In his previous series, the books of the Raven, Barclay showed a great talent for depicting how people's fears and superstitions can be manipulated; how willing people are to lay blame for events at the feet of people and things they don't understand. Certainly it takes somebody to point them in the right direction, but the willingness to lay blame has to be there in the first place.
Although it's inevitable that the Ascendants will come into conflict with the officers of the Omniscient, Barclay is such a skilled writer that even the foreseen is exciting. He adds enough twists and turns in the lead-up, and the subsequent flight from, the exposure of the Ascendants, it is easy to get caught up in the emotional impact of the scene.
Barclay is a deceptively simple writer; he uses no fancy stylistic tricks or devices like so many authors in today's market. He simply recounts events, and intersperses them with dialogue and interior thoughts. But somehow he is spinning a web of words that draws the reader into the world he has created without it even being noticed.
A key to this book's success is its length. Mr Barclay has plenty of room to allow his characters to grow, relationships to develop, and battles to be fought. From the rulers and the senior statesmen of the various countries down to the civilians caught up in the conflict we are able to watch them make the decisions that shape lives from both inside their heads and through the reactions of those around them.
His battle scenes are remarkable; one moment we are in the heart of a face-to-face melee where all that exists is your sword and shield and the ever-changing face of the person opposite you in the line, the next we are the general trying to make sense of the bedlam and look for the break that will mean the difference between defeat and victory.
But this is also the story of four teenagers who have grown to have powers that distinguish them from the rest of the world. Even when they try to help people, they are hated and feared. Their few moments of peace are taken up with trying to continue to understand the very powers that define them, as they struggle to come to grips with meeting their full potential.
Article comments
1 - Ry_Darrick
A Fantastic review which captured the essence of the book, well done.
Fans of the book can visit www.theascendants.co.uk for more information on the series.