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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A rattling good adventure story, 21 Jun 2008
This is a sequel to Hunt's "The Court of the Air", taking place a few months after the earlier story ends and involving some of the same characters. It stands alone, but if you haven't read "Court" I would do so first (for a start, it is an excellent read).
Both books focus on the kingdom of Jackals, a state that bears some similarity to late 18th/ early 19th century Britain, guarded by a trusty fleet of airships from the fiendish plots of neighbouring revolutionary Quatreshift. Jackals sees itself as the beacon of liberty, but that is relative: for example, the titular King has his arms removed so that he can't lift his hands against the people.
"Court of the Air" featured an invasion of Jackals by Quatreshift, foiled by agents of the Court itself (which literally watches over Jackals) assisted by a race of steam powered robots, the oddly sympathetic steammen. Much of the action of "Kingdom", in contrast, takes place outside Jackals, on an expedition (by submarine!) to seek the ruins of a lost, peaceful civilization which it is hoped can elevate the state of the world. This trip upriver into the deep jungle has overtones of "Heart of Darkness" combined with a dollop of "The Lost World" as our heroes (and heroines) battle with a sentient vegetable empire, steammen turned savage and giant lizards. The tension increases throughout. There is a saboteur on the boat - but who is it, and what do they want?
In the second part we learn more about the true motives for the trip, and in a conclusion worthy of a James Bond film, the survival of the human race is at stake.
The world of Jackals (perhaps Earth, far in the future?) is well realised. It contains many echoes of our own (apart from the Jackals/ Quatreshift relationship) and it's fun spotting the references, but Jackals also has its own deep weirdness and twisted logic.
This is a real page turner, and I recommend it strongly.
Clearly there's scope here for many more stories (please Mr Hunt!)
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inventive with a cleverly dark edge, 21 Oct 2008
This is an amazing novel from Stephen Hunt, mixing the two key elements of a good read with flawless skill... an original and thrilling story, squirted on top of some truly brilliant writing.
As a follow-up to The Court of the Air, this novel expands the original fantasy setting of the Kingdom of Jackals and its neighbours (the Steamman Free State, Quatershift and the like), through both new and returning characters, my favourite of which was Jared Black, u-boat buccaneer and all-round rogue.
If there's ever a movie made of this novel, I could see someone like Brian Blessed playing the part of Commodore Black and Liv Tyler in the role of the female protagonist, archaeologist Amelia Harsh.
There is also a rare black humour to the novel, which leavens its page-turning pedigree, dragging you along with that fab just one more page vibe. The Kingdom Beyond the Waves also benefits from a clever cliff-hanger ending (literally).
Hunt's imagination is immensely original and enormously engaging and my main complaint is that I dare say I am going to have to wait another year for his 3rd novel to show-up on Amazon.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Delightfully different!, 19 Mar 2009
Hunt's first book 'Court of the Air' seem to fall into that 'love it or loath it' category, and so had very mixed reviews on here. I presume people contemplating this book have already read COTA and enjoyed it.
If so you are unlikely to be disappointed with 'kingdom beyond the waves'. It offers the same breathtaking mix of wonder and nightmare and holds up a fair ground mirror to our own world and history reflecting back a place that is both alien, weird and yet strangely familiar.
Hunt does non stop action as well as anyone, it's breathless stuff but beautifully told, going up and down the action gears so smoothly you hardly notice you have crept to the edge of your seat.
The story largely drops the heroes Molly and Oliver from COTA and gives centre stage to Amelia Harsh and Commodore Black who both featured, but to a much lesser degree last time. It also introduces us to 'Furnace Breath Nick' and his able side kick Septimoth a couple of brilliant anti-heroes. They are all swept along in a story of lost civilizations, giant airships, Amazonian warrior women, rogue robots and so much more!
Then the book gives us a giant 'James Bond' climax. Time running out to save the world, heroes battling their arch enemies amid a larger battle and an arch villian seemingly unable to say 'kill them' instead opting for 'take them away'. Very 007 but with that distinctive Jackalian twist.
I love these books though appreciate they are not to everyones taste. This offering is not as grim and black as COTA, and perhaps does not manage the same ongoing level of tension, but on a big plus side now being familiar with Hunt's world I was able to race into the story full tilt without having to stumble through the first 200 pages wondering what an earth was going on.
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