Book Review: The Return Of The Crimson Guard by Ian C. Esslemont

I've always been fascinated by the stories that define a culture and its people. I'm not talking about the books used for worship either, but the stories that have been told from one generation to the next for longer then anyone can remember. Each story tells you a little bit about who a people really are and what they believe in as they are a reflection of how they live their lives on a daily basis. It's probably why I love epic fiction so much, because not only does it tell a whole series of stories, but if it's done properly the stories will create a whole new world for you to wander through.

Think of all the great epics throughout history; The Ramayana, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and Beowulf - not only do they recount the adventures of a hero, or collection of heroes, they allow you to see the world through their eyes. It doesn't matter whether you follow Aeneas on his quest to find a new home for the defeated Trojans or Rama as he attempts to wrest his darling wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana, along the way you meet the gods who rule them, and you learn about their social order, in addition to being introduced to the philosophies and moral codes they adhere to.

For the authors of these works, even good ol' Anonymous, accomplishing all this wasn't very difficult as they were merely writing down accounts of what they knew to be true, or at least what was accepted wisdom. However, that's not the case for the modern writer who sets out to create an epic from scratch. That author not only has to create a series of plots and stories, he or she has to build the world and belief systems that supply the frame of references for the events that are being depicted. So while there are many novels out there these days that have had the appellant epic tied to their titles, the reality is that very few of them really qualify to be included in that genre.

One of the best of the modern era's epics has been The Malazan Book Of The Fallen sequence by Steven Erikson. Meticulous in their detail, not only have the eight books already published in the series been remarkably entertaining, they have created a whole new world for the reader to explore and experience. Then two years ago Erikson brought out his secret weapon, a second author who was also writing stories set in the same world to fill in any gaps in the narrative that he may have missed. Ian C. Esslemont's first book, The Return Of The Crimson Guard, first published by PS Publishing of England, and now available through Random House Canada, jumps forward in time to the present day in the heart of the Malzan Empire. Chronologically it picks up the action about a year after the events that were recounted in Erikson's sixth book, The Bonehunters, and the Empire is facing its worst crises since its formation. Lands that were first conquered in the early days of the Empire have risen in revolt against the rule of the current Empress, Laseen, and to make matters worse it appears that most of the dissent is being fermented by people who were once loyal to the Empire.

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and The Unofficial Heroes Of Olympus Companion, both published by Ulysses Press. He has had his work published in print and online all over the world including the German edition of Rolling Stone Magazine and www.Qantara.de. …

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