Beyond the Hanging Wall

Rating:
Summary: A Contemporary Fairy Tale
Review: Beyond the Hanging Wall is an independent novel. In the kingdom of Escator, a vibrant and beloved young prince is lured away from a royal hunt and ambushed by a group of masked men. These men cannot kill the prince, for he is protected the royal tattoo on his arm, but they brand over the tattoo and haul the prince away to perpetual captivity.

In this novel, seventeen years later, Garth Baxter is an apprentice healer learning his trade from his father. When Joseph is called to serve his annual term as a healer within the Veins, Garth asks to go along with his father. First, however, the pair visit the king to treat the festering of his royal tattoo.

When they reach the deep mines of the Veins, Garth finds a man -- lot 859 -- far below who has a royal tattoo buried under the hideous scar on his arm. Recognizing that lot 859 must be Maximillian, the lost prince, Garth first tries to get the man to respond to his name, but has little success. After returning from the Veins, Garth spends the next few months trying to find out more about Prince Maximillian and the tattoo.

His questions brings him to the attention of others who join with him in the quest. Among these is a monk of the Order of the Persimius and a pair of marsh witches. Eventually they plot a rescue of the prince.

Some of the most poignant scenes occur deep within the mine. The stench of sulfur and the tang of saltwater overlay the odour of unwashed humanity. The ever present dust coats the skin and is drawn into the throat and lungs with each breath. Overhead is the hanging wall of the tunnels, holding back millions of tons of rock and dirt. Darkness oppresses the mind of many, but is a well-known friend to the prince.

In many respects, this story can be compared to those of Patricia McKillip. It reads like a fairy tale, with a sense of destiny driving the plot and sustaining a touch of the mythical throughout. The witches perform mist magic and the monks cloud men's minds with their arts. Then there is the heraldic beast of the royal tattoo, the Manteceros, who dwells within the Dream World. Definitely a fascinating fantasy.

Highly recommended for Douglass and McKillip fans and for anyone else who enjoys contemporary fairy tales.

Rating:
Summary: A Young Hero finds a Lost Prince
Review: Like his healer father, Garth Baxtor is gifted with the Touch, he can feel sickness and encourage healing just by laying his hands on the afflicted. By royal decree the physicians of the of the industrial kingdom of Escator must tend to the criminals sentenced to endless labor in the Veins, the mines of Escator and, at fourteen, Garth is old enough to accompany his father on this mission.

He is excited by the prospect, but is not prepared for the thousands of men he sees enslaved in horrid conditions. And when he lays hands on the prisoner known as Lot No. 859, Garth discovers he is Prince Maximilian, the missing heir to the throne of Escator, and this is a secret that can throw the kingdom into rebellion.

I must say that I liked this book a whole heck of a lot better than I though I would when my younger brother insisted that I read it. Young Garth is a great protagonist in this story about a lost prince who is finally found. And Ms. Douglass really made me believe in her fantasy world. Super, just super writing. Praise can't get any higher than that.

Rating:
Summary: Should be categorized as YA
Review: This book was OK. Other people have pointed out the lack of character development and the obvious plot, along with the nice creation of a world and the atmosphere within it. I felt strongly that this book is most appropriate for Young Adults, and should be both marketed & shelved that way.