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Tales of Durand #1
In the Eye of Heaven
From a strong new voice in epic fantasy comes the tale of Durand, a good squire trying to become a good knight in a harsh and unforgiving world.
Set to inherit the lordship of a small village in his father's duchy because the knight of that village has been bereaved of his own son, Durand must leave when the son unexpectedly turns up alive.
First he falls in with a band of knights working for a vicious son of a duke and ends up participating in the murder of the duke's adulterous wife. Fleeing, he comes into the service of a disgraced second son of a duke, Lamoric, who is executing a long subterfuge to try to restore his honor in the eyes of his father, family, and king. By entering tournaments anonymously as "The Red Knight," Durand will demonstrate his heroism and prowess and be drafted into the honors of the king.
But conspiracies are afoot--dark plots that could break the oaths which bind the kingdom and the duchies together and keep the banished monsters at bay. It may fall to Durand to save the world of Man…
Authentic and spellbinding, In the Eye of Heaven weaves together the gritty authenticity of a Glen Cook with the high-medieval flair epitomized by Gene Wolfe's The Knight , to begin an epic multi-volume tale that will take the fantasy world by storm.
Set to inherit the lordship of a small village in his father's duchy because the knight of that village has been bereaved of his own son, Durand must leave when the son unexpectedly turns up alive.
First he falls in with a band of knights working for a vicious son of a duke and ends up participating in the murder of the duke's adulterous wife. Fleeing, he comes into the service of a disgraced second son of a duke, Lamoric, who is executing a long subterfuge to try to restore his honor in the eyes of his father, family, and king. By entering tournaments anonymously as "The Red Knight," Durand will demonstrate his heroism and prowess and be drafted into the honors of the king.
But conspiracies are afoot--dark plots that could break the oaths which bind the kingdom and the duchies together and keep the banished monsters at bay. It may fall to Durand to save the world of Man…
Authentic and spellbinding, In the Eye of Heaven weaves together the gritty authenticity of a Glen Cook with the high-medieval flair epitomized by Gene Wolfe's The Knight , to begin an epic multi-volume tale that will take the fantasy world by storm.
446 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
30 people are currently reading
1218 people want to read
About the author
David Keck
14 books48 followersDavid Keck is a New York based writer and teacher who grew up in Winnipeg, Canada.
His novels are published by Tor.
On long winter evenings, he filled pads of newsprint with drawings, cartoons, and stories. His mother made him write on both sides.
After completing degrees in English Literature/History and Education in Winnipeg, he traveled to Britain’s University of Sussex where he earned an MA in creative writing and indulged his taste for exploring the medieval and the Neolithic.
Over the years, he has had the chance to climb through countless castles, cathedrals, tombs, and henges from the South of France to the Orkney Islands. There is something about really being in these places--getting chased by the farmer's dog--that brings the past to life.
David loves to dig up stories that show traces of earlier ways of thinking. He’s endlessly curious about how people actually lived in other times and places, and he wants his readers to join him in an older, stranger world.
In 2004, he moved to New York to marry editor and author Anne Groell. They met in Montreal at the World Fantasy Convention in 2001, and now have an intrepid young daughter together.
For twelve years, he has been teaching English at a public middle school in Washington Heights. He tries to bring his drawings and his imagination to every class, and has become a great proponent of educational technology.
From the streets around the school, you can often see the tower of The Met Cloisters museum, with its medieval treasures, peeking out above the trees. The past is never far away.
David recently fulfilled his childhood ambition of getting his cartoons into print, placing work with The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Analog Magazine, and Random House’s Suvudu website, before it became Unbound Worlds. He currently enjoys populating snapshots of New York's subways, streets, and secret forests with pop-eyed monsters. But, in his fiction, a reader will find the darker side of his imagination.
His novels are published by Tor.
On long winter evenings, he filled pads of newsprint with drawings, cartoons, and stories. His mother made him write on both sides.
After completing degrees in English Literature/History and Education in Winnipeg, he traveled to Britain’s University of Sussex where he earned an MA in creative writing and indulged his taste for exploring the medieval and the Neolithic.
Over the years, he has had the chance to climb through countless castles, cathedrals, tombs, and henges from the South of France to the Orkney Islands. There is something about really being in these places--getting chased by the farmer's dog--that brings the past to life.
David loves to dig up stories that show traces of earlier ways of thinking. He’s endlessly curious about how people actually lived in other times and places, and he wants his readers to join him in an older, stranger world.
In 2004, he moved to New York to marry editor and author Anne Groell. They met in Montreal at the World Fantasy Convention in 2001, and now have an intrepid young daughter together.
For twelve years, he has been teaching English at a public middle school in Washington Heights. He tries to bring his drawings and his imagination to every class, and has become a great proponent of educational technology.
From the streets around the school, you can often see the tower of The Met Cloisters museum, with its medieval treasures, peeking out above the trees. The past is never far away.
David recently fulfilled his childhood ambition of getting his cartoons into print, placing work with The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Analog Magazine, and Random House’s Suvudu website, before it became Unbound Worlds. He currently enjoys populating snapshots of New York's subways, streets, and secret forests with pop-eyed monsters. But, in his fiction, a reader will find the darker side of his imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
dnf
May 5, 2018DNF at 40%
I tried. I really tried, but the prose is just too dense and decorative for me. I made it to 40% in and feel like only 1 truly notable event has happened to direct the plot. I'm certain that there's a cool story with really great world building buried somewhere in here. I would catch glimpses of it from time to time, but then whatever had briefly caught my attention would slip away. What I read of this seemed less like a true narrative of events, and more like random mini-episodes of Durand's adventures around this massive fantasy land.
So many characters. So many random names of people and places and Gods and Monsters and very little of the important glue of plot movement to tie it all together. I found myself re-reading more and more paragraphs, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. It's not you book, it's me. I think fans of high fantasy with extremely heavy world building will enjoy this, though this is clearly a novel that makes its readers work for it. If you're looking for a challenge, give this a go!
Withholding a starred rating as I did not finish this.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for approving me for an ARC!
I tried. I really tried, but the prose is just too dense and decorative for me. I made it to 40% in and feel like only 1 truly notable event has happened to direct the plot. I'm certain that there's a cool story with really great world building buried somewhere in here. I would catch glimpses of it from time to time, but then whatever had briefly caught my attention would slip away. What I read of this seemed less like a true narrative of events, and more like random mini-episodes of Durand's adventures around this massive fantasy land.
So many characters. So many random names of people and places and Gods and Monsters and very little of the important glue of plot movement to tie it all together. I found myself re-reading more and more paragraphs, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. It's not you book, it's me. I think fans of high fantasy with extremely heavy world building will enjoy this, though this is clearly a novel that makes its readers work for it. If you're looking for a challenge, give this a go!
Withholding a starred rating as I did not finish this.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for approving me for an ARC!
May 22, 2018
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
I really wanted to like this debut fantasy novel. It was compared to Glen Cook and the adjectives "gritty" and "medieval" were used. One of me favourite author's, Tamora Pierce, gave it a four-star review on Goodreads and read it twice. Hence its appeal. But this one just did not float me boat. Instead I had to abandon ship and watch it sink to the watery depths never to be seen again. I just found the writing style to be dense and confusing. I would have liked the plot to be more focused. Also I found the main character, Durand, to be rather flat and not compelling. I thought I was going to get a character that I didn't necessarily find admirable but would root for almost despite meself. Some of me crew members are highly enjoying this one but the little bit that I read was less than stellar.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
I really wanted to like this debut fantasy novel. It was compared to Glen Cook and the adjectives "gritty" and "medieval" were used. One of me favourite author's, Tamora Pierce, gave it a four-star review on Goodreads and read it twice. Hence its appeal. But this one just did not float me boat. Instead I had to abandon ship and watch it sink to the watery depths never to be seen again. I just found the writing style to be dense and confusing. I would have liked the plot to be more focused. Also I found the main character, Durand, to be rather flat and not compelling. I thought I was going to get a character that I didn't necessarily find admirable but would root for almost despite meself. Some of me crew members are highly enjoying this one but the little bit that I read was less than stellar.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
Read
October 18, 2018I DNF-d this one a little over halfway through. It isn't a bad book, but it never captured my interest and retained it, which is sad since I really liked the main character and wanted to read about him.
April 7, 2011
In the Eye of Heaven is a readable book, but on further reflection, it's pretty bad. Probably the one thing the author did best was creating a realistic (sometimes meaning gross--flea-ridden beds and so forth) medieval setting. And I found the plot easy enough to follow: sure, unexplained supernatural things happen, but it's reasonable (one would assume) for the supernatural to be a little bizarre.
At any rate, most of the plot involves a young man named Durand attaching himself to lords' retinues in an attempt to make a living after losing his inheritance; a good part of the book is spent traveling with one lord from tournament to tournament, but there is some non-tournament action. Another plus is that this is no Xerox fantasy; even though a lot of the names (Radomor, Ferangore, Alwen, etc.) sound like they came from Tolkien's notes, the plot was not one I'd seen before. I found the physical descriptions adequate; yes, Durand is described within the first couple chapters, as are other characters when they're introduced. Female characters are a little flat, but this seems to be because they play understandably small roles in the men's world of knight-errantry. And the writing is serviceable. Well, the characters. The way they talk. Not in complete sentences. ...But I'm sure this is intentional; some real people talk that way too.
Now for the negatives. I was quite put off by Durand's character... he was a selfish boor. For instance, at one point he burns down a bridge and murders a man simply because the captain of his party wants to one-up an old rival, and Durand thinks this action will help and wants to curry favor. He never even shows remorse. Creating an unlikable protagonist is always risky; making it work requires at the very least the awareness that your character is a jerk and the intention to write him that way, but it doesn't seem that Keck had either. He's far too easy on Durand, letting him commit all sorts of selfish and immoral actions as in the example above, and substituting occasional brief bouts of self-pity for any genuine conscience. This might work if the narrative or the other characters' reactions to Durand indicated that, well, that's the point... but they don't. Apparently we're supposed to view him as a Great Fantasy Hero.
And then, no one in the cast felt three-dimensional to me (maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by the woman thing). Many non-supernatural aspects of the plot were unrealistic--for instance, characters get grave wounds, but somehow (no magic involved) within 24 hours they're up fighting, spending all day on horseback, or doing hard labor. We're talking broken bones and medieval remedies here. Then there's this spooky land that we're told no one ever visits, only for the entire cast (separately) to show up there later. And although Radomor "usurping" the throne through legal proceedings is supposed to be an important part of the book, it's never explained why he would take over if the king abdicated, seeing as how the king has brothers who would be next in the line of succession. And so forth.
In conclusion: this book is nothing spectacular, but it made for entertaining reading for a couple of days; the pacing was brisk enough to keep me going. And the plot is complete enough in itself that it doesn't demand moving on to the sequel (I don't plan to). If you tend to enjoy medieval fantasy even when it's not at its best, go right ahead; less enthusiastic fans of the genre may be disappointed.
At any rate, most of the plot involves a young man named Durand attaching himself to lords' retinues in an attempt to make a living after losing his inheritance; a good part of the book is spent traveling with one lord from tournament to tournament, but there is some non-tournament action. Another plus is that this is no Xerox fantasy; even though a lot of the names (Radomor, Ferangore, Alwen, etc.) sound like they came from Tolkien's notes, the plot was not one I'd seen before. I found the physical descriptions adequate; yes, Durand is described within the first couple chapters, as are other characters when they're introduced. Female characters are a little flat, but this seems to be because they play understandably small roles in the men's world of knight-errantry. And the writing is serviceable. Well, the characters. The way they talk. Not in complete sentences. ...But I'm sure this is intentional; some real people talk that way too.
Now for the negatives. I was quite put off by Durand's character... he was a selfish boor. For instance, at one point he burns down a bridge and murders a man simply because the captain of his party wants to one-up an old rival, and Durand thinks this action will help and wants to curry favor. He never even shows remorse. Creating an unlikable protagonist is always risky; making it work requires at the very least the awareness that your character is a jerk and the intention to write him that way, but it doesn't seem that Keck had either. He's far too easy on Durand, letting him commit all sorts of selfish and immoral actions as in the example above, and substituting occasional brief bouts of self-pity for any genuine conscience. This might work if the narrative or the other characters' reactions to Durand indicated that, well, that's the point... but they don't. Apparently we're supposed to view him as a Great Fantasy Hero.
And then, no one in the cast felt three-dimensional to me (maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by the woman thing). Many non-supernatural aspects of the plot were unrealistic--for instance, characters get grave wounds, but somehow (no magic involved) within 24 hours they're up fighting, spending all day on horseback, or doing hard labor. We're talking broken bones and medieval remedies here. Then there's this spooky land that we're told no one ever visits, only for the entire cast (separately) to show up there later. And although Radomor "usurping" the throne through legal proceedings is supposed to be an important part of the book, it's never explained why he would take over if the king abdicated, seeing as how the king has brothers who would be next in the line of succession. And so forth.
In conclusion: this book is nothing spectacular, but it made for entertaining reading for a couple of days; the pacing was brisk enough to keep me going. And the plot is complete enough in itself that it doesn't demand moving on to the sequel (I don't plan to). If you tend to enjoy medieval fantasy even when it's not at its best, go right ahead; less enthusiastic fans of the genre may be disappointed.
June 27, 2012
Durand is a second son, condemned to the life of a wandering sellsword unless he can get lands of his own. His first chance is ruined when the heir, thought to have drowned, returns on the eve of Durand's knighting. Set on the road by a god called the Traveller, Durand enters the service of a cruel knight who drowns his wife's lover and sets Durand as one of the guards when he walls the lady and her baby in a tower room. Durand leaves, to enter the service of the lady's brother.
He too is looking for redemption of a kind as he leads his men from tournament to tournament, trying to prove his worth to his king, his father, and his wife. The knights who follow hope he will win enough fame and money to give each of them lands of their own. And Durand--Durand just can't seem to put a foot right. That, or the gods are testing him, by throwing supernatural traps of every kind in his way.
The story is grounded in the economic realities of the Middle Ages, and there are mystic elements over that--a realm that appears only every seven years to host a tournament, a priesthood in black that spreads evil wherever it goes, rituals that must be repeated or everything goes to pieces. It's a dark story, and you do wish that Durand would keep his temper better, but it's a gripping read (my second).
He too is looking for redemption of a kind as he leads his men from tournament to tournament, trying to prove his worth to his king, his father, and his wife. The knights who follow hope he will win enough fame and money to give each of them lands of their own. And Durand--Durand just can't seem to put a foot right. That, or the gods are testing him, by throwing supernatural traps of every kind in his way.
The story is grounded in the economic realities of the Middle Ages, and there are mystic elements over that--a realm that appears only every seven years to host a tournament, a priesthood in black that spreads evil wherever it goes, rituals that must be repeated or everything goes to pieces. It's a dark story, and you do wish that Durand would keep his temper better, but it's a gripping read (my second).
May 23, 2018
In The Eye of Heaven is something that has been on my reading list for a few years now that I’ve never seem to found the time to actually read. So when I found out that the last book in the trilogy was going to be releasing later this year and that the first two books were getting reissued in trade paperback I knew it was the perfect time to finally read it. It honestly took me a little while to actually get into the book but once I did I loved almost everything about it and spent my entire day off laying in bed reading it and mentally berating myself for waiting so long to do so.
David Keck is a great author and there was a lot that I enjoyed about this book, but I there were two things that really stood out about if for me. First, In The Eye of Heaven has one of the most realistic and believable worlds I’ve read about in a long time now. I can’t even imagine that amount of time the author had to put into creating to be able to describe in such great detail. Normally I think getting into the grimy details of a world can bog down a story, I think it gives the world some verisimilitude. I didn’t have any problems picturing the world or the people in my mind at all.
The other thing that I think really made this book stand out was what a fantastic protagonist it had. Durand is a good man in a world of corruption and greed who wants nothing more than to be a good knight who can make a difference in that world. I felt like at every turn of the story there was someone or something there to knock Durand on his ass and to get in the way of his goals and every time it happened Durand managed to fight his back back to his feet and show he won’t be kept down. I think Durand is probably one of the best characters I’ve read about so far this year and if he’s anything like this in the rest of the series then he’s going to easily become one of my all time favorite characters.
The only complaint I really have about In The Eye of Heaven is that I felt like the pacing was a bit off with the story and that the plot would wander off in weird directions occasionally. Things felt a bit dragged out in the beginning and rushed in the end, but happily I don’t think that really affected how much I enjoyed the book. I think the amazing world and its characters more than make up for some minor pacing issues.
This is a book that I will definitely be recommending to anyone looking for a new fantasy series to read. I cant wait to find out what happens next in the series and can’t decide now whether I want to get the ebook or wait for the trade paperback if and when they reissue it.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
David Keck is a great author and there was a lot that I enjoyed about this book, but I there were two things that really stood out about if for me. First, In The Eye of Heaven has one of the most realistic and believable worlds I’ve read about in a long time now. I can’t even imagine that amount of time the author had to put into creating to be able to describe in such great detail. Normally I think getting into the grimy details of a world can bog down a story, I think it gives the world some verisimilitude. I didn’t have any problems picturing the world or the people in my mind at all.
The other thing that I think really made this book stand out was what a fantastic protagonist it had. Durand is a good man in a world of corruption and greed who wants nothing more than to be a good knight who can make a difference in that world. I felt like at every turn of the story there was someone or something there to knock Durand on his ass and to get in the way of his goals and every time it happened Durand managed to fight his back back to his feet and show he won’t be kept down. I think Durand is probably one of the best characters I’ve read about so far this year and if he’s anything like this in the rest of the series then he’s going to easily become one of my all time favorite characters.
The only complaint I really have about In The Eye of Heaven is that I felt like the pacing was a bit off with the story and that the plot would wander off in weird directions occasionally. Things felt a bit dragged out in the beginning and rushed in the end, but happily I don’t think that really affected how much I enjoyed the book. I think the amazing world and its characters more than make up for some minor pacing issues.
This is a book that I will definitely be recommending to anyone looking for a new fantasy series to read. I cant wait to find out what happens next in the series and can’t decide now whether I want to get the ebook or wait for the trade paperback if and when they reissue it.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2025
A low-power, grounded fantasy that hits my peculiar nostalgias of being a Soviet kid with Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson and the likes to read. Men of iron and hearts of steel. I am somehow calm reading all the fairly negative reviews; for me the adversary rooks in the book remind me of how terrible the trolls and the spiders seemed in the Hobbit.
I started out liking this book but then saw the many things to complain about: the language is a little old-fashioned and peculiarly non-linear. There are sudden turns that one may miss without carefully reading everything. There are occasional sentences that I failed to grasp with reading twice or thrice; with my excellent but non-native English.
At the same time, the plot is very linear at a higher level, the main character's travel in the land and in his life. The land is full of magical areas which just never stop. There always is a magical forest or undead creature or something similar around the corner. Yet its written in a way that the characters seem to always be a little surprised by them which with such density of encounters becomes implausible.
I started out thinking I'd rate it 4-5, but kept on lowering as the plot turned out to be ever shallow and confusingly written. It has some strong points but I cannot recommend it -- but may even continue to volume 2.
I started out liking this book but then saw the many things to complain about: the language is a little old-fashioned and peculiarly non-linear. There are sudden turns that one may miss without carefully reading everything. There are occasional sentences that I failed to grasp with reading twice or thrice; with my excellent but non-native English.
At the same time, the plot is very linear at a higher level, the main character's travel in the land and in his life. The land is full of magical areas which just never stop. There always is a magical forest or undead creature or something similar around the corner. Yet its written in a way that the characters seem to always be a little surprised by them which with such density of encounters becomes implausible.
I started out thinking I'd rate it 4-5, but kept on lowering as the plot turned out to be ever shallow and confusingly written. It has some strong points but I cannot recommend it -- but may even continue to volume 2.
Want to read
March 4, 2022Mar 2022
Seen in the background of A Critical Dragon’s channel - it was very distracting
Plus the author is from Winnipeg … yay !!
Seen in the background of A Critical Dragon’s channel - it was very distracting
Plus the author is from Winnipeg … yay !!
April 27, 2012
IN David Keck's tale of a knight-errant, the knight isn't the only thing that wanders. Sometimes the plot does, too.
Keck, who grew up in Winnipeg, puts his degrees in history and literature to good use in crafting a detailed fantasy that smacks of Arthurian romance.
The main character, Durand, is left without title or holdings when a long-lost son returns to claim land that would have become Durand's by default. Without waiting for pity or advice, Durand charges off to seek his fortune as a man-at-arms.
Early on, he befriends a skald named Heremund, who regales him with tales of ancient kings and unseen powers. While plainly an expository device, it helps the reader get to know the background. Durand, a man of action, isn't given to musing on such things.
He often lands himself in either a pitched battle or ethical dilemma -- sometimes both. Through skill and a lot of nerve, he works his way into the retinue of Lord Radomor.
Durand's loyalty is rewarded, but he soon finds Radomor is unpredictable and vindictive, meting out a slow death for a man he suspects of cuckolding him. Radomor also deals openly with other lords seeking to depose the king, and Durand must decide where he stands.
Durand is also preyed on by the wraithlike Blackthorn men, and given the evil eye by the black-garbed sorcerers called Rooks surrounding Radomor.
He manages to escape and prove his worth to another lord, Lamoric, who takes him in with few questions asked. Lamoric has secrets of his own, and at this point the story focuses so much on him that Durand is nearly secondary. Lamoric knights him, but has bigger fish to fry.
A diversion leads into Hesperand, a country doomed to keep refighting old battles and drawing in unwary travellers to do the same. The names and back story fly at the reader like knights' pennons -- colourful, but too many and varied to easily keep straight.
Fortunately, Keck's visceral writing style anchors the narrative. In one castle, Durand tries to sleep while "listening to lovemaking, farts and snarling dogs."
When he seeks to attend a tournament, a guard throws him down, "his chin biting the ground like a plowshare under all the weight." The details of a warrior's life -- right down to Durand's fleas and lice -- are all there.
Durand picks up many secrets in his travels, but he doesn't know what use to make of them, without the ear of any lord or power of his own. But when Radomor makes his play for power, Durand finally sees his chance.
While not as strong on characterization as Guy Gavriel Kay, Keck has the same sense of history underlying his world. He also avoids letting his epic sprawl a la Steve Erickson, keeping the focus on a few characters rather than a phone-book-length cast.
Don't be surprised if In the Eye of Heaven spawns a sequel. Despite its occasionally meandering track, it delivers a fast-moving combination of lance-shattering battle, courtly politics and unfathomable magic.
David Jón Fuller is managing editor of Lögberg-Heimskringla, the Icelandic community newspaper.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 21, 2006
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/hist...
Keck, who grew up in Winnipeg, puts his degrees in history and literature to good use in crafting a detailed fantasy that smacks of Arthurian romance.
The main character, Durand, is left without title or holdings when a long-lost son returns to claim land that would have become Durand's by default. Without waiting for pity or advice, Durand charges off to seek his fortune as a man-at-arms.
Early on, he befriends a skald named Heremund, who regales him with tales of ancient kings and unseen powers. While plainly an expository device, it helps the reader get to know the background. Durand, a man of action, isn't given to musing on such things.
He often lands himself in either a pitched battle or ethical dilemma -- sometimes both. Through skill and a lot of nerve, he works his way into the retinue of Lord Radomor.
Durand's loyalty is rewarded, but he soon finds Radomor is unpredictable and vindictive, meting out a slow death for a man he suspects of cuckolding him. Radomor also deals openly with other lords seeking to depose the king, and Durand must decide where he stands.
Durand is also preyed on by the wraithlike Blackthorn men, and given the evil eye by the black-garbed sorcerers called Rooks surrounding Radomor.
He manages to escape and prove his worth to another lord, Lamoric, who takes him in with few questions asked. Lamoric has secrets of his own, and at this point the story focuses so much on him that Durand is nearly secondary. Lamoric knights him, but has bigger fish to fry.
A diversion leads into Hesperand, a country doomed to keep refighting old battles and drawing in unwary travellers to do the same. The names and back story fly at the reader like knights' pennons -- colourful, but too many and varied to easily keep straight.
Fortunately, Keck's visceral writing style anchors the narrative. In one castle, Durand tries to sleep while "listening to lovemaking, farts and snarling dogs."
When he seeks to attend a tournament, a guard throws him down, "his chin biting the ground like a plowshare under all the weight." The details of a warrior's life -- right down to Durand's fleas and lice -- are all there.
Durand picks up many secrets in his travels, but he doesn't know what use to make of them, without the ear of any lord or power of his own. But when Radomor makes his play for power, Durand finally sees his chance.
While not as strong on characterization as Guy Gavriel Kay, Keck has the same sense of history underlying his world. He also avoids letting his epic sprawl a la Steve Erickson, keeping the focus on a few characters rather than a phone-book-length cast.
Don't be surprised if In the Eye of Heaven spawns a sequel. Despite its occasionally meandering track, it delivers a fast-moving combination of lance-shattering battle, courtly politics and unfathomable magic.
David Jón Fuller is managing editor of Lögberg-Heimskringla, the Icelandic community newspaper.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 21, 2006
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/hist...
October 20, 2017
This is what I like to call a "heartbreak" book. It's what I call books that I really really wanted to like but in the end just couldn't. This book tells a tale of a young knight-to-be Durand, as he travels across an Arthurian fantasy kingdom gone bad, first in search of employment and then in search of redemption. This is dark fantasy with a lot of violence, gritty details, mature language and situations, and bleak choices with a lot of intriguing details. It is clear that the author has put a lot of effort and imagination into the setting and that part of the book really pays off. I was very interested in the lore of the setting and its history, and there are some great vivid descriptions of monsters and locations. This book is full of interesting new ideas and twists on the familiar tropes of the genre.
However, as a novel, as a narrative, "In the Eye of Heaven" falls apart. First, there are no characters to root for. I get that Durand is supposed to live in a complicated world with no black-and-white morality and he's supposed to be a flawed character, but even a flawed character should have some traits that keep the audience's interest in his fate. Here, our main protagonist is shallow, two-dimensional, usually quite passive, impulsive and lacks anything that might make the reader root for him. Other characters (with one exception of a wandering skald who provides much of the exposition and comic relief) are similarly repulsive, boring and two-dimensional. The plot takes a while to get going, suffers some awful pacing throughout, and is often quite confusing; the big twist and payoff at the end comes far too late and is too abrupt to make a difference.
Then we need to talk about Keck's style, his prose. I'm really not sure what effect he was trying to achieve in this book, but if his effect was to leave the reader confused and disoriented then he has succeeded. I've got a few university degrees, I've taken a few courses on creative writing and novel editing and I still couldn't understand clearly what was happening in many passages throughout the book! The author's prose was confusing, stuttering (it lacked flow) and was often a chore to read. Oh, and the author clearly loves a few words and expressions. If you take a drink for every time Keck uses the word "brute" to describe a horse, person or some monsters, you will pass out 20 pages in.
My desire to find out more about the setting, uncover the lore of the truly fascinating dark Arthurian world that Keck has created, kept me reading until the end. But the author's frustrating prose, poor pacing and lack of any compelling characters convinced me not to give the second book in the series a try. David Keck is capably of vivid and interesting descriptions and has a wonderful imagination and eye for details, but he needs to work on his characterization, pacing and prose. I also feel that getting a better editor might have made this book much better than what it turned out to be. As it is, I'd advise a pass but keep an eye on the author's future works.
However, as a novel, as a narrative, "In the Eye of Heaven" falls apart. First, there are no characters to root for. I get that Durand is supposed to live in a complicated world with no black-and-white morality and he's supposed to be a flawed character, but even a flawed character should have some traits that keep the audience's interest in his fate. Here, our main protagonist is shallow, two-dimensional, usually quite passive, impulsive and lacks anything that might make the reader root for him. Other characters (with one exception of a wandering skald who provides much of the exposition and comic relief) are similarly repulsive, boring and two-dimensional. The plot takes a while to get going, suffers some awful pacing throughout, and is often quite confusing; the big twist and payoff at the end comes far too late and is too abrupt to make a difference.
Then we need to talk about Keck's style, his prose. I'm really not sure what effect he was trying to achieve in this book, but if his effect was to leave the reader confused and disoriented then he has succeeded. I've got a few university degrees, I've taken a few courses on creative writing and novel editing and I still couldn't understand clearly what was happening in many passages throughout the book! The author's prose was confusing, stuttering (it lacked flow) and was often a chore to read. Oh, and the author clearly loves a few words and expressions. If you take a drink for every time Keck uses the word "brute" to describe a horse, person or some monsters, you will pass out 20 pages in.
My desire to find out more about the setting, uncover the lore of the truly fascinating dark Arthurian world that Keck has created, kept me reading until the end. But the author's frustrating prose, poor pacing and lack of any compelling characters convinced me not to give the second book in the series a try. David Keck is capably of vivid and interesting descriptions and has a wonderful imagination and eye for details, but he needs to work on his characterization, pacing and prose. I also feel that getting a better editor might have made this book much better than what it turned out to be. As it is, I'd advise a pass but keep an eye on the author's future works.
March 9, 2010
Went for an author I had never heard of this time around since I don't have access to my own library... interesting start... different writing style, have not decided if I like it yet... but I'm fascinated with the setting and story, so onward we go!
So! Very good book. I found the mythos and the pantheon of this world very fascinating and was distracted at first by the writing style... felt I was missing something or really wanted to know more about the gods and the history... but... as I went along the characters drew me in and I learned that even they didn't know that much about their gods and their history. Gritty and a little disjointed this book kept me captivated and interested until the very end. But. Definitely NOT for everyone. I'm giving Mr. Keck five stars for this first novel. Now to see if I can find the next one...
So! Very good book. I found the mythos and the pantheon of this world very fascinating and was distracted at first by the writing style... felt I was missing something or really wanted to know more about the gods and the history... but... as I went along the characters drew me in and I learned that even they didn't know that much about their gods and their history. Gritty and a little disjointed this book kept me captivated and interested until the very end. But. Definitely NOT for everyone. I'm giving Mr. Keck five stars for this first novel. Now to see if I can find the next one...
July 13, 2010
Great story, with characters that you can really get behind. The protagonist doesn't always act as I would act, but he is completely supported by the development preceding his decisions.
The Arthur-Gueniveur-Lancelot love triangle is a little trite, but you can't argue too much with a theme that has had that much success.
The characters have you yelling at them in your head as you read, and only afterward do you realize how invested you have become in their story.
Well written, well developed, good plot.
The Arthur-Gueniveur-Lancelot love triangle is a little trite, but you can't argue too much with a theme that has had that much success.
The characters have you yelling at them in your head as you read, and only afterward do you realize how invested you have become in their story.
Well written, well developed, good plot.
July 26, 2015
I did not particularly like this book. The story was alright overall, although our main character is hardly inspirational. My biggest complaint was the preposterously confusing writing. I would have to go back and reread sentences multiple times to try to figure out what Keck was trying to say - sometimes I just plain didn't bother because it could easily be multiple sentences in a row.
I'd suggest finding something else to read.
I'd suggest finding something else to read.
October 7, 2019
Well-crafted crescendo of a conclusion redeems much of the overly-written melodramatics. Granted, without having read much of the preceding the climax would have lacked most its power, but my oh my oh my, this reader is definitely not one enamoured with the overdone storytelling style of Wolfeian's and their ilk.
June 8, 2009
I liked the writing in this one - it worked for me as it happens - but the content is fairly conventional and I read very fast the novel without truly getting into it; still i was up for the sequel which was similar for me and I am interested to see where it goes
February 26, 2008
Er...not great.
March 18, 2019
I knew going into this that I was reading a pretty divisive novel and that people who disliked it *really* disliked it. The multiple one star and DNF'ed reviews almost put me off this thing but it had been a bit since I read some fantasy and I figured I might as well give this thing a shot. I can honestly say it surprised me, both in tone and narrative style, and that I found myself increasingly fascinated during my read-through. I almost never dog-ear or note mark pages but I got so caught up in the lore and the mythos of this world that I started keeping track of juicy bits of exposition wherever they infrequently cropped up.
In summary, it's a pretty simple story- as the second son of a smaller barony, Durand has no choice but to try and make a name for himself by becoming a knight-errant and attracting the attention of a lord or duke through his tourney prowess or heroics. While he initially sets off alone, it doesn't take Durand long to fall in with some pretty bad company and to become complicit (through lack of protest) in some of their nastier deeds. The rest of the novel has to do with Durand righting his wrongs and thwarting these Bad People when the true scope of their ambition becomes clear.
Where the novel really worked for me though, was in its subtle and layered world building and its careful construction of a fantasy realm that gives 'grim' a new meaning. This is a place that would make a fog-shrouded English moor look cheerful, that's haunted by the restless dead and tethered ghosts of men who have been swept up in past wrongdoings, doomed to relive through their mistakes again and again. It's a land where the Lost and the Banished lurk just beneath the surface and where spirits that have more in common with dark folktales than your typical fantasy creatures populate eerie woods, silent rivers, and the unquiet ocean. There's a deep and organic history to this world with an underlying mythology that we're given just enough hints about to tease together into a coherent narrative. It was an absolutely original and inspired world and I loved it despite (or maybe because of) its perpetual hauntedness.
Kecks' writing is fantastic for the setting and just worked here for me- he writes sparsely but beautifully, and is damn good at drawing out the eeriness and wrongness of some of the more chilling scenes. He gives the novel a definite sense of gravitas and even though we are swept from one event to the next to the next, it never feels overwhelming or awkwardly paced. Things flow into each other with purpose and inevitability.
The characters serve their purpose within the story but they're not the strong point or even truly the focus. I did grow to like several of the more prominent characters but none of them approach three-dimensionality or even have much of a strong personality to root for. This includes Durand- the focal point of the narrative- but, oddly enough, I was OK with this. The world takes front and center stage here with the characters acting out their roles within it.
In summary, it's a pretty simple story- as the second son of a smaller barony, Durand has no choice but to try and make a name for himself by becoming a knight-errant and attracting the attention of a lord or duke through his tourney prowess or heroics. While he initially sets off alone, it doesn't take Durand long to fall in with some pretty bad company and to become complicit (through lack of protest) in some of their nastier deeds. The rest of the novel has to do with Durand righting his wrongs and thwarting these Bad People when the true scope of their ambition becomes clear.
Where the novel really worked for me though, was in its subtle and layered world building and its careful construction of a fantasy realm that gives 'grim' a new meaning. This is a place that would make a fog-shrouded English moor look cheerful, that's haunted by the restless dead and tethered ghosts of men who have been swept up in past wrongdoings, doomed to relive through their mistakes again and again. It's a land where the Lost and the Banished lurk just beneath the surface and where spirits that have more in common with dark folktales than your typical fantasy creatures populate eerie woods, silent rivers, and the unquiet ocean. There's a deep and organic history to this world with an underlying mythology that we're given just enough hints about to tease together into a coherent narrative. It was an absolutely original and inspired world and I loved it despite (or maybe because of) its perpetual hauntedness.
Kecks' writing is fantastic for the setting and just worked here for me- he writes sparsely but beautifully, and is damn good at drawing out the eeriness and wrongness of some of the more chilling scenes. He gives the novel a definite sense of gravitas and even though we are swept from one event to the next to the next, it never feels overwhelming or awkwardly paced. Things flow into each other with purpose and inevitability.
The characters serve their purpose within the story but they're not the strong point or even truly the focus. I did grow to like several of the more prominent characters but none of them approach three-dimensionality or even have much of a strong personality to root for. This includes Durand- the focal point of the narrative- but, oddly enough, I was OK with this. The world takes front and center stage here with the characters acting out their roles within it.
June 7, 2018
One sentence review: A realistic portrayal of the Middle Ages that meanders a bit too much for my taste.
I have decided to forego the "quick summary" section. The story travels so many paths, I cannot provide an adequate or meaningful summary.
In the Eye of Heaven is a gritty novel which shows Keck's outstanding wealth of knowledge regarding the Middle Ages. The glamour of sleep arrangements filled with nits and fleas and in the impossibilities of upward socio-economic movement for a second son, and the interference of gods. (It is a fantasy, after all.)
The reader is captivated by the world Keck has created. It is dark, and the lore is fascinating. It is one of the most well-developed worlds I have visited in a while; it feels as real as our own.
However.
Keck seems to have written several stories and combined them to create a book that is not entirely cohesive. The glue which holds the tales together is lengthy bits of tiresome prose. As a Steven Erikson reader, I am used to a certain level of side paths and questions left unsolved for several novels. However, Erikson always pushes his stories forward in a unified direction. The plot pushes ever onward until the merging point is reached at last. Keck has not figured out the recipe to connect the action with a central goal. This lack of overarching focus, mixed with uncompromisingly cruel pacing, left me disappointed and tired. At times, reading this novel feels like a punishment.
Once again, I have encountered a book that leaves me confused. Rather than decide if this is an enjoyable read or a problematic march through quicksand in the rain, I will allow myself the joy of the world and the disappointment of the storyline. Yet, perhaps that is Keck's intention. Rarely (read "never") is life a straightforward march of clear purpose or reason. Maybe the difficulties I encountered are intentional to allow the reader to entertain the idea that Durand is a real knight that we have forgotten. I just prefer my reality to be a mess of confusing plot points and my fantasy novels to have intention and direction.
Additionally, I did not like the main character enough to spend time with him more than necessary. He felt shallow and flat. This made it even more difficult for me to enjoy the - at times - random sequence of events.
I think those who enjoy high fantasy and detailed-works can have a lot of fun with this novel. Perhaps, this is even better appreciated slowly, revisited between other books. While this is a gritty novel, it is not the kind of story most grim-dark readers tend to seek out. The characters are just not well-developed in the way of Abercrombie, Lawrence, Spark-Smith, etc.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a platform from which I was able to receive an eARC of the rerelease from Tor-Forge Books and David Keck.
I have decided to forego the "quick summary" section. The story travels so many paths, I cannot provide an adequate or meaningful summary.
In the Eye of Heaven is a gritty novel which shows Keck's outstanding wealth of knowledge regarding the Middle Ages. The glamour of sleep arrangements filled with nits and fleas and in the impossibilities of upward socio-economic movement for a second son, and the interference of gods. (It is a fantasy, after all.)
The reader is captivated by the world Keck has created. It is dark, and the lore is fascinating. It is one of the most well-developed worlds I have visited in a while; it feels as real as our own.
However.
Keck seems to have written several stories and combined them to create a book that is not entirely cohesive. The glue which holds the tales together is lengthy bits of tiresome prose. As a Steven Erikson reader, I am used to a certain level of side paths and questions left unsolved for several novels. However, Erikson always pushes his stories forward in a unified direction. The plot pushes ever onward until the merging point is reached at last. Keck has not figured out the recipe to connect the action with a central goal. This lack of overarching focus, mixed with uncompromisingly cruel pacing, left me disappointed and tired. At times, reading this novel feels like a punishment.
Once again, I have encountered a book that leaves me confused. Rather than decide if this is an enjoyable read or a problematic march through quicksand in the rain, I will allow myself the joy of the world and the disappointment of the storyline. Yet, perhaps that is Keck's intention. Rarely (read "never") is life a straightforward march of clear purpose or reason. Maybe the difficulties I encountered are intentional to allow the reader to entertain the idea that Durand is a real knight that we have forgotten. I just prefer my reality to be a mess of confusing plot points and my fantasy novels to have intention and direction.
Additionally, I did not like the main character enough to spend time with him more than necessary. He felt shallow and flat. This made it even more difficult for me to enjoy the - at times - random sequence of events.
I think those who enjoy high fantasy and detailed-works can have a lot of fun with this novel. Perhaps, this is even better appreciated slowly, revisited between other books. While this is a gritty novel, it is not the kind of story most grim-dark readers tend to seek out. The characters are just not well-developed in the way of Abercrombie, Lawrence, Spark-Smith, etc.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a platform from which I was able to receive an eARC of the rerelease from Tor-Forge Books and David Keck.
April 28, 2021
Durand has been training 14 years to become a knight, in order to inherit one of his father's holdings. The man who owns it lost his only son to the sea years ago, and thus it is being given to Durand. ...Then the son comes back and ruins everything for Durand. He has no future. His father will give him nothing. His only option is to be a sellsword, which his father despises—starting by finding a tournament in which he can distinguish himself... but the magic of the land has some other plans for him.
I could not follow this book. So confused about what was happening. And then the random dentist chapter and I was like... wut? I gave up soon after.
I really hated that Durand spends 3 days guarding a woman trapped in a tower with no food or water... with a baby... and the entire time he's like 'I should do something'. He finally does, but it doesn't help much. Some knight, you know? It's more of a gritty type of knight story. Which is fine if it made any sense.
The magic seems to do random things like picking up Durand and depositing him a hundred miles away. This would be kind of fun except it just seemed like plot devices. Maybe it makes more sense later.
Oh, and why did he leave without his sword? WHY??? His actions made no sense to me either.
I wanted to see where the author was going with the story, and what kind of character growth we might see from Durand, but I finally realized I was torturing myself. Sadly I could not find a good summary anywhere that tells the plot. So I must wallow in the sadness of never knowing.
Basically, my recommendation is to read the first 3–5 chapters then assess from there. If you feel annoyed at the book, angry at Durand, and/or confused at what's going on, you should stop there because that's what will continue to happen. On the other hand, if you enjoy the first few chapters, then you'll probably enjoy the book. Simple.
I could not follow this book. So confused about what was happening. And then the random dentist chapter and I was like... wut? I gave up soon after.
I really hated that Durand spends 3 days guarding a woman trapped in a tower with no food or water... with a baby... and the entire time he's like 'I should do something'. He finally does, but it doesn't help much. Some knight, you know? It's more of a gritty type of knight story. Which is fine if it made any sense.
The magic seems to do random things like picking up Durand and depositing him a hundred miles away. This would be kind of fun except it just seemed like plot devices. Maybe it makes more sense later.
Oh, and why did he leave without his sword? WHY??? His actions made no sense to me either.
I wanted to see where the author was going with the story, and what kind of character growth we might see from Durand, but I finally realized I was torturing myself. Sadly I could not find a good summary anywhere that tells the plot. So I must wallow in the sadness of never knowing.
Basically, my recommendation is to read the first 3–5 chapters then assess from there. If you feel annoyed at the book, angry at Durand, and/or confused at what's going on, you should stop there because that's what will continue to happen. On the other hand, if you enjoy the first few chapters, then you'll probably enjoy the book. Simple.
December 20, 2018
I can't say with good conscience this book is bad. There's definitely something there. But apart from glimpses from time to time, I never quite caught what that is. It is most of the time buried under strange names and strange plots.
I have no problem with strange names and strange plots, but they should be reasonable. Names are good, if they have background stories. Plots are good if they waive into something coherent. Neither happen in this book, and so I feel lost all the time, like who is this god? He did this for what? Why did his lance stop flying? Was it because... magic???
So I ditched it at ~50%.
I have no problem with strange names and strange plots, but they should be reasonable. Names are good, if they have background stories. Plots are good if they waive into something coherent. Neither happen in this book, and so I feel lost all the time, like who is this god? He did this for what? Why did his lance stop flying? Was it because... magic???
So I ditched it at ~50%.
August 11, 2020
Keck, David
In the Eye of Heaven
Three stars
If you like realistic medieval fantasy without dragons or magic then this may be your cup of tea. I'm a dragon and magic lady myself but this was still a pretty good read and around page 300 there actually is some kind of fantasy being. The main character takes a journey, both physically and psychologically, and, one of the things I like about fantasy, is that you can follow the journey on the map in the front of the book of an imaginary place. I enjoyed the journey but not enough to pick up the next book in this series. I think I'll stick with dragons and magic rather than medieval realism.
In the Eye of Heaven
Three stars
If you like realistic medieval fantasy without dragons or magic then this may be your cup of tea. I'm a dragon and magic lady myself but this was still a pretty good read and around page 300 there actually is some kind of fantasy being. The main character takes a journey, both physically and psychologically, and, one of the things I like about fantasy, is that you can follow the journey on the map in the front of the book of an imaginary place. I enjoyed the journey but not enough to pick up the next book in this series. I think I'll stick with dragons and magic rather than medieval realism.
December 3, 2017
not my cup of tea.
December 16, 2018
While some of the prose can be clunky - the story, characters, and world are fascinating and immersive.
December 23, 2018
I enjoyed this book, though the main characters obsession with his lords wife was annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2019
This should have been in my wheelhouse but I found it disjointed and hard to get into. It certainly had good moments though so perhaps others will enjoy it more.
March 1, 2019
This falls prey to many pacing issues. Too many subplots, not enough substance. Oh well.
December 15, 2019
Read a bit like a fever dream, but lots of good book in there!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 22, 2024
A hidden gym, really.
A surrealist fantasy with a wacky prose style. Very cool.
A surrealist fantasy with a wacky prose style. Very cool.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews