- Paperback: 608 pages
- Publisher: Orbit (7 Dec 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1841492779
- ISBN-13: 978-1841492773
- Product Dimensions: 21.5 x 14 x 4.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 506,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Evil for Evil (Engineer Trilogy)
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Product Description
Book Description
The follow-up to Devices and Desires continues to push the boundaries of fantasy fiction in a fast-moving mix of politics, action and intelligent world-building.
Product Description
The engineer Ziani Vaatzes designed and built a war. Thousands died as a consequence of his elaborate plan. The civil servant Manuo Psellus took the decision that started the war. The very foundations of his world are now threatened. The ruler Duke Valens brought the war on himself. Now he must decide whether to sacrifice his country to save his people. They embarked on the war for their own reasons, but as it takes on a life of its own they find they've become components in their own machine. And the machine, it seems, has one purpose: to render evil for evil.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is the second part of a trilogy, the first being "Devices and Desires" and the third (out imminently in paperback) being "The Escapement". I have just devoured the first two books almost without pause, including some very late nights, which seems to suggest I really enjoyed them, but I'm still not quite sure if I did or not.
Let me explain. Pretty much everything about both books looks wonderful - the story is epic and complex, the characters detailed, the world varied and interesting. Parker's writing style is highly original and inventive and the action clips along, combining intrigue, action, epic battles, involved relationships and individual hopes and dreams.
Yet somehow it adds up to less than the sum of these promising parts. I found myself disliking almost every character, leaving me unsure who to root for. The world is analagous to the late Roman empire, with a highly advanced but arrogant and stagnant nation and their worthy, honourable but relatively primitive antagonists. Each of these nations is frustratingly one-dimensional, their attributes set out early in book one and hammered home through all 1400 pages of both books.
The villains are cartoon baddies, the good guys similarly clear cut (yet, in their different ways, much less interesting). Parker also uses a particular approach to getting under the skin of the participants, writing long passages (pages and pages) of their internal thoughts and dilemmas. One character thinks of everything as a machine, another as a hunt...over and over again, to the point where I started skipping large chunks just to get to the point where the action moved on.
Somewhere in the 700 pages of this book there is a fantastic 500 page novel. Same for book one and, I expect, book three. I like long stories and have no fear of 2,000 page trilogies, so it is odd to find myself wishing this one was 25% shorter. And of course if it was shorter, it would be less original, less involved and thus perhaps less enjoyable...
Which brings me back to my original dilemma...5 stars for its sheer scope and originality; 1 star for annoying me with repetition and characters whose deaths I was eagerly hoping for with very page turned. Some people are going to absolutely adore this, others will get bored halfway through. No bad thing to divide opinion of course, except when the divided opinion is in my own head...
Let me explain. Pretty much everything about both books looks wonderful - the story is epic and complex, the characters detailed, the world varied and interesting. Parker's writing style is highly original and inventive and the action clips along, combining intrigue, action, epic battles, involved relationships and individual hopes and dreams.
Yet somehow it adds up to less than the sum of these promising parts. I found myself disliking almost every character, leaving me unsure who to root for. The world is analagous to the late Roman empire, with a highly advanced but arrogant and stagnant nation and their worthy, honourable but relatively primitive antagonists. Each of these nations is frustratingly one-dimensional, their attributes set out early in book one and hammered home through all 1400 pages of both books.
The villains are cartoon baddies, the good guys similarly clear cut (yet, in their different ways, much less interesting). Parker also uses a particular approach to getting under the skin of the participants, writing long passages (pages and pages) of their internal thoughts and dilemmas. One character thinks of everything as a machine, another as a hunt...over and over again, to the point where I started skipping large chunks just to get to the point where the action moved on.
Somewhere in the 700 pages of this book there is a fantastic 500 page novel. Same for book one and, I expect, book three. I like long stories and have no fear of 2,000 page trilogies, so it is odd to find myself wishing this one was 25% shorter. And of course if it was shorter, it would be less original, less involved and thus perhaps less enjoyable...
Which brings me back to my original dilemma...5 stars for its sheer scope and originality; 1 star for annoying me with repetition and characters whose deaths I was eagerly hoping for with very page turned. Some people are going to absolutely adore this, others will get bored halfway through. No bad thing to divide opinion of course, except when the divided opinion is in my own head...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is described quite accurately by the title. It is, to date, the most tragic book I have ever read, yes more tragic then Deadhouse Gates or Storm of Swords or even the Farseer trilogy. But I must have some, as yet undiscovered, masochistic tendencies because despite this I still found Evil for Evil to be a fantastic read.
It is testament to Parkers skill as a writer that i can say that the story of the Ducas' fall is a truly heart breaking one. I remember feeling great frustration at what a broken man the Ducas had become while at the same time marveling at the fact that Parker could move me so much. Until now i don't understand why i didn't just give up on the book half way through and read something less suicidally depressing, but instead i just sat there utterly engrossed, putting my life on hold, as i read into the early hours of the morning.
Having said this much, i don't think i need to go into any detail about just how brilliant the characterisation is, or how fine the writing. Instead, i will say that it would be a great mistake for anyone to read Evil for Evil before you read Devices and Desire, this way you can grow steadily closer to the characters and feel the full effect of their fate by the time you get to the second book.
The story itself, as in the actual pace and plot, also got a lot better in this second installment. Vaatzes great and terrible scheme is in full swing now and there is rarely, if ever, an idle moment. I am also pleased to say that there is a new character who is just as intelligent as Vaatzes and even more dangerous. It is my great hope that this character will double cross Vaatzes in the future and ensure that he gets the most painful and heart breaking demise possible ; its only what Vaatzes deserves after all. This isn't the only addition to the tale either, there are twists and turns aplenty in this book and the suggestion that even the great and terrible Vaatzes is being manipulated by a higher power.
As you can probably see i am completely smitten with this book, to the point where i have come to resemble an old lady gossiping about her favorite sitcom, something i didn't think any book could move me to do. I eagerly await Parkers next installment. 9/10
It is testament to Parkers skill as a writer that i can say that the story of the Ducas' fall is a truly heart breaking one. I remember feeling great frustration at what a broken man the Ducas had become while at the same time marveling at the fact that Parker could move me so much. Until now i don't understand why i didn't just give up on the book half way through and read something less suicidally depressing, but instead i just sat there utterly engrossed, putting my life on hold, as i read into the early hours of the morning.
Having said this much, i don't think i need to go into any detail about just how brilliant the characterisation is, or how fine the writing. Instead, i will say that it would be a great mistake for anyone to read Evil for Evil before you read Devices and Desire, this way you can grow steadily closer to the characters and feel the full effect of their fate by the time you get to the second book.
The story itself, as in the actual pace and plot, also got a lot better in this second installment. Vaatzes great and terrible scheme is in full swing now and there is rarely, if ever, an idle moment. I am also pleased to say that there is a new character who is just as intelligent as Vaatzes and even more dangerous. It is my great hope that this character will double cross Vaatzes in the future and ensure that he gets the most painful and heart breaking demise possible ; its only what Vaatzes deserves after all. This isn't the only addition to the tale either, there are twists and turns aplenty in this book and the suggestion that even the great and terrible Vaatzes is being manipulated by a higher power.
As you can probably see i am completely smitten with this book, to the point where i have come to resemble an old lady gossiping about her favorite sitcom, something i didn't think any book could move me to do. I eagerly await Parkers next installment. 9/10
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
After reading Devices & Desires I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book for a long time and I was by no means disappointed. Evil for Evil is every bit as excellent as it's predecessor in terms of story and atmosphere. Parker takes the show on the road, revealing new parts of the world and introducing some vital new characters. A new and unwelcome component is added to "the machine" in the form of engineering prodigy Daurenja, the most intrigueing and sinister character encountered so far, whose true intentions will keep you guessing right until the very end; and what an end it is!
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first installment; you will not be disappointed with where the story takes us. The only bad part is having to wait for the third and final volume.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first installment; you will not be disappointed with where the story takes us. The only bad part is having to wait for the third and final volume.
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