Author: Kage Baker
Cover Artist: Tom Kidd
Publisher: Tor
Binding: Hardcover
Publication Date: September, 2008
This book has all of the hallmarks of an epic fantasy without having the usual cumbersome heft usually implied in the sub-genre. The House of the Stag reads more like a myth or a fairy tale that has been updated into modern English. This book tales the tale of how Gard, who was found on a mountain and raised by a very primitive but peaceful people, rose to become the Dark Master of the Mountain with an army of demons at his beck and call. The story has magic, gladiators, wizards, the theater, and, of course, the most beautiful woman in the world. The surprise here is that Gard isn’t necessarily the evil dark lord that he appears to be and he’s the kind of character that readers can relate to becuase the Dark Lord he becomes is created more through circumstance than anything else. Gard has motivations for everything that he does and the things that he learns during his life serve him well when he finally does become the Dark Lord.
At first, the book feels a little disjointed. The story line does jump around between perspectives and there are parts of it that don’t fit entirely seamlessly, though they at least don’t feel forced or contrived. It is certainly a self-contained volume, which is a relief because so many of the books like this become bloated, over-wrought melodramas that seem to strangle all the joy out of the several volumes of effort a reader has contributed. This book also doesn’t feel rushed. There is a lot that happens over the course of the plot, but it unfolds in a sequence that feels natural and very satisfying for a reader.
The characters could have been very cut and dried, but instead, while there are very clear good and bad guys, there are also many shades of gray in the characterization. Baker includes a little marital strife in the story to very good effect and truly does her best to refrain from making any one character all-powerful. Not even the demons in the story are spared weakness, which really makes for a refreshing read, because it means that a reader doesn’t know exactly how everything will end (although there are very good indications throughout the book) until they’ve actually finished the book.
I would recommend this book to fans of epic fantasy and sword and sorcery novels who are looking for a shorter volume to entertain them. Because it’s stand-alone, it could also be a good read for someone who wants a more classic fantasy tale to read. You do have to have a little patience through the first couple of chapters, but after that, it becomes the kind of book that will really hold a reader’s attention.
