Beyond the Pale by Mark Anthony
So Jean said that
she hoped I'd write about this book when I was finished. (sidebar: yes,
I am one of those terrible people that always begins sentences with
"So..." I can't help it anymore, I've stopped fighting it, and I feel
like if I stopped doing it my friends would think I'd been
body-snatched. But I do notice).
If you clicky on the link to amazon, there's a telling sentence in the amazon review:
Beyond the Pale isn't entirely derivative of Jordan's wildly popular Wheel of Time series: if nothing else, Anthony sets himself apart by having things actually happen in his book.
Which is pretty accurate.
Now, I have to do a disclosure here. I love fantasy. Fantasy and sci-fi, but especially fantasy. It's my guilty pleasure reading, the reading I do when I'm lying sick in bed, or having a whole night on the couch not really moving. And I'll pretty much read anything. I said it a few days ago: I'm a very forgiving reader. But what people who are dismissive of fantasy don't realise? admit? is that there is good fantasy (George R. R. Martin) and bad fantasy (Robert Jordan). Don't get me wrong - I've read all of Jordan's Wheel of Time series, gnashing my teeth, enduring Rand's cluelessness and Nynaeve's chewing her goddamned braid, despairing at the bad writing and yet unable to stop reading until I know what bloody well happens, even though nothing has actually happened in about 5 books [breath] but the point is I know the books are bad, it's just like the fantasy equivalent of grabbing a slice for dinner. A really really overly long, bloated, tedious slice.
My point? I know good fantasy and I know bad fantasy. Beyond the Pale falls somewhere in the middle. Anthony's writing is not fantastic, especially at the start of the book where he kind of switches voice formality a few times, which is distracting. But the characters are engaging and the plot chugs along pretty well. He successfully avoids a romantic tryst between the two protagonists, which I was happy about. And the end has a bit of a resolution, even though the series is only 1/6 way through. So overall, I'd give it a 6/10 and I'll definitely read the rest of them. In fact, booksfree has the next one on the way now.
One final thought: a big reason why I love fantasy is because I'm a fast reader, and I like to get lost inside a world for more than a couple of days. You can't go wrong with the multi-volume series. Oh yeah.
If you clicky on the link to amazon, there's a telling sentence in the amazon review:
Beyond the Pale isn't entirely derivative of Jordan's wildly popular Wheel of Time series: if nothing else, Anthony sets himself apart by having things actually happen in his book.
Which is pretty accurate.
Now, I have to do a disclosure here. I love fantasy. Fantasy and sci-fi, but especially fantasy. It's my guilty pleasure reading, the reading I do when I'm lying sick in bed, or having a whole night on the couch not really moving. And I'll pretty much read anything. I said it a few days ago: I'm a very forgiving reader. But what people who are dismissive of fantasy don't realise? admit? is that there is good fantasy (George R. R. Martin) and bad fantasy (Robert Jordan). Don't get me wrong - I've read all of Jordan's Wheel of Time series, gnashing my teeth, enduring Rand's cluelessness and Nynaeve's chewing her goddamned braid, despairing at the bad writing and yet unable to stop reading until I know what bloody well happens, even though nothing has actually happened in about 5 books [breath] but the point is I know the books are bad, it's just like the fantasy equivalent of grabbing a slice for dinner. A really really overly long, bloated, tedious slice.
My point? I know good fantasy and I know bad fantasy. Beyond the Pale falls somewhere in the middle. Anthony's writing is not fantastic, especially at the start of the book where he kind of switches voice formality a few times, which is distracting. But the characters are engaging and the plot chugs along pretty well. He successfully avoids a romantic tryst between the two protagonists, which I was happy about. And the end has a bit of a resolution, even though the series is only 1/6 way through. So overall, I'd give it a 6/10 and I'll definitely read the rest of them. In fact, booksfree has the next one on the way now.
One final thought: a big reason why I love fantasy is because I'm a fast reader, and I like to get lost inside a world for more than a couple of days. You can't go wrong with the multi-volume series. Oh yeah.
Comments
I was so into this series when I was a kid! I thought the Xanth books sucked
Wait, you were so into the series and you thought it sucked? Please clarify.
BTW, On a pale horse is NOT part of the Xanth series.
Neither is Tatham Mound by Piers. Which is a most enjoyable read, if you are at all interested in American Indian tales.
IMHO, The color of her panties is the best book in the Xanth series. Warped and hysterical.