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Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand |
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The Heir Of Night by Helen Lowe Orbit Supplied for review by Hachette New Zealand |
Reviewed By: Simon Litten |
| The Heir of Night is author Helen Lowe’s
second book (the first being Thornspell a retelling of the
Sleeping Beauty story from Prince Charming’s standpoint). The Heir of
Night is not a standalone novel but the first part of a series. I will admit here and now that I have a troubled relationship with fantasy, as I find most presentations of the genre to be conservative in story and predictable in delivery. If I was to sum up the typical modern fantasy it would be: fat and fatuous. Not so The Heir of Night! After reading this instalment of the saga of Malian (the heir of Night) and Kalan (her unexpected travelling companion) my loudest complaint is: where is part two? This is a story that grabbed me by the lapels, led me to a well upholstered chair and demanded I read it from cover to cover. Malian and Kalan, and the cast of supporting extras, are well formed characters that live in the pages of the book, growing as the story progresses. Nor is the story all high fantasy of swords and sorcery, science is there too lurking in the background adding its plot twists along the way. But in true saga style this part ended on a cliffhanger, so for the harried reader the wait is on for the next volume – and really, that’s how it should be with a series. My difficulty is what to read until the next volume appears. |
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SFFANZ is a non-profit organisation
and registered charity designed to bring together fans of the fantastic in New Zealand |
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Contact us by email at: enquiries@sffanz.org.nz |
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