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The Hanging Wall by Sarah Douglass check out website: www.tor.com
The king, Cavor, suffers terribly at the torture of his claimants
right to the royal tattoo of the Manteceros, it burns, it blisters
and it weeps. To this affliction the healer is constantly called. The Veins offer healers a way out
of paying taxes, three weeks of work during a year is more than enough for any
man to bear. Deep under the hanging wall which separates the sea from the rabbit-warren
of the Veins, Garth finds a secret that will change his life and for that matter
every inhabitant of Escator forever. Taking Lot No. 859 Beyond the Hanging Wall. Sara Douglass writes what can be seen as a fantasy story based upon a kind
of 'Man In The Iron Mask' meets tales of European revolution. In the beginning
it is quite predictable but entertaining and it generally follows that route throughout.
There are no real twists and turns to speak of and you can't really get involved
with the book on any level. I found Douglass' characters were easy
to read and the story after a couple of false starts flowed because of its simplicity,
no real involvement means you don't really have to think about what you're reading
to any large degree. It seems to me that this book is just good entertainment.
It could never be said that this is a sprawling fantasy epic, holding a myriad
of characters and a fulfilling story line but it is fun. For that reason I come
to my next point. At times, I did wonder if this title should actually
be aimed at a younger audience and it appears that at one time it was labelled
a children's fantasy title. However, with a smattering of words that very few
teenagers would have ever seen and a slightly more adult ending it will always
be a borderline book that sadly doesn't really fit within either age range. Too
polite for adult readers and a little too unashamed for children. Donna
Jones
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OTHER REVIEWS - October 2003
More reviews: October 2003 Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson The Dark Path by Walter H. Hunt A Place So Foreign And Eight More by Cory Doctorow The Fifth Sorceress by Robert Newcomb The Gates Of Dawn by Robert Newcomb Stories Of Your Life And Others by Ted Chiang Beyond The Hanging Wall by Sarah Douglass Kingdom River by Mitchell Smith The Year's Best Science Fiction (20th Annual Collection) edited by Gardner Dozois SpyHigh Episode 1: The Frankenstein Factory by A.J. Butcher SpyHigh Episode 2: The Chaos Connection by A.J. Butcher Doctor Illuminatus by Martin Booth Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett Angel: Stranger To The Sun by Jeff Mariotte The Xenocide Mission by Ben Jeapes The Poison Master by Liz Williams The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon Shadowheart (Legends Of The Raven) by James Barclay [Spooks] Confidential: The Official Handbook by Jim Sangster
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Maximilian,
the Prince of Escator, has gone missing on a royal hunting trip.
Two years later, a body appears to be found in a bear's den and
the royal ring which he wore is found amongst the skeletal remains
of a human being. The country mourns the death of the heir.
Fifteen
years later, Garth Baxtor works as his father's apprentice. They
have the gift of the Touch, a great healing ability to which those
with the Touch are born. Garth's father, Joseph, has a duty to the
crown to visit the King once a year on his way to the prison community
that works the gloam mines, the Veins. 
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