Kings of the north

Moon, Elizabeth ~ Kings of the North ~ Del Rey, 2011 ~ 39 chapters + epilogue, 478 pages, list of major and some minor characters, front matter map of Northern Kingdoms  ~ Audience: adults, teens ~ Rating: excellent.

Opening:

“Falkieri Artfielan Phelan, King of Lyonya, waited with barely concealed impatience for his grandmother, the elven queen of the Ladysforest, to appear for the Midsummer ritual. Under his b are feet, the moss of the King’s Grove felt cool and welcoming; the fragrance of the summer night, flowers that bloomed at no other time, filled his nostrils.”

Publication History:

This is the fifth volume in a series, the Deed of Paksenarrion, that began long ago with Sheepfarmer’s Daughter. Oath of Fealty immediately precedes this one and will help readers to understand plot, setting, and major characters.

 Setting:

The larger setting is essentially the same as in Oath of Fealty, but here the focus is on the Northern Kingdoms of Fintha, Tsais, Lyonya,and Pargun.

Each kingdom is ruled by a king. There is considerable tension between Lyonya and Pargun and war seems possible. Government consists of an aristocracy and medieval ways of doing things. Besides magic, both good and evil, technology is limited and warfare involves swords and bows. There is little mention of the economy. Culture receives some attention, especially that of the elves and those near the Ladysforest.

While well described and interesting, the setting does not receive quite as much attention as the characters and their interactions.

Plot:

The main focus is on King Kieri Phelan of Lyonya. Kieri was formerly a noted commander of a mercenary company and a duke in Tsaia. His kingdom is ruled in partnership with elves who defend the Ladysforest. In fact, Kieri is half elf himself.

As told in the preceding volume, a large and evil family with strong magical abilities, including the ability to transform one’s essence into the body of another, has just been defeated but remnants remain to be discovered and eliminated.

At the same time, the king of Pargun appears ready to cross the border and wage war. Lyonya is strong, especially with elven magic, but is not yet prepared for war.

Some distance away in the South, one of the mercenary companies most difficult and evil enemies, Alured the Black, claims to be the ruler of an ancient kingdom. His evil and military skill threatens all of the kingdoms, including the northern ones.

At the same time, Kieri is increasingly urged to find an appropriate wife and deliver a child who can continue his line. As an older man, his elven blood will give him a longer than human life, but can he find the right woman and avoid offending members of his and distant courts? Too, his grandmother who is really the dominant elvan leader is increasingly distant and hard to reach. Why and what should he do about it?

Major Characters:

1. Although she appears briefly, Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter is not a major character in this volume.

2. Kieri is the major character and the plot revolves around him. He has considerable military experience and is very good at strategy and tactics. Kieri reacts quickly to crises, but lacks experience in ruling a kingdom and dealing with other kings.

3. Dorrin Verrakai, now Duke, was a leader in Kieri’s mercenary company and is most talented. She also has considerable magical abilities and played a major rule in defeating the largely evil members of her own family. She is now Constable for the kingdom of Tsaia.

4. As you might imagine, there are many characters and they are nicely developed into appropriate and interesting roles that fit both plot and setting.

Physical Book:

The character list is quite helpful. While the map is a nice touch, it does not really help in following the story line as it moves from place to place. A brief summary of what has gone on before would help readers who cannot clearly recall what happened in the earlier volume.

The story is quite readable. Print is clear and large enough for pleasant reading. See-through is better than average. Cover art by Paul You’ll shows Kieri and Arian, one of the King’s Squires Arian who is both a talented solider and half-elf. 

Recommendation keys:

Story length: Given the relatively large print and clear font, the length is a good match for the story. The story flows well with different chapters focusing on scenes involving major and minor characters. The volume ends on a positive note with a major crisis solved. Still, it is clear that much remains to do. The Northern Kingdoms still face important threats.

Mood: Threats of various kinds keep the plot moving, but the overall mood is a positive one with strong characters clearly able to react strongly and appropriately.

Approach: Colleagues now separated and with new roles call on each other to defend themselves and others. Honorable people find the right way to meet and overcome difficult challenges.

Sex: None. 

Action/Violence: Medieval military violence as well as some magical violence. Specifics are appropriate to the situation, and not really too explicit. Enough threat and action to keep the pages turning, but the story really focuses on the larger picture.

Reading difficulty: Not at all difficult for those who have read much heroic fantasy. Language is clear and understandable. 

Focus: How one new to government, but with strong allies, can do the right thing and protect those he loves and is responsible for.

Summary: Quite a page turner. I have already reread favored parts and hope that the wait for the next volume is not too long.

While Moon has written excellent SF, she really shines with the Paksenarrion series and I am delighted that she has continued it with these recent volumes. Highly recommended for nearly all SF collections.