‘Lord of Silence’ – Mark Chadbourn (Solaris)

No matter how hard I try, I’m never going to be able to get through everything that I want to read. I’m going to give it a damn good go though! :o) One of the names that keeps popping up, in discussion about what to read next, is one Mark Chadbourn; a guy whom (judging by all the nice things that are said about his books) I really should have checked out by now.
Chadbourn’s ‘Age of Misrule’ omnibus has been sat in the ‘to read pile’ casting reproachful looks in my direction but it’s one of those very hefty looking books that are next to impossible to read on the tube to work. I’m on holiday next week so maybe I’ll get a chance to read it then...
In the meantime, the publication of ‘Lord of Silence’ gave me the ideal opportunity to sample Mark’s work without being weighed down by half a ton of paper (figuratively speaking of course, I have no idea what ‘The Age of Misrule’ actually weighs...) As it turned out, ‘Lord of Silence’ confirmed my suspicions; I really shouldn’t have waited so long before reading Chadbourn’s work...

Murder most foul has been committed in the secretive city of Idriss. The people’s greatest hero lies dead and this means that the perils of the surrounding forest have suddenly become a lot more dangerous. Vidar, the Lord of Silence, must take up the mantle of Defender of Idriss and save the city from dangers both without and within. The vampiric jewel embedded in his chest sets Vidar a deadline that he cannot ignore (it’s a case of eat or be eaten...) and the mysteries of his forgotten past will conspire to present him with an impossible dilemma just when victory is within his grasp. Vidar must decide who he is before he can make any choice at all...

‘Lord of Silence’ is a compelling blend of fantasy, detective fiction (which I seem to finding a lot in the fantasy I’ve been reading recently) and... well, I’m not going to tell you as that will spoil a surprise which Chadbourn puts a lot of effort into building up and pulls off with a great deal of verve. I’ve got a lot of time for authors who are prepared to build something up only to knock it all down and cast everything in a new light and this is exactly what Chadbourn does. Maybe it’s done a little too quickly but I think that depends on whether ‘Lord of Silence’ is the first of a series or not. If it is then I think having a broader picture will make up for the slightly rushed feel to the end of the book. Personally I hope that this will be the start of a series (although Solaris is up for sale so I’m not sure what will happen there...) as there is so much more to see.

‘Lord of Silence’ is a story about the search for identity, both in the main characters and in the city of Idriss itself; a city that must remain behind its walls (if it is to survive) but is bursting at the seams with creativity that it’s rigid structure will not allow to flourish. A mystery that must be solved, along the way, and a succession of explosive confrontations (beyond the wall) combine with the main thrust of the plot to form a story that gives you plenty of spectacle but also plenty to think about at the same time. There’s no doubt at all that I was hooked.

Chadbourn takes his time getting into the heads of each character (apart from the main villain who came across as being a little one dimensional, as a result, when set against the others) and this pays off as we get to see Vidar, Rhiannon and the others grow and develop through harrowing situations. Chadbourn asks his reader whether they think redemption is possible in the most evil of characters; I won’t tell you the answer (and this is a question that has been asked before in other books) but what I will say is that it’s never anything less than interesting watching Vidar and the others reach the end of their own personal odysseys.

The city of Idriss is delightfully dark and labyrinthine; a cowed city that still holds traps for the unwary with surprises that made me jump. Chadbourn is very good at writing scenes where everything is so quiet that you hardly dare breathe... until someone leaps out ready to cut your throat! He’s also more than adept at pacing his tale in such a manner that the reader is drawn along effortlessly through the ins and outs of the plot. I found it to be one hell of a ride!

‘Lord of Silence’ is one of those books where I found that the small faults highlighted how good the rest of the book was rather than detracting from it. Hopefully there will be more stories set in this world...

Nine and a Quarter out of Ten