The Briar king

Keyes, Greg  ~ The Briar King ~ Del Rey, 2003 ~ 552 pages ~ adults, some teens.


"Know, O Proud Heart of Fear, that in those days there were no kings and queens, no lords and vassals. In the countless millennia before Everon, known also as the Age of Man, there wre only masters and slaves."

This is the first volume in the four volume "The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone" series. Humans have been freed from the dread Skasloi via the heroism and leadership of the Born Queen and the power of the sedos. However, a great curse has been made that will come to haunt humans at some time in the future. That curse seems to involve one of the older gods, the Briar King.

As the Briar King gradually awakens, various characters find their lives dramatically altered. Besides the ancient magics, men play their foolish intrigues to take advantage of each other and their kingdoms.

William, the King of Crotheny is weak and finds it difficult to make needed decisions. His brother Robert is devious, perhaps mentally ill, and wants to rule. The King's wife is beautiful, strong, and thoughtful. Of her children, Anne seems likely to play the most important role. She is head strong and adventurous, but has little knowledge or understanding of the outside world. Anne will face a variety of most difficult challenges even in this first volume.

Asper White, the King's Holter, is responsible for the King's Forest. He is an older man, experienced, tough, and difficult to kill. He will be the first to encounter the Briar King.  Neil MeqVren has fought in wars since he was eleven. He is now on his way to Crotheny to be knighted. An unusually gifted warrior, and a decent man, he is not from a noble family. Still, he is knighted and becomes the Queen's guard. Stephen Darige is noble and educated. He is on his way to be a novice at a nearby monastery. Unknowingly, he will sound the horn that awakens the Briar King.

There are two major threads in this volume. The first is the gradual awakening of the Briar King and the possibility that all of the human lands will become only thorn and bone. The second focuses on Robert's attempts to eliminate all rivals for the throne including his brother and his family as well as to begin war with neighboring kingdoms.

Keyes is an excellent creator of imaginative worlds and intriguing characters. The plot is complex and some roles and motivations will not be understood until later in the series. World-building is first rate. Major characters develop and change with events and circumstances. There are characters that the reader really cares about. The story moves forward quickly with alternate glimpses of the major characters until they come together at the end of this volume. There is enough action and threat of action to keep the pages turning. While there is considerable gloom as things fall apart, especially for the King's family, there is also some grounds for hope.

Although see-through is notable, the book is easily read with good contrast between paper and print.

Recommendation:
Cover art by Eric Peterson appeals and clearly indicates the type of story.  Endpaper maps show the various countries and the capital of Crotheny in more detail. A glossary at the end would help the reader to keep track of who is who and where is where. The series is now complete and all four volumes should be held in nearly all heroic fantasy collections. This is clearly a major contribution to the genre.