A Secret History

Books of Ash: 1

ISBN: 0-380-78869-1 Order from: Amazon.com

An innovative, gritty and slightly surreal fantasy with glamorless combat, mysterious magic and pungent, 3-dimensional characters.

Reviewed by David on December 30, 1999

Genre: Fantasy (Sword and Sorcery, Historical, Alternate Reality, Military, War)

Synopsis: In the near future, an English historian sets out to popularize a nearly forgotten piece of European history, and one of its most colorful characters: an unusual female mercenary commander Ash. In the process of research, strange, fabulous events of Ash's life are studied—surely fabrications of gullible minds. And yet why is the archeological evidence supporting these incredible manuscripts?

Full Review: Of uncertain parentage, and humble beginnings, Ash's life is described in blunt, occasionally sordid detail. Ash is no paladin, and yet her stubborn determination, and the set of quirky, real-seeming characters surrounding her make this story both intriguing and refreshing.

Mary Gentle is no stranger to mixing the sordid with the fantastic. As this rather innovative novel shows, she can excel in solid-seeming historical narrative, which works better than the more surreal Architecture of Desire or Rats and Gorgoyles. This book has far less bitter sarcasm the the recent Grunts, although a tinge of black humor suffuses much of the style.

On the whole, this is a very readable book, and sets up a fascinating world—perhaps our own—for sequels.

Art:

Overall: 6.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 6.5; Style: 6; World-building: 8; Originality: 7.5;

ISBN: 0-380-78869-1 Order from: Amazon.com