Book Review: The Book of Ile-Rien by Martha Wells
It was last year that I read the first installment of the science fiction series The Murderbot Diaries, a short novel titled All Systems Red by Matha Wells. I loved it for the humour, brilliant writing, and interesting perspectives it offered on co-living with machines, which, by the rapid pace the technology progresses, may become a reality in the near future. So when I was offered a review copy of a book by Martha Wells from the Tor Publishing Group through Netgalley, I was elated. 'The Book of Ile-Rien' is a collected edition of her two novels that have been revised and updated. These are not proper science fiction, unlike 'All Systems Red', but have more fantastical elements.
The two novels included in the book are 'The Element of Fire' and 'The Death of the Necromancer', which were first published in 1993 and 1998, respectively. They are the first and second installments of the 'Ile-Rien' series of novels, which also contains three more novels written after these. I believe 'The Element of Fire' is her first novel that introduces the realm of Ile-Rien, a fictional country, to her readers. The technology presented in the two novels makes them equivalent to seventeenth- and nineteenth-century Europe, respectively, but with the presence of magic and sorcery.
Ile-Rien is an aristocratic monarchy, with Vienne as the capital and Lodun as its university city. Its Royal Palace in Vienne is protected by magical wards that prevent the entry of its enemies, the terrestrial neighbourhood nation of Bisra and the otherworldly shape-shifting Fays of the faerie-world. Sorcerers are seen with much respect and veneration, unlike Bisra, which has a ban on any supernatural activity. Lodun has institutions that train and equip sorcerers, who are an integral part of the security of the land.
The first novel, 'The Element of Fire', is a tale of palace intrigue playing inside and outside the Royal Family of Ile-Rein. The immature King Roland is at loggerheads with the powerful matriarch and his mother, Queen Revanna, while a powerful and mysterious entity named Urbaine Grandier is causing serious threats to the security of the palace, and shape-shifting Fays have found a way to breach the palace security. It seems only Thomas Boniface, the captain of the Queen's Guard and her lover, is the only person who has the larger interest of the country in mind. But the arrival of Kade, the illegitimate half-fay daughter of the deceased king, opens up new wounds, further complicating the matter.
The first novel by the writer has some solid and complex world-building and establishes the realm of Ile-Rein pretty convincingly. The main characters are written with a lot of heart, and they get enough moments to shine. The plot, though more or less treading the oft-beaten path, is complex and nuanced. But the many minor characters fail to make an impact and sometimes even create confusion. The novel begins right in the middle of the action, and it takes around half the length of the novel for the reader to become familiar with the characters and surroundings. The descriptions of the action sequences are a bit hazy and difficult to visualise.
'The Death of the Necromancer' improves a lot on the storytelling aspect. The novel concentrates more on a central character, Nicholas Valiarde, who is obsessed with avenging his father's death. He puts on the guise of a master thief and, with his team, performs many daredevil heists to finance his quest. On one such pursuit, he has to lock horns with an antagonist who is far more powerful than he imagined—someone using centuries-old necromantic powers to unleash evil on the world. Should Nicholas pursue his path of vengeance or take up the role of a world-saver?
The second novel is far superior when compared to the first. Even though the central character of Nicholas towers over, it's not at the cost of the individuality of others. Even the minor characters are etched beautifully, and we never forget them when they turn up unexpectedly at a later stage. The writer has successfully built on the universe she created in the prequel. The new elements that she introduces in this one seamlessly merge with the larger universe. The actions and strategies of the characters are much clearer when compared to 'The Element of Fire' and don't confuse the reader.
'The Book of Ile-Rein' is a perfect read for lovers of fantasy fiction, though it proves to be a handful with more than seven hundred pages covering the two novels. Top-notch world-building, intricate plotting, and intense characterization make it a worthy read. It's guaranteed to make the readers interested in trying the other titles of the series.