Anselm Audley

Heresy

Anselm Audley begins a somewhat non-traditional fantasy series set in what was one of the most creative environments I have read recently. The main character of Heresy, Cathan, is very typical for most fantasy in that he has powers he doesn't know about, is the son of a nobleman, and gets caught up in a major struggle that will affect the world. Cliché…

The bad guys are a group of fanatical priests who are trying to control the whole world and make the worship of their God the only acceptable form of religion. They are bad, the good guys are good. Cliché…

But....The setting is a planet where the ocean is much larger than what we have on Earth. Sea travel is a major theme and the author does a good job of reflecting the impact that distance and geography could have on a culture. Audley's ability to create a functioning economy and infrastructure on this planet borders on science fiction, but it was really cool. I liked the way that he incorporated magic into combat and didn't forget that using magic should be a really difficult thing. Not Cliché…

However, I don’t like Audley's characters very much. Cathan is a limp noodle in many ways; he can’t make a decision when it matters and, for someone who is a nobleman’s heir, he is remarkably self-conscious about his weaknesses. The female characters who he’s surrounded with are prickly and a lot tougher than he is, so this guy is not your brave, intrepid fantasy hero. Not Cliché…

So between the common themes and unique pieces to the story, I enjoyed Heresy enough to look for Inquisition. It’s not something that will take precedence over the next Janny Wurts or Steven Erikson installment, but it was interesting enough to make another trip to Aquasilva worth the effort.  —J.H.