Now Waiting for Part 2

[drcpunk]

I finished the book. The last chapter is the weakest, though this may be strictly because, well, it does end in medias res, and I don't have the next book because, well, it's not out yet. But things suddenly move fast where there doesn't seem to be a need for that, and there's stuff like, "Then Character X asked a bunch of questions" where, in earlier chapters, I think we'd have seen the questions.

agrumer suggested the blurb I snickered at was talking about modern values like democracy, high technology, and equal rights. Mm. I've seen at least two cases of the technology theme, one striking me as heavy handed, though in fairness, that might have been just because of the blurb, and another as subtle enough I only thought of it while typing up my reply to agrumer. Democracy, equal rights -- well, bad guys give small speeches against it, while good guys, um, at least one thinks the US Constitution is a good thing.

But it doesn't actually work itself into the novel as a theme, yet. One of the good guys shouts out orders, in a situation where I think it quite justified, but there is no democratic discussion or vote there. Again, I don't consider this a problem; I just don't see Democracy-as-Theme doing much here. I do find it amusing that I can see nods to C. S. Lewis. Same well of fantasy, different slant? Probably, but I will need to see the rest of the story before I know where the differences are.

So, now I wait for part 2.

And, for that matter, I wait for part 2 of Gene Wolfe's Wizard Knight sequence. Wolfe blows Wright out of the water, but that's no shame on Wright. And Wright is easier to understand than Wolfe, even in The Knight.