The Last Guardian of Everness

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Already regarded as one of the best science fiction writers of the last decade for his stirring Golden Age trilogy, John C. Wright proves he has the right stuff to write exciting modern day epic fantasy with the terrific The Last Guardian of Everness. The story line is character driven although epic in proportion as Galen decides to fight the Dark using the weapons of the Light, but without the so-called champions. Besides the beginnings of war, the description of good will have readers think about what that means while anxiously waiting for the other novel, Mists of Everness, to be published.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Compelling contemporary fantasy
Review: For centuries, the Waylock family has guarded the doorway between the world of dreams and our own mundane world. Galen Waylock, the young heir to the wardens, receives a prophetic dream from the founder of their family--calling for him to come to the end of the world and visit. Despite his grandfather's orders, Galen responds, sets across a dreamscape and into danger. Because the forces of darkness are readying their assault, planning to carry all before them. Where once the Wardens were a huge host, now there remain only two--an old man and an impetuous youth who is all to easy to trick into a trap.

Three people, Raven, his wife Wendy (who once knew how to fly), and Galen's crippled father Peter are all that remains holding the ancient barrier of Everness against plague, death, seelies, and the morning star himself. Great weapons were made for Everness's defenses, but Peter refused the knowledge and Raven and Wendy know even less.

Author John C. Wright combines Arthurian legend; Celtic, Greek, and Christian mythology; with fairy tales and Freemasonic rumors to create a fascinating and compelling contemporary fantasy. None of the characters is perfect--Galen is impetuous, Peter bitter, Wendy flighty, and Raven willing to compromise on what is too important. Similarly, many of the characters of darkness have their own appeal--evil is rarely unadorned ugliness.

Wright's strong writing, story-telling, and world-building make THE LAST GUARDIAN OF EVERNESS a book that's hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: More like 3.5 stars...
Review: Note to the unwary: This book is the first of two volumes, and the ending is quite a cliffhanger. Things won't be resolved until the second volume comes out in 2005, so keep this in mind if you're not the patient sort. Okay, now for my review, which goes a little bit against the grain here. What I liked about this book was Wright's unique and imaginative blending of mythology, horror, and legend. I also liked how he wove a constant thread of choice and consequence throughout the story and gave us some characters that were truly compelling.

What kept me from giving this book a higher rating is that I found it somewhat of a chore to get through. Most likely, this is because I'm so desperately weary of the common elements of so-called "high" fantasy. You know what I'm talking about...rituals, quests, Words and Objects of Power, heavy symbolism, mythic creatures, earth magic, perpetual angst, etc. I've started to avoid much of the fantasy genre for this very reason, and I probably wouldn't have bought this book in the first place, except that I enjoyed Wright's harder sci-fi (The Golden Age trilogy) so much.

So, if you're reading these reviews to help you decide whether to purchase this book, and if you aren't as tired of the fantasy genre as I am, my unreserved recommendation is that you click the "add to cart" button. Wright is clearly talented and proves he can deliver fantasy with as much punch as he does sci fi. If, however, you're like me and find you have trouble stomaching a lot of the core elements of high fantasy, you might want to wait on this one until you can buy both volumes at one time and less expensively.

Rating:
Summary: The beginning of all stories
Review: Over the years I've read a lot of stories which claim to take place in the first of all worlds, the origin of dreams. Almost without exception they are standard roadside attractions on the Fantasy Tour.

John Wright has avoided this trap. His writing style evokes Dunsany, Clark Ashton Smith, Lovecraft's Kadath, and Eddison. Without ever saying "Look at how clever and well-read I am" he mixes fairy tales, the Mahabarta, occult imagery and our deepest fears in a seamless way.

And this is all in the first sixty pages.

I feared, at the end of The Golden Transcendence, that Wright was a one-hit wonder. Those fears have been most joyously laid to rest.

Rating:
Summary: Surpasses the "Fantasy" Label
Review: Personally, the label "fantasy" usually sends me looking elsewhere as the entire genre suffers from comparison to Tolkien. I bought "Last Guardian" purely upon the strength of Mr. Wright's "Golden Age" trilogy and was pleased to find a work that stands quite independent of the "fantasy" label placed upon it. Although the book suffers from volume one syndrome (and with the exception of Stephenson, I don't know why the market tolerates what is essentially serial publication) this book manages the feat of making the surreal seem both intriguing and plausible. But be warned, just as you get a feel for the main characters and the gist of the story, volume one is over.

The strength of "Last Guardian" lies in the author's ability to effortlessly draw upon a wealth of mythology within a contemporary setting. The alternate world view develops very fast and while it can be difficult to keep track of the various beasts and characters taking their part in the story, the author skillfully creates a tension that draws you through the exposition without the story seeming to lag.

Each of the characters are confronted with particularly thorny moral dilemmas and the author follows the struggles by highlighting their different world-views and ethical considerations. Gifts always come with a price--and casual comments are binding, often at a frightful cost. Especially enjoyable are the observations of an ancient character reborn into today's world who must struggle to interpret the modern technology and social mores.

Mr. Wright has embarked upon a morality tale where private choices have public consequences; where promises kept result in great and powerful good and promises broken result in despair. I anxiously await the next volumes.


Rating:
Summary: Rising star John C. Wright does it again:
Review: This award-winning new author turns his hand to fantasy bringing the same fast-paced action, fascinating characters, intriguing philosophy and top-notch world-building to the story of Gavin Waylock and the guardians of Everness, that "strange and ancient house unchanging."

Ware the toll of a single ring
Night-mare her single rider will bring
Woe if twice the great bell tolls
For fire-giants and fell frost trolls
Storm-princes rise at the sound of three
The fourth ring brings the plague Kelpie
Five for Selkie, Six for Hate
Seven for Doom, Death for Eight
And if the toll sounds nine withal
Wake the Sleepers; Nine worlds fall.

For fifteen hundred years the Waylocks have guarded the gate between the world of reason and science, and the world of dreams. Now, standing watch in the Deeper Dreaming, Gavin Waylock, heir to Everness, hears the sea bells tolling without end as a black gull brings him a burning light out of the darkness. Eager to win his spurs, he disregards his grandfather's caution and summons a dream-colt to take him beyond Tirion to the iron cage where the first Waylock, founder of Everness, arch-traitor and wizard, swings above an abyss of madness.

With this errant impulse, Gavin Waylock sets in motion the downfall of Everness House: For Acheron is indeed rising, its terrible heralds even now taking their first steps out of the mists of dreams and into the waking world...

The high fantasy is married with thrilling action scenes; there are moments of great beauty and tenderness, and moments of silly humor. One of the supporting characters, Wendy Varovich is particularly enchanting and often very funny. The horrors of the cannibalistic selkie, the pious and rotting kelpie knights, the sheer strangeness Wright evokes for his dream-lands is worthy of a Cthuloid nightmare. Moving from light to dark, horror to humor, Wright never misses a beat, seamlessly providing page-turning entertainment.

THE LAST GUARDIAN OF EVERNESS rises above the run-of-the mill action fantasy: For my part, this is one of the best fantasies I've read this year. Its only fault: You'll have to wait until next year for the second half. I write "you" for I've seen the whole story in MS and can assure you, part two is great fun!

(This review first appeared, in slightly shorter form, in the WashRag, journal of the Washington Young Adult Materials Review Group)