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Gaunt and Bone #2
The Silk Map
It's Brent Weeks meets China Mieville in this wildly imaginative fantasy adventure featuring high action, elegant writing, and sword and sorcery with a Chinese flare.
At the end of The Scroll of Years, the poet Persimmon Gaunt and her husband, the thief Imago Bone, had saved their child from evil forces at the price of trapping him within a pocket dimension. Now they will attempt what seems impossible; they will seek a way to recover their son. Allied with Snow Pine, a scrappy bandit who's also lost her child to the Scroll of Years, Gaunt and Bone awaken the Great Sage, a monkeylike demigod of the East, currently trapped by vaster powers beneath a mountain. The Sage knows of a way to reach the Scroll -- but there is a price. The three must seek the world's greatest treasure and bring it back to him. They must find the worms of the alien Iron Moths, whose cocoons produce the wondrous material ironsilk.
And so the rogues join a grand contest waged along three thousand miles of dangerous and alluring trade routes between East and West. For many parties have simultaneously uncovered fragments of the Silk Map, a document pointing the way toward a nest of the Iron Moths. Our heroes tangle with Western treasure hunters, a blind mystic warrior and his homicidal magic carpet, a nomad princess determined to rebuild her father's empire, and a secret society obsessed with guarding the lost paradise where the Moths are found -- even if paradise must be protected by murder.
At the end of The Scroll of Years, the poet Persimmon Gaunt and her husband, the thief Imago Bone, had saved their child from evil forces at the price of trapping him within a pocket dimension. Now they will attempt what seems impossible; they will seek a way to recover their son. Allied with Snow Pine, a scrappy bandit who's also lost her child to the Scroll of Years, Gaunt and Bone awaken the Great Sage, a monkeylike demigod of the East, currently trapped by vaster powers beneath a mountain. The Sage knows of a way to reach the Scroll -- but there is a price. The three must seek the world's greatest treasure and bring it back to him. They must find the worms of the alien Iron Moths, whose cocoons produce the wondrous material ironsilk.
And so the rogues join a grand contest waged along three thousand miles of dangerous and alluring trade routes between East and West. For many parties have simultaneously uncovered fragments of the Silk Map, a document pointing the way toward a nest of the Iron Moths. Our heroes tangle with Western treasure hunters, a blind mystic warrior and his homicidal magic carpet, a nomad princess determined to rebuild her father's empire, and a secret society obsessed with guarding the lost paradise where the Moths are found -- even if paradise must be protected by murder.
445 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Chris Willrich
41 books42 followersChris Willrich writes fantasy and science fiction, and is best known for his sword-and-sorcery short fiction about Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone -- a pair of lovers, partners in crime, and, far more often than they'd like to admit, heroes. The first novel featuring Gaunt and Bone, THE SCROLL OF YEARS, appeared in September 2013 from Pyr, followed by THE SILK MAP in May 2014.
Willrich is also the author of THE DAGGER OF TRUST, a book set in the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing. DAGGER is a tale featuring bards, secret agents, sorcerous evil, monsters, and betrayal.
Willrich is a former librarian for the Santa Clara County Library District who lives in Mountain View, California with his family. He is frequently attacked by youngsters with lightsabers.
Willrich is also the author of THE DAGGER OF TRUST, a book set in the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing. DAGGER is a tale featuring bards, secret agents, sorcerous evil, monsters, and betrayal.
Willrich is a former librarian for the Santa Clara County Library District who lives in Mountain View, California with his family. He is frequently attacked by youngsters with lightsabers.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 12, 2014
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
UPDATED: Giveaway for two copies of THE SILK MAP (US & Canada) ends 5/14/14 http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
UPDATED: Interview with Chris Willrich http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
After the events of The Scroll of Years, Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are back in action in The Silk Map, and this time on an even more exhilarating and perilous adventure. I promise you’ll never see anything else quite like these books, with its themes of East meets West and sword-and-sorcery fantasy with just a dash of the metaphysical.
While The Silk Map is the follow-up to The Scroll of Years, it can most definitely be enjoyed on its own. I can’t stop marveling at the ease with which the author can throw his readers into the middle of a situation but still manage to convey all the complexities and nuances in the relationships between his characters. In fact, The Scroll of Years was not the first time Gaunt and Bone appeared either; they had been starring in their own short fiction adventures for more than a decade now, but not having read those stories before tackling this series did not hinder me at all. Chris Willrich quite simply has a talent of writing extremely convincing characters, and upon picking up these books you can immediately feel the weight of the history behind Gaunt and Bone, partners in crime and partners in love.
But like all couples, they’ve had their differences and hit their rough spots. The story picks up once again in the faraway land of Ancient China-inspired Qiangguo, where Gaunt and Bone had taken asylum from their enemies. Gaunt had given birth to their son in the first book, but in order to save him from the clutches of evil forces, she and Bone had had no choice but to lock their child away in a pocket dimension within a magical scroll. Now that scroll has been lost, and together with their allies, our two protagonists must find a way to recover it and rescue their son trapped inside. Their journey leads them to the make a bargain with the Great Sage Monkey, a demi-god who knows of a way to retrieve the scroll. In exchange for her help, the minor deity asks that Gaunt and Bone seek the mystical land of Xembala and bring back the great treasure of the Iron Moths, that impossibly valuable material they produce called ironsilk. Their quest will involve traveling along the Braid of Spice, a fictional trade route that will lead them into the west.
Chris Willrich describes in the acknowledgements how this story was in part inspired by the history and tales of the Silk Road, which should already tell you what a gorgeous book this is. In antiquity, this route served as a bridge between the East and West, connecting people from all walks of life. The Silk Map brings to life a version of that diverse setting, blending a rich combination of fantasy and myth with elements from that ancient culture in its own unparalleled way.
Written beautifully in a literary and almost formal style, the prose is also something to be sipped and savored. I liked that there’s actually a lot of humor woven into the dialogue, sometimes hidden in sly references and wordplay, and if you blink you might miss it. While it’s true this made me take longer to finish the book, it is by no means a slow read. The Silk Map is a tale of adventure at its heart, and there is plenty of action and swashbuckling fight scenes interspersed with the quieter moments where you can sit back and enjoy as a character spins a yarn. Like The Scroll of Years, this book features poems and other stories within the larger narrative, often used to explain or expand upon the plot. Willrich’s writing style perfectly complements the speculative quality of these anecdotes, reminiscent of folklore and the legends told in the Far East Asian tradition.
For me, the highlight of The Silk Map had to be the interplay between Gaunt and Bone. Their relationship so far has been a journey as harrowing as the quest they have embarked upon to find their son. Their love will be checked, tested, and probed over the course of this novel and how they each come to terms with the conflict is as important as the other aspects in the plot, though no one can doubt Bone’s devotion to his partner, and of course, Gaunt shows us why it would be a mistake to underestimate the lengths a mother would go to for her child.
Interested in an Asian-themed fantasy or looking for a more subtle, elegant touch to your sword and sorcery without sacrificing the heroic element and adventure? Check out these books. The heady and sometimes dreamlike mix of history and mythology also make them an excellent choice.
UPDATED: Giveaway for two copies of THE SILK MAP (US & Canada) ends 5/14/14 http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
UPDATED: Interview with Chris Willrich http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
After the events of The Scroll of Years, Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are back in action in The Silk Map, and this time on an even more exhilarating and perilous adventure. I promise you’ll never see anything else quite like these books, with its themes of East meets West and sword-and-sorcery fantasy with just a dash of the metaphysical.
While The Silk Map is the follow-up to The Scroll of Years, it can most definitely be enjoyed on its own. I can’t stop marveling at the ease with which the author can throw his readers into the middle of a situation but still manage to convey all the complexities and nuances in the relationships between his characters. In fact, The Scroll of Years was not the first time Gaunt and Bone appeared either; they had been starring in their own short fiction adventures for more than a decade now, but not having read those stories before tackling this series did not hinder me at all. Chris Willrich quite simply has a talent of writing extremely convincing characters, and upon picking up these books you can immediately feel the weight of the history behind Gaunt and Bone, partners in crime and partners in love.
But like all couples, they’ve had their differences and hit their rough spots. The story picks up once again in the faraway land of Ancient China-inspired Qiangguo, where Gaunt and Bone had taken asylum from their enemies. Gaunt had given birth to their son in the first book, but in order to save him from the clutches of evil forces, she and Bone had had no choice but to lock their child away in a pocket dimension within a magical scroll. Now that scroll has been lost, and together with their allies, our two protagonists must find a way to recover it and rescue their son trapped inside. Their journey leads them to the make a bargain with the Great Sage Monkey, a demi-god who knows of a way to retrieve the scroll. In exchange for her help, the minor deity asks that Gaunt and Bone seek the mystical land of Xembala and bring back the great treasure of the Iron Moths, that impossibly valuable material they produce called ironsilk. Their quest will involve traveling along the Braid of Spice, a fictional trade route that will lead them into the west.
Chris Willrich describes in the acknowledgements how this story was in part inspired by the history and tales of the Silk Road, which should already tell you what a gorgeous book this is. In antiquity, this route served as a bridge between the East and West, connecting people from all walks of life. The Silk Map brings to life a version of that diverse setting, blending a rich combination of fantasy and myth with elements from that ancient culture in its own unparalleled way.
Written beautifully in a literary and almost formal style, the prose is also something to be sipped and savored. I liked that there’s actually a lot of humor woven into the dialogue, sometimes hidden in sly references and wordplay, and if you blink you might miss it. While it’s true this made me take longer to finish the book, it is by no means a slow read. The Silk Map is a tale of adventure at its heart, and there is plenty of action and swashbuckling fight scenes interspersed with the quieter moments where you can sit back and enjoy as a character spins a yarn. Like The Scroll of Years, this book features poems and other stories within the larger narrative, often used to explain or expand upon the plot. Willrich’s writing style perfectly complements the speculative quality of these anecdotes, reminiscent of folklore and the legends told in the Far East Asian tradition.
For me, the highlight of The Silk Map had to be the interplay between Gaunt and Bone. Their relationship so far has been a journey as harrowing as the quest they have embarked upon to find their son. Their love will be checked, tested, and probed over the course of this novel and how they each come to terms with the conflict is as important as the other aspects in the plot, though no one can doubt Bone’s devotion to his partner, and of course, Gaunt shows us why it would be a mistake to underestimate the lengths a mother would go to for her child.
Interested in an Asian-themed fantasy or looking for a more subtle, elegant touch to your sword and sorcery without sacrificing the heroic element and adventure? Check out these books. The heady and sometimes dreamlike mix of history and mythology also make them an excellent choice.
May 8, 2014
Fantasy Review Barn
Ok, I see you over there. What do you want?
I am here to help. Last time you read Willrich you got stuck during the review. I assumed this trend would continue.
One time does not make a trend. And I am getting along with this review just fine thank you very much. I was just gathering my thoughts.
Playing video games while the word document stays blank?
Shut up. I will have you know I am better prepared this time around. See this beat up receipt I used as a bookmark? I also used it to mark favorite quotes I may put into the review. Like this one.
Impressive. Why are you dropping that quote in particular?
Because most reviewers seem to use quotes, who am I to argue? Plus I found it funny.
A theme in this book?
Oh yes. I enjoyed the hell out of Scroll of Years, and I recall some dry wit; especially in the banter between Gaunt and Bone. But Willrich turns it up to eleven on this one. I was laughing throughout the first half of the book, and while things took an even more serious turn in the second half, there was still plenty of dry wit to make me smile.
But this isn’t a comedy, in fact the base of the story is rooted in tragedy Events at the end of Scroll of Years have put a serious strain on the protagonist relationship, and one could argue their quest is for the greatest prize of all. Love, parenthood, and everything. Joined by Snow Pine, known as Not A Boy in the first book, they are tasked by the great monkey sage to find the legendary iron silk worms; said sage will in turn help them with their own problems.
Oh, its one of those epic quest books? Bleh.
Yes, it is. But it isn’t. Well okay it is, but with a very real reason. A geas from a demigod is a bit different than one from a king. Less coincidence filled for one, as obviously the demigod will have leads that make more since than the average mortal would.
No, I enjoyed the questing aspect of the book. It is no different than the first, a sword and sorcery tale with a touch of weird. It is a mystical land, and very lyrical. Stopping to tell a story is a common occurrence; but in a land where words have so much power this isn’t a problem. Once again the weird side of the tale is just strange enough to turn heads, but nowhere near where things could go. A magic carpet, living writing hidden in scrolls, a great sage in the shape of a monkey buried under a mountain are all just strange enough to give a mystical feel without completely crossing into WTF territory.
Ahh, I fell for this last time. You build and build, but I feel you are about to drop the hammer.
Unfortunately yes. The first book was short and sweet, polished and concise. This outing is quite a bit longer, and while that is just fine on its own it lost some of its focus along the way. The fact is I got confused a couple of times, and even a reread of whole chapters didn’t clear things up.
We have gone over this; it is ‘I before E except after…’
Ya ya, very funny. As I was confused about a passage I got to point out the info may all be there, but I wasn’t seeing it. After all it obviously made since to the author and an editor. But if I read a passage twice and still can’t figure out what was going on I gotta put some of it on the book. There was a desert scene early on that I really couldn’t make heads or tails out of. It was the most egregious, but I lost track of the thread near the end as well, and it just got frustrating.
So it is a book I am torn on. It is funny as hell, richly imagined, and a continuation of the series that worked in most aspects. But a few confusing passages really hurt my enjoyment at times. Still a series I am enjoying though, and one I will continue to follow for each and every book. Willrich has built up a lot of good will for this reader.
3 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher. Quote pulled from unedited advanced copy and may have changed by time of publication.
Ok, I see you over there. What do you want?
I am here to help. Last time you read Willrich you got stuck during the review. I assumed this trend would continue.
One time does not make a trend. And I am getting along with this review just fine thank you very much. I was just gathering my thoughts.
Playing video games while the word document stays blank?
Shut up. I will have you know I am better prepared this time around. See this beat up receipt I used as a bookmark? I also used it to mark favorite quotes I may put into the review. Like this one.
You see, this is why I needed a poet. You can say ‘what the hell is that?’ so much more artfully than I can.
Impressive. Why are you dropping that quote in particular?
Because most reviewers seem to use quotes, who am I to argue? Plus I found it funny.
A theme in this book?
Oh yes. I enjoyed the hell out of Scroll of Years, and I recall some dry wit; especially in the banter between Gaunt and Bone. But Willrich turns it up to eleven on this one. I was laughing throughout the first half of the book, and while things took an even more serious turn in the second half, there was still plenty of dry wit to make me smile.
But this isn’t a comedy, in fact the base of the story is rooted in tragedy Events at the end of Scroll of Years have put a serious strain on the protagonist relationship, and one could argue their quest is for the greatest prize of all. Love, parenthood, and everything. Joined by Snow Pine, known as Not A Boy in the first book, they are tasked by the great monkey sage to find the legendary iron silk worms; said sage will in turn help them with their own problems.
Oh, its one of those epic quest books? Bleh.
Yes, it is. But it isn’t. Well okay it is, but with a very real reason. A geas from a demigod is a bit different than one from a king. Less coincidence filled for one, as obviously the demigod will have leads that make more since than the average mortal would.
No, I enjoyed the questing aspect of the book. It is no different than the first, a sword and sorcery tale with a touch of weird. It is a mystical land, and very lyrical. Stopping to tell a story is a common occurrence; but in a land where words have so much power this isn’t a problem. Once again the weird side of the tale is just strange enough to turn heads, but nowhere near where things could go. A magic carpet, living writing hidden in scrolls, a great sage in the shape of a monkey buried under a mountain are all just strange enough to give a mystical feel without completely crossing into WTF territory.
Ahh, I fell for this last time. You build and build, but I feel you are about to drop the hammer.
Unfortunately yes. The first book was short and sweet, polished and concise. This outing is quite a bit longer, and while that is just fine on its own it lost some of its focus along the way. The fact is I got confused a couple of times, and even a reread of whole chapters didn’t clear things up.
We have gone over this; it is ‘I before E except after…’
Ya ya, very funny. As I was confused about a passage I got to point out the info may all be there, but I wasn’t seeing it. After all it obviously made since to the author and an editor. But if I read a passage twice and still can’t figure out what was going on I gotta put some of it on the book. There was a desert scene early on that I really couldn’t make heads or tails out of. It was the most egregious, but I lost track of the thread near the end as well, and it just got frustrating.
So it is a book I am torn on. It is funny as hell, richly imagined, and a continuation of the series that worked in most aspects. But a few confusing passages really hurt my enjoyment at times. Still a series I am enjoying though, and one I will continue to follow for each and every book. Willrich has built up a lot of good will for this reader.
3 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher. Quote pulled from unedited advanced copy and may have changed by time of publication.
May 19, 2014
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
The nitty-gritty: A finely detailed story of a quest, with subtle wit and humor, beautifully written, complete with thoughtful meditations on life and love.
It was among the more terrifying moments of his life, yet he would always treasure it afterward, the time he soared, more or less, on a magic carpet. That it was more of a whirling dive than true flight, and that he was hanging from Deadfall rather than standing atop it—these were quibbles. Earthy, dusty heat rose from below. Sunset dunes twisted with jabbing shadows, like persimmons spattered with ink.
I am coming, Persimmon.
I very much enjoyed Willrich’s first Gaunt and Bone story, The Scroll of Years, and because it ended with many questions unanswered, I was anxious to find out what happened to Innocence and A-Girl-Is-A-Joy, the children of Gaunt and Bone and Snow Pine, who were trapped in a magical scroll at the end of the story. And I can tell you that some things were resolved in this follow-up, but not all, and I was relieved to discover that there will be a third book coming out called The Chart of Tomorrows, which will hopefully tie up all the loose ends. Willrich’s world is an interesting blend of East meets West, and his love of Asian culture is evident in both books. But even more than his world-building, I simply adore his writing style. Scattered throughout the story are poems written by Persimmon Gaunt, who is a poet (and she’s pretty good with a sword as well), poems that are startlingly good.
The Silk Map is not a book you should rush through, however. I found myself frustrated at times that the story was moving so slowly—mostly due to the fact that I am way behind with review books—but I realized when I finished that this story is meant to be savored.
The short version of the story is this: Gaunt, Bone, and their friend Snow Pine are trying to find the scroll where their two children are trapped. They stumble across a Great Sage who strikes a bargain: if they can locate and bring back ironsilk caterpillars, the Sage will help them find the scroll. The three friends set out to do just that, but a perilous and circuitous journey awaits them. For in order to locate the caterpillars, they must first find the missing pieces of the silk map, pieces that have been scattered around the world. And it turns out they aren’t the only ones looking for the map, as ironsilk is highly prized and a fortune worth killing for.
The characters of Gaunt and Bone are unusual in genre fiction, because they are a married couple with a child. This time around, Willrich shows the cracks that are beginning to show in their marriage, and honestly portrays such things as jealousy, anger, and losing a child. Although it may sound as if this is a serious story, that isn’t the case at all. Willrich subtly adds these observations and gives them a humorous twist, like the time that Bone dreams he is married to both Gaunt and Snow Pine, and wakes up in a cold sweat, thankful that it was only a dream.
There were many cool fantasy elements that made this story special, my favorite being a sentient magic carpet named Deadfall, who is on his own journey and meets up with Gaunt and Bone to help them at one point. I also loved the dragon horses, multi-colored animals that help transport the gang, and Gaunt’s sword Crypttongue, who imprisons the souls of its victims inside the gems that adorn the hilt.
The story itself is full of other stories: tale upon tale buried inside like Russian nesting dolls. I did like this idea, but I also felt it slowed down the pace quite a bit. I found myself getting caught up in a certain scene, only to have the action stop abruptly as one character or another felt the need to tell a story. Sometimes I even lost the story thread completely and found it hard to get started again, especially when the points of view were constantly changing. But upon finishing the book, I could see what Willrich had set out to construct: a carefully planned but meandering maze, with many starts and stops, and even places where reality shifts entirely. This is one case where you need to look past the trees to see the grandeur and beauty of the forest.
Willrich’s sly observations about relationships and life in general kept the tone light throughout, and I found myself chuckling and nodding my head in agreement. Some of the philosophical discussions between characters lost me at times, but I did appreciate the fact that almost every character in The Silk Map is intelligent and thoughtful.
If you’re looking for a page-turner, this probably won’t work for you. Which is not to say that The Silk Map isn’t exciting. There were some thrilling scenes, but they are interrupted by quiet and thoughtful moments, which lull the reader into thinking they are safe, before the author throws his characters back into danger once more. Willrich leaves poor Gaunt and Bone in yet another tricky situation at the end of the story, ensuring that I will be reading the next book to find out what happens.
Big thanks to Pyr for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: A finely detailed story of a quest, with subtle wit and humor, beautifully written, complete with thoughtful meditations on life and love.
It was among the more terrifying moments of his life, yet he would always treasure it afterward, the time he soared, more or less, on a magic carpet. That it was more of a whirling dive than true flight, and that he was hanging from Deadfall rather than standing atop it—these were quibbles. Earthy, dusty heat rose from below. Sunset dunes twisted with jabbing shadows, like persimmons spattered with ink.
I am coming, Persimmon.
I very much enjoyed Willrich’s first Gaunt and Bone story, The Scroll of Years, and because it ended with many questions unanswered, I was anxious to find out what happened to Innocence and A-Girl-Is-A-Joy, the children of Gaunt and Bone and Snow Pine, who were trapped in a magical scroll at the end of the story. And I can tell you that some things were resolved in this follow-up, but not all, and I was relieved to discover that there will be a third book coming out called The Chart of Tomorrows, which will hopefully tie up all the loose ends. Willrich’s world is an interesting blend of East meets West, and his love of Asian culture is evident in both books. But even more than his world-building, I simply adore his writing style. Scattered throughout the story are poems written by Persimmon Gaunt, who is a poet (and she’s pretty good with a sword as well), poems that are startlingly good.
The Silk Map is not a book you should rush through, however. I found myself frustrated at times that the story was moving so slowly—mostly due to the fact that I am way behind with review books—but I realized when I finished that this story is meant to be savored.
The short version of the story is this: Gaunt, Bone, and their friend Snow Pine are trying to find the scroll where their two children are trapped. They stumble across a Great Sage who strikes a bargain: if they can locate and bring back ironsilk caterpillars, the Sage will help them find the scroll. The three friends set out to do just that, but a perilous and circuitous journey awaits them. For in order to locate the caterpillars, they must first find the missing pieces of the silk map, pieces that have been scattered around the world. And it turns out they aren’t the only ones looking for the map, as ironsilk is highly prized and a fortune worth killing for.
The characters of Gaunt and Bone are unusual in genre fiction, because they are a married couple with a child. This time around, Willrich shows the cracks that are beginning to show in their marriage, and honestly portrays such things as jealousy, anger, and losing a child. Although it may sound as if this is a serious story, that isn’t the case at all. Willrich subtly adds these observations and gives them a humorous twist, like the time that Bone dreams he is married to both Gaunt and Snow Pine, and wakes up in a cold sweat, thankful that it was only a dream.
There were many cool fantasy elements that made this story special, my favorite being a sentient magic carpet named Deadfall, who is on his own journey and meets up with Gaunt and Bone to help them at one point. I also loved the dragon horses, multi-colored animals that help transport the gang, and Gaunt’s sword Crypttongue, who imprisons the souls of its victims inside the gems that adorn the hilt.
The story itself is full of other stories: tale upon tale buried inside like Russian nesting dolls. I did like this idea, but I also felt it slowed down the pace quite a bit. I found myself getting caught up in a certain scene, only to have the action stop abruptly as one character or another felt the need to tell a story. Sometimes I even lost the story thread completely and found it hard to get started again, especially when the points of view were constantly changing. But upon finishing the book, I could see what Willrich had set out to construct: a carefully planned but meandering maze, with many starts and stops, and even places where reality shifts entirely. This is one case where you need to look past the trees to see the grandeur and beauty of the forest.
Willrich’s sly observations about relationships and life in general kept the tone light throughout, and I found myself chuckling and nodding my head in agreement. Some of the philosophical discussions between characters lost me at times, but I did appreciate the fact that almost every character in The Silk Map is intelligent and thoughtful.
If you’re looking for a page-turner, this probably won’t work for you. Which is not to say that The Silk Map isn’t exciting. There were some thrilling scenes, but they are interrupted by quiet and thoughtful moments, which lull the reader into thinking they are safe, before the author throws his characters back into danger once more. Willrich leaves poor Gaunt and Bone in yet another tricky situation at the end of the story, ensuring that I will be reading the next book to find out what happens.
Big thanks to Pyr for providing a review copy.
August 27, 2015
‘The Silk Map’ is just as fun and entertaining as the previous book, ‘The Scroll of Years’. Grand scenarios, witty banter, magical creatures, curious objects everywhere and an exciting storyline make it hard to put this book down. Chris Willrich succeeds in continuing the unique tale he started in the first book, but introduces a whole new part of his world with its own colourful characters and cultures, keeping everything new and interesting.
The loss of their child in ‘The Scroll of Years’, the first novel after the Gaunt and Bone short fiction, weighs on Gaunt and Bone’s marriage and their careless banter more and more threatens to become a squabble. They are united in one goal though: finding and saving their son. Together with Snow Pine, whose daughter is also trapped in the scroll, they set out to find the powerful Great Sage, trapped in a mountain. If there’s someone who can point them to the Scroll, it’ll be her. But this demi-god doesn’t give away her secrets so easily. As a counter gesture, they have to bring her a couple of Silk worms that can make the powerful Silk Steel.
The only problem is that no one has ever found the place the last Silk Worms are hidden. There is a legend that talks about a map on a Silk gown that was worn by this mysterious girl. When she fled the land however, her gown was torn, and so was the map. To find the Silk worms, they have to find the pieces of the map and follow it to Xembala.
The Gaunt and Bone novels shine in the depth of their characterization. Every character is another great contribution to the story and all have this penchant to get under your skin, positively or negatively. Especially Gaunt and Bone are a joy to read, their interaction is one of the best thing about these books. I’m glad we get to see both the ups and the downs in their relationship, making it even more relatable and realistic.
There are a lot of new characters introduced in this sequel to ‘The Scroll of Years’, as the story has shifted to the desert lands. New cultures and new beliefs give this book a fresh touch and take you further into the fascinating world Willrich has created.
I marveled at the rich descriptions and the wonderful worldbuilding. Willrich truly takes you deep into new territory and you can’t help but get lost in it. In ‘The Silk Map’ Gaunt and Bone go on an epic quest with the ultimate goal to save their son. Action, adventure and intrigue is interspersed with tales and poems to give some background for the environment and the mythology.
I definitely have a soft spot for the Gaunt and Bone novels now and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book, ‘The Chart of Tomorrows’. There is something unique about these books, an atmosphere I have rarely encountered in other books. They are fun and colourful, but also have a lot of depth. The storylines seem spectacular and wild at a glance, but when you take a closer look there is a lot more woven through them. If you’re looking for something different to spice up your reading, take a look at these books, you won’t be disappointed.
The loss of their child in ‘The Scroll of Years’, the first novel after the Gaunt and Bone short fiction, weighs on Gaunt and Bone’s marriage and their careless banter more and more threatens to become a squabble. They are united in one goal though: finding and saving their son. Together with Snow Pine, whose daughter is also trapped in the scroll, they set out to find the powerful Great Sage, trapped in a mountain. If there’s someone who can point them to the Scroll, it’ll be her. But this demi-god doesn’t give away her secrets so easily. As a counter gesture, they have to bring her a couple of Silk worms that can make the powerful Silk Steel.
The only problem is that no one has ever found the place the last Silk Worms are hidden. There is a legend that talks about a map on a Silk gown that was worn by this mysterious girl. When she fled the land however, her gown was torn, and so was the map. To find the Silk worms, they have to find the pieces of the map and follow it to Xembala.
The Gaunt and Bone novels shine in the depth of their characterization. Every character is another great contribution to the story and all have this penchant to get under your skin, positively or negatively. Especially Gaunt and Bone are a joy to read, their interaction is one of the best thing about these books. I’m glad we get to see both the ups and the downs in their relationship, making it even more relatable and realistic.
There are a lot of new characters introduced in this sequel to ‘The Scroll of Years’, as the story has shifted to the desert lands. New cultures and new beliefs give this book a fresh touch and take you further into the fascinating world Willrich has created.
I marveled at the rich descriptions and the wonderful worldbuilding. Willrich truly takes you deep into new territory and you can’t help but get lost in it. In ‘The Silk Map’ Gaunt and Bone go on an epic quest with the ultimate goal to save their son. Action, adventure and intrigue is interspersed with tales and poems to give some background for the environment and the mythology.
I definitely have a soft spot for the Gaunt and Bone novels now and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book, ‘The Chart of Tomorrows’. There is something unique about these books, an atmosphere I have rarely encountered in other books. They are fun and colourful, but also have a lot of depth. The storylines seem spectacular and wild at a glance, but when you take a closer look there is a lot more woven through them. If you’re looking for something different to spice up your reading, take a look at these books, you won’t be disappointed.
May 30, 2014
Another fantasie chinoise that fans of Barry Hughart's BRIDGE OF BIRDS will adore. The efforts of Gaunt, Bone and Snow Pine to reclaim their children lead them into encounters with all sorts of human and supernatural allies and adversaries--many of whom take on both roles at various points--and at last into a secluded realm where reality is more a temporary consensus than a fixed idea. A lot of action, a lot of fun, not a lot of blood or suffering. Grade A, hope there will be sequels.
First line: "In hindsight, it was perhaps foolish to awaken the sleeping demigod."
Other highlights: "The xiezhi rushed her. They were elegant but stank. Like moralists."
"It's wise to heed my wife," Bone said. "Geology is something of a hobby of hers. Along with trailblazing, tavern songs, polemics, practical mythology, wizard-taunting, and morbid poetry." ...
Gaunt gave him a look she'd learned from the camels. ...
"Well," said Bone, stretching and cracking his knuckles. "That was terrifying." ...
"Life is also boredom. And lust. And pain. And that funny feeling immediately after burping when you feel obscurely proud of yourself." "You get that too?" ...
"Who would conceive such a maneuver? Books left beside a pillow. Are they assassins turned librarians?" "That sounds plausible to me."
First line: "In hindsight, it was perhaps foolish to awaken the sleeping demigod."
Other highlights: "The xiezhi rushed her. They were elegant but stank. Like moralists."
"It's wise to heed my wife," Bone said. "Geology is something of a hobby of hers. Along with trailblazing, tavern songs, polemics, practical mythology, wizard-taunting, and morbid poetry." ...
Gaunt gave him a look she'd learned from the camels. ...
"Well," said Bone, stretching and cracking his knuckles. "That was terrifying." ...
"Life is also boredom. And lust. And pain. And that funny feeling immediately after burping when you feel obscurely proud of yourself." "You get that too?" ...
"Who would conceive such a maneuver? Books left beside a pillow. Are they assassins turned librarians?" "That sounds plausible to me."
August 30, 2014
This sequel to to Willrich's The Scroll of Years is enjoyable but, for me, it doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first Gaunt and Bone novel. In this novel, poetess Gaunt and master thief Bone continue their search for their son, who apparently is one of the few who possess the ability to be Emporer and control the land. They continue to travel with Snow Pine (who is searching for her child too) and look for a god who can tell them where their children are. They run into Monkey, a Loki-type character, who can travel in her dreams, though she has been pinned beneath a mountain. She tells them she will give them the information they seek if they find the land at the end of the Silk Map. They run into a people who are lot like Mongol hordes, who are having their own internal debate/rebellion about whether to conquer by trade or by arms. Willrich intersperses current action with stories or fables about every other chapter. I found that I got tired of reading so very many fables and wanted to get back to the action faster than he did. So, I have to say, this second book dragged for me in a way that the first book did not. Still Gaunt, Bone, and Snow Pine are always interesting.
May 22, 2015
Chris Willrich is one of the most underrated and under-read fantasy authors currently writing. I don't understand why this is so. Okay, Chris's style is offbeat and unique, at times maybe even weird, but in a piquant way. His writing style is beautiful and elevated. He reminds me quite a bit of James Enge, another underrated favorite of mine.
The protagonists of the novel, Gaunt and Bone, are a unique swords and sorcery pairing: they're married and one of them is a poet; there is also something else singular about them, but it would spoil a previous story of theirs to reveal it. They've shared several earlier storied escapades together and all of these have been unusual, and outstandingly written. This particular novel continues that trend and deserves to be widely read. The only potential problem with it is that it is the second part of a trilogy, and you need to read the first part, "The Scroll of Years," first. But that shouldn't be a problem, since it too is excellent (I gave it five stars, the same as this book). This is a great adventure story that is well-written with intelligence and depth, and I think it will richly reward your reading it.
The protagonists of the novel, Gaunt and Bone, are a unique swords and sorcery pairing: they're married and one of them is a poet; there is also something else singular about them, but it would spoil a previous story of theirs to reveal it. They've shared several earlier storied escapades together and all of these have been unusual, and outstandingly written. This particular novel continues that trend and deserves to be widely read. The only potential problem with it is that it is the second part of a trilogy, and you need to read the first part, "The Scroll of Years," first. But that shouldn't be a problem, since it too is excellent (I gave it five stars, the same as this book). This is a great adventure story that is well-written with intelligence and depth, and I think it will richly reward your reading it.
August 16, 2014
The Silk Map is Chris Willrich’s second adventure in the GAUNT AND BONE series. The poet and the thief, along with their bandit friend Snow Pine, are searching for their lost children, and this book takes them on a quest along an ancient trade route where they confront wonders, demons and their own fears.
Willrich has created a world based on ancient China, and the Spice Braid route that Gaunt and Bone follow is patterned on the Silk Road. Along this road, poet Persimmon Gaunt and her thief husband Imago Bone encounter enemy soldiers, greedy gate-keepers, undead Charwalkers, dragon horses, a mad monk and an incarnation of the Monkey God.
All the things that I loved about the first book The Scroll of Years show up again in The Silk Map. I love the world Willrich has invented. The dialogue an... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Willrich has created a world based on ancient China, and the Spice Braid route that Gaunt and Bone follow is patterned on the Silk Road. Along this road, poet Persimmon Gaunt and her thief husband Imago Bone encounter enemy soldiers, greedy gate-keepers, undead Charwalkers, dragon horses, a mad monk and an incarnation of the Monkey God.
All the things that I loved about the first book The Scroll of Years show up again in The Silk Map. I love the world Willrich has invented. The dialogue an... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
July 30, 2014
Chris Willrich still has a ways to go with adventures of Imago Bone and Persimmon Gaunt, and after “The Silk Map” (Pyr, $15.95, 450 pages), I’m not sure I’m going to hang in there. Willrich has created an imaginary medieval China, Mongolia and Central Asia, with magic, strange creatures and even a talking magic carpet. The complex plot constantly shifts gears, and I found it hard to keep up with who was betraying who at any particular moment, and exactly who had the magic sword.
Still, Willrich is an engaging writer, and his mashup of history and culture sets the stage for his fast-paced series of hairbreadth escapes and unlikely occurrences. Overall, “The Silk Map” was fun, but I don’t know if it was $15.95 worth of fun.
Still, Willrich is an engaging writer, and his mashup of history and culture sets the stage for his fast-paced series of hairbreadth escapes and unlikely occurrences. Overall, “The Silk Map” was fun, but I don’t know if it was $15.95 worth of fun.
June 25, 2014
First off, one shall walk away from this book hating flying carpets forever and know them for the manipulative evil doers they truly are. Secondly, as with his other works, it has a nice mix of lord of the rings meets Arabian nights type feel. The characters were great, the plot was engaging, and it was one wild ride. A ride that at times would make me somewhat confused, and to be honest I think at times substance was sacrificed for art, but none-the-less, despite these minor complaints this book is definetly worth reading and I look forward (hopefully) to the next installment of the adventures of Bone and Gaunt and friends and foes.
August 5, 2014
This is a fun book...great story, lots of action, interesting characters, everything that makes a great read...except for the cover! I had read a review of the book before requesting it from my local library, which was a good thing because I would never have borrowed it from just seeing the terrible cover! The cover is garish, and not indicative of the story at all, it makes the book look like a sex and blood uninteresting, trite narrative instead of the adventure it is.
August 10, 2014
An entertaining follow-up to The Scroll of Years. This book delivers in all the same places--fast-paced, exquisite prose with great philosophical depth and humor--but with an even larger cast of characters, and it steers into a realm of wonderful weirdness. The climactic scenes especially are page turners, and without giving anything away, I love where the ending leads.
September 3, 2014
This is the second book in the series. It is not necessary to read the first book to follow and enjoy the story in this one. I did like how it pulled in some real world Eastern mythology as a basis of the mythology of the land the story is set in.
July 16, 2014
Densely written almost to the point of unreadability with a plot that often makes no sense, you should avoid this cliched fantasy.
July 31, 2014
Very clever and very well read! I am now looking for the first book in the series.
October 23, 2015
(4.5) Filled with staunch (is that a word we use nowadays?) female characters and snootily hilarious writing, and set in a fantasy version of the Silk Road. Nice.
October 24, 2016
A Cinderella story! Just as well crafted as the first book.
April 27, 2017
This book is not an easy read, and it took me a very long time to get through it. Then again, if you've gone through The Scroll of Years, you won't be expecting an easy read.
This book picks up a short while after the first one left off. Having lost their children (literally) at the bottom of the ocean, Gaunt, Bone, and Snow Pine (formerly known as Next-One-A-Boy) seek the only help they can think of to reclaim their children: that of the demi-god Monkey. The help of a demi-god does not come cheaply, and this one sends them on a seemingly impossible quest in return for her help: find the Iron Moths, believed to be legend. However, evidence (in the form of the titular map) of the Iron Moths location has recently reappeared, and other forces - not all of them human, and few of them benign - are also searching for the Moths.
Despite the time it took me, I found myself enjoying this book more than the first one. Perhaps this is partially because I knew Gaunt and Bone now after having read the first one, and was not left feeling as though I had wandered into the middle of an ongoing story. Another difference, I think, is that this book has more of a direction; Gaunt and Bone are heading towards a clear goal, rather than running from something. This made the book easier to read, since you had a sense of where you were going (don't worry, that doesn't mean the story is straightforward; there are still all the twists, turns, and sidetracking you could hope for).
There is also the sense that Chris Willrich has matured as a novelist. He still uses his beautiful, complex, prose, but now he sometimes actually says what he wants to say! While his prose is lovely, this change does make the reading flow better. This change also has the effect of making the characters seem more fleshed out and three-dimensional (though some of that may also be the fact that he's had a whole previous novel to develop them). All in all, I found his writing in this novel to be improved without losing that which makes it a Willrich novel.
I've long been interested in the silk roads, and so any novel set in that approximate time and place will appeal to me, which I think is another reason I liked this novel more than the first. Willrich has developed a wild, colourful world along the "Braid of Spice", from ancient krackens buried in the sand to Karvaks (thinly disguised Mongols) in hot air balloons to horses that may agree to bear you for a short while if you ask politely...all described in Willrich's beautiful prose.
After all, what's not to love in a novel that opens with "in hindsight, it was to awaken the sleeping demigod"?
3.5 stars
This book picks up a short while after the first one left off. Having lost their children (literally) at the bottom of the ocean, Gaunt, Bone, and Snow Pine (formerly known as Next-One-A-Boy) seek the only help they can think of to reclaim their children: that of the demi-god Monkey. The help of a demi-god does not come cheaply, and this one sends them on a seemingly impossible quest in return for her help: find the Iron Moths, believed to be legend. However, evidence (in the form of the titular map) of the Iron Moths location has recently reappeared, and other forces - not all of them human, and few of them benign - are also searching for the Moths.
Despite the time it took me, I found myself enjoying this book more than the first one. Perhaps this is partially because I knew Gaunt and Bone now after having read the first one, and was not left feeling as though I had wandered into the middle of an ongoing story. Another difference, I think, is that this book has more of a direction; Gaunt and Bone are heading towards a clear goal, rather than running from something. This made the book easier to read, since you had a sense of where you were going (don't worry, that doesn't mean the story is straightforward; there are still all the twists, turns, and sidetracking you could hope for).
There is also the sense that Chris Willrich has matured as a novelist. He still uses his beautiful, complex, prose, but now he sometimes actually says what he wants to say! While his prose is lovely, this change does make the reading flow better. This change also has the effect of making the characters seem more fleshed out and three-dimensional (though some of that may also be the fact that he's had a whole previous novel to develop them). All in all, I found his writing in this novel to be improved without losing that which makes it a Willrich novel.
I've long been interested in the silk roads, and so any novel set in that approximate time and place will appeal to me, which I think is another reason I liked this novel more than the first. Willrich has developed a wild, colourful world along the "Braid of Spice", from ancient krackens buried in the sand to Karvaks (thinly disguised Mongols) in hot air balloons to horses that may agree to bear you for a short while if you ask politely...all described in Willrich's beautiful prose.
After all, what's not to love in a novel that opens with "in hindsight, it was to awaken the sleeping demigod"?
3.5 stars
December 13, 2017
Maybe not quite 5 stars, but close enough!
This book is a travel adventure. Gaunt and Bone are tasked to find the Silk Map (part of a fabulous dress) that will then lead them to what is essentially the fabled Shangri-La.
In the last book, Gaunt and Bone ended up in an analogue of China. In this one, they travel this world's version of the Silk Road through the heart of the continent, ending up in a legendary hidden country.
It's been a bit since I read this, so some details are foggy, but I loved the imagination that went into these books. The setting is so vivid that it's almost a character of its own. For example: a city in the desert with a blue stream down the middle. The city's walls are designed so that it looks like a giant butterfly spread out over the desert with the stream as the butterfly's body and the city itself the wings. Awesome!
We also get steam-punky Mongolian warriors riding in balloons, a mischievous monkey god, a mystical place that tests you in ways you couldn't imagine. And all this is to get our heroes' children out of a magical painting, wherein they live in a misty mountain monastery.
It was fun! Good adventure and action, multi-dimensional characters who are smart and interesting to read about, a kick-ass setting which I want to continue to explore. Is it culturally appropriative? This is a difficult question for me. It feels like the author has done his research and he clearly loves Asian mythology and history. Is he making a mistake by setting white characters as protagonists in his Asian fantasy? Well, I wouldn't call Gaunt and Bone white saviors. They are thieves on the run who literally went to the opposite side of their earth to escape the powers that were after them. I guess I see them as sort of Marco Polo-esque, traveling an unfamiliar continent, not looking to rule or direct, just to be left alone. I suppose that Marco Polo probably wanted to influence the world around him more than these two do. For me, they are stand-ins as I explore the author's creation. How will this age? I just don't know. But I'll read the next book gladly.
This book is a travel adventure. Gaunt and Bone are tasked to find the Silk Map (part of a fabulous dress) that will then lead them to what is essentially the fabled Shangri-La.
In the last book, Gaunt and Bone ended up in an analogue of China. In this one, they travel this world's version of the Silk Road through the heart of the continent, ending up in a legendary hidden country.
It's been a bit since I read this, so some details are foggy, but I loved the imagination that went into these books. The setting is so vivid that it's almost a character of its own. For example: a city in the desert with a blue stream down the middle. The city's walls are designed so that it looks like a giant butterfly spread out over the desert with the stream as the butterfly's body and the city itself the wings. Awesome!
We also get steam-punky Mongolian warriors riding in balloons, a mischievous monkey god, a mystical place that tests you in ways you couldn't imagine. And all this is to get our heroes' children out of a magical painting, wherein they live in a misty mountain monastery.
It was fun! Good adventure and action, multi-dimensional characters who are smart and interesting to read about, a kick-ass setting which I want to continue to explore. Is it culturally appropriative? This is a difficult question for me. It feels like the author has done his research and he clearly loves Asian mythology and history. Is he making a mistake by setting white characters as protagonists in his Asian fantasy? Well, I wouldn't call Gaunt and Bone white saviors. They are thieves on the run who literally went to the opposite side of their earth to escape the powers that were after them. I guess I see them as sort of Marco Polo-esque, traveling an unfamiliar continent, not looking to rule or direct, just to be left alone. I suppose that Marco Polo probably wanted to influence the world around him more than these two do. For me, they are stand-ins as I explore the author's creation. How will this age? I just don't know. But I'll read the next book gladly.
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