My very favorite works by Michael A. Stackpole (outside of his seminal work on the old EA role-playing game, Wasteland, not only based on his Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes tabletop role-playing game but also served as the spiritual ancestor to the Fallout series of computer games) are trilogies. I loved the Warrior: En Garde series in the Battletech universe and I loved the Fiddleback trilogy in the Dark Conspiracy universe. Other people love his Shadowrun stories and his Star Wars novels (particularly those in the New Jedi Order). I liked the two trilogies because of the intricate conspiracies that formed the warp and woof of their worlds/universes. I relished much of Once a Hero, but this Age of Discovery trilogy, beginning with A Secret Atlas may become my favorite. It has all the things I love about Stack at the top of his game—unexpected betrayals, secret motives, character flaws, dazzling action sequences (which would require sophisticated CGI to film), rivalries, political machinations, and mysterious secrets to be unveiled. Plus, the richly textured fantasy universe which seems to blend the best of Chinese and Korean culture (with occasional Japanese adornments) with fantastic elements just really floats my dhow (or, should that be Tao?).These fantastic elements can mesmerize. A barbarian’s tattoo isn’t “inked,” it is fletched—feathers embedded in his body in a magical ceremony (p. 196). The Vrilxingnaridin (say that twice, fast) desecrate the graves of heroes, grind their bones into dust, and either sell or inhale the powder (much like Keith Richards’ alleged and probably apocryphal snorting of his father’s ashes) in order that the skill and courage of the dead heroes would be endowed to others (much as primitives drink the blood of slain animals and enemies to gain speed, strength, skill, and vitality—p. 207). The Wavewolf, a ship missing for a generation, appears out of nowhere with tattered sails and alligator-esque humanoids “crewing” it (p. 398). Later, during the aftermath of a magical storm, a person is transformed into a human-shaped community of beetles and functions as such for a number of hours before dissipating (p. 536). These are fascinating elements of a richly architected world. The Chinese accents are spot-on. Some of the novel’s mysticism is tied to pseudo-Confucian sayings like, “The just sip from the river of Reward, the greedy drown in it.” (p. 149) Another might be, “The dog awaits his Master’s pleasure and is rewarded. Impotent barks breed only displeasure.” (p. 331) “The danger of dreams comes when one acts on them as if they are prophecy.” (p. 428) The quotation just cited is just one of the many with a familiar ring and just enough difference to be interesting. Plus, the descriptions of embroidered robes and significance of colors (including white as the color of mourning) gives it that Old World Chinese or Korean atmosphere. Plus, there is a race called the Fenn which, in spite of sounding Irish, seems much more akin to Chinese and Korean legend where human-like figures transforms into beasts, “…never quite looking like a dog, wolf, mountain cat, bear, or badger, but a mongrel mix of any two.” (p. 310). Yet, there are also Aztec influences to be seen in pyramids and a god named “Tetcomchoa” with its feathered serpent symbol in one of the freshly discovered civilizations (p. 524). So, Stackpole is definitely creating a diverse global feel for his fantasy world.The humor and insults aren’t bad, either. On one occasion, a younger brother says to his older brother, “You’re so bad with a blade that an apple doesn’t get worried when you approach it with a paring knife.” (p. 227) Early in the book, there is a marvelous rhyme about religious giving: “Loud in prayer, but in offerings spare.” (p. 4) I also loved the incident where excessive alcohol saved a village of teetotalers (pp. 315-17). At another point, a worried character’s expression of “Oh, my! Oh, my!” becomes an onomatopoeic expression voiced by a creature as “Omaiamaia!” (p. 466)I also liked the emphasis on “wargaming.” All sides have a tradition of using miniatures both to plan and magically conceive the plans of the enemy (for example, on p. 217 and p. 235). Of course, they can also lead to overconfidence as they do for one ill-prepared ruler (p. 384). There are even miniatures cast to honor various heroes and miniatures which provide transitional foci for plots and scenes. One would almost think that Stack had a television mini-series in mind because these little vignettes are so…well…focused!Underneath the epic of exploration of desolate wastes where wild magic has transformed and continues to transform the land, there are rather more human considerations. For example, I rather enjoyed the discussion of technological advancement on p. 379 where the apprentice xidantzu (essentially a samurai) complains: “…it confers on the untrained skills that ordinarily require years of study. It will erode respect for those who have developed skills. Hard work will become a thing of the past.” The apprentice could just as easily be describing computers or the world-wide web. And, of course, the debate sets up a marvelous action sequence some 100 pages later when a humanoid challenges one of the magical machines the xidantzu apprentice was complaining about (p. 485). Again, there is a time when Prince Cyron reflects upon the ruthlessness of his father and grandfather as a virtue, but “For him, with his father’s program of exploration, he saw the world as one of expanding resources, not a limited supply that necessitated rationing.” (p. 416) Does one sense Hyekian optimism here as opposed to Keynesian pessimism? I also rather enjoy that Stackpole posits one of the civilizations discovered to be a meritocracy (p. 500). There are only, in my opinion (for whatever that’s worth), two weaknesses in A Secret Atlas. The first is that there is a significant death late in the work that is worthy of a George R. R. Martin effort in that it brutally and sadistically kills a character with which one has a certain emotional attachment. In fact, it is done in such a way that much of the groundwork in said character seems rather wasted. That seemed gratuitous and imitative rather than masterful, as is much of Stack’s work. The second is that this volume is not, as I personally believe should be the case, self-contained as the first volume in a trilogy. Too much is left open-ended and, again in something of a George R. R. Martin style, the ending feels abruptly cut off. A Secret Atlas would quickly have generated an additional star from me (and the sequel, Cartomancy, may well do so) if it hadn’t been for these two weaknesses.
Sometimes, you want red wine, sometimes you want white, and sometimes you just want beer, or a nice glass of brandy. Or maybe you want water, coffee, etc.Sometimes you want hamburger, sometimes steak, and naturally all manner of options are available for styles and such to fit all appetites.I don't have a particular culinary comparison for this book, but what I found was that it happened to be exactly what I was looking for. It's a little more relaxed in pace, which some could argue as slow. It's more focused on intrigue than action, which some may not like.It has what I can only describe as a mature tone and a relatively serious world. This of course, I read coming off the heels of A Spell for Chameleon, just about anything is mature/serious in comparison.One potential downside is it's very "namey." Everything's got a name, and people, places, concepts, occupations, and so on get a little bit tricky to keep track of after a while. Not a deal-breaker by any means, but some people don't like this sort of thing.The other problem I had was that in a couple of sequences, especially towards the end, the plot seemed to lurch forward, and I honestly wondered if I'd accidentally skipped a chapter somewhere. The bouncing back and forth between characters can contribute to something like this, (again, not bad to have shifting viewpoints) but neither was the case.However, I found the characterization and relationships to be good, the political intrigue to be interesting, and most other facets rather compelling. Given a different frame of mind, it's entirely possible I would have disliked the book.If you're looking for an interesting fantasy universe that is more focused on intrigue and political shadow games, give this one a shot. It's well-written, well-characterized, and solidly entertaining.
What do You think about A Secret Atlas (2005)?
What starts with a family and their unique talents, quickly twists and turns and dumps you into an alternate world filled with danger, mystique and challenges. The Anturasi family has a unique talent which keeps them close to the crown in their princedom. The history of this world, how the 9 princedoms came to be and where some of the main players would like to see it go, is very enjoyable. The cultures are part European, part Asian and a little American all mixed together. The different castes and where the characters are in the political realm helps keep the suspense moving. Some of the additional landscapes visited were a little to vague in description and left a strong desire to learn more of them. The main characters are developed beautifully, Keles, Nirati and Jorim Anturasi are each unique and intriguing in their own ways. I loved the travel, the use of magic in a realistic plane and the twists and turns the story leads you through. My only complaint and warning would be some of the murder scenes are very graphic. There are only two of them which are easy to avoid if wanted. Can't wait to pick up the next book in the series.
—Rebecca Hill
Very enjoyable 1st installment in this trilogy. Great character development, believably self motivated characters, very good world building, multiple plot lines all move along at an appropriate pace which quickens as the end draws to a close. Only one down side and it's a minor one: cliff hanger endings to each plot line. Clearly this is not a stand alone book. With all the twists and turns I went from one "oh my gosh" moment to another through the last hundred pages. I'll absolutely be reading the 2nd book in this set next.
—Rick Piatt
I really struggled with this one. There were echoes of other books, everything had a name - to the point where I got really confused - and the storyline was a bit disjointed. However, when the setting was left alone for a while, and the story came into its own, it was really intriguing with some great writing.The number one issue for me, was that it didn't introduce the characters before introducing the fantasy world. I felt like the focus was very much on the setting, the history, the geography, and the story took the back seat. I would have preferred the focus to be on the characters and the story, and for the other gaps to be filled in later.Saying that, there were many bits which were really interesting. Intriguing political aspects and I loved some of the descriptions. All in all, though, I found it a bit of a mission to get through, which isn't usual for me.
—Roxanne
