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Tales from the Flat Earth #3
Delusion's Master
Delusion's Master is the third book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of The One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.
Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.
Chuz, Prince Madness, third of the Lords of Darkness—beauty on one side, foul corruption on the other—"takes pity" on the world. In his gentle soft embrace mortal minds repose in a tide of illusion and twisted desire. Yet no one is immune from the sweetest madness of all, and even immortals fall at the cast of the bone dice...
Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love.
Discover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.
EDITIONS NOTE: These are the definitive editions, revised and formatted as the author originally intended, containing a new original introduction by Tanith Lee, and a unique previously unpublished interior illustration. The cover image is a design by Tanith Lee's husband and artist John Kaiine, incorporating her own artwork in the center frame, which makes it a fan and collector's delight.
Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.
Chuz, Prince Madness, third of the Lords of Darkness—beauty on one side, foul corruption on the other—"takes pity" on the world. In his gentle soft embrace mortal minds repose in a tide of illusion and twisted desire. Yet no one is immune from the sweetest madness of all, and even immortals fall at the cast of the bone dice...
Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love.
Discover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.
EDITIONS NOTE: These are the definitive editions, revised and formatted as the author originally intended, containing a new original introduction by Tanith Lee, and a unique previously unpublished interior illustration. The cover image is a design by Tanith Lee's husband and artist John Kaiine, incorporating her own artwork in the center frame, which makes it a fan and collector's delight.
235 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
29 people are currently reading
1183 people want to read
About the author
Tanith Lee
615 books1,971 followersTanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
November 9, 2025
Chuz is the Lord of Madness, and a distinctive fellow: a fantastical Two-Face in appearance, one side a handsome young man, the other side... less handsome; a hand with snakes for fingers; multiple voices, changing with each sentence; he carries a jackass skull, its teeth still clacking. Madness in mankind calls him, and he calls back. He smiles, he charms, he comforts, he transforms. He warps reality by whim, or merely by his passing.
As with the prior novel's Uhlume, Lord of Death, Chuz is narratively but a foil to Azhrarn, Night's Master - the true antihero of the first three books in the Flat Earth series. Unlike the impassive, vaguely mournful Uhlume, capricious Chuz is actively manipulative, an actual antagonist to this realm's charismatic prince of darkness. Chuz challenges Azhrarn by igniting a kind of madness within him: love. And so Delusion's Master is essentially about a long-game plot to bring Azhrarn low, by entangling him with his opposite: a supernaturally pure woman descended from a comet.
The book is wonderful! Different than the Orientalist fables of the first volume and the tragic double bildungsroman of the second volume's overarching plot, this third volume feels much more like a hallucinatory fairy tale, as befits its title and Chuz himself. As always in this series, the polished prose is ornate, the imagery is gorgeous, the tone is dry and sardonic, the comedy is black, the characters are iconic yet complex and unpredictable, the narrative is tiered and winding. Eros and thanatos are the ruling gods of these books. This sort of writing is delicious to me, spicy and savory and sweet. A rich meal but with an airy lightness to it as well, not to be gobbled down, but one to take some time with, enjoying each bite.
The heroine's origin story was particularly delightful. One night, a comet passes over a village. Unbeknownst to the ignorant villagers who hide in fear, this comet's radiation is life-enhancing; all who bathe in its radiance will become better, healthier, full of light. A distracted sorcerer in his tower has a goal to capture this wondrous energy; unfortunately for him, his craven assistant has a lascivious side-hustle that will interfere with his plans...
The author's confidence and skills are on full display in this fairly slim novel. She is the master of a specific kind of aesthetic that few others have been able to replicate. For me, Tanith Lee and Jack Vance are the queen and king of science fiction and fantasy. Despite her uniqueness, readers interested in similar authors may enjoy the works of Angela Carter and Catherynne M. Valente.
As with the prior novel's Uhlume, Lord of Death, Chuz is narratively but a foil to Azhrarn, Night's Master - the true antihero of the first three books in the Flat Earth series. Unlike the impassive, vaguely mournful Uhlume, capricious Chuz is actively manipulative, an actual antagonist to this realm's charismatic prince of darkness. Chuz challenges Azhrarn by igniting a kind of madness within him: love. And so Delusion's Master is essentially about a long-game plot to bring Azhrarn low, by entangling him with his opposite: a supernaturally pure woman descended from a comet.
The book is wonderful! Different than the Orientalist fables of the first volume and the tragic double bildungsroman of the second volume's overarching plot, this third volume feels much more like a hallucinatory fairy tale, as befits its title and Chuz himself. As always in this series, the polished prose is ornate, the imagery is gorgeous, the tone is dry and sardonic, the comedy is black, the characters are iconic yet complex and unpredictable, the narrative is tiered and winding. Eros and thanatos are the ruling gods of these books. This sort of writing is delicious to me, spicy and savory and sweet. A rich meal but with an airy lightness to it as well, not to be gobbled down, but one to take some time with, enjoying each bite.
The heroine's origin story was particularly delightful. One night, a comet passes over a village. Unbeknownst to the ignorant villagers who hide in fear, this comet's radiation is life-enhancing; all who bathe in its radiance will become better, healthier, full of light. A distracted sorcerer in his tower has a goal to capture this wondrous energy; unfortunately for him, his craven assistant has a lascivious side-hustle that will interfere with his plans...
The author's confidence and skills are on full display in this fairly slim novel. She is the master of a specific kind of aesthetic that few others have been able to replicate. For me, Tanith Lee and Jack Vance are the queen and king of science fiction and fantasy. Despite her uniqueness, readers interested in similar authors may enjoy the works of Angela Carter and Catherynne M. Valente.
March 31, 2022
A thrilling continuation of Lee's tantalizing Flat Earth series, bathed in the mystique of arcane, alien beasts, some of whom transform, reincarnate, and undermine the quibbling societies of men and women, often meandering through Baroque corridors of luscious imagery, and resolving into dreamlike sequences of innovative exploration. This third volume is a short but eventful collection of molten tales, linked by principle personas, most notably Chuz, the bisected ominous Prince of Madness. Here is described the birth of Azhrarn's kin, who will take center stage in the next, longer novel in the series.
These breathtaking books are medieval in the sense that The Book of the New Sun and The Dying Earth series are ancient - but whether they take place in the future, past, or outside of time shouldn't trouble you, since the emotional resonance of their scenes are immediate. They manage to conjure a relatable fear of the dark and untouched wildernesses both within and outside our mortal frames. Peopled by eccentric demonic presences, these classics will pull the wool over your eyes, obscuring reality for the few days it takes you to finish them.
Tanith Lee is mistress of myth, fable, and dark fantasy, and already my third or fourth favorite author of all time. In my estimation, her work offers everything I desire from fiction: vibrant characters, dark humor, elegant settings, escape from the everyday grind, poetic musings, emotional depth, confliction, growth, searing memorable fever dreams, exotic and erotic allure without slipping into pandering immaturity, uncontained exuberance and confidence in a vision of the world. While I admire all of these qualities she is by no means a flawless wordsmith. Many of her similes merely sound surprising, rather than make actual sense. I fear that some few dozen of her novels will pale in comparison to her great works. Another plus is the sheer grandiose scope of her projects, the millions and millions of words she committed to print. Like with Jack Vance, I doubt I'll ever make it through her complete works, but thus far I have gained a sense of her aesthetic and could not be more intrigued. Her weakness appears to be an aimless whimsy, wandering from one idea to the next without focused storytelling. But this unpredictable habit leads to many happy discoveries and almost guarantees an interesting turn of phrase in every paragraph. Her pen seems guided by spirits, passing fancies, or channeled, outside of her control, as if she were a disembodied eye, recording the consistent miracles of a parallel universe.
This book's many biblical and mythic undertones will remind readers of timeless stories, while offering unique twists on archetypes, that inspired awe in me in several cases.
My hands-down favorite portion of the book was the convoluted contraption of the sorcerer to absorb the rays of the passing solar bud, disturbingly sabotaged by his wayward henchman. This section displayed a masterful combination of fabulous world building and character transformation, raising questions about the nature and structure of her universe, the fates and forebodings of central characters, and the potential for perfect reversals of fundamental personalities. Her ideas often resolve into such clarity that they assume a cinematic mobility in my mind, forever burning themselves into memory. Once consigned to the past, landscapes of the imagination feel as real as lived experience.
These breathtaking books are medieval in the sense that The Book of the New Sun and The Dying Earth series are ancient - but whether they take place in the future, past, or outside of time shouldn't trouble you, since the emotional resonance of their scenes are immediate. They manage to conjure a relatable fear of the dark and untouched wildernesses both within and outside our mortal frames. Peopled by eccentric demonic presences, these classics will pull the wool over your eyes, obscuring reality for the few days it takes you to finish them.
Tanith Lee is mistress of myth, fable, and dark fantasy, and already my third or fourth favorite author of all time. In my estimation, her work offers everything I desire from fiction: vibrant characters, dark humor, elegant settings, escape from the everyday grind, poetic musings, emotional depth, confliction, growth, searing memorable fever dreams, exotic and erotic allure without slipping into pandering immaturity, uncontained exuberance and confidence in a vision of the world. While I admire all of these qualities she is by no means a flawless wordsmith. Many of her similes merely sound surprising, rather than make actual sense. I fear that some few dozen of her novels will pale in comparison to her great works. Another plus is the sheer grandiose scope of her projects, the millions and millions of words she committed to print. Like with Jack Vance, I doubt I'll ever make it through her complete works, but thus far I have gained a sense of her aesthetic and could not be more intrigued. Her weakness appears to be an aimless whimsy, wandering from one idea to the next without focused storytelling. But this unpredictable habit leads to many happy discoveries and almost guarantees an interesting turn of phrase in every paragraph. Her pen seems guided by spirits, passing fancies, or channeled, outside of her control, as if she were a disembodied eye, recording the consistent miracles of a parallel universe.
This book's many biblical and mythic undertones will remind readers of timeless stories, while offering unique twists on archetypes, that inspired awe in me in several cases.
My hands-down favorite portion of the book was the convoluted contraption of the sorcerer to absorb the rays of the passing solar bud, disturbingly sabotaged by his wayward henchman. This section displayed a masterful combination of fabulous world building and character transformation, raising questions about the nature and structure of her universe, the fates and forebodings of central characters, and the potential for perfect reversals of fundamental personalities. Her ideas often resolve into such clarity that they assume a cinematic mobility in my mind, forever burning themselves into memory. Once consigned to the past, landscapes of the imagination feel as real as lived experience.
February 22, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written, dark & mysterious installment of the Tales from Flat earth series. The story is short but feels just right; short stories can pack a punch. The star-child Dunizel (Dunis-Eziel) falls in love with Azrahn the Lord of Darkness, a strange pairing of polar opposites; the former an incorruptible child of the stars, her match however is THE Prince of Wickedness. Tanith somehow weaves a mythic and darkly fantastic tale around the unlikely lovers who are both powerful and almost cosmic entities within the Flat Earth Universe.
With Tanith Lee fantasy reaches a refined high note; baroque and arabesque romance rendered with exquisite panache. This book hits like a dangerous orgasm; waves of ecstacy interwoven with seductive and addictive agony.
Lees hand is deft; weaving an epic tale of enmity and retribution. Azrahn the Lord of Demons is pitted against Chuz Prince madness with human kind caught in the middle. Human beings matter little in this series; they are bystanders, victims, even pawns in the games and machinations of the powerful entities of Flat Earth.
Chuz, Prince Madness is an incredible villan. To look on Chuz and to consider him fully is to descend into madness. His motivation and purpose is simple; he is drawn to the madness of men and propagates more madness as they fall into his dominion. Tanith tells us that there are 3 doorways by which madness can enter the lives of men!
The disparate strands of the story weave a complex narrative that twists and turns in unexpected ways. A thoroughly satisfying read that I cannot recommend enough!
With Tanith Lee fantasy reaches a refined high note; baroque and arabesque romance rendered with exquisite panache. This book hits like a dangerous orgasm; waves of ecstacy interwoven with seductive and addictive agony.
Lees hand is deft; weaving an epic tale of enmity and retribution. Azrahn the Lord of Demons is pitted against Chuz Prince madness with human kind caught in the middle. Human beings matter little in this series; they are bystanders, victims, even pawns in the games and machinations of the powerful entities of Flat Earth.
Chuz, Prince Madness is an incredible villan. To look on Chuz and to consider him fully is to descend into madness. His motivation and purpose is simple; he is drawn to the madness of men and propagates more madness as they fall into his dominion. Tanith tells us that there are 3 doorways by which madness can enter the lives of men!
The disparate strands of the story weave a complex narrative that twists and turns in unexpected ways. A thoroughly satisfying read that I cannot recommend enough!
June 14, 2022
Tanith Lee's Tales of the Flat Earth series leans heavily on eye-raising sexual and/or romantic trysts in a world heavily influenced by the Arabian 1001 Nights as well as by Jack Vance's Dying Earth. For her third dip into the series, Lee revisits some classic Biblical stories - including but definitely not limited to the Tower of Babel - and weaves them into her atmospheric and gothic-flavored dark fantasy world. Lee's prose, lovely as always, is slightly less ornate than prior installments, while the subject matter as usual evokes trigger warnings galore for (among others) non-consensual sex, rape, and violence against women and children.
March 3, 2020
Book 3 in the Flat Earth series is a shorter story and is set some time after the events of the second.
The character of the title is demon number three, Chuz. Prince Chuz is the master of madness and so he visits the put-aside wife of the king of Sheve, who accidentally killed her baby while trying to abandon it in a nomadic encampment, as her mental illness led her to believe that the child was responsible for her husband's lack of interest. In reality, her husband is shallow and has a high sex drive, so he turned to many other women during her pregnancy.
Chuz offers to grant her a request as she is truly his already, and she asks him to make her husband just as mad as she. So he sets out to instill a disquieting sense of mortality into the king. After the king reads about Simmu, the character in the second book, he decides to emulate his success in wresting immortality from the gods, but by assaulting heaven by means of a huge tower Baybhelu, rather than by cunning. And so the prologue retells the biblical Tower of Babylon story.
The story proper begins some years later. Sheve, abandoned after the disaster in the prologue, was subsequently rebuilt as a gorgeous centre of religious pilgrimage. Pilgrims are now arriving at the city, now renamed Bhelsheved. They are joined by two demon princes, Azhrarn, Prince of Darkness who was the main character of the first volume in the series and an important player in book two, and Chuz in his role of trickster and mischief maker. Azhrarn is furious to discover that the story of his sacrifice to save humanity (told in book one) has been distorted into a tale that blames him, describes him as a foul creature instead of the inhumanly beautiful demon that he is, and gives the credit for saving humanity to the gods, who in reality are totally disinterested (as previously witnessed in the other two books). He acts to gain revenge, but in doing so triggers off events which have a profound effect on himself and set up the events of the next in the series. The various tragedies are helped along by Chuz who sets himself up as Azhrarn's enemy.
The writing as ever is baroque and gorgeous, but as before it is difficult to sympathise with any of the characters. Even some of the human ones are actually not really fully human, and nearly everyone is full of greed, malice and envy. In one sequence, when Azhrarn offers each of the pilgrims a boon, even the children choose to hurt others rather than to ask for help for others, or positive favours for themselves. The book continues the theme of the nasty nature of humanity as seen in the first two stories, and includes rape and torture of a mentally disabled woman. So it does make for rather grim reading despite the deliciousness of the prose. For that reason, I can't rate it as more than 3 stars.
The character of the title is demon number three, Chuz. Prince Chuz is the master of madness and so he visits the put-aside wife of the king of Sheve, who accidentally killed her baby while trying to abandon it in a nomadic encampment, as her mental illness led her to believe that the child was responsible for her husband's lack of interest. In reality, her husband is shallow and has a high sex drive, so he turned to many other women during her pregnancy.
Chuz offers to grant her a request as she is truly his already, and she asks him to make her husband just as mad as she. So he sets out to instill a disquieting sense of mortality into the king. After the king reads about Simmu, the character in the second book, he decides to emulate his success in wresting immortality from the gods, but by assaulting heaven by means of a huge tower Baybhelu, rather than by cunning. And so the prologue retells the biblical Tower of Babylon story.
The story proper begins some years later. Sheve, abandoned after the disaster in the prologue, was subsequently rebuilt as a gorgeous centre of religious pilgrimage. Pilgrims are now arriving at the city, now renamed Bhelsheved. They are joined by two demon princes, Azhrarn, Prince of Darkness who was the main character of the first volume in the series and an important player in book two, and Chuz in his role of trickster and mischief maker. Azhrarn is furious to discover that the story of his sacrifice to save humanity (told in book one) has been distorted into a tale that blames him, describes him as a foul creature instead of the inhumanly beautiful demon that he is, and gives the credit for saving humanity to the gods, who in reality are totally disinterested (as previously witnessed in the other two books). He acts to gain revenge, but in doing so triggers off events which have a profound effect on himself and set up the events of the next in the series. The various tragedies are helped along by Chuz who sets himself up as Azhrarn's enemy.
The writing as ever is baroque and gorgeous, but as before it is difficult to sympathise with any of the characters. Even some of the human ones are actually not really fully human, and nearly everyone is full of greed, malice and envy. In one sequence, when Azhrarn offers each of the pilgrims a boon, even the children choose to hurt others rather than to ask for help for others, or positive favours for themselves. The book continues the theme of the nasty nature of humanity as seen in the first two stories, and includes rape and torture of a mentally disabled woman. So it does make for rather grim reading despite the deliciousness of the prose. For that reason, I can't rate it as more than 3 stars.
May 5, 2012
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
In Delusion’s Master, the third of Tanith Lee’s FLAT EARTH novels, we’re introduced to another Prince of Darkness: Chuz, the Prince of Madness, who is handsome when seen from one side and hideous when seen from the other. Chuz watches humans and uses the opportunities they give him to practice his craft: There were several doors by which Madness might enter any house; one was rage, one jealousy, one fear.
We first meet Chuz when a jealous queen tries to get rid of the baby she believes has caused the king to stop loving her. When she accidentally kills the child and her husband puts her aside, Chuz shows up to comfort her by helping her descend into madness. When he offers to grant her a wish, she asks that Chuz make her husband, the king, as mad as she is. That’s why the king decides to build a tower to heaven where he will wage war on the gods. Everyone knows that pride comes before the fall so, sure enough, disaster strikes the land. This sets off a string of strange events that have the demons, once again, meddling in the affairs of men.
The beautiful demon Azhrarn, from the first two FLAT EARTH books, continues to be a main character. When he becomes involved in Chuz’s doings on earth, we see Azhrarn get his feelings hurt, seek revenge, fall in love, and have a child. The demons are not like the uncaring gods above — they are passionate creatures. Occasionally they can be tender and compassionate with favored mortals, but their fickle emotions can suddenly turn to vanity, petty jealousy, and hate. And then the humans suffer.
Delusion’s Master is quite a bit shorter than Night’s Master and Death’s Master and Chuz, the title character, isn’t nearly as interesting as Azhrarn, but fortunately we get plenty of Azhrarn here. All of the FLAT EARTH tales have been dark, but Delusion’s Master actually gets uncomfortable because it includes baby killing, rape, and the torture of a mentally disabled girl. The imagery is vivid and I admit that I squirmed. Still, Tanith Lee continues to enchant us with the exotic setting and peerlessly gorgeous writing.
There are several biblical allusions in this installment: the Tower of Babel, the Flood, redemption of humanity through death, and man’s natural hatred of snakes. The most beautiful moment in the book is when Azhrarn goes up to the Earth to find out why men hate snakes and then, as a favor to snakes, sets out to make them more palatable to humans.
I’m still enjoying this series on audio. Susan Duerden’s narration gets even better with each book. Each also has an interesting introduction by Tanith Lee. In this one she talks about how her mother influenced her writing.
In Delusion’s Master, the third of Tanith Lee’s FLAT EARTH novels, we’re introduced to another Prince of Darkness: Chuz, the Prince of Madness, who is handsome when seen from one side and hideous when seen from the other. Chuz watches humans and uses the opportunities they give him to practice his craft: There were several doors by which Madness might enter any house; one was rage, one jealousy, one fear.
We first meet Chuz when a jealous queen tries to get rid of the baby she believes has caused the king to stop loving her. When she accidentally kills the child and her husband puts her aside, Chuz shows up to comfort her by helping her descend into madness. When he offers to grant her a wish, she asks that Chuz make her husband, the king, as mad as she is. That’s why the king decides to build a tower to heaven where he will wage war on the gods. Everyone knows that pride comes before the fall so, sure enough, disaster strikes the land. This sets off a string of strange events that have the demons, once again, meddling in the affairs of men.
The beautiful demon Azhrarn, from the first two FLAT EARTH books, continues to be a main character. When he becomes involved in Chuz’s doings on earth, we see Azhrarn get his feelings hurt, seek revenge, fall in love, and have a child. The demons are not like the uncaring gods above — they are passionate creatures. Occasionally they can be tender and compassionate with favored mortals, but their fickle emotions can suddenly turn to vanity, petty jealousy, and hate. And then the humans suffer.
Delusion’s Master is quite a bit shorter than Night’s Master and Death’s Master and Chuz, the title character, isn’t nearly as interesting as Azhrarn, but fortunately we get plenty of Azhrarn here. All of the FLAT EARTH tales have been dark, but Delusion’s Master actually gets uncomfortable because it includes baby killing, rape, and the torture of a mentally disabled girl. The imagery is vivid and I admit that I squirmed. Still, Tanith Lee continues to enchant us with the exotic setting and peerlessly gorgeous writing.
There are several biblical allusions in this installment: the Tower of Babel, the Flood, redemption of humanity through death, and man’s natural hatred of snakes. The most beautiful moment in the book is when Azhrarn goes up to the Earth to find out why men hate snakes and then, as a favor to snakes, sets out to make them more palatable to humans.
I’m still enjoying this series on audio. Susan Duerden’s narration gets even better with each book. Each also has an interesting introduction by Tanith Lee. In this one she talks about how her mother influenced her writing.
July 3, 2020
It's a joy to slide into such language, to let it fit around you and do its thing. Whatever you think of the story or characters.
I can't say if this is evident in the arc of the previous stories, but Lee introduces a Byronic quality to Azhrarn's character, and a revelation that he is the unappreciated savior of the Flat Earth after some previously-unstated (?) sacrifice. He, understandably, has some rather deep feels about this situation, especially since these pitiful mortals are wont to think of him as some deformed monstrosity. The upshot of this is potentially a redemption arc or some dark mirror version of the Fall of Satan as seen from a different angle and with a different agenda. Potentially.
I can't say that I like this development, especially since it humanizes Azhrarn by assigning some sort of moral framework and makes his actions and emotions comprehensible. The force-of-nature alienness now resides in Chuz, whose intricate manipulations provoke and compel.
It remains a series to follow for its artistry and its emotional resonance instead of plotting or compelling story line.
"When the day began to go, folding its robes around it, slipping from the desert silently, Jasrin called for her women."
"His involved act of vengeance...were like those elegant flourishes and underlinings with which insecure men bolstered up their signatures on parchment."
I can't say if this is evident in the arc of the previous stories, but Lee introduces a Byronic quality to Azhrarn's character, and a revelation that he is the unappreciated savior of the Flat Earth after some previously-unstated (?) sacrifice. He, understandably, has some rather deep feels about this situation, especially since these pitiful mortals are wont to think of him as some deformed monstrosity. The upshot of this is potentially a redemption arc or some dark mirror version of the Fall of Satan as seen from a different angle and with a different agenda. Potentially.
I can't say that I like this development, especially since it humanizes Azhrarn by assigning some sort of moral framework and makes his actions and emotions comprehensible. The force-of-nature alienness now resides in Chuz, whose intricate manipulations provoke and compel.
It remains a series to follow for its artistry and its emotional resonance instead of plotting or compelling story line.
June 19, 2017
The last line of this book asks the question “what is love?” It is a poignant line that brings the series up to that point full circle and sets up for where the next book in the series begins. What is love is a question that has been asked for eons but the answer always remains elusive. It is this question that is central to the tragedy that is the Flat Earth series and that has played a substantial role in the development of the character Azahrarn ever since he saved the world from Hate at the end of the first book out of love for humanity, whom he had previously tormented. In this book Azahrarn spares a devoutly religious city his wrath because of the love he has for a woman who has partly inherited the beauty of a solar comet. Despite Azahrarn’s mercy they still treated him as a monster to be abhorred and so for this reason he does not feel appreciated and feels the need to take out his wrath upon humanity once again. We get to see Azahrarn continue to grow and develop as a character. This book also introduces a new player into the mix, Chuz Lord of Madness, who is very important in this book and is important in subsequent books as well. Seeing these lords of darkness rival against each other and use humans like pieces in a game of chess is fun to behold.
As usual Tanith Lee writes magnificently. Seriously, these books harkens back to the days when fantasy writers cared about the words that they used to weave their tales and not just silly plot mechanics or world building elements. The language of Tanith Lee at its best ascends to the highest state of majesty; vivid and rich; adored with the most sparkling of jewels; surrealist and beautiful for the eye to behold. The kind of baroque prose that Tanith employs is the type of language that literally has me salivating to taste more, to feed my appetites and indulge. It is to this majesty that I aspire to ascend in my own writing. Take this example from the book:
"The tower, which was like Baybhelu, which was also like Bhelsheved, which was unlike and surpassing both, continued to compel. Presently, the crowd spilled over the invisible dam, and poured to the foot of the tower, to the area where the first gargantuan tier sheered up. There they stood gaping, conscious of sin or bewitchment, unable to go away or even to repent.
The first carpet sailed by, and after this carpet, others. Tassels cascaded, silks flowed. White women danced slowly to the beat of the many musics. Their bodies were now masked, and now revealed, through curtains of beads like rain. They lifted their arms, which were swans’ necks, which were serpents. Their burnished limbs rubbed and brushed and stroked together. The black grape-curls of their hair were wound with sinuous silver ornaments. Their long nails were like crescent moons. The tips of their breasts were like rosebuds.
While the thousands of mortals gazed, a sudden tremor raced over the ground.
The people found that the world was rising up into the atmosphere. There was again some shouting, some collapsing on the knees, but by now they were mesmerized. These protestations of terror were no longer genuine, but mere habit, for to be afraid in such a situation was surely human etiquette; the done thing.
As they had abruptly come to understand, the fields of flowers, the forest of stained glass, that entire half mile of land which made the radius about the tower, and on which the mass of the people were now standing, was nothing except one more flying carpet. A carpet with a hole at its center, through which the tower protruded. And now the carpet ascended smoothly and quite leisurely up the tower, as a ring is drawn up a finger."
This allusion to the tower of Babel is something that is important over the duration of the book, with the prologue being all about the building of this tower and the people who built it going mad afterwards and then the destruction of the tower that follows this when the gods smite it down and the people go their separate ways, no longer able to understand each other. They failed because of their hubris. Tanith Lee uses a lot of biblical illusions and imagery in her work which is something I really like and something I plan to do in my own writing. It is also something that I wish more fantasy authors would do.
As usual Tanith Lee writes magnificently. Seriously, these books harkens back to the days when fantasy writers cared about the words that they used to weave their tales and not just silly plot mechanics or world building elements. The language of Tanith Lee at its best ascends to the highest state of majesty; vivid and rich; adored with the most sparkling of jewels; surrealist and beautiful for the eye to behold. The kind of baroque prose that Tanith employs is the type of language that literally has me salivating to taste more, to feed my appetites and indulge. It is to this majesty that I aspire to ascend in my own writing. Take this example from the book:
"The tower, which was like Baybhelu, which was also like Bhelsheved, which was unlike and surpassing both, continued to compel. Presently, the crowd spilled over the invisible dam, and poured to the foot of the tower, to the area where the first gargantuan tier sheered up. There they stood gaping, conscious of sin or bewitchment, unable to go away or even to repent.
The first carpet sailed by, and after this carpet, others. Tassels cascaded, silks flowed. White women danced slowly to the beat of the many musics. Their bodies were now masked, and now revealed, through curtains of beads like rain. They lifted their arms, which were swans’ necks, which were serpents. Their burnished limbs rubbed and brushed and stroked together. The black grape-curls of their hair were wound with sinuous silver ornaments. Their long nails were like crescent moons. The tips of their breasts were like rosebuds.
While the thousands of mortals gazed, a sudden tremor raced over the ground.
The people found that the world was rising up into the atmosphere. There was again some shouting, some collapsing on the knees, but by now they were mesmerized. These protestations of terror were no longer genuine, but mere habit, for to be afraid in such a situation was surely human etiquette; the done thing.
As they had abruptly come to understand, the fields of flowers, the forest of stained glass, that entire half mile of land which made the radius about the tower, and on which the mass of the people were now standing, was nothing except one more flying carpet. A carpet with a hole at its center, through which the tower protruded. And now the carpet ascended smoothly and quite leisurely up the tower, as a ring is drawn up a finger."
This allusion to the tower of Babel is something that is important over the duration of the book, with the prologue being all about the building of this tower and the people who built it going mad afterwards and then the destruction of the tower that follows this when the gods smite it down and the people go their separate ways, no longer able to understand each other. They failed because of their hubris. Tanith Lee uses a lot of biblical illusions and imagery in her work which is something I really like and something I plan to do in my own writing. It is also something that I wish more fantasy authors would do.
July 5, 2016
Easily my favorite of the original three books this time around. When Lee died, I vowed to reread the Flat Earth Novels as an adult and am making my way through them with pleasure and pain, the former for the delicious prose, the latter from the knowledge of it's too early truncation. These novels are brilliantly reinvented myths, psychedelic retellings of ancient stories from ancient lands that may or may not ever have existed. The references to and radical redefinition of Biblical stories and Christian history in this volume delight my dark heart.
June 30, 2021
В една далечна и плоска земя… Където залезът бележел началото на нощта, в която демоните бродели сред хората…
”THERE WAS STRONG MUSIC in the sky: the music of sunset. In the west, a wall of clear red amber through which the sun went blazing down. The remainder of the sky was smoky rose, a color like a perfume—musk. The earth had given up its tinctures. Heights and depths and long dunes were melting into the air.”
В пустиня сред безбрежните пясъци живял един цар, който имал луда жена. Тя сключила мрачен договор с Господаря на Лудостта, и така от страховитата съдба на пустинното царство се родила първата истинска, млада, пламенна, сляпа и всеобхватна религия в плоската земя. Това не се харесало на Господаря на Нощта, Ажрарн, и демоничните му илюзии влезли в схватка с новата вяра, натъквайки се съвсем неволно и на една нежелана любов. А Господарят на Лудостта решил да хвърли вълшебните си, белязани зарове към Ажрарн.
Танит Ли лее музика от думи, а нейните демонични принцове са много по-съпричастни към съдбата на човечеството от който и да е безстрастен и безразличен бог. Тъмната им кръв носи чудеса, илюзии, лудост и смърт. А в един пустинен свят град наред с тях се ражда и една тленна любов.
Танит Ли съкрушава сляпата религиозна доктрина и безжалостния фанатизъм с демоничен меч и обсебваща лудост. И дори, когато те все пак наложат своето, това никога не е окончателно. Защото мракът на вечното, дълбаещо съмнение и светлината на беззаветната любов няма да позволят такъв край. Поне не и в тази мрачна, трагична, но красива фентъзи приказка.
⭐️4,5 звезди⭐️
”THERE WAS STRONG MUSIC in the sky: the music of sunset. In the west, a wall of clear red amber through which the sun went blazing down. The remainder of the sky was smoky rose, a color like a perfume—musk. The earth had given up its tinctures. Heights and depths and long dunes were melting into the air.”
В пустиня сред безбрежните пясъци живял един цар, който имал луда жена. Тя сключила мрачен договор с Господаря на Лудостта, и така от страховитата съдба на пустинното царство се родила първата истинска, млада, пламенна, сляпа и всеобхватна религия в плоската земя. Това не се харесало на Господаря на Нощта, Ажрарн, и демоничните му илюзии влезли в схватка с новата вяра, натъквайки се съвсем неволно и на една нежелана любов. А Господарят на Лудостта решил да хвърли вълшебните си, белязани зарове към Ажрарн.
Танит Ли лее музика от думи, а нейните демонични принцове са много по-съпричастни към съдбата на човечеството от който и да е безстрастен и безразличен бог. Тъмната им кръв носи чудеса, илюзии, лудост и смърт. А в един пустинен свят град наред с тях се ражда и една тленна любов.
Танит Ли съкрушава сляпата религиозна доктрина и безжалостния фанатизъм с демоничен меч и обсебваща лудост. И дори, когато те все пак наложат своето, това никога не е окончателно. Защото мракът на вечното, дълбаещо съмнение и светлината на беззаветната любов няма да позволят такъв край. Поне не и в тази мрачна, трагична, но красива фентъзи приказка.
⭐️4,5 звезди⭐️
April 22, 2010
Delusion's Master, the third in her "Flat Earth" series is centered upon Chuz, another prince of the Underearth who is Lord of illusion and madness. Azhrarn, "Night's Master" is also prominent in the book. Lee creates and unforgettable world in this series that doesn't feel derivative of any other fantasy world, and with lush, luminous prose. Not only is Lee's prose gorgeous but there's enough imagination to fill several ordinary books. No filler, no padding here, this is even shorter than Night's Master and can be inhaled in one sitting. A fairy tale for adults--with biblical allusions and tales of the creation of the cat and of the hatred of snakes by humankind--although this is the darkest of the Flat Earth tales yet, Unforgettable.
May 31, 2018
Love is everywhere, and the death of love. And time, which is built of the histories of death and love.
March 18, 2023
After loving Night's Master and liking Death's Master a lot, I really struggled to get into this one. Although Lee's writing (and Susan Duerden's audio narration) continues to be an enthralling thing of magic and mystery, even they couldn't make the first third of this book truly engrossing for me. I felt dissociated from the opening of the story and I was easily distracted while trying to vread it.
But. Hang tight.
It turns out the boring slog that is the first third is really just setting the scene, explaining (in far more detail than is really needed IMO) the origin of the holy city of Belsheved, how humanity is on Azhrarn's shit list due to their utter failure to appreciate that thing he did at the end of Night's Master, and his plan to wreak even more chaos on humanity by way of revenge.
Then as Part 2 opens, pretty close to the 1/3 or perhaps even 40% mark, the real story begins, and it's like Lee flipped a switch. Suddenly it's really good again, perhaps because we finally have a character to follow. We dive into the story of Dunizel, or Moon's Soul, a remarkably pure and serene priestess of the religion centered on Belsheved, her unusual origin, the sublime love story of Dunizel and Azhrarn, and the shenanigans that ensue. Even more so than Death's Master, this is very much a story about Azhrarn and how he comes into conflict with another Lord of Darkness. This time, Chuz, the eponymous Delusion's Master, is tangling with Azhrarn, and by the end, Chuz will have earned Azhrarn's enmity for all time.
This story feels very much like a natural sequel to Night's Master, and if the length of Death's Master is putting you off, you could easily vread this one immediately after Night's Master and not feel that you've missed a thing. In fact, you won't have missed a thing – no knowledge whatsoever of the plot of Death's Master is needed for this book. It also ends in a way that will leave you salivating for the next book, Delirium's Mistress.
Content warning: sexual abuse (non-graphic). The story of Dunizel's mother involves . Fortunately, none of this is graphically described, but couched in Lee's usual airy style that keeps some distance between the events and the reader. And it ends in a relatively positive way that I think will satisfy most readers. I mean, doubtless a few readers will be totally grossed out that she , but you have to admit the thing that happens makes them both .
There was a certain amount of Christian imagery evoked in Night's Master, in the form of , although course that imagery is far older than Christianity, and no doubt Lee knew it. There's more here, in the form of a miraculous virgin birth. The hilarious thing is that . I reckon she's got Virgin Mary beat there.
Chuz reminds me a lot of, and maybe was an inspiration for, Sheogorath, the Daedric Price of Madness from The Elder Scrolls. Chuz has two faces – one young and attractive, the other old and hideous – whereas Sheogorath is associated with three – one laughing, one angry or anguished, and one sad or horrified. It's made clear early on that Chuz can sometimes be compassionate, his touch insulating the mind from realities it can't cope with, where Sheogorath viewed mortals as nothing but toys for his mad whims. And it's made clear at the end that Chuz ultimately serves a sort of balance.
There's also a strong theme of religious doubt and agnosticism throughout the story, possibly even mockery of the mental gymnastics people do to justify their beliefs. The people of Belsheved doggedly believe in the goodness and protection of the gods, although no god has ever shown them a single direct sign of favor. And quite a bit of what goes on is an elaborate hoax perpetrated on them by Azhrarn himself. You might say Azhrarn has pulled a cosmic joke on them by allowing them to mistake him for a god, and to believe what they choose to believe about Dunizel. But who's to say Azhrarn is not a god? Certainly he's godlike in power relative to a mortal. He's just not benevolent or compassionate or made of goodness and light. But then, who said gods had to be all of those things? Azhrarn is a god in the ancient Greek sense – passionate, mercurial, and made of chaos and darkness. Both awesome and terrible.
Side Note: A favorite tidbit that I enjoyed was the fable about how Azhrarn improved the serpent so people would like him more. He gave the serpent four legs, pointed ears, sleek fur to cover his scales, unforked his tongue, added a decoration of silvery whiskers. But the serpent kept his sinuous grace, his cool nature, his long tail, and his propensity to hiss. The resulting animal was quite popular and became known as a .
3.5, rounded up to 4. I'm downgrading this a bit because the beginning was far longer and more boring than I would have liked. 2 stars for the first third, and 5 for the rest. If it had all been as good as the second 2/3, it would have easily made 4, and maybe 4.5.
But. Hang tight.
It turns out the boring slog that is the first third is really just setting the scene, explaining (in far more detail than is really needed IMO) the origin of the holy city of Belsheved, how humanity is on Azhrarn's shit list due to their utter failure to appreciate that thing he did at the end of Night's Master, and his plan to wreak even more chaos on humanity by way of revenge.
Then as Part 2 opens, pretty close to the 1/3 or perhaps even 40% mark, the real story begins, and it's like Lee flipped a switch. Suddenly it's really good again, perhaps because we finally have a character to follow. We dive into the story of Dunizel, or Moon's Soul, a remarkably pure and serene priestess of the religion centered on Belsheved, her unusual origin, the sublime love story of Dunizel and Azhrarn, and the shenanigans that ensue. Even more so than Death's Master, this is very much a story about Azhrarn and how he comes into conflict with another Lord of Darkness. This time, Chuz, the eponymous Delusion's Master, is tangling with Azhrarn, and by the end, Chuz will have earned Azhrarn's enmity for all time.
This story feels very much like a natural sequel to Night's Master, and if the length of Death's Master is putting you off, you could easily vread this one immediately after Night's Master and not feel that you've missed a thing. In fact, you won't have missed a thing – no knowledge whatsoever of the plot of Death's Master is needed for this book. It also ends in a way that will leave you salivating for the next book, Delirium's Mistress.
Content warning: sexual abuse (non-graphic). The story of Dunizel's mother involves . Fortunately, none of this is graphically described, but couched in Lee's usual airy style that keeps some distance between the events and the reader. And it ends in a relatively positive way that I think will satisfy most readers. I mean, doubtless a few readers will be totally grossed out that she , but you have to admit the thing that happens makes them both .
There was a certain amount of Christian imagery evoked in Night's Master, in the form of , although course that imagery is far older than Christianity, and no doubt Lee knew it. There's more here, in the form of a miraculous virgin birth. The hilarious thing is that . I reckon she's got Virgin Mary beat there.
Chuz reminds me a lot of, and maybe was an inspiration for, Sheogorath, the Daedric Price of Madness from The Elder Scrolls. Chuz has two faces – one young and attractive, the other old and hideous – whereas Sheogorath is associated with three – one laughing, one angry or anguished, and one sad or horrified. It's made clear early on that Chuz can sometimes be compassionate, his touch insulating the mind from realities it can't cope with, where Sheogorath viewed mortals as nothing but toys for his mad whims. And it's made clear at the end that Chuz ultimately serves a sort of balance.
There's also a strong theme of religious doubt and agnosticism throughout the story, possibly even mockery of the mental gymnastics people do to justify their beliefs. The people of Belsheved doggedly believe in the goodness and protection of the gods, although no god has ever shown them a single direct sign of favor. And quite a bit of what goes on is an elaborate hoax perpetrated on them by Azhrarn himself. You might say Azhrarn has pulled a cosmic joke on them by allowing them to mistake him for a god, and to believe what they choose to believe about Dunizel. But who's to say Azhrarn is not a god? Certainly he's godlike in power relative to a mortal. He's just not benevolent or compassionate or made of goodness and light. But then, who said gods had to be all of those things? Azhrarn is a god in the ancient Greek sense – passionate, mercurial, and made of chaos and darkness. Both awesome and terrible.
Side Note: A favorite tidbit that I enjoyed was the fable about how Azhrarn improved the serpent so people would like him more. He gave the serpent four legs, pointed ears, sleek fur to cover his scales, unforked his tongue, added a decoration of silvery whiskers. But the serpent kept his sinuous grace, his cool nature, his long tail, and his propensity to hiss. The resulting animal was quite popular and became known as a .
3.5, rounded up to 4. I'm downgrading this a bit because the beginning was far longer and more boring than I would have liked. 2 stars for the first third, and 5 for the rest. If it had all been as good as the second 2/3, it would have easily made 4, and maybe 4.5.
October 9, 2022
Tercer libro de la saga Cuentos de la tierra plana, el volumen más corto de todos y también uno que retoma en cierta forma el estilo de historias semi-independientes de la primera parte. Se centra esta vez en el tercero de los señores demonios, en concreto Chuz, Príncipe de la Locura, y la historia recrea ciertos arquetipos bíblicos como la Torre de Babel (aquí llamada Baybhelu) con un estilo barroco y elaborado pero al mismo tiempo hermoso y sensual incluso cuando relata hechos horribles, cosa que hace muy a menudo.
Esta recreación en lo grotesco y en la miseria humana es lo que, a juzgar por algunas reseñas que he leído, suele echar para atrás a algunos lectores poco habituados a que el género de fantasía ahonde en estos temas, pero con todo y eso no es una lectura nihilista sino todo lo contrario. Me sigue pareciendo increíble que haya dejado pasar esta saga durante tanto tiempo, pero pienso remediarlo pronto. De momento me quedan dos libros más y no parece que esto vaya a decaer en ningún momento.
Esta recreación en lo grotesco y en la miseria humana es lo que, a juzgar por algunas reseñas que he leído, suele echar para atrás a algunos lectores poco habituados a que el género de fantasía ahonde en estos temas, pero con todo y eso no es una lectura nihilista sino todo lo contrario. Me sigue pareciendo increíble que haya dejado pasar esta saga durante tanto tiempo, pero pienso remediarlo pronto. De momento me quedan dos libros más y no parece que esto vaya a decaer en ningún momento.
September 28, 2014
Tanith Lee is my favorite author. Nothing sounds quite as right to me as her writing voice does: with its blend of elegance, intelligence, gentle irony, and Sheer Deliciousness. She seduces and educates and entertains, and sometimes, she does it all in one scene.
She's at her best with Tales from the Flat Earth, and I think this particular installment may be my favorite.
It isn't absolutely essential to read the first two books that came before Delusion's Master (which would be Night's Master and Death's Master, respectively), but it would be fun to come into the world already recognizing the characters. Especially the wickedly fabulous Azhrarn, as there's a lot of Azhrarn here.
Following the format of the other Tales from the Flat Earth, this is a series of short stories themed around a certain Lord of Darkness. This book introduces us to Chuz and his particular portfolio would be Madness. He's split right up in the middle: half of him is a male hag, while the other half is a good-looking young gent. He carries about some dice and the jawbone of an ass (which, like certain kid's toys, would make sounds when you swing it about) (but before you ask, no, it doesn't light up). For a Lord of Darkness, he's kind of nice, especially to his worshippers. And I guess that goes with the fact that in certain cases, going crazy is really much nicer than facing things that have been done to you, or worse, things that you've done.
In chronological order, we see him comforting a woman who has inadvertently killed her own child, hurrying along the insanity of a king who wants to build the Tower of Babel, convincing a bunch of philosophers that stones are gods, getting a lovesick girl to become a incendiary prophetess, and eventually, indirectly, whipping up a crowd into a frenzy of murderous stone-throwing (which upsets the philosophers a lot).
But as fun and interesting as Chuz is, he's rather eclipsed in his own book by Azhrarn the Beautiful, who is just so naturally stunning that experiencing him sends your brain into same the kind of overload you get when you look at a clear night sky. See, there's thousands of visible stars out there, but your brain could take only so many hundreds of shiny things at once -- so that's all you ever manage to take in. And the same thing goes with Azhrarn's beauty.
I know it sounds kind of silly when I say it like this, but Tanith Lee has got such a convincing and hypnotic voice, she could get an ice cube to burn down a forest.
Anyway, this is the book where Azhrarn falls in love, like really falls into it -- in fact, goes mad with it. He still maintains the cold, haughty, emotionless facade. But anyone could tell that he's as fevered and passionate as one of those bare-chested, long-haired fellows you see kissing girls in the covers of romance novels. Well, deep down inside, he is. Very deep down.
The object of his passion is a wise and otherworldly girl named Dunizel who was born in the light of a comet, and led by her people to serve the gods (or whatever wrong-headed notions of gods that they have down here in the Flat Earth).
If you don't know this already, Azhrarn is a demon and his domain is Wickedness.
I think anyone would comprehend at this point that It Doesn't End Well.
But they do fall in love, with Dunizel being by far the more reasonable of them both. And they have a romance that is romance distilled and concentrated, without sex, but so undeniably sexual it could scald. It's like seeing adolescent passion from inside, with all the glory and absolute extremity of it. The charm is the way that Tanith Lee executes: with child-like wonder as if this is a story that has never been told before, and with crone-like clear-sightedness, compassion and, on occasion, tenderly sarcastic commentary.
And all around this emotionally-fraught love story, the world is happening, and people keep on making up gods, and living their own lives, and being crazy and human. And there's Chuz too, who's increasingly hostile to Azhrarn. And in the end, it all comes together with an enormous crash, which leaves the reader sick with anticipation for the next book.
One day I'm going to write something thoughtful and unbiased and actually helpful about this book, but right now I'm just going to leave you with this excerpt from Delusion's Master. It's not directly connected to the main story, but it's a beautiful sample of Tanith Lee's writing. I'm actually half-convinced now that cats and snakes really are related.
She's at her best with Tales from the Flat Earth, and I think this particular installment may be my favorite.
It isn't absolutely essential to read the first two books that came before Delusion's Master (which would be Night's Master and Death's Master, respectively), but it would be fun to come into the world already recognizing the characters. Especially the wickedly fabulous Azhrarn, as there's a lot of Azhrarn here.
Following the format of the other Tales from the Flat Earth, this is a series of short stories themed around a certain Lord of Darkness. This book introduces us to Chuz and his particular portfolio would be Madness. He's split right up in the middle: half of him is a male hag, while the other half is a good-looking young gent. He carries about some dice and the jawbone of an ass (which, like certain kid's toys, would make sounds when you swing it about) (but before you ask, no, it doesn't light up). For a Lord of Darkness, he's kind of nice, especially to his worshippers. And I guess that goes with the fact that in certain cases, going crazy is really much nicer than facing things that have been done to you, or worse, things that you've done.
In chronological order, we see him comforting a woman who has inadvertently killed her own child, hurrying along the insanity of a king who wants to build the Tower of Babel, convincing a bunch of philosophers that stones are gods, getting a lovesick girl to become a incendiary prophetess, and eventually, indirectly, whipping up a crowd into a frenzy of murderous stone-throwing (which upsets the philosophers a lot).
But as fun and interesting as Chuz is, he's rather eclipsed in his own book by Azhrarn the Beautiful, who is just so naturally stunning that experiencing him sends your brain into same the kind of overload you get when you look at a clear night sky. See, there's thousands of visible stars out there, but your brain could take only so many hundreds of shiny things at once -- so that's all you ever manage to take in. And the same thing goes with Azhrarn's beauty.
I know it sounds kind of silly when I say it like this, but Tanith Lee has got such a convincing and hypnotic voice, she could get an ice cube to burn down a forest.
Anyway, this is the book where Azhrarn falls in love, like really falls into it -- in fact, goes mad with it. He still maintains the cold, haughty, emotionless facade. But anyone could tell that he's as fevered and passionate as one of those bare-chested, long-haired fellows you see kissing girls in the covers of romance novels. Well, deep down inside, he is. Very deep down.
The object of his passion is a wise and otherworldly girl named Dunizel who was born in the light of a comet, and led by her people to serve the gods (or whatever wrong-headed notions of gods that they have down here in the Flat Earth).
If you don't know this already, Azhrarn is a demon and his domain is Wickedness.
I think anyone would comprehend at this point that It Doesn't End Well.
But they do fall in love, with Dunizel being by far the more reasonable of them both. And they have a romance that is romance distilled and concentrated, without sex, but so undeniably sexual it could scald. It's like seeing adolescent passion from inside, with all the glory and absolute extremity of it. The charm is the way that Tanith Lee executes: with child-like wonder as if this is a story that has never been told before, and with crone-like clear-sightedness, compassion and, on occasion, tenderly sarcastic commentary.
And all around this emotionally-fraught love story, the world is happening, and people keep on making up gods, and living their own lives, and being crazy and human. And there's Chuz too, who's increasingly hostile to Azhrarn. And in the end, it all comes together with an enormous crash, which leaves the reader sick with anticipation for the next book.
One day I'm going to write something thoughtful and unbiased and actually helpful about this book, but right now I'm just going to leave you with this excerpt from Delusion's Master. It's not directly connected to the main story, but it's a beautiful sample of Tanith Lee's writing. I'm actually half-convinced now that cats and snakes really are related.
July 27, 2025
Three books into Tanith Lee's inimitable tales of demons, love, and the varieties of human caprice, it should be pretty clear whether or not it's going to be for you or not - surely it's the former, Lee's astoundingly gorgeous writing continues here, flowing through tales of sky high towers, magic contraptions, and the love of the devil. Lee hasn't lost any of her magic, and weaves awesome, memorable myth.
That said, this is comfortably my least favorite of the three so far - while some might prefer the shorter bites of Night's, or the longer tale of Death's, Delusion's Master has two aspects that render it slightly less exciting. The first, and honestly less important, is just that the titular Prince of Madness doesn't really seem to feature all that much? Whereas we got an awesome sense of the two previous Lords, this is again really just Azhrarn's book (and who can blame Tanith Lee here, really). The first story has the most and best of this new character, but he falls away a bit in the latter half.
The other is a bigger issue but is more nebulous - Night's master took on this inter-weaving story of princesses and adventure, and Death's Master was about two brothers - Delusion's Master by contrast involves itself more with locations, scenes, scopes, and groups of people. There are clear counter-examples, and these are the best bits of the book, but there's a lot of interstitial wandering that has "this group of priests," or "That caravan of travelers," and while the writing certainly doesn't waver, I don't know that the style works as well without a clear and direct focus - Things should be grand, greater than life, impossible, and with large bodies of people it gets muddied down.
None of this is enough to bring down this book, or the impossibly fun world that Lee has written. The Flat Earth continues to enrapture.
That said, this is comfortably my least favorite of the three so far - while some might prefer the shorter bites of Night's, or the longer tale of Death's, Delusion's Master has two aspects that render it slightly less exciting. The first, and honestly less important, is just that the titular Prince of Madness doesn't really seem to feature all that much? Whereas we got an awesome sense of the two previous Lords, this is again really just Azhrarn's book (and who can blame Tanith Lee here, really). The first story has the most and best of this new character, but he falls away a bit in the latter half.
The other is a bigger issue but is more nebulous - Night's master took on this inter-weaving story of princesses and adventure, and Death's Master was about two brothers - Delusion's Master by contrast involves itself more with locations, scenes, scopes, and groups of people. There are clear counter-examples, and these are the best bits of the book, but there's a lot of interstitial wandering that has "this group of priests," or "That caravan of travelers," and while the writing certainly doesn't waver, I don't know that the style works as well without a clear and direct focus - Things should be grand, greater than life, impossible, and with large bodies of people it gets muddied down.
None of this is enough to bring down this book, or the impossibly fun world that Lee has written. The Flat Earth continues to enrapture.
April 3, 2012
There is something exotically old world about Tanith Lee's story-telling that makes my battered paperback feel like a huge leather bound illustrated tome faintly scented with spices and dust.
My copy of this always falls open along its abused spine to pg 156/157 - so frequently have I returned to the story of the creation of The Cat. The image it spawned when I read it many (many) years ago of the most beautiful of all of literature's Dark Lords passing his hand down the creature's back and bringing it to life, the image of a cat's body holding untold secrets if we could only open our eyes and *see*... when I show these words to other people they finally understand why I never treated as babies the grown felines who have chosen to eat my food and shed on my pillows.
I need to revisit this book. Soon. Perhaps after my next One Star rating so that my love of the written word stays afloat.
Wait, what do you mean I can't mark it as "to Read" just because its already on my book shelf?
My copy of this always falls open along its abused spine to pg 156/157 - so frequently have I returned to the story of the creation of The Cat. The image it spawned when I read it many (many) years ago of the most beautiful of all of literature's Dark Lords passing his hand down the creature's back and bringing it to life, the image of a cat's body holding untold secrets if we could only open our eyes and *see*... when I show these words to other people they finally understand why I never treated as babies the grown felines who have chosen to eat my food and shed on my pillows.
I need to revisit this book. Soon. Perhaps after my next One Star rating so that my love of the written word stays afloat.
Wait, what do you mean I can't mark it as "to Read" just because its already on my book shelf?
January 26, 2020
Huge praise to Tanith Lee, for delivering the magnificent universe of Flat Earth.
This third book is centered upon madness, and quite fittingly, the reader is frequently lost and transported throughout the world of Flat Earth, following parallel events which unfold with maddening frenzy.
Lee boldly writes a fascinating take of the story of the Tower of Babylon, among others, and proves that she can successfully incorporate pseudo-history within high fantasy.
This book is a gem, like all others of this series, and yet it kind of left me wanting more, in the end. Perhaps because this is the first one that features a show-off between two Lords of Darkness (no spoilers). Buy it, enjoy it, you won't regret it!
This third book is centered upon madness, and quite fittingly, the reader is frequently lost and transported throughout the world of Flat Earth, following parallel events which unfold with maddening frenzy.
Lee boldly writes a fascinating take of the story of the Tower of Babylon, among others, and proves that she can successfully incorporate pseudo-history within high fantasy.
This book is a gem, like all others of this series, and yet it kind of left me wanting more, in the end. Perhaps because this is the first one that features a show-off between two Lords of Darkness (no spoilers). Buy it, enjoy it, you won't regret it!
December 10, 2008
Book 3 of the Flat Earth series. This book is slightly different from Night's Master & Death's Master in that it contains a plot development which gives the series direction whereas the 1st 2 simply created mythology.
June 28, 2025
Not quite up to the standard of the first two but still another excellent exercise in mythology mash ups. The prologue is superb, best writing in the series but nothing else can quite live up to it. I'd be very surprised if Ted Chiang and Neil Gaiman hadn't read and borrowed from these books.
June 30, 2025
An interesting reimaging of the Tower of Babel story and the fallout with the Lord of Madness and the Lord of Darkness.
More even in its quality for me, but without the highs of the two first books, yet unburdened by their lows.
More even in its quality for me, but without the highs of the two first books, yet unburdened by their lows.
January 5, 2024
Non sono in un periodo pro-fantasy, ma devo riconoscere che questa storia ha un che di macabro e affascinante.
November 30, 2013
Господарят на делюзиите е онзи кикот в мрака, тихата стъпка на неясна сянка зад ъгъла, ароматa на разложение от привидно напъпилата роза… Той е всичко, което противоречи на здравия разум, което те кара да преминеш границите на предвидимото и да се отдадеш в прегръдките на невероятното. Когато умът излети през покрива на ежедневното, последният шанс е безвъзвратно загубен, и пелената на болката се спуска бавно над хоризонта, той идва и те прегръща с ръка, чиито пръсти са диви змии, и усмивка на лице, наполовина пролетен бриз и лъчиста светлина, наполовина прясно разровен гроб и писък на омраза. И който срещне погледа на иначе сведените зеници, никога няма да бъде себе си повече, или жив, или щастлив, или въобще съществувал някога.
Битката за земния народ между демоните – повелители на времето продължава и в третата част на поредицата за плоската земя на Танит Ли. Отново човечеството не заслужава да бъде фаворизирано с обич, а мачкано от тъмните господари на мрака до последна капка кръв. Една преминаваща комета променя смелите, жестоките и лудите до абсолютния идеал на мисълта, след който има една – единствена кратичка крачка към еманацията на светлината. Една изоставена кралица жертва детето си , за да върне любовта на съпруга си, зает с много по-великата цел да създаде безподобната кула на Вавилон. А един демон за първи път пролива сълзи в името на преминалата живота си единствена любов, притежаваща светлината до степен, достатъчна да озари и най-крайния мрак.
Лудостта властва, дали като отмъщение за загубени чувства, дали като вопъл на вярващите към безразличните божества, или даже като рев на подивелите жители на подземното царство, съпричастни към мъката на господаря си. А любовта не винаги е отговора, нито пък винаги побеждава човешката жестокост, а още по-рядко – човешката глупост. И земни, и неземни изпитват непоколебимата сила на изгубения разум, а изходът е често само във смъртта, понякога и малко отвъд мъртвата плът, вдигната за неестествен зародиш на живот.
Страховита приказка за красиви хора и почти – божества, танцуващи под бича на нелогичната лудост, обхващаща всеки, осмелил се да се противопостави на господаря на делюзиите, принц Чуз. Светът за секунда почти загубва своя шанс за бъдеще, кръв и писъци заливат мирните живуркащи, но все пак добре , че някой свръх-човешки бди над своите любими играчки, дори в отсъствието на бледите каменни богове, изпълнени с безразличие и самовглъбеност. Магията продължава, и аз и се подчинявам , внимателно следейки за чистотата на своя ум, вече напълно подвластен на времената отпреди земята да придобие подобната си на слънце форма, когато по плоската твърд са бродели далеч по-важни същества от собствения ни вид. А може би е все още така. Можем само да се надяваме.
Битката за земния народ между демоните – повелители на времето продължава и в третата част на поредицата за плоската земя на Танит Ли. Отново човечеството не заслужава да бъде фаворизирано с обич, а мачкано от тъмните господари на мрака до последна капка кръв. Една преминаваща комета променя смелите, жестоките и лудите до абсолютния идеал на мисълта, след който има една – единствена кратичка крачка към еманацията на светлината. Една изоставена кралица жертва детето си , за да върне любовта на съпруга си, зает с много по-великата цел да създаде безподобната кула на Вавилон. А един демон за първи път пролива сълзи в името на преминалата живота си единствена любов, притежаваща светлината до степен, достатъчна да озари и най-крайния мрак.
Лудостта властва, дали като отмъщение за загубени чувства, дали като вопъл на вярващите към безразличните божества, или даже като рев на подивелите жители на подземното царство, съпричастни към мъката на господаря си. А любовта не винаги е отговора, нито пък винаги побеждава човешката жестокост, а още по-рядко – човешката глупост. И земни, и неземни изпитват непоколебимата сила на изгубения разум, а изходът е често само във смъртта, понякога и малко отвъд мъртвата плът, вдигната за неестествен зародиш на живот.
Страховита приказка за красиви хора и почти – божества, танцуващи под бича на нелогичната лудост, обхващаща всеки, осмелил се да се противопостави на господаря на делюзиите, принц Чуз. Светът за секунда почти загубва своя шанс за бъдеще, кръв и писъци заливат мирните живуркащи, но все пак добре , че някой свръх-човешки бди над своите любими играчки, дори в отсъствието на бледите каменни богове, изпълнени с безразличие и самовглъбеност. Магията продължава, и аз и се подчинявам , внимателно следейки за чистотата на своя ум, вече напълно подвластен на времената отпреди земята да придобие подобната си на слънце форма, когато по плоската твърд са бродели далеч по-важни същества от собствения ни вид. А може би е все още така. Можем само да се надяваме.
December 16, 2019
Catching lightning in a bottle twice is a remarkable achievement. Catching it three times? Even Tanith Lee couldn't quite pull that off with Delusion's Master, the third book in her Flat Earth series (1981). The book is merely an excellent follow-up to a remarkable beginning.
The book is delightful in many respects, and certainly readable, but something was lacking for me. Delusion never quite reached the charm or challenge of the other two masters, which took quite a bit of oomph from this book. He never quite caught my imagination, and so his antics never quite caught my interests. I feel as if he was the least explored of all the masters, and never quite understood, even by the author.
I found that the book picked up as I went along, getting more engaging towards the back half. As usual for her book, the human antics are sordid and perverse, even before they reach the demonic. The demons can accomplish so much because the humans already contain so many dark capacities just waiting to get tapped, yet the book also contains much hope for humanity, showing them equally capable of mercy and benevolence. So these aren't jaded stories, but neither are they idyllic. This is a fantasy that dives into human nature, exploring human nature a little too well to feel comfortable.
I greatly admire the magic system, which is to say, the book had no magic system except that which worked with the story. Magic always has an inexplicable nature and an engineered nature, both at the same time, but explaining it could yield no good. What's the point when the book involves the powers of the universe vying against each other?
I'd recommend a different Master's book first, but if this is the one that you start with, you haven't started in a bad place.
The book is delightful in many respects, and certainly readable, but something was lacking for me. Delusion never quite reached the charm or challenge of the other two masters, which took quite a bit of oomph from this book. He never quite caught my imagination, and so his antics never quite caught my interests. I feel as if he was the least explored of all the masters, and never quite understood, even by the author.
I found that the book picked up as I went along, getting more engaging towards the back half. As usual for her book, the human antics are sordid and perverse, even before they reach the demonic. The demons can accomplish so much because the humans already contain so many dark capacities just waiting to get tapped, yet the book also contains much hope for humanity, showing them equally capable of mercy and benevolence. So these aren't jaded stories, but neither are they idyllic. This is a fantasy that dives into human nature, exploring human nature a little too well to feel comfortable.
I greatly admire the magic system, which is to say, the book had no magic system except that which worked with the story. Magic always has an inexplicable nature and an engineered nature, both at the same time, but explaining it could yield no good. What's the point when the book involves the powers of the universe vying against each other?
I'd recommend a different Master's book first, but if this is the one that you start with, you haven't started in a bad place.
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February 19, 2012I have had occasion to remark on my love for everything Arabian Nights related before, but even among the category Tanith Lee’s Tales from the Flat Earth has always been a particular favourite. I think at least one of the reasons is that those volumes don’t just decorate their stories with same exotic oriental trappings, but attempt a more comprehensive evocation, encompassing not just the setting but also the narrative structure with its serpentine plot twists and abundance of framing devices. And there is of course the always-gorgeous prose of Tanith Lee (which I’m actually experiencing for the first times for the Flat Earth books as I’d previously only read them in German translation) that never fails to enchant.[return][return]Delusion’s Master is Chuz and he is another of Tanith Lee’s deliciously twisted creations – it is a pity that he is mostly pulling the strings in the background in this volume and not getting a lot of on-stage time. Or it would be a pity if we did not get a lot Azhrarn instead, the Prince of Demons who I am sure nobody who ever read Night’s Master will forget about. This time, the plot is considerably more straightforward and less involved than in the two previous installments – but within its slim volume it still packs more unpredictable twists and delightful surprises than most doorstopper trilogies. It is fantastic that Norilana are making those available again, and there’s even new volumes planned, which I’m very much looking forward to.
March 11, 2023
In some ways, I feel like this is the strongest of the FLAT EARTH books - although still a lush, elaborate Middle Eastern-inspired fairy tale, it's fairy short (barely over 200 pages) and probably the tightest of the series. Coincidently, this is the first of the FLAT EARTH books that I encountered so many years ago (I originally read them out of order). Like the previous novels, the story is a combination of tales, mostly about the interactions of humanity and demons. DELUSION'S MASTER introduces Chuz, Prince Madness (one of the five Lords of Darkness, and, in my opinion, the one with the coolest description). The story begins with Tanith Lee's interpretation of the Tower of Babel legend, and moves into a tale of Azhrarn's (Wickedness, Night's Master) revenge on humanity that failed to appreciate his ultimate self-sacrifice* in the first book, which by turns evolves into a love story between demon and human (well, mostly human - there's a backstory to explain that), followed by a proxy duel between two of the Lords of Darkness, corruption, madness, tragedy, and ultimately death. Clever tales combined with lovely descriptions and dark plots. This novel also contains my favorite story of where cats came from (Hint - It was snakes.).
* A sacrifice, by the way, that wouldn't have been necessary if he hadn't created the situation (albeit indirectly) himself.
* A sacrifice, by the way, that wouldn't have been necessary if he hadn't created the situation (albeit indirectly) himself.
November 15, 2019
I read the fourth book in this series, Delirium's Mistress, many years ago. It was my first and only venture into Flat Earth for about 15 years and I loved it. It was dark and dreamy. The world was cruel yet beautiful. A few years ago I reread it. I realized that yes it was just as good as I remembered if not better from my more aged perspective. So after reading a few other Tanith Lee books not in this series I decided that I needed to finally start from the first book. And lucky me the books were now in print again. At least as ebooks. And I loved the first two books. Finally I got to this book and I was both excited and wary because I knew it would be about Chuz who plays such an important role in Azhriaz's life. And turns out it's great. It basically is a set up for Deliriums Mistress. I don't know if I think the story is quite as strong as the previous two or the one that follows but the ending is just fantastic. The focus on madness and love throughout the book is exceptionally done through the Flat Earth lens of Demons and both their cruelty and compassion for mortals.
March 17, 2015
Returning to Tales from the Flat Earth series by Tanith Lee feels like returning to the house of my youth. I am deeply in love with the landscapes, characters and mythology of this arabesque world. Here we are presented to the intriging Chuz, Prince Madness, although Azhrarn is the real protagonist (and of course, you can't have a more charming and charismatic character). And in these pages we finally find someone who can challenge the Prince of Demons.
This, the third book of the series, may be my least favorite; but the ending was beautiful, I'm going to quote the last paragraph for the rest of my life. Also, it leaves with the most cruel cliffhanger ever! I must find the fourth book of this series, Delirium's Mistress, no matter what.
This, the third book of the series, may be my least favorite; but the ending was beautiful, I'm going to quote the last paragraph for the rest of my life. Also, it leaves with the most cruel cliffhanger ever! I must find the fourth book of this series, Delirium's Mistress, no matter what.
May 5, 2017
A continuation in Lee's eerie Tales of Flat Earth series, she introduces new characters with old. Her ability to characterize and similarly humanize the most evil of creatures shows in her descriptive abilities. Personally, I feel this is Lee's strongest feature. Her description leaves little to imagination, and is written in beautiful, poetic prose. I can't judge any of the characters based on human morality, or I can but I choose not to most of the time, since they are so far from humans even though they are. Lee is not a kind creator to her creations. She may be as evil as Azhrarn but with a kinder heart, but even so, with the despair she brings upon her creations, she does provide some hope towards the end. It isn't a lot, but a glimmer.
August 8, 2014
I love most of the stories, or the concepts like those mockeries to human faith, in this book, though I remember, when I first read it and Delirium in translation, how I hated the facts that Azhrarn were losing interest in humans.
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