Everyone has a favorite pair of shoes that are broken in just right. You put them on knowing they¡¦re going to be comfortable and familiar.
The Fifth Ring, by Mitchell Graham is a lot like that. It¡¦s the first book of book of an epic trilogy from HarperCollin/Eos due to be released this January, 2003. There are no surprises here, only a really good read. Although the characters tend to follow established tried and true archetypes, they are engaging and do their jobs extremely well.
Mathew Lewin, a young boy from rural Elgaria comes into possession of an odd rose gold ring. It¡¦s not a magic ring, but the remnants of a technological marvel created by the ¡§Ancients¡¨ three thousand years before. Hidden deep in the planet core is a the machine they built, still functioning, that allowed them to turn thought into reality. Thus, author Graham manages to talk about magic without every mentioning it.
Lewin himself is a wonderful character, as is his mentor Father Thomas, whose shadowy background will keep readers intrigued. Lewin is shy, lacks confidence in himself and has a tendency to get seasick from time to time. Watching him mature as a person is one of the delights in reading a story like this.
In a sense ¡§ring books¡¨ all owe homage to Tolkien, but there is very little in terms of mimicry in this one. The society Graham creates has people complaining about taxes and inflation. They also have their own regional prejudices and tend to be up on what¡¦s happening politically with government officials, who they look at with careful eyes. To be sure this is a quest, but the story is far more about relationships and the growth of its characters than about things exploding.
And speaking of things exploding, something that really impressed me were the titanic battles between Mathew Lewin and the evil Karas Duren. I would challenge anyone to point to better work in fantasy literature. Good vs. evil is a theme that comes as no surprise (like those comfortable shoes), but it¡¦s tried and true and makes for an excellent storyline.
I particularly enjoyed the humor interspersed throughout the book. It added well to the overall charm of the story. Mr. Graham¡¦s writing style is smooth and professional, certainly a far sight better than many of his contemporaries (the names have been withheld to protect the guilty). Rumor has it that DreamWorks and two other studios are now looking at The Fifth Ring for a movie„onot a bad accomplishment for a first-time author.
Conclusion:
This book definitely gets a 5 star rating. Make no mistake this is a major work. The only negative I can find is that it¡¦s a trilogy. If the publisher sticks to the standard ¡§publisher¡¦s playbook,¡¨ they¡¦ll stretch things out over the next two installments for two more years. Somebody really ought to give those guys a reality pill and let them know a lot of people will hold back buying a trilogy until it¡¦s complete for this very reason. With that off my chest, I can definitely recommend The Fifth Ring to anyone who is looking for a great book to live in. It¡¦s a soaring story with marvelous characters and a world you just love to roam around in.
Charles Wolfe
The Fifth Ring, by Mitchell Graham is a lot like that. It¡¦s the first book of book of an epic trilogy from HarperCollin/Eos due to be released this January, 2003. There are no surprises here, only a really good read. Although the characters tend to follow established tried and true archetypes, they are engaging and do their jobs extremely well.
Mathew Lewin, a young boy from rural Elgaria comes into possession of an odd rose gold ring. It¡¦s not a magic ring, but the remnants of a technological marvel created by the ¡§Ancients¡¨ three thousand years before. Hidden deep in the planet core is a the machine they built, still functioning, that allowed them to turn thought into reality. Thus, author Graham manages to talk about magic without every mentioning it.
Lewin himself is a wonderful character, as is his mentor Father Thomas, whose shadowy background will keep readers intrigued. Lewin is shy, lacks confidence in himself and has a tendency to get seasick from time to time. Watching him mature as a person is one of the delights in reading a story like this.
In a sense ¡§ring books¡¨ all owe homage to Tolkien, but there is very little in terms of mimicry in this one. The society Graham creates has people complaining about taxes and inflation. They also have their own regional prejudices and tend to be up on what¡¦s happening politically with government officials, who they look at with careful eyes. To be sure this is a quest, but the story is far more about relationships and the growth of its characters than about things exploding.
And speaking of things exploding, something that really impressed me were the titanic battles between Mathew Lewin and the evil Karas Duren. I would challenge anyone to point to better work in fantasy literature. Good vs. evil is a theme that comes as no surprise (like those comfortable shoes), but it¡¦s tried and true and makes for an excellent storyline.
I particularly enjoyed the humor interspersed throughout the book. It added well to the overall charm of the story. Mr. Graham¡¦s writing style is smooth and professional, certainly a far sight better than many of his contemporaries (the names have been withheld to protect the guilty). Rumor has it that DreamWorks and two other studios are now looking at The Fifth Ring for a movie„onot a bad accomplishment for a first-time author.
Conclusion:
This book definitely gets a 5 star rating. Make no mistake this is a major work. The only negative I can find is that it¡¦s a trilogy. If the publisher sticks to the standard ¡§publisher¡¦s playbook,¡¨ they¡¦ll stretch things out over the next two installments for two more years. Somebody really ought to give those guys a reality pill and let them know a lot of people will hold back buying a trilogy until it¡¦s complete for this very reason. With that off my chest, I can definitely recommend The Fifth Ring to anyone who is looking for a great book to live in. It¡¦s a soaring story with marvelous characters and a world you just love to roam around in.
Charles Wolfe