The Belly of the Bow (Fencer Trilogy)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The great city of Perimadeia has fallen to its barbarian enemies, and its last commander, Bardas Loredan, is one of the few survivors, saved by the brother who betrayed the city. The Loredan family are a strange bunch, doomed by the consequences of past actions to endless attempts at reconciliation, or actions so appalling that no reconciliation will be possible. And they are also crucial to the financial manoeuvrings of this well-imagined world, where hostile take-overs are conducted at swords point ... K J Parker's The Belly of the Bow, second of the Fencer trilogy, is intelligent about perverse behaviour, about the logistics of conquest and resistance and about the way that power follows both finance and military might. He is also intelligent about the details of weapon making--in his first book Colours in the Steel, it was siege engines and here it is longbows--and about the working and consequences of magic--a pair of wizards who meddled in things they did not understand find themselves tinkering endlessly to make events less devastating, and running out of that luck which makes meddling possible. With two books, Parker has become a name to be reckoned with; his gloomy fantasies of fate and misadventure are not like anything else in the field. --Roz Kaveney
Review
'The great city of Perimadeia has fallen to its barbarian enemies, and its last commander, Bardas Loredan, is one of the few survivors, saved by the brother who betrayed the city. The Loredan family are a strange bunch, doomed by the consequences of past actions to endless attempts at reconciliation, or actions so appalling that no reconciliation will be possible. And they are also crucial to the financial manoeuvrings of this well-imagined world, where hostile take-overs are conducted at swords point ... K J Parker's The Belly of the Bow, second of the Fencer trilogy, is intelligent about perverse behaviour, about the logistics of conquest and resistance and about the way that power follows both finance and military might. He is also intelligent about the details of weapon making--in his first book Colours in the Steel, it was siege engines and here it is longbows--and about the working and consequences of magic--a pair of wizards who meddled in things they did not understand find themselves tinkering endlessly to make events less devastating, and running out of that luck which makes meddling possible. With two books, Parker has become a name to be reckoned with; his gloomy fantasies of fate and misadventure are not like anything else in the field.' - Roz Kaveney, Amazon.co.uk Review
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This series certainly has lots of twists and turns.
I'm not certain you can say you feel entirely unsympathetic for the characters, but the author gives the Loredans extreme versions of ordinary flaws and perhaps makes you sit back and think 'wow, was I really starting to identify with him/her?' Certainly the last major plot twist come as a surprise like a punch in the stomach. Perhaps I should have seen it coming, but I don't think my mind was twisted enough to see it.
So yes, a warning to the squeamish, this book is probably not for you.
I'm not certain you can say you feel entirely unsympathetic for the characters, but the author gives the Loredans extreme versions of ordinary flaws and perhaps makes you sit back and think 'wow, was I really starting to identify with him/her?' Certainly the last major plot twist come as a surprise like a punch in the stomach. Perhaps I should have seen it coming, but I don't think my mind was twisted enough to see it.
So yes, a warning to the squeamish, this book is probably not for you.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I usually dread middle books of fantasy trilogies. They are there because the author's publisher has told him/her that fantasy books come in threes: we usually end up spending a lot of time in landscape. Parker's trilogy is quite different; the middle book is vital and engaging; the lack of a sympathetic main character does not mean any lack of empathy and there is no actual need to have read book one.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
After reading Colours in the Steel, I went straight out and ordered the next volumes in the trilogy. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what to make of the second volume and am a little afraid of opening the third. Not wanting to give away the turnings of the plot, I will only say that the search for a sympathetic character becomes even harder in the second volume than it was in the first. I enjoy Parker's worldview, I like the technical aspects, I'm amused by the interpretation of the various professions and the introduction of business as state is entertaining to say the least - it makes for an almost tongue in cheek universe. The only problem I have is, I don't like any of the main characters anymore, perhaps it's human to have weaknesses, but I'm not sure they need to be expressed so forcefully. I will read the last volume, as I said I can't turn away, but I don't particularly care whether the characters live or die. Which is a pity, after the first book I quite liked Baradas.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing follow up
I enjoyed the first book in this series, but it was a struggle to wade through this I am afraid. None of the freshness of the first and a lame and boring attempt to put... Read more
Published on 2 Jun 2000
The fact book one was so good only makes this seem worse
Extremely disappointing follow up to a splendid first book. There is none of the originality which was present in Colours in Steel. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 1999 by Geoff Clarke
A complex and compelling sequel.
Dark and enticing are a few words I could use to describe this trilogy. Belly being the middle book, continues the fine narrative of the first (Colours in the Steel) by picking... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 1999
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