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Book review: Bargain With Fate Book RTwo Sage trilogy 8/13/2013 1:22:33 PM
Book two of Marian Allen's Sage trilogy may be better than book one. In many trilogies, the middle book loses a bit a steam, lacks focus. This book is not like that. If anything, Marian Allen’s middle book of her Sage trilogy may be better than the first. Fall of Onagros Book One is filled with mystery, intrigue, shape-changing characters and royal ruthlessness. The middle volume has all that and more. The four creatures that seem to call the shots here, Tortoise, Phoenix, Dragon, Unicorn are never exactly forefront, but never far from the narrative, either. Indeed, throughout the book creatures intervene to protect characters, to bend the narrative the right direction and to create an allegorical tale as rich and satisfying as any. As a middle book, Bargain with Fate more than fulfills its role, to set the stage for the final encounter readers have expected from the first, and it does this very well.
Tortoise greets us on a beach. He seems forlorn, apprehensive, about what? “Am I the only one who takes any interest in the lives of these poor mortals?” Clearly these creatures are not mortals, yet they do seem to act the part at times. Here is sarcasm, unicorn style: “For a creature so slow… you have reached the end of my patience with astounding swiftness.” Tortoise summarizes book one for us, adds a dose of foreshadowing, and the four critters go their separate ways. In the preview there are hints of a quasi-Christian theme of paranoid royalty murdering infants as potential rivals, the traditional unicorn killing as symbol of the dead Christ, and even a resurrection theme brought to us by the Phoenix. These references are by no means pervasive. The book is too rich, too devoted to other themes and symbols to identify a central, religious focus, yet there are those hidden meanings, too. There’s even a line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Julirt: When unicorn spars with Tortoise on the beach, she ends the argument by stating, as Mercutio did with Romeo: “It’s all one.”
The Chamberlain is sent by the scheming Oliva to kill or capture a unicorn. Elsie escapes the clutches of Landry. Fetching up on the shores of Wild Ass Island, she meets Moder Zglaria (again) who takes her in and hides her. She masquerades as a boy when Rhu, who seeks her out as his lover drops by. Rhu fails to recognize her, prompting Zglaria to observe that “...he’s no hunter.”
We meet Nerissa, a slave girl who moves in and out of the narrative. Beholden to the abusive Barand she runs off, where birds protect her. She finds safe haven— ala Elsie with Zglaria— in the hut of Tartarus, a lowly fisherman.
We meet Kinnan, rightful owner of the throne, he who has possession of ‘the mandate bag,’ symbol of his rightful ownership of the throne. He and Brady, shape-changer extraordinaire, exchange sharp words over Kinnan’s quest. Blacksmith Trahern breaks them up.
Sorcha, Kinnan’s sister fears for her life and her childrens’ lives, exiling herself at a waystation, removed from husband Hayward.
We meet Brina, and Corvina, Landry’s sisters. The quest isn’t just for a unicorn; it’s for various magical, mystical elements as well— alicorn, silver, and nightshade. Oliva offers Corvina to Guthrie, chief sword to Landry. Guthrie accepts, and HE goes off in search of the unicorn.
There are wonderful origin stories, such as that told by Kinnan about 1st Viper, 1st Cobra and 1st Lion etc. Wonderful naming: Kudasad, Layounna, Geiskeflor. A vibrant sword named Deya beren Blotha, ‘Death born of Blood.’ The book is a rich tapestry of hidden meanings and circular references, to the unicorn, tortoise, phoenix, dragon. In the preface, Tortoise drips a tear into an empty shell; in chapter 17, a dragon drips a tear into Nerissa’s hand. The tear becomes a pearl, and lights her way.
Lush phrases put readers into the wilds and wattles of Layounna and Gieskeflor: redheaded Guthrie is “...like a forest fire on horseback.” A bucolic scene is described— “...the only sounds were birdsong and the gurgle of the river.” Biddi, the old woman who gossips is “...the crack in the lid that keeps the pot from boiling over.” Aphorisms abound: “The head of a thing must swallow the tail of another to complete a circle.” At the mention of “...frumentary for breakfast…” my mouth watered, and I have no earthly idea what frumentary is.
The book is also rich with characters, and is not an easy read because of all the interweaving story lines and intersecting lives. That’s not a criticism, just an observation. Perhaps a bit stronger focus on one role might help here, though for those readers who enjoy multi-role novels, this one is just the ticket. The author seems quite taken with ellipses, and their use drags the narrative at times. A positive note is that the book appeals strongly to young women and girls. Strong women fill every page, often carrying the story along with their insight and forbearance. There are no weak sisters here.
The final chapter brings all the suspense and tension into a summary. Nerissa’s role is to initiate the long-awaited climax. She finds the old, bald man with the cart, uncovers the razor, finds Biddi— who is no longer content to keep the pot from boiling over— and tells her “The hen lays well.” (Astute readers may wonder if in fact the ‘hen’ in question is our old friend Chandler the chicken?) The plot can only be anticipated at this point, and that is the point.
All in all a superb effort, by a gifted writer, especially for the middle book of a trilogy. Bargain with Fate certainly ends as it ought to, leaving the reader— this one at least— wanting to start book three right away. I have a feeling Landry is in trouble, and Onagros will rise again.
