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Henghis Hapthorn #2
The Spiral Labyrinth
It was bad enough when Henghis Hapthorn, Old Earth's foremost discriminator and die-hard empiricist, had to accept that the cosmos was shortly to rewrite its basic operating system, replacing rational cause-and-effect with detestable magic. Now he finds himself cast forward several centuries, stranded in a primitive world of contending wizards and hungry dragons, and without his magic-savvy alter ego. Worse, some entity with a will powerful enough to bend space and time is searching for him through the Nine Planes, bellowing "Bring me Apthorn!" in a voice loud enough to frighten demons.
210 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
17 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hughes
202 books281 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 12, 2012
A case involving missing persons sees Henghis Hapthorn flung centuries into the future, where magic rules instead of reason and the five most powerful magicians of the age are looking for him. Can Henghis survive long enough to return to his own time?
The Henghis Hapthorn books feel like they're written with my tastes in mind. While clearly influence by Jack Vance's Dying Earth and space operas, they are essentially mysteries with a lot of Wodehousian language both in the dialogue and the writing itself. Hapthorn could easily be a member of the Drones Club.
Like the last book, the plot is pretty circuitous. Without giving too much away, how many other books feature a ship's AI that is obsessed with its owner, a super-intelligent colony of fungus, time travel, and a detective that has a second intelligence in his skull that happens to be a wizard?
The relationship between Osk Rievor, Hapthorn, and the Integrator continues to develop. The wizards of the future weren't as developed as I'd like but were straight out of Jack Vance. Smiling Bol in particular could easily have been a Dying Earth character. Something else I like is that Hughes uses the magic system Vance developed in Dying Earth that was later swiped for Dungeons and Dragons and various other things but puts his own spin on it. One of my favorite minor details of the story was that when Henghis traveled to the magic dominated future, his laser pistol was transformed into an intelligent magic sword.
One thing I have to mention is that Matthew Hughes isn't afraid to shake up Henghis Hapthorn's world, unlike a lot of other series writers. While I don't want to spoil things, the status quo is definitely not maintained and the ending is a little sad.
As always, Henghis Hapthorn should appeal to fans of Jack Vance, P.G. Wodehouse, and fans of odd mysteries. If you like all three of those things, you'll love this.
The Henghis Hapthorn books feel like they're written with my tastes in mind. While clearly influence by Jack Vance's Dying Earth and space operas, they are essentially mysteries with a lot of Wodehousian language both in the dialogue and the writing itself. Hapthorn could easily be a member of the Drones Club.
Like the last book, the plot is pretty circuitous. Without giving too much away, how many other books feature a ship's AI that is obsessed with its owner, a super-intelligent colony of fungus, time travel, and a detective that has a second intelligence in his skull that happens to be a wizard?
The relationship between Osk Rievor, Hapthorn, and the Integrator continues to develop. The wizards of the future weren't as developed as I'd like but were straight out of Jack Vance. Smiling Bol in particular could easily have been a Dying Earth character. Something else I like is that Hughes uses the magic system Vance developed in Dying Earth that was later swiped for Dungeons and Dragons and various other things but puts his own spin on it. One of my favorite minor details of the story was that when Henghis traveled to the magic dominated future, his laser pistol was transformed into an intelligent magic sword.
One thing I have to mention is that Matthew Hughes isn't afraid to shake up Henghis Hapthorn's world, unlike a lot of other series writers. While I don't want to spoil things, the status quo is definitely not maintained and the ending is a little sad.
As always, Henghis Hapthorn should appeal to fans of Jack Vance, P.G. Wodehouse, and fans of odd mysteries. If you like all three of those things, you'll love this.
August 29, 2019
Fantastic followup to Majestrum, Hughes' first Henghis Hapthorn title. Henghis is flung into the deep future, to an age where magic ("sympathetic association") has overtaken reason and powerful wizards are locked in a power struggle. Enter an ancient sentient fungus hive mind, and Hughes' wildly imaginative world building, full of wonderful oddities and laced with plenty of witty and wry humor, starts to shine! Where Majestrum was a mystery at heart, this is more of a straight sci-fi/fantasy adventure.
Read
October 30, 2010Matthew Hughes is an under-appreciated writer. For years he has been toiling in a mainly Jack Vancean sort of vein, turning out stories and novels set in a world where science is just about to turn over to magic, but not quite yet. Old Earth, with a baroque and dizzying array of ancient cultures, is a rich field for Hughes to explore. On an even larger scale, Old Earth is itself but one planet in "The Spray", Hughes's answer to Jack Vance's Oikumene. A dizzying array of planets of even more diversity than Earth itself, Hughes' fiction allows the reader to experience a full and inexhaustible range of cultures, environments and characters. His prose brings these environments and characters to life, transporting the reader to areas both familiar and absolutely alien for all of their humanity.
In the Spiral Labyrinth, we continue the adventures of Henghis Hapthorn, previously seen in a couple of short stories as well as Majestrum. As a freelance discriminator (private investigator) he is a late-age-of-Earth Sherlock Holmes, with a number of twists. Thanks to the results of previous adventures, his integrator, a semi-sentient computer, has been transformed from a device to a fruit-craving unique creature. Also, his sense of intuition, an invaluable compliment to his finely honed sense of reason and logic, is in fact now a full fledged sub personality within his brain that he can converse with, named Osk Rievor. Even with these handicaps (although he would insist they are advantages), Henghis is the foremost discriminator on Old Earth.
In the Spiral Labyrinth Henghis once again gets plunged into situations far beyond his ken, surviving by applications of luck, verve, reason and intuition. Hughes likes to put his characters through the wringer. The keystone event of Spiral Labyrinth, for example, has Henghis, thanks to the titular device, accidentally transported several centuries into the future--and past the point where the rules of the universe finally change from science and magic. Worse, he has been transported here without Osk Rievor (who knows a little theory of magic), and so he must survive on reason alone, in a land without reason.How does Henghis survive in a world of dragons and spells, and how he manages to get home are the meat and potatoes of the book.
And, like previous novels and stories, Spiral Labyrinth stands alone, but continues to build the life, career and nature of its main character. You certainly can start here, Hughes does a good job enfolding previous events into the narrative in an organic way. However, this does not mean the stories are episodic. I have no doubt that the adventures of this book, and their impact on Hapthorn, will continue to resonate through the next
If you are a Jack Vance fan, or simply enjoy picaresque adventures in a baroque series of settings with an engaging main character, the Henghis Hapthorn stories of Matthew Hughes, including the Spiral Labyrinth, are definitely for you.
In the Spiral Labyrinth, we continue the adventures of Henghis Hapthorn, previously seen in a couple of short stories as well as Majestrum. As a freelance discriminator (private investigator) he is a late-age-of-Earth Sherlock Holmes, with a number of twists. Thanks to the results of previous adventures, his integrator, a semi-sentient computer, has been transformed from a device to a fruit-craving unique creature. Also, his sense of intuition, an invaluable compliment to his finely honed sense of reason and logic, is in fact now a full fledged sub personality within his brain that he can converse with, named Osk Rievor. Even with these handicaps (although he would insist they are advantages), Henghis is the foremost discriminator on Old Earth.
In the Spiral Labyrinth Henghis once again gets plunged into situations far beyond his ken, surviving by applications of luck, verve, reason and intuition. Hughes likes to put his characters through the wringer. The keystone event of Spiral Labyrinth, for example, has Henghis, thanks to the titular device, accidentally transported several centuries into the future--and past the point where the rules of the universe finally change from science and magic. Worse, he has been transported here without Osk Rievor (who knows a little theory of magic), and so he must survive on reason alone, in a land without reason.How does Henghis survive in a world of dragons and spells, and how he manages to get home are the meat and potatoes of the book.
And, like previous novels and stories, Spiral Labyrinth stands alone, but continues to build the life, career and nature of its main character. You certainly can start here, Hughes does a good job enfolding previous events into the narrative in an organic way. However, this does not mean the stories are episodic. I have no doubt that the adventures of this book, and their impact on Hapthorn, will continue to resonate through the next
If you are a Jack Vance fan, or simply enjoy picaresque adventures in a baroque series of settings with an engaging main character, the Henghis Hapthorn stories of Matthew Hughes, including the Spiral Labyrinth, are definitely for you.
July 5, 2012
The Spiral Labyrinth is the latest novel in the chronicles of Henghis Hapthorn, Matthew Hughes' master detective, but to get the most out of it one needs to have first read Majestrum, (and perhaps the six Hapthorn stories originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and subsequently collected in the Gist Hunter and Other Stories, though one can manage the novels without them.) Anything by Matthew Hughes is in the "must read" category, so if you are unfamiliar with the series, it is well worth buying both books at a go (Amazon.ca offering convenient discounts with their 'buy both and save' button).
Henghis Hapthorn is the Archonate's finest discriminator, a master of deductive reasoning. Unfortunately, in this penultimate age, magic is again beginning to intrude into the universe, disrupting the rationale causation that is the basis of Henghis' investigations. Hapthorn struggles against the changing nature of reality, and the realization that his particular talents are becoming increasingly obsolete in the new age of sympathetic magic. Forced to defend the value of empiricism against various practitioners of magical intuition, his own logical deductions are often mistaken for magic, to his considerable annoyance. Imagine a sardonic Sherlock Holmes set in Jack Vance's Dying Earth, and you pretty much get the idea.
The Spiral Labyrinth is the latest novel in the chronicles of Henghis Hapthorn, Matthew Hughes' master detective, but to get the most out of it one needs to have first read Majestrum, (and perhaps the six Hapthorn stories originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and subsequently collected in the Gist Hunter and Other Stories, though one can manage the novels without them.) Anything by Matthew Hughes is in the "must read" category, so if you are unfamiliar with the series, it is well worth buying both books at a go (Amazon.ca offering convenient discounts with their 'buy both and save' button).
Henghis Hapthorn is the Archonate's finest discriminator, a master of deductive reasoning. Unfortunately, in this penultimate age, magic is again beginning to intrude into the universe, disrupting the rationale causation that is the basis of Henghis' investigations. Hapthorn struggles against the changing nature of reality, and the realization that his particular talents are becoming increasingly obsolete in the new age of sympathetic magic. Forced to defend the value of empiricism against various practitioners of magical intuition, his own logical deductions are often mistaken for magic, to his considerable annoyance. Imagine a sardonic Sherlock Holmes set in Jack Vance's Dying Earth, and you pretty much get the idea.
The first novel, Majestrum concerns unraveling a conspiracy against one of Earth's leading families; the second, The Spiral Labyrinth, follows Haphtorn into a parallel world completely dominated by magic. The mysteries are original, compelling, and satisfyingly twisty, but plot is entirely secondary to the droll dialog and wry worldbuilding.
One particularly original aspect of the Henghis Hapthorn chronicles is how the author solves the eternal problem of finding someone to whom the super sleuth can explain everything (i.e., the 'Watson' character): thanks to events recounted in The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, Hapthorn has become a split personality, allowing our protagonist to argue his various clues and cases with, um, himself. It is a clever conceit used to good comic effect, but Hughes also seems to be raising, in a pretty direct and literal manner, the larger question of whether people are ever really honest with themselves.
Hughes is a master of the ironic monolog, and much of Hapthorn's first person narration reveals him skirting over certain moral ambiguities or presenting himself in a better light than might altogether be justified by the facts. (Indeed, when they get around to making the film version of the Hapthorn chronicles, I envisage Kelesy Grammer cast in the title role, rather than, say, Jeremy Irons.) Conceited, self-satisfied, preening gasbag though he might be, Henghis Hapthorn is nevertheless oddly loveable and often rises to the occasion, demonstrating considerable genius and even heroism. And just underneath the irony lies a whole other layer of philosophical debate that underpins much of Matthew Hughes writing. In other words, Matthew Hughes is seriously funny.
But do not just take my word for it: sample chapters of all Hughes major works are available on his website at www.archonate.com. (But if you are moved to obtain the complete Matthew Hughes cannon —which I highly recommend — note that Gullible's Travels is in fact an omnibus edition of Fools Errant and Fool Me Twice.)
Reprinted from Neo-Opsis Magazine #14.
Henghis Hapthorn is the Archonate's finest discriminator, a master of deductive reasoning. Unfortunately, in this penultimate age, magic is again beginning to intrude into the universe, disrupting the rationale causation that is the basis of Henghis' investigations. Hapthorn struggles against the changing nature of reality, and the realization that his particular talents are becoming increasingly obsolete in the new age of sympathetic magic. Forced to defend the value of empiricism against various practitioners of magical intuition, his own logical deductions are often mistaken for magic, to his considerable annoyance. Imagine a sardonic Sherlock Holmes set in Jack Vance's Dying Earth, and you pretty much get the idea.
The Spiral Labyrinth is the latest novel in the chronicles of Henghis Hapthorn, Matthew Hughes' master detective, but to get the most out of it one needs to have first read Majestrum, (and perhaps the six Hapthorn stories originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and subsequently collected in the Gist Hunter and Other Stories, though one can manage the novels without them.) Anything by Matthew Hughes is in the "must read" category, so if you are unfamiliar with the series, it is well worth buying both books at a go (Amazon.ca offering convenient discounts with their 'buy both and save' button).
Henghis Hapthorn is the Archonate's finest discriminator, a master of deductive reasoning. Unfortunately, in this penultimate age, magic is again beginning to intrude into the universe, disrupting the rationale causation that is the basis of Henghis' investigations. Hapthorn struggles against the changing nature of reality, and the realization that his particular talents are becoming increasingly obsolete in the new age of sympathetic magic. Forced to defend the value of empiricism against various practitioners of magical intuition, his own logical deductions are often mistaken for magic, to his considerable annoyance. Imagine a sardonic Sherlock Holmes set in Jack Vance's Dying Earth, and you pretty much get the idea.
The first novel, Majestrum concerns unraveling a conspiracy against one of Earth's leading families; the second, The Spiral Labyrinth, follows Haphtorn into a parallel world completely dominated by magic. The mysteries are original, compelling, and satisfyingly twisty, but plot is entirely secondary to the droll dialog and wry worldbuilding.
One particularly original aspect of the Henghis Hapthorn chronicles is how the author solves the eternal problem of finding someone to whom the super sleuth can explain everything (i.e., the 'Watson' character): thanks to events recounted in The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, Hapthorn has become a split personality, allowing our protagonist to argue his various clues and cases with, um, himself. It is a clever conceit used to good comic effect, but Hughes also seems to be raising, in a pretty direct and literal manner, the larger question of whether people are ever really honest with themselves.
Hughes is a master of the ironic monolog, and much of Hapthorn's first person narration reveals him skirting over certain moral ambiguities or presenting himself in a better light than might altogether be justified by the facts. (Indeed, when they get around to making the film version of the Hapthorn chronicles, I envisage Kelesy Grammer cast in the title role, rather than, say, Jeremy Irons.) Conceited, self-satisfied, preening gasbag though he might be, Henghis Hapthorn is nevertheless oddly loveable and often rises to the occasion, demonstrating considerable genius and even heroism. And just underneath the irony lies a whole other layer of philosophical debate that underpins much of Matthew Hughes writing. In other words, Matthew Hughes is seriously funny.
But do not just take my word for it: sample chapters of all Hughes major works are available on his website at www.archonate.com. (But if you are moved to obtain the complete Matthew Hughes cannon —which I highly recommend — note that Gullible's Travels is in fact an omnibus edition of Fools Errant and Fool Me Twice.)
Reprinted from Neo-Opsis Magazine #14.
June 9, 2014
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature. http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Henghis Hapthorn, who we met in Majestrum, is back. Actually, he’s not really back, he’s forward, because after solving the mystery of the disappearance of a man who went to look at a spaceship for sale, Henghis finds himself in a future Dying Earth where magic has replaced the role of reason in the universe. It seems he’s been drawn there by some malevolent force that wants something from him. In this future Earth, Henghis contends with warring wizards, fire-breathing dragons, and a very nasty luminous fungus. Will he be able to get back to his proper time and place?
Fortunately, Hapthorn is not alone. He has his computer which has turned into an argumentative fruit-eating feline pet, and a sentient sword which is eager to be drawn and brandished at any potential threat. Unfortunately, Henghis’ intuitive alternate psyche, who prefers to be called Osk Rievor, is missing and Henghis, who’s quite a logical fellow, could really use his help in a world where logic no longer works.
As I mentioned in my review of Majestrum, the first of the Henghis Hapthorn novels which are set in the ARCHONATE universe, Matthew Hughes’ writing style, dry humor, and bizarre characters and situations unabashedly mimic Jack Vance (he even uses the word “exudate”). Hughes’ work is not parody or pastiche — his characters and plot are all his own. These are original and creative stories, not rehashed Vance tales. As a rabid Vance fan, I think Hughes is worthy of comparison to the master and I can’t help but be charmed by an author who clearly loves Jack Vance as much as I do. Even the covers for the Henghis Hapthorn novels were painted by one of my favorite fantasy artists, Tom Kidd, who created the covers for many of Jack Vance’s novels. Charming.
David Marantz narrates the audio version of The Spiral Labyrinth which was recently produced by Audible Frontiers. It took me a while to warm up to Marantz in Majestrum, but I decided that he was a good fit after all and I really liked him in The Spiral Labyrinth. His voice is pleasant and his plain, even reading technique works well with Hughes’ style.
Henghis Hapthorn, who we met in Majestrum, is back. Actually, he’s not really back, he’s forward, because after solving the mystery of the disappearance of a man who went to look at a spaceship for sale, Henghis finds himself in a future Dying Earth where magic has replaced the role of reason in the universe. It seems he’s been drawn there by some malevolent force that wants something from him. In this future Earth, Henghis contends with warring wizards, fire-breathing dragons, and a very nasty luminous fungus. Will he be able to get back to his proper time and place?
Fortunately, Hapthorn is not alone. He has his computer which has turned into an argumentative fruit-eating feline pet, and a sentient sword which is eager to be drawn and brandished at any potential threat. Unfortunately, Henghis’ intuitive alternate psyche, who prefers to be called Osk Rievor, is missing and Henghis, who’s quite a logical fellow, could really use his help in a world where logic no longer works.
As I mentioned in my review of Majestrum, the first of the Henghis Hapthorn novels which are set in the ARCHONATE universe, Matthew Hughes’ writing style, dry humor, and bizarre characters and situations unabashedly mimic Jack Vance (he even uses the word “exudate”). Hughes’ work is not parody or pastiche — his characters and plot are all his own. These are original and creative stories, not rehashed Vance tales. As a rabid Vance fan, I think Hughes is worthy of comparison to the master and I can’t help but be charmed by an author who clearly loves Jack Vance as much as I do. Even the covers for the Henghis Hapthorn novels were painted by one of my favorite fantasy artists, Tom Kidd, who created the covers for many of Jack Vance’s novels. Charming.
David Marantz narrates the audio version of The Spiral Labyrinth which was recently produced by Audible Frontiers. It took me a while to warm up to Marantz in Majestrum, but I decided that he was a good fit after all and I really liked him in The Spiral Labyrinth. His voice is pleasant and his plain, even reading technique works well with Hughes’ style.
May 21, 2012
First and foremost, I gave the previous book in this series 3 stars, so why did I bother reading this? Only mortal, after all I'm afraid. If you really dug Magestrum, then you will possibly really dig this. But if you thought Magestrum was mediocre, as I did, DO NOT give Mr. Hughes another chance. Such was my error.
The beginning of this book moves slowly. Many paragraphs are consumed advancing the plot not at all, and delivering only information that the protagonist is a conceited dick, in what other reviewers laud as Wodehousian dialogue. Go read some Wodehouse. You will be happier.
Likewise too comparisons with Jack Vance. All of the inner liner blurbs compare Hughes to Jack Vance. Read your fill of Vance, I urge, and stop there. The Lyonesse series, the last 2 books of the Demon Princes, the Dying Earth books from which Hughes barely extrapolates his setting-- much better. And if you like Dying Earth also before reading Hughes read Michael Shea.
By the end of the book, things happen with extreme rapidity, which highlights grievous weaknesses in Hughes world building. Inner liner notes attributed to Nick Gevers at Locus claim that Hughes has "... a flair for reified metaphysics surpassing anything conceived by Vance." Umm, no, sorry.
Rather, the quick action at the end of the book reveal the inconsistent and sloppy thinking employed by Hughes-- it's all about a quick and dirty answer to the latest conundrum designed to get the protagonist to the next screen without any regard to the rules of the world previously set down in the book. In fact consideration of the element in this work which made its way to status of the title will reveal woeful inconsistencies in the logic of this setting.
Don't read this, it sucks. My two star rating indicates-- finished it, wish I hadn't. Which I wouldn't have had I not been marooned at the inlaws with no other suitable fiction on hand.
The beginning of this book moves slowly. Many paragraphs are consumed advancing the plot not at all, and delivering only information that the protagonist is a conceited dick, in what other reviewers laud as Wodehousian dialogue. Go read some Wodehouse. You will be happier.
Likewise too comparisons with Jack Vance. All of the inner liner blurbs compare Hughes to Jack Vance. Read your fill of Vance, I urge, and stop there. The Lyonesse series, the last 2 books of the Demon Princes, the Dying Earth books from which Hughes barely extrapolates his setting-- much better. And if you like Dying Earth also before reading Hughes read Michael Shea.
By the end of the book, things happen with extreme rapidity, which highlights grievous weaknesses in Hughes world building. Inner liner notes attributed to Nick Gevers at Locus claim that Hughes has "... a flair for reified metaphysics surpassing anything conceived by Vance." Umm, no, sorry.
Rather, the quick action at the end of the book reveal the inconsistent and sloppy thinking employed by Hughes-- it's all about a quick and dirty answer to the latest conundrum designed to get the protagonist to the next screen without any regard to the rules of the world previously set down in the book. In fact consideration of the element in this work which made its way to status of the title will reveal woeful inconsistencies in the logic of this setting.
Don't read this, it sucks. My two star rating indicates-- finished it, wish I hadn't. Which I wouldn't have had I not been marooned at the inlaws with no other suitable fiction on hand.
December 19, 2014
Hengis Hapthorn did not have an easy life as a discriminator, but at least mysteries were subject to his immense powers of reasoning. But a new age is dawning, the age of sympathetic association, and Hengis has been unwillingly enlisted. Thrown forward several centuries into a new world ruled by magic, Hengis must make his way, alone. He does not know what has sent him here, or how he may return. But he is determined to find his way back to a rational universe.
The combination of dry wit, incredible circumstances, mystery, and adventure has only gotten better with this second novel about Hengis Hapthorn. From the first case to the very end, surprises abound. Hengis's self-confidence takes a severe blow throughout the story. Magic is entirely unfriendly to the logic he so highly prizes, and without even the irritable presence of Osk Rievor, he is left entirely adrift.
I particularly enjoyed the grinnet, as the integrator-turned-familiar is finding a number of downsides to being ensconced in flesh and blood rather than circuitry. Its artificial personality is slowly developing into a real one, resulting in such humorous exchanges as Hengis needing to bribe it for assistance.
The prose is tighter than Majestrum, and contains just enough references to prior events to get everything caught up. Overall it's a fast read and a fun one, blending several genres into a cohesive whole. I rate this book Recommended.
The combination of dry wit, incredible circumstances, mystery, and adventure has only gotten better with this second novel about Hengis Hapthorn. From the first case to the very end, surprises abound. Hengis's self-confidence takes a severe blow throughout the story. Magic is entirely unfriendly to the logic he so highly prizes, and without even the irritable presence of Osk Rievor, he is left entirely adrift.
I particularly enjoyed the grinnet, as the integrator-turned-familiar is finding a number of downsides to being ensconced in flesh and blood rather than circuitry. Its artificial personality is slowly developing into a real one, resulting in such humorous exchanges as Hengis needing to bribe it for assistance.
The prose is tighter than Majestrum, and contains just enough references to prior events to get everything caught up. Overall it's a fast read and a fun one, blending several genres into a cohesive whole. I rate this book Recommended.
April 12, 2014
Henghis Hapthorn, who we met in Majestrum, is back. Actually, he’s not really back, he’s forward, because after solving the mystery of the disappearance of a man who went to look at a spaceship for sale, Henghis finds himself in a future Dying Earth where magic has replaced the role of reason in the universe. It seems he’s been drawn there by some malevolent force that wants something from him. In this future Earth, Henghis contends with warring wizards, fire-breathing dragons, and a very nasty luminous fungus. Will he be able to get back to his proper time and place?
Fortunately, Hapthorn is not alone. He has his computer which has turned into an argumentative fruit-eating feline pet, and a sentient sword which is eager to be drawn and brandished at any potential threat. Unfortunately, Henghis’ intuitive alternate psyche, who prefers to be called Osk Rievor, is missing and Henghis,... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Fortunately, Hapthorn is not alone. He has his computer which has turned into an argumentative fruit-eating feline pet, and a sentient sword which is eager to be drawn and brandished at any potential threat. Unfortunately, Henghis’ intuitive alternate psyche, who prefers to be called Osk Rievor, is missing and Henghis,... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
February 6, 2016
More Vancian joy from author Matthew Hughes. I can't recall exactly, but I think this book begins immediately after the events in Majestrum.
I read this book while awaiting jury duty and it made the hours pass quickly. Thoroughly creative, amusing and entertaining. My only complaint would be a few instances where it felt as if several important expository scenes had been skipped. I was able to piece together what happened from later explanations, but this led to some confusing scenes. The gaps seemed odd, since the narrative was otherwise meticulously constructed.
Nonetheless, highly recommended. I look forward to reading the third installment in this series.
I read this book while awaiting jury duty and it made the hours pass quickly. Thoroughly creative, amusing and entertaining. My only complaint would be a few instances where it felt as if several important expository scenes had been skipped. I was able to piece together what happened from later explanations, but this led to some confusing scenes. The gaps seemed odd, since the narrative was otherwise meticulously constructed.
Nonetheless, highly recommended. I look forward to reading the third installment in this series.
June 7, 2011
I misunderstood what kind of book this was, I think. It had some funny moments (I enjoyed the style of writing used), but I didn't like the characters and thought the split personality thing could have been used to a greater degree, and the magic and time-travel...
Long story short: It was mostly cold, stiff and boring. However, it was another one that I couldn't get into and didn't read very much of, so I could be utterly wrong.
Long story short: It was mostly cold, stiff and boring. However, it was another one that I couldn't get into and didn't read very much of, so I could be utterly wrong.
March 6, 2024
Named after an arcane mystery encountered by Henghis Hapthorn in his second novel adventure (pun intended), The Spiral Labyrinth is as hard to classify as Majestrum, the first novel in this series. Then, I wrote: “To be honest, I don’t know whether to label this novel as science-fiction, science-fantasy, or merely fantasy. There are elements of all three.” Now, I might add space opera to the mix, but I am still at something of a loss to describe the…well…”magic” of the series. I use the word “magic” in quotation marks here since a large part of the appeal of the story is the struggle between reductive rationalism and reductive supernaturalism (or, at least, pure intuition).
Frankly, I don’t know what it is with me, but I keep finding stories where characters interact with inner voices and/or identities. In The Spiral Labyrinth, those inner voices/identities end up forming a triangle (and at (pardon the pun) points, the triangle experiences an undesirable separation). Whereas the battle between logic and intuition was largely internal in Majestrum, the events experienced upon traversing The Spiral Labyrinth are not always internal. In one situation on a magic-dominated world, Henghis attempts to convince a magician’s assistant of the value of reasoning. The assistant insists that reality doesn’t need testing, but Henghis wants to know how one can ascertain reality without testing. The magician’s apprentice responds with a “logic” worthy of some of my former philosophy students: “Must I constantly ask myself questions to determine if I am still who I was moments ago? Life would be used up in the pursuit of inanity.” (p, 87)
For his part, Henghis monologues to the reader about being caught in a magical world. “I had no doubt there was madness here. How could it be otherwise in a cosmos that was ordered solely by will? It did not mean that the insane would automatically rise to the apex of the social order; their efforts would be diffused by the randomness of the impulses that drove them. But those whose extraordinary powers of will propelled them to the heights of power and rank would always be vulnerable to going further than they should.” (p. 106)
Don’t get me wrong. The Spiral Labyrinth is a playful romp through multiple genres with the wild pacing and improbable situations of a good P. G. Wodehouse novel. I enjoyed it on multiple levels. I also appreciated the “Case of the Missing Magguffyne.” That’s what I call it and, despite the looney spelling for Alfred Hitchcock’s famous word for what one has to find, I laughed out loud. So, whether one is looking for humor, insight, or intrigue, it’s all there in The Spiral Labyrinth.
Frankly, I don’t know what it is with me, but I keep finding stories where characters interact with inner voices and/or identities. In The Spiral Labyrinth, those inner voices/identities end up forming a triangle (and at (pardon the pun) points, the triangle experiences an undesirable separation). Whereas the battle between logic and intuition was largely internal in Majestrum, the events experienced upon traversing The Spiral Labyrinth are not always internal. In one situation on a magic-dominated world, Henghis attempts to convince a magician’s assistant of the value of reasoning. The assistant insists that reality doesn’t need testing, but Henghis wants to know how one can ascertain reality without testing. The magician’s apprentice responds with a “logic” worthy of some of my former philosophy students: “Must I constantly ask myself questions to determine if I am still who I was moments ago? Life would be used up in the pursuit of inanity.” (p, 87)
For his part, Henghis monologues to the reader about being caught in a magical world. “I had no doubt there was madness here. How could it be otherwise in a cosmos that was ordered solely by will? It did not mean that the insane would automatically rise to the apex of the social order; their efforts would be diffused by the randomness of the impulses that drove them. But those whose extraordinary powers of will propelled them to the heights of power and rank would always be vulnerable to going further than they should.” (p. 106)
Don’t get me wrong. The Spiral Labyrinth is a playful romp through multiple genres with the wild pacing and improbable situations of a good P. G. Wodehouse novel. I enjoyed it on multiple levels. I also appreciated the “Case of the Missing Magguffyne.” That’s what I call it and, despite the looney spelling for Alfred Hitchcock’s famous word for what one has to find, I laughed out loud. So, whether one is looking for humor, insight, or intrigue, it’s all there in The Spiral Labyrinth.
December 6, 2017
Though a sequel to Majestrum, this can be read as a stand alone novel. The novels feature the foremost of discriminators Henghis Hapthorn. What we might think of as a private detective. The world is moving from an age of rationality to sympathetic association, i.e. magic. In a previous adventure Hapthorn's integrator (AI assistant) had changed from a device to a grinnet (ape-cat). In addition his intuition which he has relied on heavily has turned into a separate personality, Osk Reivor, who is interested in magic.
Chup Choweri has gone missing. His wife contacts Hapthorn to locate him. It seems he was looking for a ship as a romantic way for the couple to spend their retirement. In short order Hapthorn finds Choweri and returns him to his wife. That was quick. Hapthorn now owns the ship which needs a new integrator, after some wheeling and dealing, they look into the auction that Osk Reivor missed because of the Choweri case. An interview at the auction location, where two ley lines intersect, leads them to a place where three ley lines intersect and they get sucked into a red and black spiral, the spiral labyrinth. When he comes out Hapthorn finds that Osk Reivor is absent, and that he's in a place where magic rules--the semi-sentient energy weapon that he was carrying had turned into a magical sword. Now he's looking for a way back home.
The growth of the grinnet/integrator character was great. Really added to the witty, humorous dialog throughout the story. I wasn't completely sure about the tenth plane. Was Hapthorn transported to a tenth plane that contained the city of Bambles and the five magicians, or was that Old Earth in a later epoch? If it was "centuries" later, why would the sun go from yellow to red? An effect of magic? Sticking with time travel, I can easily understand him being put in stasis or something while in the spiral labyrinth, and coming out much later. Getting back would be more intuitive if he were going from the tenth plane, back to his original plane. That didn't affect the readability or enjoyment of the story, I accepted it and kept going. The blurb on the front cover nails it. The plot is clever, bringing back elements from earlier in the tale that the reader may have dismissed. The dialog is curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement. I had to look up droll, wrong definition in my head. I am looking forward to reading Hespira.
Chup Choweri has gone missing. His wife contacts Hapthorn to locate him. It seems he was looking for a ship as a romantic way for the couple to spend their retirement. In short order Hapthorn finds Choweri and returns him to his wife. That was quick. Hapthorn now owns the ship which needs a new integrator, after some wheeling and dealing, they look into the auction that Osk Reivor missed because of the Choweri case. An interview at the auction location, where two ley lines intersect, leads them to a place where three ley lines intersect and they get sucked into a red and black spiral, the spiral labyrinth. When he comes out Hapthorn finds that Osk Reivor is absent, and that he's in a place where magic rules--the semi-sentient energy weapon that he was carrying had turned into a magical sword. Now he's looking for a way back home.
The growth of the grinnet/integrator character was great. Really added to the witty, humorous dialog throughout the story. I wasn't completely sure about the tenth plane. Was Hapthorn transported to a tenth plane that contained the city of Bambles and the five magicians, or was that Old Earth in a later epoch? If it was "centuries" later, why would the sun go from yellow to red? An effect of magic? Sticking with time travel, I can easily understand him being put in stasis or something while in the spiral labyrinth, and coming out much later. Getting back would be more intuitive if he were going from the tenth plane, back to his original plane. That didn't affect the readability or enjoyment of the story, I accepted it and kept going. The blurb on the front cover nails it. The plot is clever, bringing back elements from earlier in the tale that the reader may have dismissed. The dialog is curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement. I had to look up droll, wrong definition in my head. I am looking forward to reading Hespira.
November 20, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book, much as I recall having about the first volume in the series.
It’s creative to the point of being surreal, reminiscent of the SF/F blending of Zelazny, and holds the reader’s interest with a plot that’s bizarre and somewhat convoluted, while also sticking to a logic that manages to be consistent throughout the series of highly unlikely events.
The writing has an antique quality to it, reminding me a bit of the whimsical style of Blaylock, but with more gravity and less humor.
In fact, the story perhaps takes itself a bit too seriously, and its earnestness becomes rather grim at times, especially during Hapthorn’s brief captivity and the penultimate confrontation with the antagonist. A lighter touch might have suited the mood better, and made for a more enjoyable read.
But overall it’s not bad; I’ll probably pick up the third in the series if I come across it.
It’s creative to the point of being surreal, reminiscent of the SF/F blending of Zelazny, and holds the reader’s interest with a plot that’s bizarre and somewhat convoluted, while also sticking to a logic that manages to be consistent throughout the series of highly unlikely events.
The writing has an antique quality to it, reminding me a bit of the whimsical style of Blaylock, but with more gravity and less humor.
In fact, the story perhaps takes itself a bit too seriously, and its earnestness becomes rather grim at times, especially during Hapthorn’s brief captivity and the penultimate confrontation with the antagonist. A lighter touch might have suited the mood better, and made for a more enjoyable read.
But overall it’s not bad; I’ll probably pick up the third in the series if I come across it.
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April 10, 2020Exceptional read!
Matthew Hughes kept me glued to this fantastic and innovative adventure.
Henghis Hapthorn is a wonderful addition to the list of great fictional detectives.
The world he inhabits is original, fresh and intriguing.
Matthew Hughes kept me glued to this fantastic and innovative adventure.
Henghis Hapthorn is a wonderful addition to the list of great fictional detectives.
The world he inhabits is original, fresh and intriguing.
May 5, 2019
They’re interesting books, but having everyone be a snarky knobhead gets a bit tiresome.
March 12, 2015
Matthew Hughes is an sf/f writer with a couple of ongoing series that he juggles; I picked up The Spiral Labyrinth because I thought it dealt with the characters of one series but found that it actually tells a story from the other series, that of Henghis Hapthorn, a master "discriminator" living and working in the very far future. A "discriminator" is a detective, more or less, and Hapthorn is the foremost practitioner in the world, a sort of Sherlock Holmes of his times. He is aided in his work by a differentiated body-sharing entity that basically encapsulates his intuition and by an integrator, an AI with vast stores of knowledge that, in Hapthorn's case, has been "decanted" into a grinnet, a small creature sort of like a cross between a cat and a monkey. There have been some odd disappearances of late and when Hapthorn is asked to look into the whereabouts of a devoted spouse who has gone missing, he ends up finding himself shorn of his intuitive self and thrust into a more distant future, where the Wheel has turned away from basing the underlying reality of life in rationality and toward the underlying reality being based in magic. More, a new and strange 10th Plane of existence has opened, a Plane that is sending a shout resounding through the usual Nine Planes, an entity hollering "Bring me Apthorn!" It is up to Henghis and his grinnet companion to unravel the mystery of the 10th Plane voice and the whereabouts of the missing people from his own time, and to get home again - all supposing they can survive, intuition-less, in a world of magic....I generally think of Hughes' Hapthorn series as being science fiction, but this one blurs the line between sf and fantasy more than most novels that I've run across. His writing is sharp, characters very well-drawn and situations both perilous and sometimes astoundingly hilarious, well worth a try. I have read some Henghis Hapthorn short stories/novelettes in outlets like F&SF and Asimov's, but this is my first novel, and although it's clear that there are earlier novels in the series, I didn't feel that I was missing out by not having read them (yet). Recommended - check this one out, and you'll never look at fungus the same way again!
March 29, 2008
I rather enjoyed this book, although I must admit, the author has a bit of a pretentious writing style, and the book itself is extremely confusing. The characters live in a world very much unlike our own, and have names for things that are very unlike names we use, and the named things are very much unlike things we have names for. However, no explanation is given of any of this... which, in a way is kind of neat because it doesn't ruin the illusion that someone is just telling a tale (why would they explain things? They are presumably telling their tale to people who they can conceive of existing, why explain all the mundane details?) rather than an author writing a book. It's fascinating, really, but I had to re-read passages and go back a few sections to figure out who was who. The main character has another ... person? mind? soul? ... who lives inside him as well, they share a body. They are helped by "integrators", which I believe are computers but these computers can be put into animals (A dragon and a .. a grinnet? Which I have determined to be a rodent-like creature). There is superior reasoning (they have a formula for the underlying randomness, can predict coin flips with it, etc) and the possibility (and eventual existence) of a superiour magic.
Regardless, by the end I was satisfied with the story, found it very entertaining, and would be interested in reading Majestrum, the first Hengis Hapthorn book. I still think it would be a much better movie than a book, though, because I think -seeing- the things that are being talked about would really help my understanding. It's very difficult for my brain to imagine things that I have absolutely no conceptual understanding of, although by the end of the book I have come up with some images. Very interesting read.
Regardless, by the end I was satisfied with the story, found it very entertaining, and would be interested in reading Majestrum, the first Hengis Hapthorn book. I still think it would be a much better movie than a book, though, because I think -seeing- the things that are being talked about would really help my understanding. It's very difficult for my brain to imagine things that I have absolutely no conceptual understanding of, although by the end of the book I have come up with some images. Very interesting read.
December 21, 2015
Second book in this trilogy--see my earlier reviews of the short stories about Henghis Hapthorn and that earlier novel. I was a bit irritated when I saw the plot of one the stories had become the basis for a major section of the first book at first, but I liked the way the author developed it, so to see it connected in here yet again, resonating across centuries and dimensions in a profound manner, made me glad the appropriation was done. Another compelling plot with some wonderful engagements in a new system of magic vs. rationalism, again with clever and adroit use of vocabulary--but as I head on to the third novel I fear the typos and editing errors, which were more egregious in this version on my Kindle than the troubling level at which I found them in the first book, will continue to grow. Works this engaging deserve better presentation, and an author capable of these imaginative sallies should be able to find the means to make better proofing occur.
August 3, 2014
I almost didn't get past the first couple of chapters of this book.
The word choice, the characters, and the dialogue all are stiff and archaic. The plot seems a bit contrived. However I was intrigued by what seemed to be a Sherlock Holmes-esk character set in a fantasy world, future earth. I love a good mystery so I kept on with the story.
I did finish it and on the whole the story was original. However the writing style and the characters never really loosened up . That stiff style constantly drew attention to itself away from the plot which at time seemed a little contrived.
Something about it kept me reading. It might have been the fact that it was a well constructed plot even though, like the writing style, proved inflexible and tedious.
The word choice, the characters, and the dialogue all are stiff and archaic. The plot seems a bit contrived. However I was intrigued by what seemed to be a Sherlock Holmes-esk character set in a fantasy world, future earth. I love a good mystery so I kept on with the story.
I did finish it and on the whole the story was original. However the writing style and the characters never really loosened up . That stiff style constantly drew attention to itself away from the plot which at time seemed a little contrived.
Something about it kept me reading. It might have been the fact that it was a well constructed plot even though, like the writing style, proved inflexible and tedious.
November 6, 2007
This is the direct sequel to Majestrum, which follows the adventures of Henghis Hapthorn, an investigator in the far future, near the cusp of a shift from science to magic. As his other works, the writing style and setting are strongly reminiscent of Jack Vance, particularly his Dying Earth stories.
Hughes' works to date have felt to some degree like journeyman efforts, with Spiral Labyrinth showing the most polish to date. I look forward to reading his next book, "The Commons," which follows the adventures of another character set in the same time period.
Hughes' works to date have felt to some degree like journeyman efforts, with Spiral Labyrinth showing the most polish to date. I look forward to reading his next book, "The Commons," which follows the adventures of another character set in the same time period.
April 10, 2008
It took me a bit of time to get comfortable in the world of Henghis Hapthorn, but I did and I enjoyed the journey.
I enjoy the drool language of Bertie Wooster in Wodehouse's stories of Bertie and Jeeves. Matthew Hughes likes to play with language in a similar way. If you enjoy Wodehouse, you may enjoy Hughes as well.
I enjoy the drool language of Bertie Wooster in Wodehouse's stories of Bertie and Jeeves. Matthew Hughes likes to play with language in a similar way. If you enjoy Wodehouse, you may enjoy Hughes as well.
March 17, 2010
The 2nd book in the Henghis Hapthorn saga is about a world, not unlike Britain, where magic is in ascendancy and reason and science is in decline, and people tell their tale in the manner of Wodehouse. This installment is set more in the magic side, complete with wizard battle. It's complex enough to intrigue and leaves you wanting more...
August 30, 2011
Just like when I had read the first book in this series (Majestrum), I find myself hesitating over what rating I should give this book. I think I like it. It's definitely interesting. The setting is fascinating, and the characters are - different. The plot - I'm not sure about that, but still, after reading the book, I have to say I can recommend it.
May 7, 2015
Science Fiction no make that Fantasy or better yet Fantasy and Science Fiction, no, no, to be more specific, humorous Fantasy and Science Fiction with maybe a little twist of Detective.
Yep, that's it and I may as well add, fun to read. OK, that sum's it up.
Yep, that's it and I may as well add, fun to read. OK, that sum's it up.
December 16, 2012
Reading this story of Hapthorn and his integrator is fun,weird read. This novel was clear improvement on the first one with the characters, the witty dialogue and the way it portrayed the Old Earth.
November 22, 2013
More good times with Henghis Hapthorn. If you like Jack Vance and wish there were more, read it. It's also got more than a trace of [what I imagine] Wodehouse [to be like].
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