A Sequel to look forward to

One of the best things about running a bookstore is getting preview copies of books. When I went to the recent Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association meeting in Portland I came back with close to 50 books that had not yet been released to distribute to the staff here at Rediscovered.

So what did I read on the airplane? Canticle by Ken Scholes.

Canticle returns to the Named Lands that Ken first wrote of in Lamentation, one of the best fantasy books of 2008 (and just released in paperback). Scholes creates rich characters like Rudolfo, Lord of the Ninefold Forest Houses and Isaac, a mechanical man who was used as a pawn to destroy the library city of Windwir. He places them in a post apocalyptic world where political intrigue and subtle magic fill every page. And he weaves the story with the points of view of 4-6 characters, so as the story unfolds you get shadings based on who is experiencing the events.

I was both excited and a bit worried about Canticle, as I had not wanted Lamentation to end but feared a Sophomore slump. After 4 hours of reading I have to say that Canticle was better than Lamentation. It exceeded my expectations.

Scholes plans 3 more books in the series after Canticle and if he can keep his present course I can see this becoming one of my favorite fantasy series of all time.

-Bruce