Feb-12-2011, 02:48 PM (UTC)
(This post was last modified: Feb-12-2011, 02:49 PM (UTC) by Albertosaurus Rex.)
Those of you read the "What are you reading right now?" thread might have noticed that I've been reading a little something called The Stone Dance of the Chameleon. This is a relatively obscure fantasy trilogy that I would like to share my thoughts on.
Should I call it fantasy though? It has the hallmarks of epic fantasy: highly detailed worlbuilding, a pre-industrial society, it even has dragons. (Although what the inhabitants of this world call "dragons" turn out to be rather different than the usual sort.) What it doesn't have, though, is magic.
These books contain some of the best worldbuilding that I have ever seen. You can't pin it down to one single culture - sure, there are elements of South American civilizations like the Inca's and Maya's, but then there are also african and ancient Roman influences. Every scene is lovingly described, although this does sometimes bog down these quite lengthy books. And then there's the culture in the books.
The world of The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is ruled by the Masters. They are a tall, pale people who believe that the blood of gods runs in their veins. They oppress the other peoples of the world and are obsessed with rituals, blood purity and physical mutilation. And we get to know every little detail of their culture. This makes the book the most extreme story I have read so far in my life. The stuff the author can come with is absolutely gruesome.
I have really said anything about the storyline yet. Well, that's because it's really not all that spectacular. At times it felt more like an excuse to show us this whole horrifying world. It involves a young Master named Carnelian who has grown up in exile. Thus, when he and his father return to the other Masters, he is in for a nasty culture shock - he isn't used at all to the Masters' cruel culture.
So do I recommend these books? Well, I don't know if it makes any sense, but these books are easy to admire, but hard to actually love. I feel enriched by having read it, but I doubt I'll go through it a second time.
Should I call it fantasy though? It has the hallmarks of epic fantasy: highly detailed worlbuilding, a pre-industrial society, it even has dragons. (Although what the inhabitants of this world call "dragons" turn out to be rather different than the usual sort.) What it doesn't have, though, is magic.
These books contain some of the best worldbuilding that I have ever seen. You can't pin it down to one single culture - sure, there are elements of South American civilizations like the Inca's and Maya's, but then there are also african and ancient Roman influences. Every scene is lovingly described, although this does sometimes bog down these quite lengthy books. And then there's the culture in the books.
The world of The Stone Dance of the Chameleon is ruled by the Masters. They are a tall, pale people who believe that the blood of gods runs in their veins. They oppress the other peoples of the world and are obsessed with rituals, blood purity and physical mutilation. And we get to know every little detail of their culture. This makes the book the most extreme story I have read so far in my life. The stuff the author can come with is absolutely gruesome.
I have really said anything about the storyline yet. Well, that's because it's really not all that spectacular. At times it felt more like an excuse to show us this whole horrifying world. It involves a young Master named Carnelian who has grown up in exile. Thus, when he and his father return to the other Masters, he is in for a nasty culture shock - he isn't used at all to the Masters' cruel culture.
So do I recommend these books? Well, I don't know if it makes any sense, but these books are easy to admire, but hard to actually love. I feel enriched by having read it, but I doubt I'll go through it a second time.
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