Catherine Fisher's Relic Master series
This summer I was lucky enough to get to review Catherine Fisher's Relic Master series, published in four consecutive months this summer. As a reader, I loved this approach. It gave me something to look forward to each month and less time between books to forget what had happened. I'm curious as to whether it worked from a publishing standpoint.
Catherine Fisher's work resonates very strongly with me, to the extent that I'm not sure I can view it objectively. While I think her book Incarceron---one of the best books of 2010---had a more intriguing premise, on a personal level Relic Master probably touched me more deeply. It almost *hurt* to read and I still have difficulty articulating why. The series certainly has some weaknesses and blindspots, but it does not lack in resonance or heart. You will not be surprised that the character I identified with most is Carys, the Watch spy, whose doubt is one of the central features of the story. Moved by Galen's certainty and Raffi's kindness, she comes to doubt the iconoclastic brutality of the Watch whose structure has shaped her life. For me, her experiences are the most interesting part of the series.
From my concluding review of the series:
What I have always liked about Catherine Fisher's work is her willingness to engage readers in their own Deep Journey. Her books aren't afraid to ask difficult questions, or tackle the problems or outcomes of rigid beliefs. One of the most moving moments in THE MARGRAVE is when Galen, who has been rigorous in his beliefs despite the persecution of his Order, begins to question his faith:
"I don't know... why the Makers haven't kept their promise. Where are they? Why don't they come?... Haven't I done enough?... For years we've struggled, living like animals, hunted, burned out, always running, always trying to keep the relics, to keep the people close to what should be true. Have we become relics now? Where is Flain, and Soren, and Tamar? Are they dead, have they forgotten us, don't they care about our agony? Why don't they come...?"
The time will come --- even for those who are not particularly religious --- when our most cherished beliefs will fail us. Whether we are faithful like Galen, uncertain like Raffi, or doubting like Carys, the day will come when who we believed ourselves to be is no longer true, when knowledge or experience will require us to change our minds, or grow. When that happens, we should be so lucky to know that others have passed this way before.
Throughout the series, the characters refer to bits of their own mythology to help guide them on their way. They take courage from stories about The Makers; from the Litany held close to their hearts; or from the Rules imposed by the Watch to help bring clarity and order. There is wisdom in our world, too, to help guide the way. For some it is a religion, a code of ethics, a respected document, or holy writ. But there's no reason why books like Fisher's can't provide some comfort or illumination. Not only is THE MARGRAVE an excellent read for those merely looking for adventure or escape, it's not afraid to confront the kinds of questions we, too, will face in our lives.
"If faith dies, what's left?" Galen asks only a quarter of the way into the book. Quite a bit, it seems. And it takes the strengths and weaknesses of each of these characters --- in addition to the others they encounter, many whose roles seem unlikely or contradictory --- to find a solution to save their world. "The world is not dead," reads their Litany. "The world is alive, and breathes... her journey is forever."
THE DARK CITY
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736733.asp
THE LOST HEIRESS
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736740.asp
THE HIDDEN CORONET
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736757.asp
THE MARGRAVE
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736764.asp
P.S. One of the unlikely characters in this series is a dwarf warlord named Alberic who has a fierce yearning for gold. I started the series before I saw The Ring, but now that I have finished the series I think that the reference is either unintentional, or a tiny clue to alert readers in the know that this Anara is experiencing its Götterdämmerung... the twilight of the gods in a world that they have abandoned.
Catherine Fisher's work resonates very strongly with me, to the extent that I'm not sure I can view it objectively. While I think her book Incarceron---one of the best books of 2010---had a more intriguing premise, on a personal level Relic Master probably touched me more deeply. It almost *hurt* to read and I still have difficulty articulating why. The series certainly has some weaknesses and blindspots, but it does not lack in resonance or heart. You will not be surprised that the character I identified with most is Carys, the Watch spy, whose doubt is one of the central features of the story. Moved by Galen's certainty and Raffi's kindness, she comes to doubt the iconoclastic brutality of the Watch whose structure has shaped her life. For me, her experiences are the most interesting part of the series.
From my concluding review of the series:
What I have always liked about Catherine Fisher's work is her willingness to engage readers in their own Deep Journey. Her books aren't afraid to ask difficult questions, or tackle the problems or outcomes of rigid beliefs. One of the most moving moments in THE MARGRAVE is when Galen, who has been rigorous in his beliefs despite the persecution of his Order, begins to question his faith:
"I don't know... why the Makers haven't kept their promise. Where are they? Why don't they come?... Haven't I done enough?... For years we've struggled, living like animals, hunted, burned out, always running, always trying to keep the relics, to keep the people close to what should be true. Have we become relics now? Where is Flain, and Soren, and Tamar? Are they dead, have they forgotten us, don't they care about our agony? Why don't they come...?"
The time will come --- even for those who are not particularly religious --- when our most cherished beliefs will fail us. Whether we are faithful like Galen, uncertain like Raffi, or doubting like Carys, the day will come when who we believed ourselves to be is no longer true, when knowledge or experience will require us to change our minds, or grow. When that happens, we should be so lucky to know that others have passed this way before.
Throughout the series, the characters refer to bits of their own mythology to help guide them on their way. They take courage from stories about The Makers; from the Litany held close to their hearts; or from the Rules imposed by the Watch to help bring clarity and order. There is wisdom in our world, too, to help guide the way. For some it is a religion, a code of ethics, a respected document, or holy writ. But there's no reason why books like Fisher's can't provide some comfort or illumination. Not only is THE MARGRAVE an excellent read for those merely looking for adventure or escape, it's not afraid to confront the kinds of questions we, too, will face in our lives.
"If faith dies, what's left?" Galen asks only a quarter of the way into the book. Quite a bit, it seems. And it takes the strengths and weaknesses of each of these characters --- in addition to the others they encounter, many whose roles seem unlikely or contradictory --- to find a solution to save their world. "The world is not dead," reads their Litany. "The world is alive, and breathes... her journey is forever."
THE DARK CITY
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736733.asp
THE LOST HEIRESS
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736740.asp
THE HIDDEN CORONET
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736757.asp
THE MARGRAVE
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780803736764.asp
P.S. One of the unlikely characters in this series is a dwarf warlord named Alberic who has a fierce yearning for gold. I started the series before I saw The Ring, but now that I have finished the series I think that the reference is either unintentional, or a tiny clue to alert readers in the know that this Anara is experiencing its Götterdämmerung... the twilight of the gods in a world that they have abandoned.