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Antrax (The Voyage Of Jerle Shannara Book
2) by Terry Brooks  After
a ferocious battle in the ruins of Castledown, the decimated opposing
armies of the Druid Walker and the band led by Grianne Ohmsford, the
Ilse Witch, regroup, licking wounds and counting losses.
Meanwhile, Grianne confronts Bek Rowe, who claims to be her long-lost brother. The witch believed that Walker killed Bek along with her parents. Just as the witch prepares to destroy Bek using her Wishsong magic, his protector - the shape shifter Truls Rohk - saves the boy. So rather than pursue "her mortal enemy" the Druid, the reason for her quest, the witch decides to track Bek and Rohk down. Meanwhile, Walker is still hunting for the books supposed to lie within Castledown that contain the most powerful magic of all: "a storehouse of knowledge" from "a world of science". But the ruins hold a deadly secret: the computer Antrax, built almost 3000 years before to be "the perfect weapon. The ultimate protector". Once fuelled by solar power, it now runs on magic drained from its victims. The Druid, the witch and their companions could keep it going for years. And Antrax has the Druid trapped in the maze beneath Castledown. First a confession: I've not read the first book in the series. But it doesn't matter: 'Antrax' can stand on its own. (Although you'll probably gain more, as in any series, from reading the first book.) Brooks is a master of writing protracted series and recognises that not everyone will read every book. So he slips the basic information you need to follow the plot seamlessly into the story, masterfully avoiding info-dumps. You soon pick up the storyline, almost without realising. Indeed, 'Antrax' isn't badly written, although the style is competent rather than inspired. Brook's workmanlike prose and rather pared-back descriptions serve simply to support the plot rather than making any attempt at literary finesse. And narrative is Brook's great strength. He's a masterful storyteller and keeps the yarn moving with numerous twists to keep you interested. 'Antrax's narrative pace is compelling. You're swept along by the story so fast that you don't have time to think too deeply. Similarly, the characterisation is adequate - just - to ensure you remain engaged with the plot. Each of the characters has a story to tell. Each has a burden to carry. Each faces potentially lethal threats. However, the characters lack emotional, motivational and psychological complexity and ambiguity. So there's little depth, little uncertainty, little evolution in their characters. They seem untouched by the carnage around them, for example. Certainly, continual exposure to violence can lead to desensitisation. But the lack of any real depth in the characters meant that I didn't really care whether any of them - even the leads - lived or died. For me, the characters soon became sword fodder. For example, there's a horror set piece where a mutilated cyborg- a kind of fantasy Borg or cyberman - attacks some of our heroes. I'm sure Brooks intended this to invoke a sense of menace and pathos. And, to be fair, he almost succeeds. However, the lack of deep characterisation lets him down. I cared so little about the characters that I wanted one to be torn apart by the creature. At least it would have sprinkled some Grand Guignol spice into the story. Don't get me wrong: 'Antrax' certainly isn't a bad book. It is never boring. Indeed, it's a pleasant enough way of whiling away a few hours, especially if you'd had a hard week and don't want anything too demanding. But it's all so conventional. Anyone with any familiarly with the genre has read the same type of story, with the same type of characters, time-and-time before. Brooks seems to make no attempt to inject anything new into the genre. No attempt to push at fantasy's boundaries. No attempt to challenge our preconceptions about sword and sorcery. Brook's world of the Four Lands is about as far from Melnibone and Viriconium as you can get. However, I have a feeling that Brooks' legions of fans wouldn't welcome a radical departure from the fantasy heartland. Brooks is a best-selling author and as such, I doubt if his intended audience is the jaded connoisseur of fantasy. Rather Brooks seems to aim his books at people who want reasonably well-written, fast-moving - but unchallenging, conventional and safe - fantasy. And that's exactly what he delivers. Mark Greener check out website: www.earthlight.co.uk
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OTHER REVIEWS - April 2002
NEW NOVELS The
Mammoth Book Of Science Fiction edited by Mike Ashley Carolan’s
Concerto by Caiseal Mór
The
One Kingdom (War Book 1) by Sean Russell
Antrax
(The Voyage Of Jerle Shannara Book 2) by Terry Brooks
The
Time Tunnel by Murray Leinster
Celtika
(The Merlin Codex Book 1) by Robert Holdstock Wizard’s
Funeral (The Red Pavillions Book 2) by Kim Hunter
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