Oh K.J. Parker… No other author has frustrated me so much! Book 2 of the Engineer Trilogy by K.J. Parker picks up right after the events in Book 1. After the revelations seen in Devices and Desires I was eager to see what else was in store for the characters. Unfortunately the second novel in this trilogy is a perfect example of the dreaded “middle book syndrome”. Sadly this seems to happen all too often in fantasy literature. The trilogy formula is almost expected in many ways and while I have absolutely no problem with lengthy series, this second entry felt completely pointless. Now sure there was some character development, and some of the motives that were once unclear are slowly revealed by the end, but for all intents and purposes this book just really didn’t feel necessary. I won’t go into the plot because unless you’ve read book 1 you would be completely lost. If you made it through all of Devices and Desires, then I suppose you might be interested enough to continue with book 2, but know that a lot of the action doesn’t really happen until the last 150-200 pages. Also, the climax in book 1 was a lot more rewarding than the conclusion we see in book 2, my opinion of course. I’ve begun to notice a trend with K.J. Parker’s trilogies in that the middle book is almost always the weakest entry. The Scavenger Trilogy had one of my all time favorite endings and is responsible for my appreciation of Parker as an author. The second book was the worst of all three, and the same can be said for The Fencer Trilogy and it looks as if this trend might continue with The Engineer Trilogy. Oddly enough, Parker hasn’t written a trilogy since this one and now writes stand-alone novels, which I think is where Parker’s strengths lay. This was one hell of a slog and the 680 something pages felt like a serious chore. Seriously at one point, Parker dedicates a good two and a half pages describing someone attempting to thread a needle and stitch something. The ONLY reason I will be continuing is in hopes that Parker will once again pull out an EPIC conclusion as he/she did in The Scavenger Trilogy. If there is one thing I’ve learned while reading K.J. Parker, it’s that you need to be patient. I know it sounds like I’ve done nothing but trash this book, but there is also some sort of curiosity that pulls you along and makes you want to continue. You get the feeling that Parker is keeping a secret from you and you are really curious as to what that secret is. I know something shocking is going to happen at the end of book 3, and for all I know I might look back on book 2 and see how it was necessary for the conclusion of the story. This is probably the least accessible entry written by Parker, and sadly I just can’t recommend it unless you’re a huge fan of the writer. Book 3 next!
Evil for Evil continues the story of Ziani Vaatzes, an engineer exiled from his home city for the crime of abomination. He created mechanical devices that varied from the time honored guild specifications. In this volume, Ziani flees to the Vadanis and war follows; however, unlike Orsea, the hapless leader of the Eremians , Duke Valens is made of sterner stuff. He wages a determined - albeit doomed - campaign against the Mezentines.There are many things to like about this book. There are plots within plots within plots. I like that. I like books where I am kept guessing. In this volume some but not all of the twists are revealed. We learn that the war against Eremia was orchestrated by Guild politics. This revelation is just a tease. There are hints that there is something more. And this something more is one of the rawest and most powerful elemental forces: love. For the sake of a woman's love, men will see kingdom's burn, cities fall, and hundreds of thousands die. I love it. Truly, what can trump love? Nothing.Duke Valens loves one woman, the Duchess of Eremia. He will do anything to be with her - including murdering her husband and waging war against the world's greatest power. Ziani the Engineer, by contrast, is determined to be reunited with his wife and will do anything to be reunited with her - including teaching the barbarians how to fight the Mezentines. Unfortunately, I just didn't buy it. All of this is motivated by love, but I just didn't see it. All the action, all the detail, all the plots were great, but I just didn't buy it. K.J. Parker writes about machines and people. In some cases the people are dangerously close to machines. And machines don't love. For a book with a man's love for a woman at the core it felt stale. With love at the core the author needed to deliver passion, and he didn't manage it. That is a tragedy because the writings and story and world were otherwise great.Three stars. I will finish the series but that is mainly because I am more interested in the resolution of the larger story line than because I feel something for the characters. That is kind of sad.
What do You think about Evil For Evil (2007)?
Definitely worse than the first book in the series. Too many characters in this novel acted at a level of intelligence far below the first book (notably Miel, Valens, and even Ziani). The plot was also a bit of a mess, with lots of tangents and people disappearing at random and reappearing with no one having really cared. That said, it was still solid and worth reading. Parts of the beginning and middle of the book were legitimately hilarious, and I know I will read the third. So in that sense, as the second book of a series, it was a success.
—Meru
Book 2 of KJ Parker's Engineer trilogy. After witnessing the fall of Civitas Eremiae in the first volume, we now get to watch the destruction of Civitas Vadanis. Parker continues her diatribe on the evils of love. "Obsession is just another kind of love, after all." "Hate is just another form of love." And my favorite exchange:Miel Ducas: "Love is really, really important, and I missed out entirely. Unfair."Death: "Love is a confidence trick, it's Nature's way of suckering a mammal with a brain
—Zedsdead
Strong second in series, but ends on a down noteEvents pretty much continue on as in the first book, with those events now though taking place with the Vadani, Vaatzes continues on his plot to bring down his enemies and previous countrymen with Duke Valens in tow, the only problem with this series is the reasoning behind the characters and sometimes their choices, but then without being in their position I can hardly comment, Action scenes become more common in this book which up's the ante but it ends in a rather weak way when the Vadani find assistance in the Desert dwelling barbarians who have the manpower to destroy the Mezentines, but want to rule all the known world for doing that, a well rounded read but isn't growing stronger as it goes along, I'm anticipating a anti-climatic ending for this series, which is a shame because it had lots of promise, worth a read but beware
—Matthew
