Ravirn and his sidekick Melchoir lead us on a merry adventure in Kelly McCullough's fantasy novel WebMage. I know if I had a family as vindictive and arrogant as Ravirn I would wish I were an orphan, but he continues to respect and live by the convoluted rules of this dysfunctional family.
Take the cyberpunk movement and add a dash of Greek mythology, shake well and you might approach an entertaining adventure - but you must add the genius of Mr. McCullough. I was enthralled with the relationship of Ravirn, the errant hero of this story, and Melchoir, his web construct familiar. He lives in a world where the web is not just a place for information-gathering and communication, but also a magical nexus, and a mode for travel, along with a place to live.
Most of us have been exposed to the Greek myths about the three Sisters of Fate and the aspect of Discordance and her family. Well, poor Ravirn is a minor member of the family with a talent for hacking and he loves to break into his family's networks. His aunts see his talent as a boon to their plans for setting up a utopia they control, but he rebels. Thus the adventure begins and we are led on a fast-paced adventure through familiar and sometimes new territory.
I would heartily encourage anyone who reads to give WebMage a try and would bet that you won't want to set it down.
Article comments
1 - Katie McNeill
I've heard lots of good things about this book. Thanks for the review, I'll have to pick it up.
2 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
3 - Joy Renee
Nice job. If I hadn't already been convinced I wanted to read this book, this would have tipped me over the edge.