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The Fade (Gollancz S.F.)
 
 
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The Fade (Gollancz S.F.) (Hardcover)

by Chris Wooding (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.99
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Price For All Three: £35.72

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz (18 Oct 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 057507700X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575077003
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 3.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 730,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Barbara Davies, STARBURST
"Entertaining and original." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
"Entertaining and original." (Barbara Davies STARBURST )

"Chris Wooding's first novel for adults is nothing short of brilliant." (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN )

"Part escape novel, part travelogue, part a revenge-motivated fantasy, this energetic book, using revenge as a lead motif for the book, is engaging and fast-paced from the go. Those who, like me, loved Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination or Steph Swainston's Jant series (though this is a tad more straightforward) will find much to admire here." (SFF WORLD.COM ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., 31 Oct 2007
By A. Whitehead "Werthead" (Colchester, Essex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: The Fade (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
The world of Callespa was long ago settled by humans. A rocky moon circling a much huger world (presumably a gas giant) in a binary system, the world became virtually uninhabitable when the stars' output dramatically increased. Humanity retreated underground, splintering into many tribes, leaving only those hardy people known as the SunChildren to dwell on the surface. For many years the nations of Eskara and the Gurta have been at war, a battle fought back and forth through vast subterrenean chambers with neither kingdom able to win a decisive advantage.

Massima Leithka Orna is a Bondswoman, an indentured servant of Clan Caracassa. She is also a member of her clan's Cadre, a collection of warriors and magic-wielders (known as chthonomancers) beyond compare, elite fighters at the front of every major push but also adept at assassination and espionage. During a brutal battle her forces are betrayed and her husband is killed. Taken prisoner to a Gurta fortress, Orna lives only to escape and find her son, now serving on the front lines.

The Fade is a terrific novel. Relatively short (just over 300 pages in hardcover) it is nonetheless superbly-written with vivid characters. The first-person narrative works well, as does the unusual structure (the present-day storyline alternates with flashbacks - in reverse order - showing Orna's history up until the point of her capture). Whilst the epic story of conflict between two civilisations forms the backdrop, the novel is much more concerned with Orna's emotional journey and her relationship with her late husband and her son, which is handled well with all the depth and complexity of real-life relationships. The underground steampunk-esque setting is extremely well-realised and atmospheric, as are the short sections set on the surface.

The Fade (****½) is a complete story in itself but a fair number of loose ends are left dangling for possible future sequels.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Hell Hath No Fury, 1 April 2009
This review is from: The Fade (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
Having read the author's excellent and original 'Braided Path' trilogy, I had been looking forward to reading his next offering for adult readers. Though not quite as good as his first outing, 'The Fade' did not disappoint.

Set beneath the surface of a hostile moon, 'The Fade' is tale of war, intrigue and racial hatred. The novel is constructed in an inventive and unusual manner, opening with a chaotic battle scene, that results in the main character, Orna, being taken prisoner by the enemy. From there the plot travels in two directions; one going forwards, treating us to the story of Orna's trials in prison and her heroic escape. The other runs backwards, recounting the events that put this trained killer onto the battlefield.

'The Fade' is written in the first person, which lends the story a sense of urgency, but does occasionally mean that the depth of the storytelling feels unrealistic. Wooding has created an interesting world, filled with antagonistic races, warring factions and unworldly ecosystems, which are all very well described and stand up to close scrutiny. How he managed to pack so much information into just over 300 pages, and still leave room for an intriguing story, is testament to the quality of his writing. My only real complaint about 'The Fade' is that the story of, 'elite warrior-escapes inescapable prison-against all the odds', is hardly original, and in the middle third the story felt a little run-of-the-mill.

The last third however is terrific. As the plot unfolds, the two diverging narratives cleverly marry up, and we see how events in Orna's past effect her actions in the present. Wooding's characterisation is strong, and his multi-layered story offers the reader twist after twist, effortlessly turning from a 'prison break' blockbuster into a political thriller. Ultimately this story is about love, redemption and the price of friendship; the final chapters are as moving as they are exciting, and drive the novel towards its devastating but fitting conclusion. A terrific read.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, 6 April 2009
By xenofan "xenofan" (Nottinghamshire, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fade (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)
This is a stunning book, wonderfully written with a gripping and intense storyline that had me eager to turn the pages. It's chapter ordering takes a little bit of getting used to: the story is split into two timelines, one going forwards from the events in the "first" chapter, (actually the book begins at chapter 30) and one going backwards (sort of) to events leading up to those in the beginning. It takes a little getting used to, but it works rather well.

The story itself is very gripping, and the world is one of the most unusual locations that I've seen in a fantasy story for a while now. It's all so fantastical, that there were times when I did struggle to remember to invision the settings acurately-I kept forgetting that the majority of the story takes place in a world that is underground. The characters are great, and the ending was stunning. I loved how the author brought together the threads from both timelines to reach a conclusion that I just couldn't have predicted.

I'm eager to see what else this author has to offer. Though short (about 320 pages) The Fade is an excellent title and well deserving of a read if you're into fantasy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Just a short review.
Amazing, being an big fan of Chris Wooding's novels I bought this new one, and trust me you wont be dissapointed. An amazing novel.
Published 14 months ago by Stephen Williamson

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome manipulative writting and a great standalone fantasy! readable stuff!
Another truely excellent novel from Chris Wooding, The Fade is a deeply originally structured fantasy, with intricate characters and emotional complexities that get you very... Read more
Published 16 months ago by T. ANDERSEN

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fade
An excellent novel, set underground on an alien moon where two civilisations are at war with each other, the story is a first person view of the female character (Orna) who has a... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. A. Jones

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