James Clemens, Hinterland

Hinterland

James Clemens

Roc, Nov 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 0451461134

Tylar Ser Noche has been called many things in his life including Shadowknight, murderer, and Godslayer amongst the kinder epitaphs. Warden Fields pursued hum until he caught him and sold him into slavery; there Tylar was broken in body and spirit. He healed as he provided comfort to a dying goddess who put her naethryn inside him so that his humors flowed with Grace (magic). Now he returns to the stronghold of the Shadowknights where Fields and Tylar's treacherous ex-lover live in order to be inducted back into the Shadowknights.

When Tylar and his entourage arrive at the stronghold of Tashijan, everyone inside knows they are trapped. Ulf the God of Eyrie sends a storm that will kill everyone unless they hand over Tylar to him. He believes that Tylar is an abomination because a mortal must never carry a God's Grace. At the same time in the underground beneath the building is the former castellan who has joined the dark, who wnts everyone inside Tashijan dead so she can rule as the First Land. Tylar is the tug of war between godly forces that could devastate a world.

HINTERLAND is an action oriented sword and sorcery saga as James Clemens creates an intricately detailed fantasy world that readers will easily visualize. Similar to Greek mythology, the realm is an interesting place where gods live and interact with humans on a daily basis. The protagonist and the key support cast are fully developed and critical to this fine tale. It is easy to understand what motivates them though at least Tylar is quite a deep character. As the audience learns who is arranging for a full second God War, questions left dangling concerning the plot should be answered in the next Godslayer Chronicle.

Harriet Klausner