The King [Paperback]

I read The Still as soon as it came out on paperback. Although I wanted to put it down halfway through because of Roddy's character, I continued... and I'm very glad I did. I became extremely attached to Rustin's character.

The King continues the story of Roddy's quest to become a man, conquer his foes, and conquer himself. It is not as easy to follow as The Still was because of all the battle scenes (some of the layouts confused me). But, the story is very strong and makes the reader not want to put it down. Very suspenseful, and it really draws you into it! I laughed, cried, despaired, and hope! Few books attach the reader to them so greatly!

Although the book seems to go from battle to battle, it has so many other things going on that it doesn't seem overdrawn or dragging... and the ending is quick and like a smash into the wall, but it is satisfying. It isn't like being dragged out forever and then suddenly hitting the end... it's very satisfying how it is paced! Plus, it closes things better than The Still did, but still leaves things open for another book.

All that being said... I loved the book, but I was seriously displeased with the changes Feintuch bestowed on Rustin. Instead of a comforting, mature friend that rejoices with Roddy as well as shows his displeasure at Roddy's negative qualities, Rustin becomes more like a nagging mother, never being pleased. I didn't like it at all. Feintuch didn't seem to give him the strength that he was given in The Still. Since he was my favorite character, I was unhappy to have him reduced as much. But, I guess Roddy is the king and focus of the book, not Rustin...

It is also pretty dismal with so many deaths! It reminded me of Shakespeare's tragedies.

(I am not a native speaker, please overlook my style)

After reading "The Still" (see my review) I approached its sequel with great expectation and was sadly disappointed. Mr Feintuch seems to have lost focus and this book suffers from shabbyness, inconsistencies, ill plotting and a general lack of inspiration that will surprise anyone who has read "The Still".

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

To continue this review I must quote several accidents of the plot. If you do not wish to know it in advance, stop reading NOW.

The first part of the book is perhaps the worst. The author did not think fit to give a proper résumé so he quotes accidents from the first book as some accounting clerk would quote figures. He seems then to realize how slowly the plot crawls and decides to let Rustin die, giving us some melodramatic account of Rodrigo's mourning.

From then on the story carvart on with clumsy twists, some tolerable enough, others not at all.

The characterization, which was for sure the main asset of The Still, is now seriously flawed if not unbelievable. The side characters are neglected and act inconsistently, entering and exiting the plot stream at the author's whim.

Rodrigo and Rustin are harder for me to judge because there are both objective clumsynesses and my entirely personal dislike of what Mr Feintuch decides about them.

The masochistic love between the two is only heightened and does not evolve: Rodrigo pledges complete obedience to his beloved but keeps on acting willfully with no understandable intent except getting beaten again and again. After the (too) many pages in The Still on this matter, this point becomes kind of stale. On the other hand Rodrigo denies Rustin any further physical intimacy and Rustin, as always, accepts meekly.

Then Rustin gets killed. Rodrigo goes crazy but suddenly becomes all noble and valiant for a 200 pages until he decides he cannot bear the loss and he uses magic to summon his lover back. I admit I feel unconfortable with the idea of time shifts (very common in SF) but I also think Mr Feintuch handled it badly.

In the last part of the novel Rodrigo suddenly realizes that it is Rustin who prevents him from becoming a real man and sends him away mercylessly, he fights some more battles and wins back his crown, just in time to marry Tresa.

Rustin is much paler a character here, the author denies him any depth and development. His homosexual love for the supposedly straight (PLEEEEAAASE!!!) Rodrigo, however deep, must give place to the much more "mature" love of Tresa. Bleah...

Mr Feintuch's intent, clearly understandable if one reads carefully the last pages, is to assess a fantasy world where no escapism is allowed to the reader and where life is just as grim as our own life is. In The Still this was acceptable because of the outstanding quality of the writing. Here the reader is overcome by shabbyness and he/she is allowed no happy end either. Bad... bad... bad...

Rarely had I laid my hands on the book that consumed me so entirely. I may mention Robin Hobb's Farseers/Tawny man, Pratchett's Discworld, and the first four books of Jordan's Wheel of Time. I had opened 'The King' by David Feintuch because I have a habit to browse through majority of the fantasy new releases to sample new authors and styles. I've never heard of him before, neither read any of his earlier books. In an hour I bought both The Still and The King and the next week of my life was forfeit.

Since this is a review of the second novel, I shall try to concentrate on it, but The Still is essential to enjoy the second book of the series, so I have to spend some time pondering over this first novel. I have seen some online reviews of this book and roughly the readers divide in two groups - they either hate the book or absolutely love it. As you've already guessed - I belong to that second category!

The plot is fairly trivial for a fantasy novel - the struggle of a handsome young prince (and rightful heir to the throne) to overcome the plotting of his despicable enemies and attain the kingship, fighting off the invasion of barbarian hordes into his beloved Caledon in process. But this about ends the similarities between this books and endless rows of faceless novels that so often line the shelf in the fantasy section of any bookstore. The young prince is a monster! Horribly spoiled child, with a temper of a stallion in heat (or should I say a burr under his saddle?), total disregard to people of 'lesser stature', and a sadistic streak on top of it. I absolutely loved him from the first page on!

Well, maybe it comes from me being raised in a different culture, but Roddy's disrespect to the ideas of democracy and human rights did not bother me that much. (I don't think I would have appreciated to live in his times though). After all, if you think about it - that was what the medieval society was about, and a figure of noble warrior-king, protector of the weak like Aragorn (a classical case of romanticisation of the royal persona), has as much in common with real royalty as Sherlock Holmes novels with routine police investigation. (That does not mean I don't worship Tolkien as the greatest fantasy writer of all times.) My point is - Rodrigo as a literary character is so full of life and energy (a rare treat in a fantasy book), that you cannot but attach yourself to him despite his many shortcomings and outright calamities. His inner monologue ( both of the books are 1st person narrative) is both brilliant in psychological analysis and in rare opulence of language use. I always have a bone to pick with american writers vs british ones - if I cannot find a word for which I have to dig into a Thesaurus every other chapter, I feel robbed. David Feintuch had satisfied my craving for both linguistic richness of language, and energetic use of dialog. I absolutely could not put both of the books down.

The character's evolution through the first novel from a spoiled brat to a person of conscience, and dare I say - caring, is done at a slow speed, and is delightfully rich in details (often horrible), and utterly consuming. The plot is dynamic and the book is filled with wonderfully written, historically correct military scenes. My only complain would be that the relationship between the two main characters of the novel (prince Rodrigo/Roddy and his friend, and later a lover Rustin) are a bit skewed in Rustin's favor. Since Roddy is a known 'villain', and he is rather harsh on himself most of the time he tends to overlook Rustin's possessive streak, and his friend's outright exploitation of himself, both psychologically and sexually. Most of the readers tend to swallow it without feeling any wrong being done to Roddy, but I was a bit uncomfortable with this relationship, as well as the idea of Rodrigo binding himself with an oath to obey his friend and confidant's orders in the matters starting from personal hygiene and ending in matters of state. I felt somewhat distressed about the scenes of Corporal punishment that the prince allowed to be inflicted upon him by Rustin as a penance for beating his young bondsman. I did feel a strong S&M element in Roddy/Rustin relationship, and that bothered me, since the author obviously was writing Rusting as a somewhat 'ideal', romantic figure and Rodrigo's hero.

Fortunately the second book cut this anguished knot in way I least expected and greatly appreciated. The solution that the author presented was brilliant (in my humble opinion) and compensated me for the nails bitten over the first novel. I have to say - applause! Rarely had I read anything so absolutely fascinating as the scenes in the second novel (The King) describing Rodrigo's emotional maturing, and the resolution of his crisis of relationship with Rustin. The shadow princess-bride character of Tresa also gained flesh and blood, and developed in a satisfying direction, though her relationship with Rodrigo lacks the intensity and oomph of his male romance.

I can only sigh and wish for more Caledon books, now that I finished the second book. And complain that author butchered the last chapter - the epilogue.

Verily, Mr. Feintuch, you have no compassion for the reader! I am not sure if you are going to continue the series, or if the next book would take another 3 years ( though I think the book should be written at its own pace), but 'The King's ending leaves you frustrated, and rooting for some degree of happiness (or at least peace of mind) granted to by now much beloved hero. Unfortunately Rodrigo gains neigh but bleakness, and but a small spark of hope.