Title:

The Heretic Kings

Author:

Paul Kearney

Category:

Fantasy / Science Fiction

Rating:

Date Reviewed:

June 10, 2006

he Heretic Kings is the second book in a five book series called the Monarchies of God. I think I know why I am enjoying this series so much: it is full of vivid imagery. If I were an capable artist, this is the kind of novel that would be great to illustrate. Every chapter has a scene or two that would look terrific if painted by N.C. Wyeth or Frazetta - there isn't much introspection in these books, the story keeps on charging ahead, always another adventure. There are werewolves, sea battles, musty catacombs, epic battles as the Merduks attempt to storm Ormann's Dike. There is court intrigue at Tormann, there is more wrangling as the kings and courtiers vie for power.

The story threads that began in the first book continue in this book (so you definitely must start this series at the beginning, with Hawkwood's Voyage). We follow King Abelyen to a council of Kings. How will the separate kingdoms respond to the threat of the Merduk's, now that Aekir has fallen? The pope threatens to exocommunicate any king that doesn't acknowledge him as the supreme religious authority, which could well lead to civil war in those kingdoms, plus the Pope controls an elite fighting force of Knights Militant, which back up his papal authority. Nevertheless, King Abelyen witnessed how the newly elected Pope condemned thousands to death at the stake, and so he questions whether this new pope is legitimate - after all, reports continue that Macrobius, the previous pontif, survived the fall of Aekir.

In this book, the survivors of Hawkwood's western voyage set out to explore the new continent that they have discovered. This is a nice bit of adventure story telling. An expedition is mounted to march into the interior, and it seems they are being deliberately led into greater danger. There are hints of werewolves. They stumble upon an ancient statue, so obviously this land was populated by a civilized people in the past.

Meanwhile, Kearney is also developing the story about the Merduk invasion on the eastern edge of the continent. We see this battle through the eyes of Corfe, who survived the fall of Aekir and now finds himself attempting to rebuild his military reputation. This part of the story describes the assault on Ormann Dyke, where the outnumbered defenders in an impregnable(?) fortress face a vast horde of attackers. This reminded me of the battle of Helm's Deep in Lord of the Rings, and any comparison to the LotR has to be considered a compliment.

This series is great. I like the pure storytelling and straight forward prose. Kearney has an epic tale to tell us, and it is fun to read. Despite the many characters and multiple threads, each remains distinct and memorable, so you don't feel lost in the book. I assume that when I pick up the third volume, The Iron Wars, in the near future, I'll pick right up in where I left off without missing a beat.