The Jackal of Nar
John Marco
Bantam Spectra, 660 pages
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To say that the epic fantasy genre is plagued with clichés (predictable plots, cardboard characters,
trite images) has itself become a cliché. It's certainly true that there's a lot of formulaic writing in
fantasy--though I suspect much less than many people, especially those who don't read widely in the field, assume.
But just as certainly, there are writers who make an effort to work beyond the stereotypes, or who perhaps are
never tempted to go near them in the first place. Take, for instance, John Marco. His debut effort, The Jackal
of Nar, rivals the biggest of Big Fantasy in length and complexity, but in most other ways skirts formula entirely,
to create an intriguingly different sort of epic saga.
Arkus, ruler of Nar, has brought technology to his empire, in the form of fearsome war machines to help him satisfy
his insatiable appetite for conquest. But he has grown old in the process, and now even the revitalizing potions
produced by the war labs aren't enough to hold away the approach of death. He knows that there's magic hidden at
the heart of the mysterious, never-conquered land of Lucel-Lor, home of the white-haired Triin people. Arkus intends
to seize Lucel-Lor, not just to extend his empire but because he believes its magic can make him immortal.
Arkus sends his armies into Lucel-Lor, ostensibly to prop up its despotic ruler, who is attempting to resist a
popular uprising spearheaded by Tharn, a charismatic, magically-gifted religious leader. One of Arkus's commanders
is Richius Vantran, heir to the throne of Aramoor, who has been assigned the impossible task of conquering the
Dring valley. Just as destruction threatens, in the form of the Triin warlord Voris, Richius is rescued by Blackwood
Gayle, a bitter enemy. Gayle sets about laying waste to the local villages. Attempting to stop him, Richius rescues
the beautiful Dyana, with whom he falls deeply in love.
Unbeknownst to Richius, Dyana is a fugitive--from Tharn, to whom she was promised in marriage while still a child.
Tharn, desperate to end the war that is destroying his homeland and also furious at Dyana's escape, calls on his
magic, summoning a huge storm that destroys most of Arkus's armies and snatches Dyana out of Richius's arms. With
his remaining troops, Richius returns home to Aramoor, only to find that his father has been murdered. War-scarred,
lovesick, and only just adjusting to the fact that he must now be king, Richius is summoned by Renato Biagio, the
Emperor's closest advisor, to Nar. There, he is crowned King of Aramoor. He is also given a gift--a wife he doesn't
want--and a mission--to return to Lucel-Lor at the head of all the Emperor's armies, and conquer it once and for
all.
But before the armies can be assembled, Richius learns that Dyana is still alive, married now to Tharn. Impulsively,
he sets out alone for Lucel-Lor, determined to rescue her. Biagio, enraged at what he sees as Richius's treachery,
gives the throne of Aramoor to Blackwood Gayle. He also gives Gayle the command Richius was to have had, and orders
an all-out attack on Lucel-Lor. Richius, caught behind enemy lines, suddenly finds himself on the opposite side
of the war he had thought to lead, aligned with men he was once willing to fight to the death in defense of a land
and people not his own.
The Jackal of Nar is a huge saga of war and love, loyalty and honor. The story is engrossing, the plot turns
credible, the characters fully-rounded. No one is completely good, not even Richius, who for all his bravery and
compassion possesses some very human failings; no one is completely evil either, not even the savage Triin warlords
Richius first fights as faceless enemies and later confronts as human beings. Tharn especially is an interesting
creation, believably combining within himself extremes of ruthlessness and sainthood. I was also impressed with
Marco's worldbuilding--from the polluted Black City of Nar to the many different tribes and climates that make
up Lucel-Lor, it's all both plausible and wondrous, and gives depth to the theme of cultural conflict that runs
throughout the book. The process by which Richius comes to terms with Triin society, shedding his prejudices in
the process, is nicely handled.
As mentioned above, Marco manages to avoid nearly all the pitfalls of fantasy cliché. There are no quests
to be followed, enchanted talismans to be won, Evil Overlords to be overthrown, or dark forces to be confined.
Though set in an invented world, this is very much a story of human tribulation and triumph, which, but for the
magic, could probably be transposed to any period of real history. Even the magic isn't quite standard. It's more
like psi power--telekinesis, telepathy--than the typical fantasy magic of spells and spirits. It's not benign and
biddable, either, but cruel and destructive. Tharn, more magically gifted than any other Triin, regards his power
as a burden, and believes the gods have cursed him for his misuse of it.
At times, the book's technical execution falls a little short of its other virtues. There is strong writing, especially
in the battle scenes, but there are also some awkward passages, and now and then the conversations between the
characters seem to drift out of focus. And the midsection could have done with some tightening. But these unevennesses,
forgivable in a first novel, don't overshadow the many strengths and pleasures of this impressive debut. It's an
exciting start to what I'm sure will be a major fantasy career.
Copyright © 1999 Victoria Strauss
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