A review by serru
Night's Master by Tanith Lee

5.0

Night's Master is made up of a series of interconnected stories all related, directly or indirectly, to Azhrarn, the Demon Lord who rules the Underearth. These are really dark, adult fantasy tales that deal with themes of love, lust, greed, etc. The characters that populate Tanith Lee's world aren't necessarily likeable-- which actually, is refreshing and makes me enjoy the book more. So often writers try hard to create characters that we like and can root for, but I like the fact that Tanith Lee seems to just write characters that do what they want, and what makes sense for them, rather than trying to write them to be appealing to readers. Would I want to be friends with her characters? No, I'd probably run away if I ever met most of them, but they are fascinating to read about, and I find them very human, embodying so many relatable and recognizable emotions, obsessions, lusts, flaws... I find a little of myself in them.

The world building of the Flat Earth is pretty ambiguous. It is a world of exotic magic and mystery. Lee doesn't spend too much time developing it, but it doesn't take away from her stories at all. The mystery is part of its charm. I do love the little glimpse we get of the world above-- the gods who created this world are now bored with it, living in the book's version of "heaven", apathetic to the existence of human beings. So naturally, that leaves the demons who find entertainment in meddling in human affairs.