A review by hostral
Elegy by Christopher Kellen
3.0
This is my second Kellen book, after the entertaining Sorcerer's Code, which I suggest you read first as it's clearly superior to this work.
What we have here is a typical sword and sorcery yarn that's a little rough around the edges and showing all the hallmarks of an early effort from the author.
D'Arden Tal is humourless and dour at times, with some of the dialogue he spouts coming from 'what the hero should say 101'. The book itself feels like three interconnected stories that take place in the same city.
More interesting than Tal himself is his profession, an Arbiter. There's some inventive work with regards to the magic system and the atmosphere that pervaded the first effort I read is still here.
It's solid stuff for the genre, and doesn't outstay its welcome, definitely closer to a 3.5 than a 3 in terms of rating.
Overall Elegy can be seen as a gateway into Eisengoth, the world of Christopher Kellen. He wears his influences on his sleeve, and fine influences they are too. He's a humble man who just wants to add some much needed sword and sorcery fiction into a world that has been lacking it of late. For that I salute him, as this really is a solid effort worth buying.
What we have here is a typical sword and sorcery yarn that's a little rough around the edges and showing all the hallmarks of an early effort from the author.
D'Arden Tal is humourless and dour at times, with some of the dialogue he spouts coming from 'what the hero should say 101'. The book itself feels like three interconnected stories that take place in the same city.
More interesting than Tal himself is his profession, an Arbiter. There's some inventive work with regards to the magic system and the atmosphere that pervaded the first effort I read is still here.
It's solid stuff for the genre, and doesn't outstay its welcome, definitely closer to a 3.5 than a 3 in terms of rating.
Overall Elegy can be seen as a gateway into Eisengoth, the world of Christopher Kellen. He wears his influences on his sleeve, and fine influences they are too. He's a humble man who just wants to add some much needed sword and sorcery fiction into a world that has been lacking it of late. For that I salute him, as this really is a solid effort worth buying.