RANTS AND RAMBLES

• • DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
  • This review is somewhat abbreviated as it is the second in a series and I did not feel like belaboring points already made previously. Please check out my review for Becoming a Druid if you want a more in-depth discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the series.
  • BARELY SPOILERS: One of Grahme’s prequel stories addresses how he was chosen to become a druid. It is a straightforward tale providing ultimately unnecessary background, but it is interesting enough to warrant the attention (in other words, perfect material for a collection of supplemental short stories!). The other prequel story depicts his interactions with one of his previous teachers and details why he is cast out (or, more specifically, runs away). Grahme adds a specific ingredient to a medicinal concoction for his teacher so that he will have to go to the bathroom all night long, thereby depriving him of a good night’s sleep. The act, done in response to the teacher making Grahme look bad in front of a girl he likes, is petty in nature, driving home, more so than the entirety of Becoming a Druid, Grahme’s hotheaded and rebellious nature. Nevertheless, setting this action against the backdrop of the lazy and oppressive nature of the teacher allows the reader to frame the action as Grahme protecting himself, even if it is in an ill-advised manner. Once the teacher realizes what has happened, his confrontation with Grahme turns violent, reiterating Grahme’s hot head and impulsive nature. All around, this story does a good job at succinctly showing Grahme’s character flaws without making him thoroughly unlikeable.
  • BARELY SPOILERS: The novellas in this volume expand the world of the series by exploring the Sorim, a culture alluded to in the previous book. The familial and political relations of the Sorim make it feel like a distinctly different culture from that of Pretanni. The haunted swamps, evil hags, religious structure, and mental magic of the island nation also offer a unique perspective. It is clear Mr. Mollman put effort into the creation of his cultures, and it is great to see the unique nature of the Sorim in these stories.
  • SPOILERS: The biggest problem with Becoming a Druid made its way into the novellas of this volume, namely, lack of a unifying throughline to the story. Both novellas felt disjointed, but Alfswich’s story was worse. It begins with him realizing he doesn’t want to thieve forever, and it is suggested that he start a school for thieves (I think. What exactly the school is and would teach is a bit nebulous.) Unfortunately, he has been cast out of his family, so starting a reputable school is impossible (once more, I’m not sure how you have a reputable school for thieves). He must first bribe his way into the good graces of his relatives so he can be reinstated into the family. This is all fairly cohesive (though there are a few spots along the way where random stuff happens for no real reason), but on the way to his childhood home, Alfswich is cursed by a hag. Now he must give away six stone flowers before the end of the month or he will die. He quickly discovers that whoever receives his flowers becomes blind and, if the flower is taken away from them, goes insane. There are two competing trajectories for this story. The first part ruminates on Alfswich’s past, his present and his future, what it means to get older, and whether or not a man like him could ever settle into a more peaceful life. The second part explores what he is willing to do to others to save his own life. Either could make a compelling theme for a story, it might even be possible to marry the two into a cohesive whole, but in this case, the two themes just aren’t in the same arena. Consequently, when the hag curses Alfswich, the story takes a sharp turn onto a completely new path making both portions of the story feel unattached, adding to the already disjointed feel of the novella. This did not have to be the case; a unifying theme could have saved this story. It may seem that a theme makes a story predictable and ties the author’s hands, but the opposite is true. If it is taken as fact that a story needs some sort of connective tissue (some may disagree with this assertion), that tissue can take the form of characters, world, plot, theme, and perhaps other media. Interestingly, if anything but theme is used to this purpose, the story becomes stale and predictable. For example, if plot is utilized as the connective medium of a story, it will become stale and predictable as the reader is able to guess what happens next. If a dragonrider-hopeful finds a dragon, they will almost certainly ride it. If a thief learns of a priceless treasure, they will probably try to steal it. These connections may happen in any story, after all, it is realistic that the cocky thief will go after the treasure, but theme allows the story to not take the expected or predictable route. If the theme of a story involves dealing with disappointment, the dragonrider-hopeful may fail, at least initially. Or if the theme of a story is about denying your wants for the good of others, the thief may forego stealing the treasure. Or he might steal it but end up giving it away to those less fortunate. So you can see that far from tying the author’s hands, a good theme actually opens up a world of possibilities. In Alfswich’s story, if the reason he was trying to bribe his way back into the family was because assassins were after him, a thing possible because of his cast-out status, not only would this raise the stakes of the story, but it would also tie thematically into the second half. The whole novella would explore the question: What is Alfswich willing to do to survive? Perhaps he wrestles with how being reinstated into the family will tie him down and deprive him of some of his freedom. If he finally decided it was worth it for his life, the advent of the hag’s curse, while sending the plot on a different path, would further explore the main question. Will he maim others and subject them to insanity for the sake of his own life? (The answer is, of course, yes. He is a pretty unlikeable character after all.) This would not eliminate all the problems with the story, but hopefully it shows how a properly chosen theme can help the author create a unique, compelling, and unpredictable story which is unified and ultimately fulfilling.