House of Blades and The Crimson Vault

As I think I've mentioned, I've read some shitty books as a result of my 'is it cheaply available on Kindle' policy, but every so often you hit paydirt. The first two thirds of Will Wight's Traveler's Gate Trilogy set me back about a fiver, and that's actually including £2.31 for three additional books of short stories.

House of Blades introduces us to a world without a name, and the rival kingdoms of Damasca and Enosh. Damasca is a vast Kingdom of nine provinces, ruled over by the almighty King Zakareth and his provincial Overlords, while Enosh is apparently a shiny, happy meritocracy ruled by a council of Grandmasters. Power in both realms derives ultimately from Travelers, individuals who possess the ability to open a gate into another dimension (called a Territory) and draw power from it.

There are eight territories common to both sides, and two others; the Crimson Vault of Ragnarus, which is the sole dominion of the Royal House of Damasca, and Elysia, City of Light, lost for many years. And then there is Valinhall.

In House of Blades we are introduced to three young protagonists. Simon's father was killed and his mother driven mad by Travelers years ago. He was saved by a mysterious fighter, and when his village is attacked by soldiers of Damasca and their Traveler allies, he seeks out his rescuer to learn how to do as he did and kill Travelers. Alin is a semi-professional bard with a flair for the dramatic and a gift he doesn't yet know about. Leah is a mysterious and confident young woman with all the secrets in the world. Wight manages to find a balance between the three characters which carries the core of the novel forward. Simon is the most sympathetic, and also the weakest without being pathetic. Alin is the most conventionally heroic, but the least in control. Leah is the most reasonable, but also the most compromised.

The Crimson Vault takes the story to a grander scale. The narrative of House of Blades is limited to a single province, and focuses closely on the three protagonists and their immediate mentors. The Crimson Vault goes continental, as all-out war erupts between Damasca and Enosh, and the terrifying Incarnations begin to break their bonds. Simon's story begins to weave together with the other Valinhall Travelers, while Alin and Leah's encompass the wider politics of Enosh and Damasca respectively.

Wight writes a good adventure, but what I really like is that he manages to bring in a level of complexity, whereby the obvious villains of the early stages become more sympathetic as their motives become clearer, while the apparent heroes reveal darker hues; where even the most idealistic characters become tarnished by necessity and actions have long and unforeseeable consequences. The Incarnations of the Territories, once unveiled, embody the fundamental principle of the trilogy that simplicity is deceptive, and the easiest answer can have the most terrible consequences.