Steph Swainston, No Present Like Time

No Present Like Time

Steph Swainston

Eos, Feb 2006, $13.95, 416 pp.

ISBN: 0060753889

In the Fourlands, several years have passed since THE YEAR OF OUR WAR, but now a rare challenge to a position in Emperor San's Circle of the immortal Eszai occurs. Shockingly the newcomer defeats Gio Ami, and replaces him as the Swordsman, Serein. Feeling humiliated by his defeat, as only the second immortal to lose the vaunted inner circle position in several centuries, Gio vows to regain his place of prominence and more.

Meanwhile San sends Eszai members Comet Jant Shira, the new Serein, and the Sailor to negotiate with the natives of a newly discovered island, Tris to obtain their agreement to join the Fourlands. The mission fails as the islanders, knowing they were once the fifth land of the Fourlands, want their paradise to remain out of the empire. However, a deadly Insect, who should never have been on board the Stormy Petrel, is released on Tris, at about the same time Gio leads an assault on San's castle.

The sequel to THE YEAR OF OUR WAR is a fine fantasy that contains two major well written subplots: the future of Tris and the insurgency led by former Swordsman Gio. There are also several minor threads involving specific relationships between characters, but those weigh down the prime sagas, even when Jant uses drugs to visit the intriguing, and critical to this tale, realm of Shift. Still this is a well written original thriller that fans will enjoy as more people see the "Emperor's New Clothes" while the Insects still cause havoc.