The Red Wolf Conspiracy: The Chathrand Voyage, Book One [Paperback]

Gollancz have an impressive track record over the last couple of years; first they snapped up Scott Lynch and watched the hype reach a crescendo, then they repeated the trick with Joe Abercrombie and enjoyed similar results. Both Abercrombie and Lynch delivered debuts that generally garnered much critical acclaim. When Gollancz announced they had tied up a deal with first-time American fantasy author Robert V. S. Redick, the question was on everyone's lips: could they do it again?

Although it was only released in January 2008 in the UK, Redick's The Red Wolf Conspiracy has already caused a bit of a stir, including - whisper it softly - more than one prediction that it could be the debut novel of the year, and that Redick could be -whisper it even more softly - the Next Big Thing. Big words, but hype is a double-edged sword. While it helps sales, it can make it harder for the book to meet expectations. So, the key question: does Red Wolf deliver? Read on to find out...

Straight away it is clear that this is not your typical fantasy novel. As the story progresses however, it becomes obvious that there are more familiar fantasy elements involved than were first made apparent, however the setting is not so standard. Red Wolf follows the voyage of the great ship Chathrand, a 600-year-old behemoth of a vessel that is the last of its kind. The ship is on a mission of peace, to strike a truce between two mighty empires. At least that is what everyone is meant to believe. The truth is far different, and may instead plunge the world into war.

From what I'd read in advance, I was expecting something resembling a political thriller at sea. I'm fond of a bit of backstabbing and political machinations, so had high hopes that Red Wolf could deliver an intriguing storyline full of twists and turns. Sadly, it doesn't quite deliver. The actual conspiracy, when unveiled, is completely plausible (and actually quite clever) but the much-hoped-for political blood-letting and treachery never really materialises. Instead, the plot then goes on to follow a relatively standard course treading more familiar fantasy ground (magic artifacts, evil sorcerers, etc). It's not a bad plot by any means, but not what I expected, or hoped for. There are a few surprises, but too few in my opinion.

The nautical nature of the novel gives Redick a broad canvas to create some really memorable characters. Much like the plot, the characters on first glance sound interesting. And much like the plot, they don't quite deliver. The characterisation was one of the main disappointments for me, and I'll tell you why: because there are so nearly some fascinating characters here, but most are not fully realised. For example, Nilus Rose, Chathrand's captain, is clearly bordering on insanity, but I don't feel Redick quite gets under his skin enough. Similarly, Sandor Ott, Chief Spymaster of the Imperium, could have been a really interesting customer, but once again we don't see enough depth to quite flesh out the assumptions we form about him. The main protagonist, Pazel, is easy to sympathise with and root for, but his co-protagonist Thasha comes across as a minorly irritating, forthright tomboy.

Other reviewers have been quick to point out the vivid, well-realised world that Redick has created, and I won't dispute that there are many interesting aspects to his world. Yet for some reason I wasn't as drawn into it as I could - or maybe should - have been. I think the main cause was the fact I noticed several quirks (I hesitate to call them inconsistencies) that were a little bewildering. For example, the ships use cannons (and have done so for centuries, it seems) so gunpowder is common currency. Gun technology should therefore be well developed, yet pistols are non-existent and crossbows are used instead. I never got the impression that Redick's world was medieval, yet neither could I pin it down as early-modern. It seems to borrow a bit from both time periods. Subsequently, I never managed to envisage the world as effectively as I might have done.

There are many aspects of the novel that I liked. The idea of the Chathrand - a 600 year-old-ship - was really interesting, and it was refreshing to read a novel that mixed familiar notions with a less conventional setting. Redick certainly isn't afraid to introduce some fresh ideas, such as the Ixchel (which admittedly I wasn't keen on) and the 'woken' animals (which I thought was a nice touch - the rats especially are really well worked). Redick's prose flows well, though Pazel and Thasha do come across as younger than they are meant to be.

The plot structure is sound and builds to a satisfying finale, although the end, with everything set up nicely for book two, does cause the book to end on a bit of a flat note. Still, The Red Wolf Conspiracy is a decent, enjoyable debut, even if it doesn't live up to its potential. Redick however has shown a glimpse of real ability, and if he can add more depth to his characters and a little more surprise to his plots, he could go on to do good things in the genre. This debut is not as explosive as those of Lynch or Abercrombie, but you can't help but think that Gollancz might have pulled off another coup. Only time will tell.

The world of Alifros is dominated by two mighty nations. The Empire of the Mzithrin lies in the west, unified under the rule of its five kings and in the worship of the religion of the Black Casket.
In the east, proud Arqual extends its powers over vast regions of land and sea. Forty years have passed since the last, bloody war between these two superpowers and an uneasy peace lingers between them, whilst the small, independent kingdoms of the Crownless Lands lie between them as buffers.

It is a time of great change, however. His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Arqual, has decreed that a lasting peace shall be forged between Mzithrin and Arqual and his greatest military commander, Admiral Isiq, has agreed to give up his only daughter, Thasha, in marriage to a royal prince of the Mzithrin. It is only fitting that the greatest ship in the Arquali navy, and the most infamous ship in the world, should be given this task. The I.M.S. Chathrand is the last of the Great Ships, heavily armed and crewed by a thousand souls, the only ship capable of crossing the vast Ruling Sea. But on this mission the Chathrand takes a strange assortment of passengers and crew, from the delusional Captain Nilus Rose to Pazel Pathkendle, a tarboy with many secrets, and from the sickly Admiral Isiq and his proud daughter to the dimunitive ixchel or crawlies, the little people whose presence on ships is taken as a sign of doom. As ancient secrets are revealed and dark conspiracies are unmasked, the crew and passengers of the Chathrand come to realise that they are at the centre of events that will reshape their world.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy is the opening volume of The Chathrand Voyage, a fantasy trilogy by debut author Robert V.S. Redick. Gollancz's pre-publicity draws comparisons with Scott Lynch and Philip Pullman, and I suspect over the coming months a similar word-of-mouth pre-release excitment will build that is comparable to Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora or Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. Certainly The Red Wolf Conspiracy is an exceptionally fine novel and more than worthy of such comparisons.

With this book, Redick creates an incredibly rich fantasy world where familiar archetypes like wizards and scheming nobles are given fresh spins, and where every chapter seems to deliver a new idea, concept or race. Redick creates vivid images in the reader's mind, from the disturbing Flikkermen with their glowing innards to the hordes of scurrying ixchel to the towering augrongs and the 'woken' animals who have spontaneously developed sentience (I suspect this is where the Pullman comparisons come from). His core characters are similarly varied and intriguing, although our two central protagonists, Pazel and Thasha, are perhaps a bit too familiar as archetypes. Whilst they are well-drawn as characters, arguably it is the secondary cast that draws more attention. The crew of the Chanthred in particular are an intriguing bunch, especially as we discover more about them through their log entries and Suzanna Clarke-style footnotes (though nowhere near as numerous or long). Fans of nautical fantasy will find much to their liking here, but whilst Redick has clearly done his homework he doesn't let the minutiae of shipboard life detract from the story, and I suspect those who normally dislike martime tales may find this story much more enjoyable.

With such a vivid world to bring to life, Redick could perhaps be forgiven for relaxing on the plot side of things, but instead the storyline fairly rips along, packed with excitement, incident and humour which builds to a conclusion that, whilst certainly leaving the reader wanting more, could perhaps be said to be anti-climatic. With two more books still to come, perhaps this is unavoidable.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy is an extremely enjoyable epic fantasy tale set in a vivid , constantly inventive world. The Chathrand itself comes across as the ocean-going equivalent of Gormenghast, whilst its crew seem to have assembled variously from the works of Charles Dickens, Jack Vance and Scott Lynch, but with a style that is undeniably Redick's own.

Since starting to read more fantasy this year there have been a few novels that get good recommendations from sources I trust. The Red Wolf Conspiracy by debut author Robert V.S.Redick is one that falls into this category and has come to my attention now because of the release of the sequel, The Rats and the Ruling Sea. Whenever a series gets a new addition talk of the previous books comes up and I was pleased to hear what I did - enough to make sure that I had the first book read and ready for the sequel upon its release. Well, not quite, but almost! What I found in The Red Wolf Conspiracy was a book that gave me what I enjoy in fiction these days - interesting characters, a great setting and world building, and a story that has a depth to it that gives the reader much to think about.

The first thing I have to talk about is the setting, and specifically the Chathrand - look at the cover above and it will give you an idea of the sheer size of this thing. The Chathrand is a character in its own right and is the last of the Great Ships. The descriptions that Robert VS Redick uses when talking of the Chathrand are superb and bring some great visualisations, although he does not bog down the story with unnecessary passages, everything we read has a purpose and we learn about the ships along with the characters.

With the Chathrand used for a supposed voyage of peace between two empires - Mzithrin and Arqual - that have a long and bloodied history, we have many different characters and races on board for the journey. Among these is Captain Rose, the former captainchosen once again to run the ship, although to the disdain of many people due to his violent history. We also have Thasha, daughter of the Arqualian Emperor's ambassador, who is due to marry into the Mzithrini to cement the peace everyone is hoping for. Perhaps the main character of the novel is a young tarboy by the name of Pazel Pathkendle, the son of a traitor and in possession of a unique gift that allows him to understand any language when it is spoken - very helpful on a ship where many are spoken.

Redick handles the characters with flair and allows the meetings and exchanges between them to show more than simple story progression. We get to find out more of the history ofAlifros, what preconceptions and prejudices that certain characters and countries have, and also what motivates the characters. I know this is something that should be done in every good novel, butRedick manages to build characters that are relatable and enjoyable while never losing sight of the wider picture.

Some of the other things I found I enjoyed with The Red Wolf Conspiracy were the more typical fantasy elements. Magic is practiced and spells areimparted with great effort involved, while the hint at another world elsewhere is made clear when relating to one particular character. We also have many creatures, from the tinyIxchel to the huge Augrong, that populate this world which Redick has created. We also have 'woken' animals, those that have gained sentience, and although this is interesting, it does raise some questions on how and why this happens. Still, the world of The Red Wolf Conspiracy is truly amazing and has much to admire.

I would say that picking up The Red Wolf Conspiracy has left me wanting much more of what Robert V.S. Redick has to offer. Luckily I can jump straight into The Rats and the Ruling Sea and continue to follow this great journey. Only problem I have now is the waiting until the third book is released - blast these fantasy writers and their multiple volume stories!!