'Black Dogs - Part One: The House of Diamond' - Review
I picked up Ursula Vernon's novel Black Dogs - Part One: The House of Diamond a couple of months ago, but due to being quite busy with work and schoolwork and other things, I hadn't gotten around to finishing it until just recently. I have to say, though, that I'm glad that I did finally manage the time.
If you know Ursula Vernon, it's likely via her webcomic "Digger". Seemingly not content to leave her talents to the realm of the visual arts, she has also evidently picked up the grueling hobby of novel-writing. For whatever reason, perhaps because of my own inability to draw worth a damn, I initially found myself surprised at the idea that an artist would take such a big stab at writing, but it turns out to be a pleasant surprise, because she's managed to write a very good book, here.
The House of Diamond, as the subtitle indicates, is only the first part of a larger story, and perhaps the best indicator that it's worth a read is the fact that I'm already wanting to read the second part (alas, I haven't seen or heard any news at to when it might be available). The book on the whole is almost episodic in nature, and so waiting for the next book to come out seems rather like waiting for a new season of a TV series to start up after a season finale. It's thankfully not a cliffhanger that will make you want to throw the book against the wall, but it's unquestionably not the end of the story (you'll understand if I can't say much without giving it away).
While most other novels published by Sofawolf Press are firmly within the realm of the furry niche, Black Dogs employs a fantasy setting that is much closer to the mainstream. It's Vernon's take (and twist) on familiar fantasy tropes, however, that sets this particular setting apart, and so even if you think you've trod the road of One Too Many Fantasy Novels already, you'd still do well to give this one a shot, even (and perhaps especially) if you're not just in it for the two-legged animal-people.
Speaking of which, as I mentioned above, this isn't strictly a 'furries-only' book; of the main cast, only one of the characters is any sort of anthropomorphic animal, and even he isn't the main character. Still, I'd encourage fans of furry fiction not to overlook the book for that fact, since--and this may come as a shock to some of you--it's not a story that suffers from a lack of would-be 'furriness' (and nor is it one that would really benefit from having more of it).
Digressions and disclaimers aside, on with the book itself...
This is the story of a teenage girl named Lyra, the daughter of a minor lord and the only survivor of a brutal raid on her family's estate. Fleeing from her home, she encounters the dog-soldier Sadrao on a mission of his own. In accordance with his species' sense of honor, he takes the bookish, ill-prepared Lyra under his wing, protecting her on his travels--and steadily teaching her to protect herself along the way.
The two meet up with a female elven couple, past companions of Sadrao, who beseech the dog-soldier to help them in a desperate mission that may hold the fate of the elves' nation in the balance. Their charge, a young half-elf named Trent, must be safely seen to the mysterious House of Diamond, where the sorcerors there might learn the secrets that could mean the elves' very survival.
Lyra, with no home of her own, joins with Sadrao and his elven companions to help undertake the quest, with the notion that if she follows the path of an adventurer and warrior, she may one day find the skill, talent, and determination necessary to claim vengeance upon those who murdered her father and took her home from her.
As with other novels that feature the travel-based quest, there is, as I said above, something of an episodic feel to the way the story plays out. At some points, this makes the revelation of certain facts feel like they're coming unprompted when they happen to suddenly become relevant, but for the most part, the story unfolds fairly smoothly. The world itself is also set up well, with enough details of world history to make the places seem real, and a population of different species that doesn't make the setting feel like it was lifted out of Dungeons and Dragons.
Although the readers of this journal might be somewhat more inclined towards novels about gay foxes (which are certainly available), I'd still recommend Black Dogs to folks who think they might enjoy a subtly different flavor of traditional fantasy, and who won't have their enjoyment of a story ruined simply because the animal-people don't take center stage the whole time.
If you know Ursula Vernon, it's likely via her webcomic "Digger". Seemingly not content to leave her talents to the realm of the visual arts, she has also evidently picked up the grueling hobby of novel-writing. For whatever reason, perhaps because of my own inability to draw worth a damn, I initially found myself surprised at the idea that an artist would take such a big stab at writing, but it turns out to be a pleasant surprise, because she's managed to write a very good book, here.
The House of Diamond, as the subtitle indicates, is only the first part of a larger story, and perhaps the best indicator that it's worth a read is the fact that I'm already wanting to read the second part (alas, I haven't seen or heard any news at to when it might be available). The book on the whole is almost episodic in nature, and so waiting for the next book to come out seems rather like waiting for a new season of a TV series to start up after a season finale. It's thankfully not a cliffhanger that will make you want to throw the book against the wall, but it's unquestionably not the end of the story (you'll understand if I can't say much without giving it away).
While most other novels published by Sofawolf Press are firmly within the realm of the furry niche, Black Dogs employs a fantasy setting that is much closer to the mainstream. It's Vernon's take (and twist) on familiar fantasy tropes, however, that sets this particular setting apart, and so even if you think you've trod the road of One Too Many Fantasy Novels already, you'd still do well to give this one a shot, even (and perhaps especially) if you're not just in it for the two-legged animal-people.
Speaking of which, as I mentioned above, this isn't strictly a 'furries-only' book; of the main cast, only one of the characters is any sort of anthropomorphic animal, and even he isn't the main character. Still, I'd encourage fans of furry fiction not to overlook the book for that fact, since--and this may come as a shock to some of you--it's not a story that suffers from a lack of would-be 'furriness' (and nor is it one that would really benefit from having more of it).
Digressions and disclaimers aside, on with the book itself...
This is the story of a teenage girl named Lyra, the daughter of a minor lord and the only survivor of a brutal raid on her family's estate. Fleeing from her home, she encounters the dog-soldier Sadrao on a mission of his own. In accordance with his species' sense of honor, he takes the bookish, ill-prepared Lyra under his wing, protecting her on his travels--and steadily teaching her to protect herself along the way.
The two meet up with a female elven couple, past companions of Sadrao, who beseech the dog-soldier to help them in a desperate mission that may hold the fate of the elves' nation in the balance. Their charge, a young half-elf named Trent, must be safely seen to the mysterious House of Diamond, where the sorcerors there might learn the secrets that could mean the elves' very survival.
Lyra, with no home of her own, joins with Sadrao and his elven companions to help undertake the quest, with the notion that if she follows the path of an adventurer and warrior, she may one day find the skill, talent, and determination necessary to claim vengeance upon those who murdered her father and took her home from her.
As with other novels that feature the travel-based quest, there is, as I said above, something of an episodic feel to the way the story plays out. At some points, this makes the revelation of certain facts feel like they're coming unprompted when they happen to suddenly become relevant, but for the most part, the story unfolds fairly smoothly. The world itself is also set up well, with enough details of world history to make the places seem real, and a population of different species that doesn't make the setting feel like it was lifted out of Dungeons and Dragons.
Although the readers of this journal might be somewhat more inclined towards novels about gay foxes (which are certainly available), I'd still recommend Black Dogs to folks who think they might enjoy a subtly different flavor of traditional fantasy, and who won't have their enjoyment of a story ruined simply because the animal-people don't take center stage the whole time.