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Jump to navigationJump to searchChaos Queen - Duskfall (The Chaos Queen Quintet) by Christopher B Husberg (view source)
Revision as of 11:38, 18 August 2020
, 11:38, 18 August 2020no edit summary
The first thing we notice is that this is an exciting adventure rather than a memory test. Christopher only brings new characters in when the existing ones are firmly fixed in our minds' eyes. Then he goes on to ensure that, once fixed, we aren't going to forget them, allowing the story to envelop us without distraction.
Talking about memorable, Winter and Knot , for instance , have a wedding they'll never forget, but there are huge gaps in Knot's recollection. Considering there are some peculiar people who seem to want him, and in a brutal rather than loving way, he'd best fill the gaps in fast. Winter , on the other hand , is a lass that comes to us fully formed with a degree of self-awareness and yet she's in for a few shocks too!
These along with the Priestess Cinzia, her heretical sister Jane and Winter's friend Lian are people we come to care about in a world where nothing is quite as it seems. Even little 9 -year -old Astrid has hidden depths and the ability to make us paranoid.
Like many a great fantasy, this is also a world of supernatural powers. Psimancy abounds among those blessed with it; telenics can move items with their minds and acumens can delve into others' psyches in order to discern emotions and learn secrets. A rather useful skill to have if you're part of an inquisition that out-nasties our historical Inquisition. Commoners can do it too, although some require a drug to unleash their potential… and that's where the problems can really begin.
Christopher has also been clever in other ways. For instance ''Duskfall'' is billed as a story about 'daemons' and it is, but not just physical 'daemonic' beings. It's as much about inner daemons since our new friends – and others – come to terms with who they are, who they should be and how others see them.
The second book of the quintet ''Dark Immolation'' is due out in June 2017. That gives ''Duskfall'' a year to get around and take off. Personally , I don't it will need that long.
(Thank you so much to the folk at Titan for providing us with a copy for review.)
Further Reading: YOu'll find a review of the next book in the series [[Chaos Queen - Dark Immolation (Chaos Queen 2) by Christopher B Husberg|here]]. If you like your fantasy fast and action -packed, we just as heartily recommend [[Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay]].
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