Exile's Honor, by Mercedes Lackey
Alberich is a Captain of the Sunsguard of Karse. A precarious position to hold at best, and Alberich is not so lucky. Accused of having ‘witch powers’ Alberich is sentenced to death by fire. At the last moment he is rescued by his mount, who is not just a horse, but one of the Companions of Valdemar, named Kantor. Alberich is then brought to the land of Valdemar, the very people he has been taught his whole life to fear and hate. There he is given a chance to become one of the Heralds of Valdemar, a semi-military order that protects and serves the inhabitants. Faced with a choice he cannot refuse, and a people he longs to trust, Alberich must decide what to do without violating his honor or hurting the people of Karse whom he swore to protect.
Alberich is thrown into a situation that few could face: he is reft of his homeland, forced to learn a language that goes against all his logic, and told that his direst enemies are no worse than the average man. Thrown off all known ground Alberich must reconcile what he knows to be truth, with the new truths he is discovering.
I find Alberich to be a very likable character. He character is deep enough to carry the story well: which is good because the story is mainly about his journey rediscovering what it means to be himself. He is gruff, and yet cares too much: which makes him act all the tougher to not be hurt. Alberich is also a religious man, devoted to his country’s god, Vkandis Sunlord. This many faceted character is a delight to get to know, and understand.
What is greatly interesting to me, is that the Karsite religion seems to be heavily based on Christianity. What is even more interesting, is the portrayal of the religion as a whole. The Sunpriests are almost entirely corrupt and venal: corrupting true doctrine and obsessed with keeping power through means of terrorizing the common folk. This seems to be the common ‘negative’ portrayal of Christianity that pervades many books. But Lackey does not stop there—she actually gives the whole picture. The priests are corrupt, but the religion is shown in a very positive light. Alberich himself is sincerely committed to his god, and the way his religion should be. In a modern world where Christianity is most often portrayed as the root of all evils, it is nice to see a bit of variety.
Exile’s Honor is (as I would categorize it) a ‘lighter’ read. Mercedes Lackey’s writing style is not as ‘heavy’ as say, Robert Jordan or Tolkien. But I would qualify it as thoroughly enjoyable, as are many of her other works. Easy enough of a read for younger audiences, and appropriate enough material for them as well.
I actually had a hard time first getting into Exile’s Honor. I don’t know what it was, but it took at least two or three tries. It didn’t quite capture me at the beginning as I usually like to be, but the story improves as it goes. I just got more and more intrigued by the characters and their world. I had never read any other of Lackey’s Valdemaran books, but I can definitely say you don’t need to have to enjoy Exile’s Honor. It explains what you need to know, and I think it is a good starting point if you want to get into Valdemar.
If I could ask Mercedes Lackey one question about Exile’s Honor, it would be: Did you know anyone like Alberich, or did he write himself?
Editor’s Eye: The one annoying thing about this book, is that sometimes Lackey makes a false idea for someone to believe, just so she can introduce a right one. And then, of course, the character has an entire switch of mind, because this idea is the right one. Not that I’m arguing, but that just doesn’t always feel right to me.
Reader’s View: I like Alberich. I like his sense of humor. And that he acts like he doesn’t have one. I wish I could see him fight: I imagine a really gritty overwhelming form of fighting, like an avalanche. Just so fast and so strong and so clever, yet not so much of an art form as some books make it. I would almost imagine him bludgeoning someone, but that isn’t quite right. Not a pretty style, but a highly effective one: not that much finesse, but practical. Very much like Alberich himself. And I think Karsite is based on German.
Alberich is thrown into a situation that few could face: he is reft of his homeland, forced to learn a language that goes against all his logic, and told that his direst enemies are no worse than the average man. Thrown off all known ground Alberich must reconcile what he knows to be truth, with the new truths he is discovering.
I find Alberich to be a very likable character. He character is deep enough to carry the story well: which is good because the story is mainly about his journey rediscovering what it means to be himself. He is gruff, and yet cares too much: which makes him act all the tougher to not be hurt. Alberich is also a religious man, devoted to his country’s god, Vkandis Sunlord. This many faceted character is a delight to get to know, and understand.
What is greatly interesting to me, is that the Karsite religion seems to be heavily based on Christianity. What is even more interesting, is the portrayal of the religion as a whole. The Sunpriests are almost entirely corrupt and venal: corrupting true doctrine and obsessed with keeping power through means of terrorizing the common folk. This seems to be the common ‘negative’ portrayal of Christianity that pervades many books. But Lackey does not stop there—she actually gives the whole picture. The priests are corrupt, but the religion is shown in a very positive light. Alberich himself is sincerely committed to his god, and the way his religion should be. In a modern world where Christianity is most often portrayed as the root of all evils, it is nice to see a bit of variety.
Exile’s Honor is (as I would categorize it) a ‘lighter’ read. Mercedes Lackey’s writing style is not as ‘heavy’ as say, Robert Jordan or Tolkien. But I would qualify it as thoroughly enjoyable, as are many of her other works. Easy enough of a read for younger audiences, and appropriate enough material for them as well.
I actually had a hard time first getting into Exile’s Honor. I don’t know what it was, but it took at least two or three tries. It didn’t quite capture me at the beginning as I usually like to be, but the story improves as it goes. I just got more and more intrigued by the characters and their world. I had never read any other of Lackey’s Valdemaran books, but I can definitely say you don’t need to have to enjoy Exile’s Honor. It explains what you need to know, and I think it is a good starting point if you want to get into Valdemar.
If I could ask Mercedes Lackey one question about Exile’s Honor, it would be: Did you know anyone like Alberich, or did he write himself?
Editor’s Eye: The one annoying thing about this book, is that sometimes Lackey makes a false idea for someone to believe, just so she can introduce a right one. And then, of course, the character has an entire switch of mind, because this idea is the right one. Not that I’m arguing, but that just doesn’t always feel right to me.
Reader’s View: I like Alberich. I like his sense of humor. And that he acts like he doesn’t have one. I wish I could see him fight: I imagine a really gritty overwhelming form of fighting, like an avalanche. Just so fast and so strong and so clever, yet not so much of an art form as some books make it. I would almost imagine him bludgeoning someone, but that isn’t quite right. Not a pretty style, but a highly effective one: not that much finesse, but practical. Very much like Alberich himself. And I think Karsite is based on German.
posted by Tai Schutz | Friday, September 29, 2006
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