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Devices and Desires

By: K.J. Parker
ISBN 9780316003384

Reviewed by: Paul Lappen

First of a trilogy, this fantasy novel is about an engineer who starts a major war so he can be re-united with his wife and daughter.

Mezentia is a city-state that is the local technological superpower. They don’t let their technical knowledge get out to the surrounding kingdoms, which is how they keep their superiority. Mezentia is also a land of guilds, where technical specifications and tolerances were decided long ago. It is written into law that, for instance, a certain gear shall be no larger than a certain size (down to hundredths of an inch) or a certain lever shall be a certain length, and no longer. Ziani Vaatzes, a talented engineer, breaks the rules, unintentionally, in building a mechanical toy for his daughter. He is sentenced to death by the Mezentian Council, accused of Abomination, and manages to escape with his life.

Vaatzes is picked up by the remnants of the army of Eremia, one of the neighboring kingdoms. They are struggling to get back home after attacking Mezentia, and getting slaughtered by superior Mezentian weapons. His offer to train Eremians in how to build the weapons that just decimated their army is politely declined, but Vaatzes is set up in a factory of his own by the Eremian equivalent of a venture capitalist. Vaatzes does not just start at the beginning, he has plenty of building, planning and training to do just to reach "the beginning." In Mezentia, tolerances and specifications are expected to be exact (anything less is not good enough), but in Eremia, the best Vaatzes can do is "pretty good." He and his employees have scoured the city looking for scrap metal to use in the weapons, but they will get the job done.

Meantime, the Mezentian Council has learned that Vaatzes is still alive, and is building weapons for the Eremians. The decision is made to invade Eremia, and wipe the entire race off the map. Nothing is more important than Mezentian technological superiority. Civitas Eremiae, the Eremian capital, is built into the side of a mountain, and is nearly impossible for an invading army to conquer. But, it does have a very secret, and very ancient, "back door."

Parker is an author who Gets It. This is a big novel, but it is an excellent piece of writing that will really keep the reader’s interest. I may just read the other two, equally large, parts of this trilogy just because the storytelling is so good.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, Dead Trees Review, has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books. Amazines.com

The Purloined Boy

By: Mortimus Clay
ISBN 9780982159804
Reviewed by: Paul Lappen

This is the tale of Trevor, a young boy who becomes one of those children who end up on milk cartons under the word Missing.

Trevor is living in a dark and dreary town called Superbia, along with many other children. Think of an orphanage from Victorian England. They are not allowed to say words like "parents" or "home." If they do, the boogeymen who run Superbia (and who kidnapped the children from their beds), will send them away for behavior modification, or send them to the Pantry, to be fattened up and eaten by the boogeymen. Becoming a meal for the boogeymen is the eventual fate of all the children.

After a very vivid dream about his parents, Trevor asks about going home, and is sent away for behavior modification. Around this time, he meets Maggie, a fellow orphan who also has memories of life before Superbia. She tells Trevor that she is part of a secret society whose aim is to help all the children who want to return home to actually do it. He also meets Epictetus, a one-eyed slave who is a leader in the "underground," and Zephyr, a very unique talking mouse. Trevor also learns about Trothward, a very nice place outside Superbia. He also learns about the long-term war going on between the Guild, who runs Trothward, and Lucian, the leader of the boogeymen. This leads Trevor to one adventure, and narrow escape, after another, while he is traversing many dank and dreary passageways beneath Superbia.

This is a young adult book that was made to be read aloud to older children, say between 10-13 years old. It may be a little too much for younger children. There are a number of dark and spooky bits in this story, and, being first in a series, there is not a "happily ever after" ending. The author does an excellent job with this tale from beginning to end, and it is very much worth the time.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, Dead Trees Review, has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books.

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