The Black Chalice

Rating:
Summary: Rare and haunting
Review: This is perhaps the most unusual fantasy I've ever read - inventive, meaningful, compelling, and so powerful in its atmosphere that I could shut my eyes and feel myself still in Jakober's world long after I closed the book. Jakober also proves something for me: that in terms of quality, some work in so-called "genre fiction" is the equal or better of anything you'd find in the literary mainstream.
One small correction, for the sake of fairness: a previous reviewer was incensed at Jakober's use of a real saint as a central character. In fact, she did not do that. The Reinmark and all its denizens are fictional, as noted by the author on p.459 (of my hardback). I do know a bit about the saints, and I know he ain't there - though Jakober did accurately capture the tortured psyche of some of the contemporary saints.