Feast Of The King's Shadow

Outremer - UK #2

by Chaz Brenchley

Enemies of long standing are united under the fiercely charismatic Hasan-and Outremer may be defeated before the first battle has even been fought. But one woman could make a difference...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, M M Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy, Gay, High Fantasy, Historical Fiction

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Chaz Brenchley has been making a living as a writer since he was eighteen. He is the author of nine thrillers, most recently Shelter, and two major fantasy series: The Books of Outremer, based on the world of the Crusades, and Selling Water by the River, set in an alternate Ottoman Istanbul. A winner of the British Fantasy Award, he has also published three books for children and more than 500 short stories in various genres. His time as Crimewriter-in-Residence at the St Peter's Riverside Sculpture Project in Sunderland resulted in the collection Blood Waters. He is a prizewinning ex-poet, and has been writer in residence at the University of Northumbria, as well as tutoring their MA in Creative Writing. His novel Dead of Light is currently in development with an independent film company; Shelter has been optioned by Granada TV. He was Northern Writer of the Year 2000, and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with a quantum cat and a famous teddy bear.

Also known as author Daniel Fox.

Reviews

[Jules Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's surprisingly tricky to review the later books in the series without giving too much away, in large part because the whole thing should really be regarded as a single long novel. Nevertheless, here's the review of part four.[return][return]As the fourth volume opens, the little group of travellers finally reaches the safety of the desert city of Rhabat, and the council of the sheiks. But safety only for a little while, before the 'ifrit make their presence felt. Again, Brenchley draws on the real world to form a solid foundation for his creation, with his depiction of the city carved from living rock.[return][return]The are two main plot threads running through this volume; one the growing love and friendship between various characters, the other the shifting balance between war and peace as Hasan tries to unite the Sharai tribes for war against the Outremer states, and the King's Shadow and Ruban of Surayon try to dissuade them from war. But the future war is forgotten for a little while, as both sides make common cause to defend Rhabat from an enemy deadly to all.[return][return]Both plot threads come together around Julianne. The King's Shadow is quite willing to use his own daughter in persuit of his cause, recognising the strong mutual attraction between Julianne and Hasan. Julianne finds herself with a second wedding arranged for political purposes -- and a second prospective husband she is in love with, political marriage or no. But that's far less complicated than the emotions swirling around Marron...[return][return]As with the previous volumes, much of the appeal of the series lies in the complex characters. They mostly try to do the right thing, at least by their own moral codes, but don't always succeed. They're human and have human failings, and one of the things the series shows is that moral codes can be different and not perfectly compatible, -- and not always perfectly followed even by people who try to do so. It's easy to become attached to these people, wanting to know what happens next and hoping for a good outcome for them all. But there are no guarantees here; characters die, and not just redshirts introduced as cannon fodder. It makes for a reading experience that is sometimes painful, but certainly intense.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Return to the form of books 1/2 after the ok but not great book 3. Looking forward to read the last books in this wonderful series.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marron is now the bearer of the Daughter, a dark and insatiable power that flows in his blood, making him the prophesied deliverer of the Sharai tribes: the Ghost Walker. Marron, Julianne and Elisande and Rudel escaped the Roq de Rancon and now, with the help of Jemel, are making their way through Sharai lands to their city of Rhabat.

The Daughter has changed Marron, but his friendship with Jemel gives him some measure of happiness. The Daughter is capable of unspeakable bloodshed and destruction, and everyone would like to manipulate and control Marron in the war that is brewing in this turbulent land. It is Julianne, newly wed to a lord of Outremer but still a virgin, who can breach the hostile gap between Outremer and Sharai by marrying Hasan, the charismatic leader of the Sharai.

There is always something happening in these novels, and yet the slow pace gives you plenty of time - sometimes too much - to absorb it all. There are the old characters to rediscover, who are changing and maturing, and new ones yet to explore. There are the interesting and often unique magical qualities - like the Daughter, or the ifrits and djinni and ones more strange - to provide surprises around every rock.

Julianne, Elisande and Marron are still the main protagonists, though the cast of characters is large and includes, in its way, the mostly dry, harsh and often cruel desert. The scope of the plot is broad and continues to widen, and the clash of cultures and the bloody war for land that everyone desires speaks to the ongoing conflict in places like Palestine and Israel - brought to mind above others for the climate and landscape.