Medalon : Book One of the Hythrun Chronicles

Rating:
Summary: Epic, awesome: a must read
Review: The UK paperback jacket of Jennifer Fallon's opener in the Demon Child trilogy (Hythrun Trilogy in the US) caught me off guard slightly as it has a distinctive science fiction approach to its artwork. Having never come across Fallon, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fantasy novel that looks to combine the best of Jordan and Modesitt.
The story concerns Tarja Tenragan, a dashing, battle hardened and somewhat cynical Defender of the Medalon realm whom we first encounter punching out an overly arrogant captain called Loclon, and R'Shiel, his half-sister, a Probate the the Sisterhood - a firmly secular group who rule this central state, surrounded on all sides by god-fearing heathens, if you believe the propaganda. The irony that this state atheism is actually incorrect as we meet the Primal and Incidental Gods fairly early on in this adventure - the God of Thieves and Goddess of Love featuring heavily during an episode at the prisoner town of Grimwild. Tarja and R'Shiel come to realise that they are not, in fact related and that R'Shiel is the Demon Child, fated to kill the God Xaphista or die trying. At a human level their adversary is the resplendant wicked stepmother, Joyhinia, whose ruthless cunning secures her the leadership of the Medalon sisterhood after ousting Mahina and with complete disregard for her childrens' wellbeing gets them captured during a growing insurgency and carted off to Grimwild. At a deified level she is being hunted by the God Xaphista and his horde of fanatical Kairen Priests.
What follows is a race through Medalon as they first escape, prove to their rebel friends that Tarja did not betray them and R'Shiel gets captured by a Kairen priest and Lord Pieter, the Kairen Envoy. One explosive moment later on the boat we finally get to hear the truth behind her heritage as demon-created dragons enter the fray and we learn that the once-thought extinct Harshini are in fact alive and that R'Shiel is the daughter of Lorandranek te Ortyn, the dead brother to King Korandellen.
With it comes the explanation that the demon child has unlimited access to magic (normal Harshini can only access small amounts - more with a God's help) but her human blood means she can use it to destroy. All in all a potent weapon.
Fallon's opener in the trilogy is explosively impressive combining powerful plot, plausible characterisation and effortless writing style to create a novel that is as thrilling to read as any Eddings or Feist. There has been a dearth of quality new fantasy writers over recent years and Fallon's advent has come at exactly the right time. Any fan of this genre must read this.