read by steven crossley
As a gamer myself, it seems abundantly clear to me that the
author of this book is also a gamer. As I was reading, I could almost see the
rules for the magic system taking form around me (here is the list of magical
elements; here is a description of the relationship of the planes on which the
different Londons exist; here is the fumble chart for magic items—oh no, wait,
you’re dealing with an Artifact, see Index D7).
Also, clearly, here are two player characters with elaborate
back stories who have no reason whatsoever to hang out together (clashing
alignments, anyone? Plus they come from different planes) and the GM had to go
to great lengths to cause the world to not only shove them together without
them killing each other, but on top of that to give them a common goal. If
you’ve ever been the GM in that kind of situation, you know how annoying it can
be. Herding highly territorial cheetahs.
I don’t mean this as a bad thing; quite the reverse. It's something that
amused me somewhere in the back of my head as I read.
So: in the book there are four Londons (that we know of),
each on a different but intersecting plane of reality. Delilah Bard is a rogue
(excuse me, a resourceful and dextrous young woman with a fine appreciation for
the moral gray areas of life) who comes from Grey London, where there is no
such thing as magic. Kell is a magic user (excuse me, a powerful, acerbic, and
somewhat arrogant man with the ability to use runes and words and blood to bend
reality and travel between the planes) from Red London, where magic is abundant
and the people live in harmony with it.
The two of them come into contact because of a plot
originating in White London, which is a cold, miserable place where magic is
all about dominance and is gradually bleeding away, along with everybody’s life
force. The plot involves an artifact from Black London, which we don’t talk
about, because its fate is too horrible.
Kell ends up with the artifact, Delilah swipes it from him,
both come to grief in different ways, and horrific hijinks ensue.
This is a fine fantasy
novel with very high-caliber world-building. Recommend.
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