Karnowski, Anthony: Forgotten Prophecies
Forgotten Prophecies
Writer: Anthony R. Karnowski
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 224
I picked this book up out of mere curiosity. The writer happens to have gone to the same high school as I--which for the record, is very weird--but graduated some years ahead of me. And I have this thing for wanting to give new writers a shot, especially if I have any connection to them.
Characters:
There's really not much to say in this regard. I'm a character writer, and when I read, I always look for compelling characters. These guys? Not so compelling. Mostly, each one is an archetype of a kind of character we're all familiar with. However, there are some good things:
1) The good guys do change. Not much, but you can see a small arch of growth between the two good guys and the girl. The bad guys, though, not so much.
2) The first chapter has the most compelling character development in it, and surprisingly, it's focused on what I think is the main bad guy of the series, Jamis. The incidents surrounding the boy spark interest, and his reaction to what happens is very interesting. Unfortunately, though, as the book goes on, we don't get all that much more from him. He, like the other bad guys, are bad for evil's sake. There's no real rhyme or reason for the tortures other than they LIKE doing it, which I always have a hard time swallowing, mostly because I like to psycho-analyze everyone, especially the bad guys, because usually, it's the bad guys who fascinate. But here, after the first chapter? Not so much.
Plot:
*sighs*
I'll be fair: if you're a fan of Tolkienesque plots that follow the standard fantasy format, you'll be fine with this. And to be even more fair? This guy does do something interesting in that the modern world is a vision of the future that involves people who don't talk on subways, acid rains that melt people in minutes, and a place where animals are pretty much extinct.
I think, in some ways, this is Karnowski's future to Tolkien's LOTR. There was a time when humans, elves, and dwarves all lived in peace, and then the humans took over. But here, the humans tried to destroy the elves and the dwarves and have destroyed the planet, essentially, not realizing that the elves and dwarves have cities deep in the earth and other places.
This is an interesting set-up with lots of potential. But, despite this being the first book, I don't see the potential realized. Thoughts about the modern, human culture are in passing, and while the concepts are interesting, they don't develop. We go from semi-interesting distopia to journey through the middle of the earth (ha--middle. earth. HA!) which basically then loses any modern sensibilities and stays strictly in the fantasy generalities.
And oh, the generalities. Rather, the "nods" to Tolkien that can't stand on their own to be called nods:
1) Magic wooden rings that make you disappear when you put them on.
2) Elven bread that fills you up with just a small bite.
3) Big ancient monsters that live deep in the earth and chase you across narrow stone bridges.
4) Glowing swords.
5) Bad guys dressed in black that aren't quite human.
6) This is just a hunch, but the main character is special to the elven cause and may very well be some long lost king that'll bring peace over the land. I'm not sure, but he does have elven blood in his veins.
So there's many, erm, similarities. Also, I detect a few nods from other influences as well: the two guys, one girl trio introduced by Star Wars; escape from a prison through a sewer, also reminiscent of Star Wars, and the ever-elusive Calm, which has many properties of the Force. That or it's just the way the magic's being described. :)
Aside from the generalities, there are some other drawbacks to the plot. While the writer has a good sense of knowing how not to introduce a talent without having some set-up for it, there seems to be a cure for everything. Indeed, there's no real danger, thanks to the special elvish healing potion (kudos, though, for having the human come up with it, and not the elf) that heals most all wounds. And if that doesn't work, there's always the nifty magical elf healing, which pretty much brings you back from the dead. And really, without that danger, there's a lot of suspense left out of the story, which is unfortunate. This piece could use more suspense.
There's also secrets that you can well figure out if you're a decently read in fantasy, among other things. What's good about it? The dwarves are entertaining. And there's a cat. :) Nah, it's not bad, it's just highly derivative. :) And it's obviously a continuing story, and I was disappointed (not in a good way) to see where the novel ended. Nothing was resolved in this first part; it was all set-up. And even the set-up didn't pay off.
Setting:
The real world is more interesting than the underground, and I'm still chewing over the idea underground realm. Most of the book is spent here, and while I enjoyed the huge hall scene of Fellowship of the Ring as much as anyone else, I'm not sure what I make of a whole novel taking place in such a similar setting. Course, this is coming from a girl who has a city within a mountain as well, but there's a difference between a single city (or cave dwelling) and taking a journey beneath the earth that's just like taking a journey across the plains.
And a note of disappointment: the book ended right when they reached the elven island, and we don't see a lick of it, save for the fact there's a good chance the dreams the main character's been having is of the island itself. Granted, it's a good bet the next book picks up where this one left off, but there's still a sense of general dissatisfaction.
Style:
Okay, I can forgive derivative stories. Really, I can. But one thing I can't forgive is obvious grammar mistakes (its versus it's and you're versus your) and worse? I can't forgive misuse of words like "healthful" (who uses that anyway?) instead of "healthy". I really, really can't. And you know, you don't have to be an English geek to have a good sense of language, you just have to, you know, READ a lot.
Annoying grammar nitpicks and word usage aside, there's nothing to be said for style. Like the plot, and the characters, it's generic. Karnowski does write out a dialect for the dwarves, but I'm never sure what kind of accent the dwarves have, cause it was sometimes Southern, sometimes not. Hmmm...southern dwarves. Now that would be funny. :)
What's so disappointing is that the writing is that of an amateur writer. It's very, very passive. It's the style of writing you use because that's what you think fantasy is supposed to sound like. I wrote like this, once upon a time ago; many amateurs did and still do. It takes attention to craft to find your voice and make it work for the writing, and Karnowski hasn't found his yet. It's sad, in a way, because I think he could benefit greatly from the genre workshops offered like Clarion and Odyssey.
Would I recommend this? Not unless you're a fan of Tolkien-derived stories and don't care if you seem the same elements of fantasy used over and over. And it's not a BAD read--I want to clarify that, because I've read worse Tolkien-derived fantasies--but for people looking for fantasies with meat on the bones? This is not it. This is something that I don't believe larger publishers would've accepted, hence the small company (not to bash small companies!), who (from what I hear) is just starting out. Whether or not they're looking for a break-out star or not, I don't know. But Karnowski has a long way to go as a writer, and hopefully (since his second book IS out), practice will make perfect.