Kind van de Nacht

The Wall of Night #1

by Helen Lowe, Marion Drolsbach (Translator)

De deur knalde opnieuw, waarna de stem werd afgekapt, maar het kwaad was al geschied. De heldere gestalte van Yorindesarinen zakte weer weg in de herinnering en Malian was plotseling geen held meer uit liederen en verhalen, maar een halfwassen meisje in groezelige kleren.

In het verre noorden van de wereld Haarth ligt de bergketen die wordt aangeduid als de Muur van de Nacht. Deze natuurlijke verdedigingslinie wordt bewaakt door de negen Huizen van de Derai. De Muur vormt het laatste bastion tussen de volkeren van Haarth en de Zwerm der Duisternis, de eeuwenlange aartsvijanden van de Derai die zich ophouden aan de andere kant van de Muur. Nu maakt de Zwerm der Duisternis zich opnieuw op voor een grootscheepse aanval op de Muur van de Nacht en de negen Huizen. Zal Malian, het Kind van de Nacht, in staat zijn het aanstormende tij te keren?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult Fantasy

463 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I am a novelist, poet, blogger, interviewer, and lover of story.

My first novel "Thornspell", (Knopf) was published to critical praise in 2008, and in 2012 "The Heir Of Night", The Wall Of Night Book One, won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer and the Sir Julius Vogel Award 2011 for Best Novel.

"The Gathering of The Lost", (The Wall Of Night Book Two), was shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend Award in 2013. I have recently completed the manuscript for "Daughter Of Blood", (The Wall Of Night Book Three)and have commenced work on the fourth and final novel in the series.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is rare that I will pick up a book based on the promotional 'guff' that is used on front covers, especially as I work within publishing and know exactly what goes into that process. However, because I worship to the goddess that is Robin Hobb, I bought it (thankfully on offer).

There are some interesting concepts at work here. I like the mythology behind the story and good characterisation of different races.

That is pretty much where the praise finishes.

For a start, the protagonists are too young for epic fantasy and yet seem to have retained the emotional and mental maturity of much older teenagers.

In addition, Ms Lowe has a nasty habit of explaining EVERYTHING. The key to successful world-building is to research thoroughly, define firmly, and explain sparingly. She seems unable to differentiate between a world with a strong backstory and giving us the entire backstory in unrealistic chunks of conversation.

I also felt that the characters were all a little bland. They were all equally as witty, equally as intelligent, equally as friendly, equally as blah blah blah. Yeah...they weren't compelling enough. She set up what could have been some great mysterious secrets and then gave them away too easily.

It was definitely not a stand alone book either, but part of a trilogy (or more). The ending was unsatisfying and anti-climatic.

I won't be buying the sequel and I would only recommend to readers who don't normally go for fantasy and want something light to break them in.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy do I have a lot to say about this book. First off, if you're not a huge Lord of the Rings trilogy fan, then it most likely will not bother you. However, I found so many allusions to the trilogy that made the novel lose most of its originality, at least for me. This is the biggest factor as to why I rated it 2/5. The story itself was pretty well-written and the author does have potential to being a great author. I'm probably very nitpicky about this but I personally find it frustrating whenever I see these things. Another thing that bothered me was that the heroine was younger than 14, yet the way the dialogue was written, her thought patterns, and her actions were too adult and unbelievable for one so young and thus made the character not relatable. Some parts of the novel were also a bit cheesy and cliche.

Also, the names of the enemies in this novel were pretty unoriginal, such as the Night Mare, darkswarm, or Worm of Chaos.

Here are some "connections" that I found if you care to know:

1. Color of the horses and what they're capable of - "...great horses out of Emer...bred to wear armor and carry knights into battle..." - example from LOTR is Shadowfax, a horse of the Mearas (legendary horses of Rohan)
2. Armband in Heir of Night that had inscriptions on the inside of the band - just like the one Ring from LOTR...how coincidental.
3. Too much of the dialogue in this novel reminded me of the LOTR trilogy and some even seemed to be exactly like the script in LOTR.
4. One of the minor characters towards the end shows up unexpectedly almost exactly how Gandalf re-appears in the movie (The Two Towers) - wearing all white and on a white horse and a dialogue very similar to that scene.
5. One of the main characters was a "token-bearer" who wore a special ring - just like the "ring-bearer" Frodo who bore the burden of the Ring. Perhaps a different label would've been better...
6. Secret weapons, of which some still needed to be found - in LOTR, the sword of Narsil had to be reforged and given
There is also the plot which seems very similar to Tolkien's in that the enemy is only looking for one person, which is the heroine, Malian, because she has the ability to wield weapons that can destroy them. She gains friends along the way, including two heralds, who are seemingly pretty powerful (kind of like elves and wizards wrapped up in one). There is also a moment where the land itself is alive and helps to defeat the enemy (though the land does not take sides), which clearly reminded me of Fangorn Forest.
I could list so many more, but if I keep going, I'd be talking about almost every page of the book. Once you read it, you'll see what I mean.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 3 out of 5]

While technically this qualifies as young adult fantasy it doesn't read like a YA. And it's one of it's strongest pros for me. There's no angst and hormone-induced stupidity. The main characters - Malian and Kalan - act appropriate for their ages most of the time with and air of wisdom and maturity that can be expected from an alien warrior race that has been at war for thousands if not millions of years.

I liked how the story progressed and it's pacing. The world building is a problem however. At places it feels as if you should be familiar with it from before to make sense so the reader feels lost and then there are almost random info dumps. I had a couple of headaches start while trying to navigate the world and the complex social structure. Thankfully there's a map and a glossary with all the characters in it so when I forget which one this character is (and there are a lot of almost identical names - for example: Terebanth, Terennin and Trithis - without constant reminders in the text, something you don't always get, of what the hell they are you could mistake one for the other) I could check it out. Adding to the confusion one thing could have several different names and/or titles. The problem comes from the fact that the introduction is not dome gently and slowly so I was left feeling as if this is the second book of the series instead of the first.

As for the story it follows the usual fantasy tropes - good (Derai) vs evil (Darkswarm) with a heroine at the start of her Hero's Journey. So there are a lot of similarities with other high fantasy books. The storyline might be similar but it's the details that make this book different and they were compeling enough to make me seek out the rest of the trilogy.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This fantasy novel was unfortunately underwhelming. The story was a bit cliched for my tastes as we follow a young teen suddenly develop magic powers when her home is attacked by monsters. I found the world building a bit poor and how to follow. The characters also felt a bit 2D. The ending was good and it had a good sequel hook but I don't think I'll return for the second novel.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

The short review: Meh.

The long review:

There are books that you love when you’re young and continue to love as an adult. Then there are books that you only really like when you’re the same age as the protagonist (13 in this case). Unfortunately, the Heir of Night falls into the latter camp, or at least I suspect it would, since I am no longer of an age to verify this assumption. It includes a number of things that would have appealed to me very strongly at that age: a cool naming system for a society divided into nine Houses (the House of Night, the House of Stars, the House of Blood…); a prophesied Chosen One; a gloomy, maze-like Keep; melodramatic speeches galore; Spiritual Advisors; and a Quest to find the Magical McGuffin.

I do applaud the Heir of Night for having (a) a female protagonist and (b) a relatively gender-neutral world (by which I mean a world where there aren’t strongly defined gender roles. In other words, there’s no problem with women being leaders or fighters.) It’s also inoffensive and didn’t hit any of my pet peeve buttons.

This book could have benefited from a severe edit. The pacing is glacial. The story uses the well-worn trope of a dramatic event kicking off the hero’s journey. Step 1 of the hero’s journey is, of course, leaving home, but in this book it takes three-quarters of the book for our heroine to do so! Too many scenes were completely unnecessary and seemed little more than an excuse to have side-characters discuss how Very Important This Character and Their Epic Quest were.

Used judiciously, the eerie imagery of dream sequences and visions can be a way to create atmosphere and foreshadow, but when over-used it bogs down the narrative. This is the case in The Heir of Night: these scenes come across as mere padding and bring the narrative to a near stand-still at multiple points.

While the Heir of Night has some interesting mythology and concepts, the world-building didn’t seem to have been fully thought through. Some examples:

- The Earl of Night explains the origins of the feud between Houses in an unbelievably nonpartisan way. They’ve been fighting about it for five hundred years, but he tells the listener how his House started it all with some heinous deeds against another House. If he can freely admit they started it and were in the wrong then why are they still fighting about it?

- The evil Darkswarm can only be defeated by use of the magical Golden Fire. Magical Golden Fire is consequently revered and seen as something holy, special and wonderful. But anyone who uses magical Golden Fire is immediately exiled because no-one trusts magic-users.

At its heart, The Heir of Night is wholly unremarkable. The plot is predictable. The characters are stock. The dialogue is, it pains me to say, appalling. The exposition is tedious.

All this mediocrity led me to put the book down ¾ of the way through, and I doubt I’ll be picking it back up to finish.

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadowhawk reviews Helen Lowe's debut novel that won her the David Gemmell Morningstar award this year, Heir of Night, the first in the Wall of Night series by Orbit Books.

"A fantasy novel written as a grand mythology epic, Heir of Night hits all the right buttons and is another must-read of the (last) year." ~The Founding Fields

Read lots of different stuff this year, I thought back in January. Step out of my comfort zone, I thought. Honestly, nothing could have prepared me for Helen Lowe's debut novel from last year, Heir of Night. What usually sets fantasy novels apart from one another is usually the setting or the type of characters being talked about or how gritty or soft or adult or simplistic they are. Rarely does an author focuses on how to tell that story itself, by which I don't mean the choice of tense or flashbacks or anything like that. I mean the style of the narrative, the mood it creates, if that makes sense. What Helen does with her novel is something entirely different from any other fantasy novels I've ever read, except for those by a particular author: Tolkien.

And if that's not a clue enough, then, simply put, Helen doesn't just tell the story of a young girl on the run from the forces of darkness that want to utterly annihilate her people and her struggles to deny that future, she tells the saga of the same, an epic. She evokes the wonder of Tolkien's style and the mood of his most popular works and yet stamps her ownership and influence all over the novel. To use one of my oft-used phrases, she writes an epic fantasy story in a truly epic way. I could easily have been reading a Norse saga or a Greek myth.

That's what defines Heir of Night for me and what sets it apart from all its contemporaries and its peers.

The first in the Wall of Night series, Helen's debut is about a young noble girl Malian who is forced to confront one harsh truth after another about her race's arrival on the world of Haarth and the terrible enemy the Derai have brought with themselves. It's a coming-of-age story, of innocence slowly forgotten in the face of reality and a toughening-up of character to become the leader the Derai need and yet do not know of it. The protagonist is neither a thief nor an assassin, a long-suffering noble or a disillusioned common man. The protagonist and her supporting cast are neither superfluous nor stupid, they are all logical and realistic beings, if often susceptible to their emotions. First and foremost that is why I liked Heir of Night.

As the novel is not in first person limited to the POV of the protagonist, we see the world of Haarth, the Derai and the various native races in detail. Haarth is not a place where I'd want to live by any means but all the same, it is a world where I'd love to go at least once! The flight of the Derai from their homeworld to Haarth eons ago, their settling on their new world, their interactions with the natives, the Derai culture, their history, it all makes Helen's world complex yet simple in a genre that is increasingly being burdened with too much of the former and not enough of the latter. The author has found the right mix of these and has stayed consistent all the way to the end.

As the Derai culture and society is the one we see most off, I can say that the Derai were richly portrayed and come across as multi-faceted and realistic in and of themselves, rather than being caricatures of any "real-world" culture or society. They are certainly original, but they are also something much more. Their formalities, their titles, their codes of conduct, their histories, it is almost as if Heir of Night is not just a fantasy novel kicking off a series, but also a deep and insightful study into that very culture.

My appetite has really been whetted for the sequel, Gathering of the Lost.

You can find the full review at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/08/...

[proxyfish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed on my blog - Books by Proxy

4.5 Stars

I first came across The Heir of Night whilst perusing a bookshop and bought it purely based on its cover... which happened to have a sale sticker on it at the time. Having now read both The Heir of Night and its sequel, The Gathering of the Lost, I am very glad I gave into impulse. Ignore your misgivings. Yes, this is another coming of age fantasy. Yes, the protagonist is a thirteen year old girl. And yes, this book is setting the scene for the rest of the series to come. But The Heir of Night is really rather an enjoyable read.

Malian, our young heroine, is the Heir of Night - the ruling house of the Derai. The Derai, a hardened and battle scarred people, are garrisoned on the northern most mountains - The Wall of Night. Here, they are charged with protecting the lands to the south from The Swarm, their ancient foe.

When the Darkswarm rise once more, the Derai must find a way to fight their powerful and demonic enemies. But time and the wilful, volatile Derai may have crippled their advantage in this ancient feud. For those destined to be warriors must forsake all magic and those born with magic must never fight. How can they possibly stand up to enemies who harness both?

Malian must join with Kalan, a young priest from the Temple of Night, to embrace her destiny and fight the threat of the Darksworm; for if Night falls, all will fall. The fate of the world might just be hanging in the balance.

Helen Lowe's first book of The Wall of Night is a tale of darkness and magic; of ancient and buried secrets and of bravery and heroism - and the more I read, the more I couldn't put it down! The characters are well drawn, the writing is rich and fluid and the world is distinctive and vibrant. Malian may seem older than her thirteen years, her thoughts and actions seem distinctly adult, but this only helped me connect more to her as a character, and quite frankly I think I prefer it that way. There are also enough adult characters who are thoroughly engaging and pivotal to the storyline to bridge the gap between young adult and adult fiction.

The Heir of Night is certainly armed with more than a handful of descriptive passages but if you're anything like me, they add to the story and the world is richer for them. I love discovering a new land with new people. I love the descriptions of castles and palaces, of towns and cities. I love opening my senses to the sights, sounds and smells of a whole new world. Maybe I'm biased, but I love worldbuilding. If the writing is good - take me there! If descriptive writing (and the odd dream sequence) isn't your bag, this may not be the book for you. But I for one will be buying Helen Lowe's next book.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Hobb says 'The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe is a richly told tale of strange magic, dark treachery and conflicting loyalties, set in a well realised world’.

And she is quite right, it is.

It is a beautifully crafted novel, the world is vibrant and so are the characters, although I must admit the characterisation sometimes left me scratching my head. I had a lot of questions as to maturity - in Malian's case - and what seemed to me to be leaps of logic. But this didn't spoil my enjoyment of what promises to be a very exciting new series.

Old wars, lost powers, blood feuds, prophecies and the rising of an ancient evil makes (on paper) a pretty regular book of standard fantasy fare - but I don't care if I have read a similar premise over and over again as long as the writing is good and the author does something different with it. And Lowe's writing is very good and the story is original enough in nuance to be fresh. The one thing i will nit-pick over is the Naming of things, particular creatures and powers and the like. I mean the 'Raptor of Darkness'? I was disappointed that Lowe did create a name in place of a title, she has the chops for it as the rest of her writing shows.

That being said I did read it all the way through to the end, and I will pick up the next book to see how things progress. There were some wonderfully rendered scenes, especially as Malian is trying to escape those who hunt her in underbelly of the Keep, and good use of pacing and some very interesting worldbuilding from a very talent new voice in the Epic fantasy field.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

2010: Cheated is how I feel about this book. Marketed as the author's first foray into Adult fantasy, I was enticed to give it a try. To then find out that the protagonists are 12/13 years old. No, I cry and wail to the Heavens - how can this be? I don't particularly care that there are so called adult themes and the promise of growth throughout the trilogy. This is not what I wanted to read. This is not the author's fault and I lay the blame on her advisors, agents and publishers. This is NOT a book for adult readers. For YA - absolutely. Why can't the publishers be more upfront and actually say YA. There is a big enough market for this without tricking me into spending my hard earned money on a book that, had I known it to be YA, would not have bothered with. Grrrrrrrrrrr. Many of the details and devices seem to echo earlier works by well known authors so that this book seems to be a compliation of bits and bobs rather than anything original. And, to boot, one of my favourite authors who is a writer par excellence describes this as a "richly told tale" - ok - it could be that any caveats were not used - but still - Ms Hobbb **much wailing and rendering of clothes** Bah! after reading up to about P366 I decided that the protagonists were not going to grow up and nothing unusual was going to happen. So, technically another DNF Damn it!FWFTB: wall, enemy, keep, hidden, magic. FCN: Malian, Kalan, Nerion, Teron, Rowan Birchmoon. "Oldest, first and greatest of all the Derai Houses on the Wall, in deeds and duty if not in numbers."

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this story and the following two several years ago and I forgot how much they drew me in. It is such an impressive series and I've heard rumours that the fourth and final book in the Wall of Night series is to release this year, and I cannot wait.

This first installment is all about setting up the various characters and the world and it packs a punch. Malion is the Heir of Night, destined to rule her House and it's a lonely life. When an ancient enemy attacks her Keep, Malion has no choice but to use her newly discovered powers to save everyone.

I adore everything about this world; the growing trust and friendship between Malion and Kalan, the enigmatic Heralds who have vowed to help them and various other characters who added a richness and depth to the story. This enitre world is imbued with various ancient magics and I love the myth and lore woven throughout.

The author's writing style really pulls at me. There is such a sense of gravity to this story. From almost the very beginning you feel the weight of significance of the events unfolding. It's a fantastically epic story, with two young people at it's heart having to find their places within the world. How could I have forgotten how much I loved this?!

[Jesslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was quite good. Classic Epic fantasy, well written, a freshening of standard fantasy fare. A great change from teenage angst, fantasy love triangles and often hopeless urban fantasy. This book 'cleansed' my palate and reminded me why I have been a fantasy fan since my 1st reading of Mr Eddings back in 1983.

Minor Spoilers

First glance this looks like your basic fantasy story, Ms. Lowe's writing style carefully lays out a story that I can see growing to Game of Thrones-like magnitude. This story could easily encompass an entire world, multiple races and many, many characters than have yet been introduced. There have already been multiple main characters from 500 years ago, much less more from later in the story.

There is a bit of grimness to the life on this world and to the lives of our main characters as well, but as with all good epic fantasy, there is that glimmer of hope, fate and the gods that you know may not promise a HEA, but will set you on the right side to see one if not have one.

There are not as many entries into straight and classic epic fantasy these days (at least in the U.S.) and I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys them.

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in short time on the recommendation of my sister. However, when I read the back of the book I knew that I wanted to read it. My favourite books are the type that have a strong female lead and generally fall into either science fiction or fantasy. This book is definitely fantasy, though it does have some flavourings of science fiction.

Malian, the Heir of Night, is an intelligent but duty bound young girl. Her position within the keep depends on her father and her ability to lead the Derai, as such when she unlocks her powers she is both fearful of them and scared. I happened to like this for the realism of a girl who knew her entire world would change. Then she stepped up and filled her role brilliantly.

Kalan I was indifferent to for a long while but I think he proved to be a good second lead and an intriguing character showing the other side of the Derai. The Heralds however intrigued me the most, and I'll be interested to learn more of them and Asantir as well.

Overall, a good read and looking forward to the second book.

[Lida · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts a bit slow, gradually introducing all the various colourful characters...

But it doesn't lack in tension or interesting diversions.

I found this book highly entertaining and looking forward to reading the sequel to continue to Malian's pursuit in discovering the extent of her powers, the true identity of the powers behind the Darkswarm and the roles of all the many people around her will get to play.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this fantasy/scifi cross.... In face couldn't put it down. Was up till the early hours of the morning reading till I couldn't keep my eyes open, then after just 5 hours sleep had to finish it. Plenty of magic, swords and prophecies to satisfy me... Reminded me a bit of Dune crossed with Krull... Absolutely loved it. Have ordered the next book at my library but I will probably buy these anyway. Can highly recommend it, brilliant!!!

[Jen Rothmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heir of Night is a solid entry into the epic fantasy genre with a lot of promise.
---
Every once in awhile I get hold of a book and grips me back. That was the case with Heir of Night, which I started reading on January 17. I finished the book in a reasonable amount of time, but the ending left me with so many questions that I needed to re-read it and re-process. I took a small break then picked it up and read it again, finishing it last night. There is just something about the simplistic language and ease of reading in this epic fantasy that I find utterly refreshing. That isn’t to say that the content is novel. It isn’t. I just really, really enjoyed it.

I know that I should delve into the characters, the plot, the setting, and the themes, but I can’t. I need to get this comparison to other authors off my chest. I could spend a few hours dithering about how to write this smoothly, but I’m not going to do that this time. You’ll get a list instead.

(1) The very beginning sentences of the very first chapter are thus: “The wind blew out of the northwest in dry, fierce gusts, sweeping across the face of the Gray Lands. It clawed at the close-hauled shutters and billowed every tapestry and hanging banner in the keep.” C’mon. It’s Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. In fact, it very much reminds me of The Eye of the World in its compactness and compelling story… Before Jordan ruined it.

(2) I got more wisps of Wheel of Time when the group was trying to decide whether or not to enter Jaransor – very much like the decision the protagonists made when they tried to decide if they were going to enter Aridhol.

(3) In the first chapter, Malian is “swarming” up the Old Keep and climbing about, looking places where she isn’t allowed, and daydreaming. Tad Williams’ Simon from Dragonbone Chair, obviously. Or, alternatively, Bran Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. Although that wasn’t the feeling I got. Maybe because I’m such a Tad Williams fan…. And, after all, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn did come out first.

(4) I’ll never forget reading about Kahlan Amnell and Richard Cypher throughout The Sword of Truth In particular, Richard’s journey through the Valley of the Lost wherein the Towers of Perdition raged. Seems a bit like Jaransor’s towers, no?

(5) The switching view points has been used in many different novels, but it is perhaps most well known now in A Song of Ice and Fire since Martin does it so very well. Then, of course, the entire wall thing.

I’m sure there were other references that I caught as I went, although these are what I remember as I’ve reached the end.

Okay. So. I suppose I should get back on track here.

Characters
Malian is a semi-interesting character who shows a little growth over the novel. She’s the typical protagonist: her mother is presumed dead and she grew up with a cold and distant father, her retainers are her only friends, she’s über powerful but doesn’t know it, she likes to slough off her responsibility (at least in the beginning). She’s supposedly young, but reacts more like an adult or older teenager.

Kalan (even his NAME reminds me of Kahlan) is also powerful magically, albeit he is bitter about it. He’s estranged from his family and has been exiled and isolated in the temple. He stumbles across Malian and they become bonded. (I can’t go further because I don’t want to give too much away.) His backstory is that of a pre-teen or young teen, but his attitude is more like an adult once the story gets going.

Then there is Asantir, the very skilled Honor Captain who seems to have a hidden agenda, and the mysterious heralds.

To abruptly wrap this up instead of going on – they’re all tropes. Each and every one. There’s nothing surprising about any of the characters. But, there’s something very reassuring about that.

I appreciate that there is a balance of male and female characters throughout the novel with a variety of abilities. It feels natural, too, and not forced.

Writing
I really enjoyed Ms. Lowe’s writing style. Like I stated above, it is simplistic, but not in such a way as to feel too much like a j-fic novel. Everything flows really well and nothing jarred me out of the novel (besides the flashbacks to previous novels).

Setting
I was able to jump right into the Derai culture. It’s fleshed out enough to be interesting, but there were still enough holes for me to fill in my own details and get cozy. I felt comfortable since it fits so well into the epic fantasy genre, yet the world was new as well. I enjoyed the sci-fi-ish Derai backstory (I won’t give it away!) and the conflicts that arise because of it. Very much reminded me of the Draenei in World of Warcraft. The greater area of Haarth sounds promising and future novels will probably explore and enhance the information already presented, to which I’m looking forward. The landscapes are very well detailed and developed. Areas are distinct and well-realized with details that are revealed over time and supported through subtle repetition. No braid yanking here.

One of the more interesting things was how Lowe referenced mythology repeatedly before she actually explained what it was. I kept notes as I went and when I got the explanation of who a certain god or goddess was, I was able to go back and read those passages with the context. Even then, my second read-through I caught so many more interesting details and twists. Suddenly sentences could be read to mean something completely different than the first time I read it.

Themes
There are so many themes and motifs packed into this novel, but the ones that I found most interesting are the placement of loyalties and how to determine who to trust, good vs evil and its complications, supplanting natives and the results, and that if you forget your history or past skills, you will have less power. Weather (Wall Storms and wind) figure into the story as well, with powerful natural elements highlighted.

Plot
I’m not going to spend a lot of time here. The plot is pretty standard to epic fantasy – a coming-of-age story with a strong heroine. I didn’t note any really plot holes at any point and it seemed believable.

Conclusion
Go into this with the right mind set. It’s not original, but it’s interesting epic fantasy. It has great potential as a series, and several of the books are out already. Even if you don’t go on, it’s a good read on its own (although it doesn’t truly end in this book).

This novel was given to me by HarperCollins for an honest review because I'm part of their Harper Voyager Super Readers program. I received no other compensation.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out at the garrison overlooking the Wall of Night, the House of Night is attacked and its inhabitants slaughtered by a Raptor of Darkness. Our hero and heroine of this tale - Malian, the teenage heiress being groomed to inherit the House of Night, and Kalan, her male Temple trainee friend, escape the massacre and find themselves hunted by the Swarm of Dark. In doing so, Malian and Kalan both find they have magical powers. A mystery assistant from the Derai’s past comes to their aid:

“First you must come into the heart of my power,” the voice replied, “so I have some hope of protecting you, while you may draw on my strength. It is imperative that we work together, for you are young and untrained and I am weaker than I used to be. But together, and with the boy’s help, we may do what needs to be done.”

Also to Malian’s assistance comes Nhairin, a seasoned female steward, a sort’ve Gurney Halleck to our Paul Muad’dib-like heroine. Her task, with Asantir, the Honor Guard Captain, is to find Malian and protect her from the evil monsters that wield magic and who seem to be determined to kill her. Asantir and Nhairin are sent by Malian’s father, Earl Tasarion, to retrieve her. With the help of heralds Jehane Mor and Tarathan of Ar, they manage to get the two young protagonists guided back to the safety of the Old Keep.

This is not without a change, however. What Malian and Kalan’s newly discovered powers allow them to do is travel whilst in a dream state between the physical world and the metaphysical plane. Whilst in the metaphysical realm they find both the presence of old warriors such as Yorindesarinen and old adversaries to the House of Night and the Derai Alliance.

There is, as you might expect, a lot at stake here, wrapped up in portents of doom. Earl Tasarion’s sister, the witch-like priestess Korriya, foretells of prophecies and predicts that harm will befall the family and the House. The Earl’s consort, the Queen of Winter, Rowan Birchwood, stands as an outsider amongst the Derai from the Winter Kingdom but is secretly part of the complex conflict herein.
And as the oldest House in the Derai Alliance, the old saying goes, ‘If Night falls, all fall.’

The last half of the book deals with Malian and Kalan embarking on a quest to obtain objects of future significance, both having being given tokens of power to do so, whilst attempting to survive Darkswarm attacks. Towards the end it all becomes dream-like and there’s a lot of resolution in the final chapters and a lot left uncertain ready for the next tale.

This is not a debut work, but the writer’s first adult Fantasy novel. An important point that, and one that I didn’t know until after reading the novel, but helped me make more sense of the style of the tale. Whilst the audience being targeted may be ’adult’, to me it felt more like a novel for young adults with adult overtones: not necessarily a bad thing, and in this regard much, much better than the last novel I read that tried to do the same (Left Hand of God, I’m thinking of you.) When we reduce Heir of Night to bare plot at its simplest, this becomes a little more obvious.

For example, we have teenage protagonists clearly destined for greater things, whose magical powers appear in order to fulfil their destiny and enable revenge for the massacre of their people. There’s nasty enemies wielding magic for evil ends. All good genre stuff, if perhaps a little too close to the cliché of ‘fatherless farm boy (or in this case, motherless child of aristocracy) who becomes a great King (Earl) and goes on a quest to save the World from destruction by great evil’.

There’s also that movement between different worlds, something also seen recently in Kate Elliott’s Cold Magic , an ancient skill, once used now seemingly lost to most Derai. This allows lots of foretelling and dream-sequences, which create tension or annoyance depending upon your point of view.

Despite this, lest that note of caution put you off, there is a lot here to like. The magic’s done well, in that ‘for every action there is a price to pay’ way. The places of darkness and secret are quite atmospheric. And the fight scenes are both exciting and well written. Asantir’s elite troop of soldiers is reminiscent of James Barclay’s Raven, though not perhaps quite as violent.

Interestingly, there are hints that this story may not be as clear-cut Fantasy as the tropes (or my summary above) suggest, with a couple of nods to Gene Wolfe’s Shadow of the Torturer/ Urth, perhaps.

If you can get round the response that there’s a lot here that we’ve met before – I kept feeling that the book wanted to be a lighter version of A Game of Thrones or The Dragonbone Chair very badly - it’s a good, solid read that harkens back to the High Fantasy template that we’ve seen less of, of late. No profanity but a tale where honour, loyalty and sacrifice are paramount. Not particularly new but pleasingly well done.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Your enjoyment of a novel is often based on your taste, so whether or not you'll enjoy this book might be influenced by a similar taste. I love:

-Both Fantasy and Science Fiction genres
-Strong female protagonist
-Lots of action
-Some romance is good (though I'm fine if it's not there - Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series fits all of four of the above)
-Originality (like George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, where there isn't a "Good vs Evil")
-Interesting politics (like Lois McMaster Bujold's Paladin of Souls or George RR Martin)
-Wry, intelligent dialogue and interesting, real characters
-Although I love Tolkien, I now really don't like novels with orcs, dwarves, elves, etc.

Helen Lowe's The Heir of Night, The Wall of Night Book One hits a lot of my sweet spots and misses on some. Overall, I enjoyed reading it and found it engrossing, with a lot of great action.

Malian is the protagonist, a girl of 13 who has grown up knowing she is the Heir of Night, one of the nine Derai houses that came from the stars to the world in which the novel is set. The Derai have tasked themselves with defending all worlds from the evil Swarm, and came to this world and built a wall with different keeps which protects the rest of the world from the Swarm. Other reviewers have mentioned that this novel has a "Sci Fi edge" because of their "origin from the stars", but in the end of the novel it explains that they came through magical gates. This to me keeps it strictly in the Fantasy realm.

500 years before, Derai leaders had committed terrible acts, and subsequent generations have kept to a strict code to prevent this from ever happening again. One result is a strict division between magic and non-magic users, with enmity between the two. The disfavor with which magic users are viewed (due to the historic events) has led to the loss of old magic and left the Derai divided and very much weakened. As this novel opens, the Swarm are about to exploit that weakness.

The author paints a dreary and dour existence for Malian, with a father (The Earl of Night) who "never smiles" and a setting reminiscent of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones (the wall protecting everyone from the "unknown" hordes, the political/social misalignment with the other peoples in the world, the sense of dread).

That wasn't the only time I was reminded of other novels, including the Lord of the Rings series. As originality is important to me, that was one sweet spot missed. However, the action and characters kept me continually interested.

The history is interesting and at times enthralling, with legendary heroes and events with far-ranging impact. Where the story fails me is with the magic use. I credit the author with trying to explain things after the fact, but it only exposes me to more questions. For example, when they are running for their lives from the Swarm and a Night Mare, they are attacked and able to kill or drive off all of their attackers. The Night Mare is a very powerful beast and it can cloak itself and others...so why did it and the band of attackers appear to Malian and Kalan and allow them time to defend? In the novel that question is asked by Malian, and her young male friend Kalan replies that demons become visible when crossing water, and they had just crossed a river. So the author tries to explain away why this supposedly incredibly strong creature wouldn't have just killed them all before they knew it was there, but you have to ask yourself...why didn't the Night Mare just wait until they were further ahead? Doesn't it know the shortcomings of its own magic?

The same questions arise when you find out at the end that someone can relatively easily create gates to other parts of the world (something previously referred to as very difficult to do). Why isn't this kind of strong magic used more often, and at more convenient times? There were just a few too many cases where the reader finds out about potent magic and it raises questions about the storyline.

I loved it that Malian learns more and more about her world and its history and then further insight and information challenges her beliefs. She definitely evolves as a character in the wisdom of her thinking and in her non-Derai ability to think outside of long kept beliefs.

I enjoyed the book and will read the sequel when it comes out.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to be posted at the Gemmell Legend Awards first

If Night falls, all fall. That is the ancient prophecy of the Derai people who inhabit the world of Haarth. There among the mountains they have their keeps and hold guard against the dark forces of the Swarm. The warlike Derai are not native to this world, they came across time and space, and they have always fought the Swarm who wants to cover the universe in darkness.

Malian is the Heir of the House of Night. She loves the old stories of heroes past and she knows her duty as the Heir of Night. But as the Swarm attacks she will have to make a choice of her own.

There was this constant feeling of something else in this book. Some books are fantasy, you know this, and you feel it. Then there are those that are also fantasy, but still they have this lingering feeling of something else. Here it might be because the Derai came from the stars, a portal, but still from the stars. And there is talk about hunting among the stars. The lingering feeling make it something more than just epic fantasy. There are other books that have managed this too and they do it very well. So for me it certainly feels more than just epic fantasy, it is epic fantasy infused with hints of sci-fi. Of times long gone by, of times to come. Of times forgotten and unknown.

Melian is the main character, our young heroine as she is not a child, not yet a woman. Her love of the history of her people, gives the reader an insight to the Derai people. And they have a rich and colorful history, even if a very warlike one. They do not only fight the Swarm, they also fight among themselves. They have codes of honor and seem to be a very harsh people. But they are a fascinating people, warriors and priests. And Melian is a good heroine among them; she is still young and curious and has yet truly been shaped by the ways of her people. She can still change, which brings hope to the story since the Derai are not ready for war against the Swarm.

There are of course also a bunch of other characters, but most important for the story to come is Kalan, a young priestling at the Temple of Night. He will have role to play yet and just like Melian he is young. I will be interested to see where the story takes these two and the others I have become invested in.

The story itself is about an attack at the House of Night and the things that follows. We know doom is coming and as always, can it be stopped? What will Melian do?

This book is a good start to this series. We learn about the history, and why things are like they are. We get to know the players so far and at the end of it, the story has truly begun. It ends with a cliffhanger, yet not a cliffhanger. It will make you want more, but because of how the ending is written you can survive until the next book. For which I thank the author.

Because of the rich setting and history I want more. I do need to know what happens if Night falls, or if Night can continue to keep the Swarm at bay. The book feels unique and different, perhaps because of that lingering feeling of otherness I spoke of.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen Lowen’s Wall of Night series was recommended in a recent by Courtney Schafer here as a series that improves after book one. Having read the first book of that series, Heir of Night, I’m excited to see if that truly is the case. Malian, the heir of Night, is set to inherit her father’s title and take over the long watch for the Darkswarm; the abominations that her people are pledged to fight against. Before she can even dream of ascending however it is revealed that the Darkswarm is rousing and the time of ancient prophecy, a prophecy in which Malian will play a key part, is at hand. What is so fascinating about The Heir of Night is how much the familiar elements are used in counterpoint to what is an original and interesting world. There are element of The Heir of Night that are strictly borrowed from science fiction and while couched in terms of the fantastic there is the general feeling that this is a novel of the far future and an alien world more than a typical secondary world fantasy tale.


Unfortunately, while Lowen introduces a fascinating setting with a rich history the overarching plot doesn’t quite rise to the richness of its surroundings. That doesn’t make it bad a bad book by any means but the familiarity of the plot keeps it from being a great book. However, given how I was introduced to the series I’m confident that things are going to change going forward. Lowen does an excellent job with the characters particularly the lead characters Malian and Kalan. While several years apart both characters a still rather young but exhibit a maturity born of their circumstances. Malian, as the heir to a powerful house shows a deep understanding of duty and responsibility that wars with her youthful desire for freedom and companionship. Kalan, a student in the order that studies magic, shows competence and knowledge balanced by a youthful desire to shirk responsibility. Each occasionally feels a bit older than their years but I felt this was more a function of the world in which they live than anything else.

Given the prominence of Night in the title there is a fair amount of darkness to Lowen’s tale both in the history of the world and in the plot itself. The harshness of Malians world, of the House of Night itself, is a function of the dark deeds of the past wherein the people of present are paying for the crimes of the past both recent and ancient. The Heir of Night is at its best when it leans on the weirdness of the setting. The somewhat trippy journey into a nether realm of dreams seen several times in the novel calls to mind past works of sword and sorcery and feels like something you might see in an issue of Weird Tales. The Heir of Night marks the beginning of an interesting series that many fantasy fans may have overlooked. I’m excited to see where things go next and to explore deeper into the vibrant world that Lowen has created.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

It's kinda YA and kinda not. The main protagonists are barely out of their tweens and, while much of the story is told from their perspective, there's lots that isn't. Solid epic fantasy that has political complexity, integrity under the hammer, honour caught in a web of intrigue, ambiguous 'good guys' and dark malevolence aplenty.

Malian is the duty-bound daughter of the Earl of Night. She spends the days when her father is out hunting the Darkspawn investigating the mazes of the Old Keep, an ancient remnant of the fortress in which their ancestors lived. As the Heir of Night, she is the one who will inherit the great charge to keep the Darkspawn at bay and she practices physical skills in the difficult terrain of the crumbling fort.

Behind a dividing wall inside the New Keep lives Kalan, a young boy exiled from his home when he displayed skill in the old arts. That dividing wall separates the men and women of the Temple from those of the Keep. It's been there five hundred years, ever since a great betrayal which split Derai society.

Kalan is having a sulk in a cupboard when he hears a strange sound. It's a Darkswarm invasion, coming up through the Temple from the Old Keep. The cruel warriors have brought a Raptor - a psychic vampire-like creature which detects and sucks the life out of any being nearby. Kalan uses his own talent to hide himself, creating a shield which makes him seem like a natural extension of the cupboard. When the invaders pass, Kalan sets off to warn those in the Temple. He finds himself having to evade the invaders by entering the Old Keep.

The warriors of the Darkswarm penetrate the New Keep almost too easily and head for Malian's chambers, slaughtering all the way. She, however, has gone to the library and while there hears an insistent voice, telling her to flee. She makes her way to the Old Keep, finds Kalan - and, her own powers awakening, is able to waken the silenced alarms and rouse the defenders of Night.

But ... those awakened powers strike at the very heart of what it means to be a warrior of the Derai. For half a millennium the warriors and the priests of the Temple have been strictly forbidden to associate. And if a warrior is found to have a priestly power, exile is automatic.

Yet, that very exile may be what the Darkswarm wants. An old prophecy says, 'If Night falls, all fall.' No one has interpreted the foretelling literally before, but now there is the thought that, since Malian is the one and only Heir of Night, that killing or abducting her may bring victory to the Darkswarm.

Along with Kalan and a small retinue, Malian sets off across the world of Haarth, the warriors of the Darkswarm close at her heels.

Like Helen Lowe's Thornspell, the motif of dreamwalking is a prominent feature of this novel.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was part of my winter swag bag from Harper Voyager, and I really should have been finished with it sooner but life gets in the way. (Bills, really, who needs'em?) Anyhow, it's good that I do this stuff in return for honest reviews, because I'd be getting my pay docked on this one. ;)

Honestly, I had to restart the novel a couple of times because you really have to pay attention until you get the names down, after that the story sweeps you up and carries you the rest of the way. I hate to say this book surprised me, because I didn't really have any expectations, but it felt so much like a piece by C.S. Friedman (Coldfire Trilogy) or Melanie Rawn (unfinished Exiles trilogy) that I kept being wowed that I hadn't heard of these books before. I had the same reaction when reading Dave de Burgh's "Betrayal's Shadow" (which is also similar to this with the scifi twist) but put it off to the fact that it was his first book and was from South Africa (I tend to get around for an Okie, on the net at least). Yes, I know Helen Lowe is from New Zealand, but it seems that part of the world has better representation, plus the third book is already in production and this is the first I'd heard of it!

So yeah, about that scifi twist they all have in common (and isn't a spoiler for any except maybe the Rawn books, but then the name of the trilogy -is- Exiles): the story is good, somewhat dark, fantasy and stayed that way throughout, but the premise is that the Derai (one of the peoples in the book) are a spacefaring folk that escaped to the planet. Friedman had settlers, Rawn had exiles, de Burgh (again, like Lowe) has refugees, combatants in an interstellar battle.

I just want to take a moment and say how much I enjoy blended novels when they're done this well. King and his Dark Tower blends horror and westerns and SF/F. Tamara Jones does a mass conglomeration in every one of her novels but it all flows together. And that's what this book has done.

Helen Lowe has one hell of a voice and an imagination to match. I'm glad I already have the rest of the trilogy on hand, because I think things are just getting warmed up. :D

Great book, easy 5 stars. If you're a fan of any of the books I listed or just looking for a good read...grab this one, trust me.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Darkspawn and Derai Alliance have fought across the stars - the Darkspawn to destroy all life and the Derai Alliance to preserve. The war has brought both combatants to the world of Haarth, where the story takes place. The Derai have been on Haarth for 1,500 years and over that time many ruptures have formed in the alliance - both between the Nine Houses of the Alliance and within, between the priests and warriors that make up the houses.

Malian is the thirteen-year-old Heir of Night and it is around her, as you might expect from the title, that the story revolves. Malian gives the story a strong emotional core, along with Kalan, a fourteen-year-old novice serving in the Temple of the House of Night. The story begins when, after a long period of silence, the Darkspawn launch a devastating assault against the House of Night.

The book is well-written and well-paced. The dialogue can feel formal but this fits with the overall impression the author is seeking to build of the Nine Houses. The book is immersive and keeps tugging you through the story.

The book is divided into three parts, each part having a full arc of its own as well as fitting into the book's overall arc. The excellent plotting of the author means these parts work well together and re-inforce my faith that this will be a series worth following. If you enjoy adventure or heroic fantasy, this offers a welcome treat.

(My only complaint would be that the cover shows Malian holding a sword, which as far as I can recall, she never does.)

[T. Frohock · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heir of Night is the first book of the Wall of Night series, which is a more traditional epic fantasy (think Brooks, not Abercrombie), a sub-genre that I don't normally gravitate toward; however, I wanted to challenge my reading habits in 2013 and try new novels and new authors. I never know when a novel will introduce me to a new way of thinking or bring me back to a sub-genre that I drifted away from, such as the more traditional epic fantasies that I enjoyed so much when I was younger.

In The Heir of Night, Lowe tweaks the old tropes by giving us a female protagonist, Malian, a precocious young woman who finds that there is much more to being a hero than she first imagined. What interested me was how Lowe deviated from the traditional third worlds of epic fantasy with her backstory of the Darkswarm and the Derai.

The Darkswarm and the Derai move across space to fight through the centuries on different worlds, a storyline that gives Heir of Night a science fictional spin. Lowe utilizes necromancy and other dark arts to give the novel the right touch of dread for epic fantasy fans--not so much as to qualify for horror, but just enough to send a shiver down your spine.

Lowe keeps a firm grip on her world and her magic systems to deliver a well written, well told story, and I can think of no greater compliment to give to another writer. If you enjoy Tad Williams, David Eddings, and Terry Brooks, then you will definitely enjoy Lowe's Wall of Night series.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!

Those who like epic fantasy novels are going to probably like this new one from Helen Lowe. The magic is well integrated into the world and her command of language is exceedingly good. More Tolkien-esque than trendy and modern.

I would have given the book 5-Stars except for the fact that there is this break in the storyline that I had difficulty getting past. I actually had to put the book down for three days before I could integrate myself back into it. And if I was to try to summarize what my impression was, I'd say that there are simply two books here. The first book takes place mostly in Malian's voice, and then with "Part II" as the publisher calls it, the story picks up again in a secondary character's voice, soon branching out to multiple points of view.

The tone of the narrative also changes at this point, taking on more adult concerns. That said, it may just be 'my problem'. And in general I'd say it's definitely worth a read.


Pam T~
mom/blogger

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won and Advance Readers Edition of "The Heir of Night" by Helen Lowe. When it comes to fantasy books I don't know squat, because I don't read them. But, if this is what fantasy books are like, then I will need to read more! Helen Lowe artfully spins a complex story about a young girl, Malian, who has the fate of her world resting on her shoulders. There are elements of good vs evil, loyalty vs betrayal, youth vs wisdom, growing up and trusting others. One thing that stood out for me was the lack of traditional gender roles. In Helen Lowe's world of Haarth men and women are treated the same. They hold the same roles. One of my favorite characters is Asantir. She is the captain of the Earl of Nights Honor Guard.

Overall an extremely well told story that kept surprising me and I can't wait to read the next book :)

[Fantasy Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

If Night falls, all falls.

Helen Lowe’s début novel Thornspell was a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story from the Prince’s point of view. THE WALL OF NIGHT trilogy is a more traditional epic fantasy, though it contains a dash of science fiction and a unique setting that sets it apart from the usual swords-and-sorcery fare.

Set in the world of Haarth, the titular Wall of Night refers to a mountain range that is garrisoned by the warlike Derai clans. Made up of Nine Houses in all, the Derai defend the Wall against that which lies beyond: the demonic Swarm. Destructive and cunning, the Swarm is only held at bay by the constant vigilance of the Houses, particularly the House of Night. But there is internal strife within the Houses that threatens to weaken the Wall: schisms between its people, feuds within... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helen Lowe did an amazing job with this first book building a complex and interesting world. The characters are interesting and varied and the large amount of history and lore mentioned help give the world of sense of age and depth.

That said I was a bit disappointed in how the book ended and how it felt like most things were handed to the main characters right when they needed them or that everything aligned so well because it was destiny.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid fantasy with clever mix of young adult and adult characters to keep the action going.

[Julie Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great world building and the Lore was explained so well, it was easy to follow. Wonderful action and heart as well. Thoroughly enjoyable!

[☆Ruth☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely my kind of swords & sorcery fantasy... well-written, with all the requisite ingredients. Looking forward to book 2 of the trilogy.