby-to-come. Her frame spoke of action and theft and generosity and narrow escapes. Her eyes spoke of tombs and flowers and elegies and inevitable decay. Her voice spoke of all these things and the glimmer of a silver thread that bound them.

The Scroll of Years is the first book in a series, but it’s not the first time the main characters have been through adventures together. Willrich introduced the characters of Gaunt and Bone in a series of short stories that have appeared in various publications over the past twelve years or so, and now they have their own full-scale novel. Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are lovers expecting their first child, but they aren’t married. That in itself is an unusual set-up for any story, but add in the fact that Bone is a thief and both of them are on the run from assassins, and you have a first-rate adventure story.

Gaunt and Bone are trying their best to settle down and start their family, but as luck would have it, someone is trying to kill them. So begins their race to stay one step ahead of the Night Auditors, two assassins who will do anything to get a hold of their unborn child. With the intention of hiding until her baby is born, Gaunt escapes into a magical scroll, and for much of the rest of the story, Gaunt and Bone are separated. With the help of some scrappy bandits, Gaunt and Bone must try to evade capture and figure out a way to bring their little family back together, but the odds don’t look good…

Within the story are even more stories, as some of the characters use folklore and myth to explain things. As Gaunt and Bone run from the assassins, they make their way to the East and hide in an Oriental-like village called Abundant Bamboo. I loved the exotic feel of these scenes, especially the characters’ evocative names, like Lightning Bug, Next-One-A-Boy and Walking Stick. One “story within a story” involves a painter named Meteor-Plum and how he came to paint a scroll with magical properties called “A Tumult of Trees on Peculiar Peaks.” Just reading these unfamiliar yet entertaining names made me smile and reminded me that I left the normal world behind when I opened the pages of this book.

Willrich’s writing style really sets this story apart from other fantasies. His formal and almost old-fashioned prose is hard to get used to at first, but once you get into the story it’s difficult to imagine it written any other way. His descriptions of the landscape and the strange places the characters find themselves in are told in dreamy and lyrical prose. The Scroll of Years wasn’t a quick read for me, as I did struggle a bit with the writing in the beginning. But I found it a nice change to take my time reading this book and savor the language and the leisurely development of the plot. The story isn’t slow by any means, and in fact there are several places where the action rushes from one breathless scene to the next. But Willrich manages to trip up his characters, who are simply trying to stay alive, by throwing them into increasingly dire situations. By the end of the story you will be breathless too, as the stakes get higher and the danger escalates.

I loved the characters of Gaunt and Bone, and reading this book makes me want to go back and read all their short stories. Willrich keeps them apart for much of the story, but even then you can feel the palpable love they have for each other and their unborn child. As a mother myself I especially appreciated the passages where Gaunt reflects on what it means to be a parent, and I thought these scenes were a nice drop of realism in an otherwise fantastical world.

Some other characters that stood out for me were the young bandits Next One and Flybait, who have their own adventure that parallels that of Gaunt and Bone. I also loved Walking Stick and Lightning Bug, two characters who seem to be in love but can’t do anything about it, since Lightning Bug is already married. They were especially interesting because they follow different philosophies of living and are basically at odds with each other.

And have I mentioned the dragons yet? Well, there are dragons in this book, and they are most unusual. A dragon named Kindlekarn plays a big part in Gaunt and Bone’s escape from the assassins. I won’t give away all the details of Willrich’s dragons, but I will tell you they are made of metal and precious stones and sometimes become mountains if they settle too for long.

I’ll admit to tearing up at the end—it was very emotional! Willrich gives us just enough of a cliffhanger to make us anxious for the follow-up to The Scroll of Years, The Silk Map (out next May). My only quibble is with the cover, which shows a NOT pregnant Gaunt in a get-up better suited for a video game babe. Even if this scene happens after she gives birth, trust me, no woman would ever want to show a post-pregnancy stomach by wearing an outfit like that!

Nonetheless, The Scroll of Years is highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.

[Edwin Nealley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Pairing of Opposite Spirits

This couple certainly embody opposing spirits in a grand fantastic tradition, venturing across a world of ironic encounters and prove vastly entertaining.
The book captures the feel of Fritz Leiber's rogues, the serenity and Oriental destiny of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and a certain kind of Hope and destiny as well.
A most enjoyable read.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first encounter Gaunt and Bone in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and was happy to see them appearing in a full length novel, with likely more to come. Willrich has created a very interesting world rich in culture and populated it with some fascinating characters, both Gaunt and Bone and may others as well. He manages to create a light-hearted story that still has depth and dark moments. I look forward to reading more in this world.

[Leisah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is like the reader gets transported from one dimension to another, with deep and intelligent reflections surrounded by a fantasy pocket of the atmosphere.

[Tom Groff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the Gaunt and Bone short stories in F&SF and Beneath Ceaseless Skies over the years. However, The Scroll of Years was enjoyable enough, but didn't really grip me.

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at; http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...

The Scroll of Years is one of book that I have wanted to read for a very long time. First because of the amazing cover art and promising blurb. Just Imago's description is cool. Furthermore it has been praised because of the great atmosphere. Originally Chris Willrich started of the Gaunt and Bone series with a short story, which I could find in the back of this book. This short story serves as a nice introduction to The Scroll of Years, but you don't necessarily have to read it to enjoy the it.

In Epic Fantasy there are plenty of enigmatic duo's the frequently take the lead. Well they will have to make way for Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone. The story picks up with a unfavorable encounter of Gaunt and Bone, where they have to flee for their lives. Let me first tell you what Gaunt and Bone are, they are thieves... So you can imagine that they are fleeing because of a reason. Perhaps in a "normal" situation Gaunt and Bone would have stood up for themselves but in this particular occasion that is not possible. This is because of that Gaunt is pregnant. So now in order to out run the Night Auditors that are persuing them, they decide to travel to a new place: Qiangguo. What they discover in this Eastern province does open their eyes quite a bit. Being new to the whole scene they have to quickly adapt and get their bearing in order to find a secure place, because the Nigh Auditors are hot on their tale. Luckily for Gaunt and Bone, the local populace is helpful, though in their own way. As they make unlikely allies, the chances for Gaunt and Bone are becoming better. But they still have to fend off other bandits, dragons and magicians!

I am going to be honest and say that the writing of Chris Willrich took some time to adjust to. Don't get me wrong though, the writing gives a unique flavor to the story of The Scroll of Year, it was just different than I was used too. Anyway, this did make the story a bit slow at start, but only for the start, as soon as you are into The Scroll of Years the pages will eventually fly by and you will be left sitting with a finished book in know time. The writing style fits really well with the background of the story as well as with the oriental inspired province of Qiangguo, it adds something mysterious to it.

And this brings me directly to the part that makes The Scroll of Years stand out. Which is world building. Chris Willrich has definitely created a most interesting world. I was taken from the first mention of the Way. Of course it is fully shown by the character but I will get to it. The descriptions alone of how the people work about with cultivating various crops it feel like the other side of the world. The whole oriental experience gives a truly fantastical fantasy feeling. `

Gaunt and Bone both make up for the main protagonists on the story. Though they are lovers, they do differ in some parts. Gaunt is the poet, though not overly drawn into a sterotypical poet who only talks that way. No, she thinks. Which makes her a valuable companion to Bone, who prefers to act and do stuff and ask questions when it is too late. Added to this comes the pressure of the pregnancy of Gaunt that makes up for some memorable scenes. Two other characters that make an impression are Flybait and Next-One-A-Boy, who is not quite a boy. They are from the Eastern province. It was great to see Chris Willrich use them to show what kind of riches Quangguo has to offer.

Chris Willrich hits all the right spots with this rich debut. The Scroll of Years offers an great atmosphere in the combination of an European - Eastern/Oriental crossover story. Gaunt and Bone already have knocked some other Epic Fantasy duo's from there spots in my top 10 list. With all that Chris Willrich has shown in The Scroll of Years, I think there are a lot of more adventures still to come for the poet and the never-aging thief Gaunt and Bone.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing I noticed when I received this book was its beautiful cover. I mean, look at it, it’s stunning! If I hadn’t received this book from the generous people at Pyr, but just stumbled across it in a bookshop, I’d definitely have bought it, because, yeah, I do judge a book by its cover sometimes. Especially when I’m on a book-shopping spree. So as a first impression, this book scored big time with me. After reading the summary I was even more eager to start reading this book. Two lovers, partners in crime, running from assassins to the other end of the world and dragons crossing their path? I’m in!

It’s been a while since I read a book like this one. If I have to describe it in one word, I’d choose “entertaining”. This book was just so much fun to read, I enjoyed every page of it. The dialogue is witty, the characters are quirky and amusing, the setting was beautifully described and there’s lots of action going on between these pages.
The Eastern setting gives a special atmosphere to the whole story. It gave me a much needed break from the Fantasy novels set in Western civilizations. Willrich created an interesting population here, dividing the people into Garden and Forrest, each with its own history and views on how life should be lived. I loved the interaction between the two camps and learning about their background and their beliefs.

The main characters Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone aren’t the deep fleshed out characters I normally like, but nevertheless I enjoyed reading about them greatly. They have very distinct personalities that give a special flavor to the book. Along the way they encounter a cast of different characters that will ultimately play a big role in their further adventures. All of them are great characters, each bringing that bit extra to the story. As a whole, Willrich created a great cast of characters to populate his pages. They definitely keep your attention.

The author also gives a whole new spin to dragons and their lifestyle, which I absolutely adored. There’s one moment in this book where one of the characters describes the dragons and I just itched to quote it here, it was so beautiful, but I’d rather you discovered it yourself. It’s far too amazing to spoil it for you. Just know that these dragons, though familiar, have a whole other story than the ones your used to.

Nearing the end the book felt a bit rushed, but looking back it didn’t bother me that much. Maybe I would have liked the story to evolve a bit slower during that part of the book, but I can see why the author choose this approach.

If you start this book, don’t expect a masterpiece with deep storylines and complex characters. If you go in expecting that, you’ll be disappointed. Go in it expecting to have fun and you’ll get exactly what you want. ‘The Scroll of Years’ is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read all year. If you’re looking for excitement, beautiful descriptions and an intriguing new world with fun characters and imaginative spins, you should definitely pick this book up!

[Daniel Shellenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of those books that makes me wish goodreads worked on a ten star system, because it feels a bit too well written to be a three star and doesn't quite feel up to the quality of four stars (though I decided to be nice and give it four). A lot of the problem is the premise, as main characters Gaunt (ex-aristocrat female poet) and Bone (ex-immortal thief) are recurring characters from a series of short stories written by Willrich (though this is his first novel-length story) and as such, a LOT of background information is either hinted at or left out entirely, making the first third/half of the book extremely confusing. To save yourself some confusion skip the main story and go to the back of the book where Willrich has included his initial short story, The Man with Two Deaths, which will make the rest of the book make a LOT more sense. Anyway, at the beginning of the story, Gaunt and Bone have set aside their thieving in an attempt to start a family, hiding away at a desert monastery, but it proves to be a premature wish as their hideout comes under attack by a viciously effective pair of mind-assassins. Fleeing for their lives, the pair go all the way around the world to the China-analogous Empire of Walls, but even in this strange land the assassins are on their tails (with a full-grown dragon in their service), forcing them to seek the aid of friendly locals. Things are further complicated when the marks on Gaunt's belly reveal that she will give birth to the next Emperor, putting the pair squarely at the center of a political struggle between the Garden (the Empire's political police) and the Forest (a loyal opposition/reform movement). As noted, the book does itself no favors with its jarring first act (with all the information that it leaves out, it feels like a sequel), but Willrich is not by any means incompetent, his characters reminded me favorably of some of Gaiman's bizarre creations (reminiscent of Neverwhere) and the Empire of Walls is a fascinating and well-developed setting with a rich history and culture that Willrich brings to life. The story is another thing entirely. While it contains a LOT of fascinating elements, the plot has enough material for at least three different books all crammed together into one story (this is a relatively short book and I didn't mention even half of the major plot points in my synopsis; hell, I didn't even mention the role of the eponymous time-space bending painting scroll) and I felt that Willrich isn't quite able to make it all come together organically into a cohesive and believable whole.

[Judi Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scroll of Years by Chris Willrich
I pursued this book high and low and finally fettled a copy with the depressing word ‘discard’ on the back. Thereafter I have taken ages to read it, in the same way that one tries to make a particularly delicious ice cream last.
This is the first full length novel about Willrich’s delightful pair of characters Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone. I first met them in short story form and was bowled over by them and their adventures. Hence my quest, when I discovered they existed at longer length. They make guest appearances in various SF and fantasy magazines over more than a decade, so I am hoping that Willrich collects all their adventures together at some point.
What is so great about these characters? Well, obviously, it is what Willrich has made of them. They inhabit a world (at times, worlds) which Willrich has teased out of our Far East, but with subtle differences and shifts which mean that just when you think you have a handle on the what, where, why, when, how and who of it, the whole thing gives a shake like a wet dog and you end up in a different ambience altogether. There are dragons (I love dragons) and then again, perhaps they aren’t dragons. There is magic, and belief systems that one wishes really existed, and true love and honour, and extraordinary feats of physical daring and strength, and immortality and death, and a scroll into which one may enter and live. It is the scroll that provides the heart of the book. Gaunt dives into the scroll when in extreme peril. But a scroll is, itself, a fragile artefact – will it survive?
Willrich’s plotting is delightful. But it is his turn of phrase which never flags. He constantly draws in allusions and permits himself excursions around his own plot which, nevertheless, do not slow pace nor obfuscate the plot. This is clever work. The result is thought-provoking as well as a rollicking good fantasy story. Here is a short extract, taken at complete random, to show what I mean. Any page would give as good an example:
“’Is this place a sort of dream?” Gaunt asked. “Or am I truly in another universe?”
He laughed. “Every place is a sort of dream. But more to your point, this place is normal.”
Now Gaunt laughed. “Having arrived via art appreciation, I question that view.”’
‘About the author’ assures the reader that Willrich is now writing full time. I should jolly well hope so. I have been awaiting your next novel with breath bated, Mr Willrich – and now I discover that two more are available. Sadly only one in Britain, and neither on Kindle.