The Belly of the Bow: The Fencer Trilogy, Volume 2

Rating:
Summary: Not as Good as Colors in the Steel
Review: This is book #2 of the Fencer Trilogy by K.J. Parker, and where "Colors in the Steel" was - in my opinion - worth 5+ stars, this sequel is hardly worth two. Main problem: The story surrounding Bardas Loredan's family turns very grotesque and bizarre in this one, which pretty-much destroys the great story line, writing, and character continuation from "Colors". Loredan is turned from a heroic-though-tragic commander of the now-lost Great City to a vengeful hermit with regardsa to his family, and in the process of becoming a bowyer, helps to break-up his family with a very tragic and brutally-vengeful Bardas becoming more of a monster than a person who - though had character flaws (as everyone does) - was able to mount an effective defence of Permeida.

K.J. Parker does a good job with the characters from Book #1, and does a great job of showing how Bardas and his family have problems: a typical dysfunctional family - at least in the beginning. However, the instance involving Bardas becoming less-than-human totally destroys what would otherwise have been a truly interesting character in a series which began with a terrible battle in which Bardas becomes at least a sentimental hero. (Anyone who reads this book - and I don't recommend it, will see what I mean) What Bardas could have become in this book is a military-leader-in-hiding who could have "licked his wounds" in this tale and then turned out to be totally heroic elsewhere. however, again, the story takes a sickening twist, one that left me shocked and turned off to the Third Installment of the "Fencer Trilogy".

Parker's technical writing - again - shows an ability that far exceeds most of his peers, with descriptions of the area and islands and the cities, military weapons, formations, strategies and tactics, and battle being easy to understand, helping the reader to see what's going on. His character development of Bardas' brother and his family, sister and her position, and vengeful niece, not to mention the feud between two powerful entities, makes this story very interesting. The Religious figures from Book #1 also are int his one and again are called upon to aid and abet both sides in this confilct, their characteristics again superbly intertwined in the story. However, as mentioned above, this story took a very dark and (in my opinion) unnecessary turn, one that has turned me off from K.J. Parker and Book #3. This is definitely a case of "what could have been". If you have any kind of love for your immediate and extended family, this book will leave you sick at your stomach.