Scott Corbett said: ‘I feel sorry for people who don’t read good books, they’re missing the chance to lead a second life.’ One of the reasons I read stories (apart from the fact that the flood of television programs nowadays is rife with treated and untreated sewage) is to take my mind off the challenges of balancing a working life, a family life, a writing life and trying to keep physically fit. When I devote time to reading fantasy I want to be transported to another world (not one I have come across before in whatever disguise) and experience another time (where technology has not reared its ugly head). In these essentials The Sentinel Mage delivers. I wholeheartedly agree with Scott Corbett that good stories enable you to live another life, however, for me, this can only be done by solid and consistent and in-depth (hence compelling) characterisation. What attracted me to this 509 page paperback was the stark yet mysterious front cover and the intriguing back cover blurb that hints at fantasy avenues hitherto untrod: a female becoming a man. The nearest novel I have come across lately with a similar(ish) theme of gender invasion/love triangle is Stephenie Meyer’s The Host. In Emily Gee’s Book One of the Cursed Kingdoms Trilogy, the shapeshifting Innis, who is the youngest ever female Sentinel Mage (hinting at untapped reserves of magical prowess), must do what is forbidden: deviate from adopting the form of an animal and take a sentient form, the form of a human, the form of a male. This is justified as it is done for a good cause: to become an armsman and protect Prince Harkeld - who, thanks to magical meddling with the royal bloodlines, is the only one who can save the Seven Kingdoms, but who fears and mistrusts all things magical. Regretfully, Innis does not like deceiving Prince Harkeld, worse still, when using her healing magic to save him from certain death, she falls in love with him. All this while she and others are hunted by Ninja-style assassins, whilst travelling the land, looking for anchor stones, to save it from the deadly Ivek curse that will subject everyone to a slow and horrible death. Indeed, there are many familiar fantasy milestones on this woman-going-on-a-journey; woman-coming-to-town story, but it is the woman-becoming-a-man; woman-coping-with-being-a-man scenario that intrigued me. What thought processes would she go through? How would she deal with the new body, the new way of thinking? How would she contend with strength of body over the strength of mind, primeval urges over the power of logic? Etcetera. Partway through this novel, I did wonder why it is was not called Sentinel Mages, as it spends its time lingering between six such mages (several of whom take it in turns becoming Prince Harkeld’s armsman, Justen): Cora (f): a shapeshifter, second in command, an uninspiring leader; Innis (f): a strong shapeshifter with stronger healing abilities; Petrus (m): a shapeshifter with average healing abilities; Dareus (m): a fire mage and inspirational leader; Gerit (m): a shapeshifter; Ebril (m): a shapeshifter. Chapters told from the viewpoint of these characters are denoted by the picture of a wolf. The novel also uses as viewpoint characters: Brigitta (Britta to her friends), the thoroughly nice princess who is forced to endure the wild whims and tantrums of her despotic father (King Esger) and marry the male chauvinistic Duke Rikard, whereafter she seeks solace in drugs to survive the daily torture of regular and brutal rutting sessions, which at times seem too over egged; Karel, Princess Brigitta’s armsman, who is forced to endure Britta’s trials and tribulations and those jibes and taunts from his work colleagues, without drawing his sword... until the end... Chapters told from the viewpoint of these characters are denoted by the picture of a sword. Jaume is an eight year old boy who witnesses his family consumed by the Ivek curse and flees, succumbing to every mean and miserable person he stumbles upon as he wanders lost, alone and starving across an uncaring civilisation. How he gets enough nourishment for the 200 league (600 mile) journey belies comprehension. His few and far between chapters are depicted by a picture of the soul of a foot. In summary, this novel is light reading. This is not meant as a criticism. There is nothing wrong with lightness, for some this is preferred, for others this is refreshing. Indeed, this novel came at a time in my life where I needed a hefty dose of light refreshment (apologies for the oxymoron), a time when I would not have been able to concentrate, appreciate, digest any chunky/stodgy literary feasts. Whilst touching the subject of time, this time, I agree with the SFX Magazine’s front cover quote on Emily Gee’s work (not this novel). Despite any perceived grumblings above, The Sentinel Mage is an addictive story, one that I had to wrestle from my hands at the beginning of the working day and at the end of lunchtime (lest I find a P45 as a new bookmark!) If I might finish on a question to the publisher? Is this novel intended for an English audience or an American audience? If the former, should it not have been edited for British English, at least from a spelling perspective, for example, as a bare minimum, changing the obvious "grays" and "colors"? The Sentinel Mage (2010) Review by Kelvin M. Knight |
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