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Count Scar #1
Count Scar
Magic, heresy, and treachery: Count Galoran must face them all to keep his high castle.
- Galoran is a scarred warrior and younger son, cast aside by the emperor when his days of service seem over.
- Melchior is a priest trained in the difficult and highly dangerous magical arts, with dark family secrets to hide.
The two are thrown together when Galoran unexpectedly inherits the castle and county of Peyrefixade, and Melchior is assigned as his spiritual advisor. Galoran soon learns that others covet his castle, the heretics who were supposed to have been defeated in the great war against them but who still hide in their mountain fastnesses. They practice powerful magic that, it seems, can only be countered by another magic worker--but can Galoran trust his chaplain?
Set in an alternate version of southern France in the Middle Ages, the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters, who may see the same events very differently. The outcome turns on mystery, betrayal, desperate battles, religious passion, and the fundamental question of who is really the enemy.
- Galoran is a scarred warrior and younger son, cast aside by the emperor when his days of service seem over.
- Melchior is a priest trained in the difficult and highly dangerous magical arts, with dark family secrets to hide.
The two are thrown together when Galoran unexpectedly inherits the castle and county of Peyrefixade, and Melchior is assigned as his spiritual advisor. Galoran soon learns that others covet his castle, the heretics who were supposed to have been defeated in the great war against them but who still hide in their mountain fastnesses. They practice powerful magic that, it seems, can only be countered by another magic worker--but can Galoran trust his chaplain?
Set in an alternate version of southern France in the Middle Ages, the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters, who may see the same events very differently. The outcome turns on mystery, betrayal, desperate battles, religious passion, and the fundamental question of who is really the enemy.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 18, 2014
I think this was my third time through this one, but I knew going into it that there were particular aspects that I liked. It tells a decent story well, but most of what I enjoyed was what might be considered setting.
Galoran, second son whose brother inherited a duchy in the northern part of the Empire, and who himself has served with distinction in the Emperor's army, is unexpectedly informed that he had a cousin, granddaughter of his grandfather's brother, who was countess of a southern county until her recent untimely death, and that the Duke Argave has decided that title should pass to Galoran. As he accepts the position, he deals with many of the issues of assuming responsibility for a county of which he knows nothing, and with the fact that his cousin's death was mysterious to the point that she may have been murdered.
The county and its castle are named "Peyrefixade", perhaps the one part of the novel that most bothered me because it appeared frequently and my mind could never decide how to pronounce it--anything from three to five syllables. Otherwise names were fairly simple to follow, with enough familiarity and variation that there was little danger of confusing characters. It struck me as peculiar this time through that not a single one of the soldiers in his new home is ever given a name, but I don't think I noticed it previously. It is quite clearly in the southern Alps of the Holy Roman Empire sometime in pre-gunpowder feudal medieval Europe, probably on the northern edge of Italy, during a time when the Inquisition was flourishing and the Holy Roman Emperor kept his seat further north. The historical "feel" is very strong in that regard.
Perhaps the largest "conceit" the book takes is that magic is real, and is a battleground within the religious world. This religious world obviously includes the Roman Catholic Church identified as "The True Faith", and a pernicious sect of heretics self-styled as "The Perfected". These are well-crafted, The True Faith very much focused on the grace of God as the way of salvation, while The Perfected are a Gnostic variant that believes in overcoming the evils of the flesh in this life to achieve a divine status. Peyrefixade sits commanding a mountain pass between territory firmly established as True Faith and territory known to be harboring heretics, and was originally built by the heretics but captured by Galoran's great uncle with the aid of the Duke and some mistakes made by the enemy. However, the enemy's greatest magician concealed two important magic devices in the castle before he died, and the Perfected want them back.
The True Faith is not entirely opposed to magic. In the wake of the war, a new order of priestly monks was formed as the House of the Three Magi, to study magic in God's service and use it to defend against the heretical enemy. Not everyone is comfortable with this, but the Duke and Galoran's great uncle were major supporters in establishing it, and a young priest, Melchior, from that order is sent to serve as cleric and adviser in Galoran's demesne.
Much of the story revolves around the growing relationship between Galoran and Melchior, from whose perspectives it is told, but there is also the battles against the heretics, the mystery of the death of the Countess, a fair amount of court intrigue, and a love interest for the Count in the person of the Duke's younger daughter Arsendis. In this last, he is hampered by his own self-deprecation--he is called "Count Scar" because his face was badly burned when he was a boy trying unsuccessfully to rescue his sister from a fire, and thus he does not believe anyone would want him absent some great success on his part, which is far from Arsendis' attitude.
The integration of magic into history without significantly disrupting historic faith is one of the most impressive aspects of the book. It is a fantasy novel well worth reading.
Galoran, second son whose brother inherited a duchy in the northern part of the Empire, and who himself has served with distinction in the Emperor's army, is unexpectedly informed that he had a cousin, granddaughter of his grandfather's brother, who was countess of a southern county until her recent untimely death, and that the Duke Argave has decided that title should pass to Galoran. As he accepts the position, he deals with many of the issues of assuming responsibility for a county of which he knows nothing, and with the fact that his cousin's death was mysterious to the point that she may have been murdered.
The county and its castle are named "Peyrefixade", perhaps the one part of the novel that most bothered me because it appeared frequently and my mind could never decide how to pronounce it--anything from three to five syllables. Otherwise names were fairly simple to follow, with enough familiarity and variation that there was little danger of confusing characters. It struck me as peculiar this time through that not a single one of the soldiers in his new home is ever given a name, but I don't think I noticed it previously. It is quite clearly in the southern Alps of the Holy Roman Empire sometime in pre-gunpowder feudal medieval Europe, probably on the northern edge of Italy, during a time when the Inquisition was flourishing and the Holy Roman Emperor kept his seat further north. The historical "feel" is very strong in that regard.
Perhaps the largest "conceit" the book takes is that magic is real, and is a battleground within the religious world. This religious world obviously includes the Roman Catholic Church identified as "The True Faith", and a pernicious sect of heretics self-styled as "The Perfected". These are well-crafted, The True Faith very much focused on the grace of God as the way of salvation, while The Perfected are a Gnostic variant that believes in overcoming the evils of the flesh in this life to achieve a divine status. Peyrefixade sits commanding a mountain pass between territory firmly established as True Faith and territory known to be harboring heretics, and was originally built by the heretics but captured by Galoran's great uncle with the aid of the Duke and some mistakes made by the enemy. However, the enemy's greatest magician concealed two important magic devices in the castle before he died, and the Perfected want them back.
The True Faith is not entirely opposed to magic. In the wake of the war, a new order of priestly monks was formed as the House of the Three Magi, to study magic in God's service and use it to defend against the heretical enemy. Not everyone is comfortable with this, but the Duke and Galoran's great uncle were major supporters in establishing it, and a young priest, Melchior, from that order is sent to serve as cleric and adviser in Galoran's demesne.
Much of the story revolves around the growing relationship between Galoran and Melchior, from whose perspectives it is told, but there is also the battles against the heretics, the mystery of the death of the Countess, a fair amount of court intrigue, and a love interest for the Count in the person of the Duke's younger daughter Arsendis. In this last, he is hampered by his own self-deprecation--he is called "Count Scar" because his face was badly burned when he was a boy trying unsuccessfully to rescue his sister from a fire, and thus he does not believe anyone would want him absent some great success on his part, which is far from Arsendis' attitude.
The integration of magic into history without significantly disrupting historic faith is one of the most impressive aspects of the book. It is a fantasy novel well worth reading.
April 29, 2015
This was unexpected.
I knew, intellectually, when I purchased this book that it was not set in Yurt. I knew it had none of the same characters. I knew it was a stand-alone book. Yet for some reason, I was still surprised when I started reading at it was, well, nothing at all like Yurt.
I am not a child, however, who turns up my nose at chocolate ice cream when it turned out I was really craving coffee-flavored. Especially when I’ve already paid for it and it’s sitting there waiting for me, melting all over the—OK, my metaphor is getting out of control. But you get the idea: it wasn’t what I expected, even though I knew better than to expect Yurt, but I read it anyway.
And I liked it. Kind of a lot, actually.
If you’re here, considering this book because you’re a fan of Yurt, you may be in for a surprise as well. Count Scar is darker than Yurt. It’s grittier. It’s waaaaay denser. (I probably averaged 48 hours for most of the Yurt books. This took me about a week.)
Once you get past the fact that it’s not the flavor you might have expected these particular authors to produce, though, you’ll realize it’s pretty delicious in its own way. One of C. Dale Brittain's strengths is in creating mysteries, and Count Scar has an enjoyable one. The title character – his real name is Count Galoran, but he got his nickname for obvious reasons – is a younger son and starts the book at loose ends; he's no longer needed as a soldier, and his older brother certainly doesn't need him banging around the house. So when a distant duke chooses him to succeed an equally distant relation as lord of a tiny county in the south, he's eager to make his mark. It occurs to him to wonder, however, why he's needed at all...and sure enough, the previous countess died under mysterious circumstances. It's up to Count Galoran to figure out exactly what's going on in his new home before all the forces at work make him just as dead as his predecessor.
Another fun aspect has to do with the liberties the authors took with medieval France. In many respects, the book reads like a historical novel. C. Dale Brittain is a history professor, and that extensive knowledge is put to good use filling in all the little details of what life in this fictional land is like, adding to the realism. Of course, the book is full of magic, probably the primary reason I'm so in love with fantasies, but but while it was pervasive - it's not one of those stories where we're told it exists but don't actually get to see it in action - it wasn't overpowered. The authors also created a second, antagonistic, heretical religion to provide a counterpoint to the sway the church held back then...and I have to say, that particular touch really set this book apart. I've been trying to think of another book or author this reminds me of, but the world-building puts it in a class all its own.
It's probably worth repeating: Count Scar has little in common with Yurt, and if you're thinking of getting this book because you liked Brittain's excellent Daimbert series, this probably isn't what you're expecting. It's a pretty great book in its own right, though, so – especially if you're looking for something a bit weightier after following Daimbert's adventures – I encourage you to give this well-written, innovative offering a try.
As for me? I'm off to eat ice cream.
I knew, intellectually, when I purchased this book that it was not set in Yurt. I knew it had none of the same characters. I knew it was a stand-alone book. Yet for some reason, I was still surprised when I started reading at it was, well, nothing at all like Yurt.
I am not a child, however, who turns up my nose at chocolate ice cream when it turned out I was really craving coffee-flavored. Especially when I’ve already paid for it and it’s sitting there waiting for me, melting all over the—OK, my metaphor is getting out of control. But you get the idea: it wasn’t what I expected, even though I knew better than to expect Yurt, but I read it anyway.
And I liked it. Kind of a lot, actually.
If you’re here, considering this book because you’re a fan of Yurt, you may be in for a surprise as well. Count Scar is darker than Yurt. It’s grittier. It’s waaaaay denser. (I probably averaged 48 hours for most of the Yurt books. This took me about a week.)
Once you get past the fact that it’s not the flavor you might have expected these particular authors to produce, though, you’ll realize it’s pretty delicious in its own way. One of C. Dale Brittain's strengths is in creating mysteries, and Count Scar has an enjoyable one. The title character – his real name is Count Galoran, but he got his nickname for obvious reasons – is a younger son and starts the book at loose ends; he's no longer needed as a soldier, and his older brother certainly doesn't need him banging around the house. So when a distant duke chooses him to succeed an equally distant relation as lord of a tiny county in the south, he's eager to make his mark. It occurs to him to wonder, however, why he's needed at all...and sure enough, the previous countess died under mysterious circumstances. It's up to Count Galoran to figure out exactly what's going on in his new home before all the forces at work make him just as dead as his predecessor.
Another fun aspect has to do with the liberties the authors took with medieval France. In many respects, the book reads like a historical novel. C. Dale Brittain is a history professor, and that extensive knowledge is put to good use filling in all the little details of what life in this fictional land is like, adding to the realism. Of course, the book is full of magic, probably the primary reason I'm so in love with fantasies, but but while it was pervasive - it's not one of those stories where we're told it exists but don't actually get to see it in action - it wasn't overpowered. The authors also created a second, antagonistic, heretical religion to provide a counterpoint to the sway the church held back then...and I have to say, that particular touch really set this book apart. I've been trying to think of another book or author this reminds me of, but the world-building puts it in a class all its own.
It's probably worth repeating: Count Scar has little in common with Yurt, and if you're thinking of getting this book because you liked Brittain's excellent Daimbert series, this probably isn't what you're expecting. It's a pretty great book in its own right, though, so – especially if you're looking for something a bit weightier after following Daimbert's adventures – I encourage you to give this well-written, innovative offering a try.
As for me? I'm off to eat ice cream.
October 24, 2014
One of my favorite novels, it is a combination of mystery story and fantasy adventure. Brittain and Bouchard do a masterful job of combining a medieval setting, magic, intrigue and Christianity into a believable world. The monk, Melchior, is portrayed as a good, holy man without being sanctimonious. The interplay between the scarred Count Galloran and the Duke's beautiful daughter is intriguing and the right touch of romance. Descriptions are vivid and the mystery aspect kept me guessing until the last few chapters. An excellent read! I am hoping for a sequel.
February 22, 2021
$0.99 Kindle sale, Feb. 22, 2021.
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September 20, 2021A favorite historical fiction+ fantasy
Only equaled by Red Adam's Lady, Weber's War God's Own, C. J. Cherryh Fortress series, Heather G. and Lois Bujold's fantasies. Memorable characters and complex plots and settings.
Only equaled by Red Adam's Lady, Weber's War God's Own, C. J. Cherryh Fortress series, Heather G. and Lois Bujold's fantasies. Memorable characters and complex plots and settings.
August 31, 2013
Another fun read by Brittain. This is not part of her Wizard of Yurt series, but is set in a similar world with an active feudal system, Christianity, and magic. This time though things are a bit more serious in tone, with the main character unexpectedly becoming the count of a distant county, where he is paired with a priest who also practices magic (a bit of a scandal to the count). He's determined to be the best ruler he can, even though he's in a strange land that's quite different from home. Along the way, he has to deal with the mystery of how his predecessor died, assassins, infidels, strange magic, uppity peasants, and ladies of the court who are most likely secretly mocking him and his scared visage. A great mystery/thriller with a practical down to earth tone.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews