Throy

Cadwal Chronicles #3

by Jack Vance

Here at last Jack Vance concludes the brilliant science fiction trilogy that he began in Araminta Station and continued in Ecce And Old Earth. The trilogy is set in the region of space he calls Mircea's Wisp, and encompasses worlds and cultures such as only could be conceived in the mind of science fiction's master stylist. The Planet Cadwal has an ecosystem unique in the human-explored galaxy; a thousand years past it was established as a natural preserve, protected from normal colonization and exploitation. Official residence was restricted to a precisely limited number of scientists and their immediate families. But over the centuries exceptions were made, as children wished to stay on their home world, and the elite of the planet brought in "temporary" employees - employees who were not, of course, "residents". The population grew, until the human Conservators faced a conspiracy of humans and aliens to wrest control of their world away, and open it to full commercial use. But now, thanks to Glawen Clattuc and his beloved, Wayness Tamm, there is a new Charter for the Conservancy of Cadwal. Unfortunately, it has resolved nothing, nor has it brought peace to the planet. Instead of clarifying the situation, it has hardened the opposition, and polarized the population. Led by Namour and Smonny in exile, one group continues to exploit the population of Yips on Cadwal - people whose illegal status on the planet leaves them unprotected from virtual enslavement. Another faction seeks to restore Cadwal to a pristine condition instantly, and will allow no concerns for life or property to stop them. And in the middle are the governors of the planet and their police force. Newly promoted Commander Glawen Clattuc is charged with apprehending Namour wherever he might have fled among the world of Mircea's Wisp. And Glawen has his own agenda, as well. Finally, after twenty years, he has discovered a trace of the Yips he believes to have murdered his mother.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Mystery, American

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Aka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.

The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.

Reviews

[Jaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A neat and satisfying conclusion to the Cadwal saga. As interesting and energetic as the first two books, only shorter. We see less of Wayness Tamm, but instead we get the intriguing and elusive Flitz.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

So ends the Cadwal Chronicles, published in 1991 when Vance was 75. Throy continued the adventure from the prior installment and wraps the series up in a bow. While not the strongest series, it definitely was the most melancholy, full of existential questions and reflections on the meaning of life in general. After securing the Charter for Cadwal (with minor modifications), Glawen is sent on an off-planet mission to thwart the LPFers (e.g., the opposing political faction that wanted to dismember the charter) from any other violent action. Glawen and company embark on a several planet wide quest to undermine the LPF and their collaborators with the Yips.

Again, we see some solid world building here as only Vance can do and lots of snarky dialogue that populated the entire series. Outside of the snappy back and forth repartee among several of the characters, however, the pacing was a bit plodding and you kinda knew what was going to happen from the get go. Of course, Glawen encountered various trials and tribulations along the way, as well as strange aliens and such, but still, the 'hero on a quest' trope meant that you knew he would pull through in the end. This series focused upon politics and interpersonal conflicts almost exclusively, although there were a few action scenes tossed in here and there.

Despite the relatively low rating I gave this series, if you are a Vance fan, it is worth reading. His prose can be hypnotic at times and the snarky dialogue was fun-- he was at the top of his game at least for this! I believe this was the last novel set in the Gaean Reach universe, the site of many of his novels and short stories. 2.5 rounding up!

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

It reminded me greatly of Ports of Call. Later Vance, still beautiful to read, but having a feel that the author is cleaning out his notebook of ideas that don't merit a full adventure, and is just providing opportunities for characters to trade barbed witticisms in elaborate verbal duels. After the high point of the series in Ecce and Old Earth, this is an extended wrapping-up of affairs.

A hoped for team-up of Glawen and his quietly bethrothed, Wayness, never comes to pass as she is shunted aside to mind the home fires while Glawen conducts an extended journey in a story where he is little more than an interested observer: the machinations are behind the scenes, mostly set up previously, and once events warrant they come to a crashing conclusion. There are none of the reversals of fortune one would expect, or deception, or indeed much else.

[David McGrogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting Throy to be the weakest of the Cadwal books, as most reviews suggest as much, and it met that expectation. The central portion is dull and meandering and adds little to the plot, and the climax is just too rapid: "Boy, that escalated quickly" and then some. It's also inexplicable that Vance chose not to include Wayness and focus instead on the hitherto fringe character, Chilke, as the centre of the action. With all that said, there is enough brio and wit here to carry the reader along, and some very compelling set-pieces (the water-waif attack being one of Vance's best action scenes); while a disappointing end to the Cadwal series, it is for the most part an enjoyable read in its own right.

[Farseer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conclusion of the trilogy, and I'm glad it's over. This is very late Vance and, to tell you the truth, it's not among his best. You see examples of his imagination for creating alien worlds, but this story is a bit too conventional and old-fashioned. It's not that old (this book was written in the early 90s) but it could have been written much earlier, and some of the values that the story takes for granted are a bit dubious for modern readers. Also, the bad guys are so dumb and incompetent that it's just too easy. I don't know. It entertained me and I read the whole thing, but I would not recommend this one unless you are a Vance completist. He has written better things.

[Elar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much of bureaucratic struggle and too little of adventure/action.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throy was first published in 1992 so is one of Vance's later works. My hardcover copy is 248 pages, making it significantly shorter than the first two novels in the series The Cadwal Chronicles which, in my hardcover editions, were 554 pages and 326 pages each respectively. Although Throy is worth reading if one has read the other two novels, it is the weakest of the three in the series. It does not have the fascinating world building, complex plot and interesting character development of the brilliantly written Araminta Station nor does it have the mystery, suspense, drama and intriguing investigative work that is in Ecce and Old Earth. Throy does, however, provide a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy, and anybody who has read the first two novels will certainly want to read it.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...

After our two main characters, Glawen Clattuc and Wayness Tamm, finally find the lost original Charter, The Naturalist Society is taken over by the LPFers (Life, Peace and Freedom Party) who want to open Cadwal to settlement and development. But Glawen and Wayness moved quickly and out foxed the LPFers. The old Charter has been replaced by a new much stricter Charter and The Naturalist Society is no longer in control of the planet Cadwal Having legal control of the planet and a new Charter, however, mean little if you don't have the power to enforce your authority. And the LPFers are planning to take over the planet with the help of over 100,000 Yip people and the two Straidor-Ferox gunships they have hidden. The LPFers are now split into two factions that have some conflicting interests. Both factions of the LPFers agree to coordinate efforts to arrange transportation for the Yips. They plan to move them from Lutwen Atoll to the continent of Deucas. At Araminta Station, the headquarters of The Naturalist Society, they want to overpower the members there and take control of the planet. But the two LPFer factions are in disagreement about how many Yips to allow to remain on the planet and who should be in control of Cadwal. In addition, Lewyn Barduys, a shipping magnate who lives on another planet, is the only one with the means to transport that many people. The entire plans of both factions are totally dependent on Badruys' cooperation and assistance.

Glawen and Wayness travel to the planet Rosalia and visit Shadow Valley Ranch to try to meet with Lewyn Barduys to attempt to dissuade him from assisting the LPFers. On Rosalia they encounter bizarre alien creatures called tree-waifs, water-waifs and wind-waifs. The water-waifs become especially problematic and even dangerous for them and others. The waifs are described as being "notorious for their mysterious habits. Their activities seemed motivated by caprice mingled with a weird logic, so that their antics were a constant source of horrified fascination." Will Wayness and Glawen find Barduys and persuade him not to cooperate with transporting the Yips? Time is limited because an important meeting has been scheduled for the two LPFer factions to meet with Barduys to finalize transportation plans.

I enjoyed reading Throy and thought it provided a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, The Cadwal Chronicles. But it is not as interesting as the other two novels in the series and is the least well written. The first novel of the series, Araminta Station, though, is an amazing novel that is well worth reading. And Ecce and the Old Earth is a very good follow up novel. Because The Cadwal Chronicles are long, complex and detailed, though, the series might not appeal to readers who are unfamiliar with Vance's writings. But for Vance fans The Cadwal Chronicles are essential reading.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throy was first published in 1992 so is one of Vance's later works. Throy is is 234 pages long, making it significantly shorter than the first two novels in the series The Cadwal Chronicles. Although Throy is worth reading if one has read the other two novels, it is the weakest of the three in the series. It does not have the fascinating world building, complex plot and interesting character development of the brilliantly written Araminta Station nor does it have the mystery, suspense, drama and intriguing investigative work that is in Ecce and Old Earth. Throy does, however, provide a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy, and anybody who has read the first two novels will certainly want to read it.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...

After our two main characters, Glawen Clattuc and Wayness Tamm, finally find the lost original Charter, The Naturalist Society is taken over by the LPFers (Life, Peace and Freedom Party) who want to open Cadwal to settlement and development. But Glawen and Wayness moved quickly and out foxed the LPFers. The old Charter has been replaced by a new much stricter Charter and The Naturalist Society is no longer in control of the planet Cadwal Having legal control of the planet and a new Charter, however, mean little if you don't have the power to enforce your authority. And the LPFers are planning to take over the planet with the help of over 100,000 Yip people and the two Straidor-Ferox gunships they have hidden. The LPFers are now split into two factions that have some conflicting interests. Both factions of the LPFers agree to coordinate efforts to arrange transportation for the Yips. They plan to move them from Lutwen Atoll to the continent of Deucas. At Araminta Station, the headquarters of The Naturalist Society, they want to overpower the members there and take control of the planet. But the two LPFer factions are in disagreement about how many Yips to allow to remain on the planet and who should be in control of Cadwal. In addition, Lewyn Barduys, a shipping magnate who lives on another planet, is the only one with the means to transport that many people. The entire plans of both factions are totally dependent on Badruys' cooperation and assistance.

Glawen and Wayness travel to the planet Rosalia and visit Shadow Valley Ranch to try to meet with Lewyn Barduys to attempt to dissuade him from assisting the LPFers. On Rosalia they encounter bizarre alien creatures called tree-waifs, water-waifs and wind-waifs. The water-waifs become especially problematic and even dangerous for them and others. The waifs are described as being "notorious for their mysterious habits. Their activities seemed motivated by caprice mingled with a weird logic, so that their antics were a constant source of horrified fascination." Will Wayness and Glawen find Barduys and persuade him not to cooperate with transporting the Yips? Time is limited because an important meeting has been scheduled for the two LPFer factions to meet with Barduys to finalize transportation plans.

I enjoyed reading Throy and thought it provided a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, The Cadwal Chronicles. But it is not as interesting as the other two novels in the series and is the least well written. The first novel of the series, Araminta Station, though, is an amazing novel that is well worth reading. And Ecce and the Old Earth is a very good follow up novel. Because The Cadwal Chronicles are long, complex and detailed, though, the series might not appeal to readers who are unfamiliar with Vance's writings. But for Vance fans The Cadwal Chronicles are essential reading.

[Ivan Stoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's disappointing about Throy is that it represents a big missed opportunity for Vance at the height of his powers.

It doesn't have the scope of Araminta Station; it's not as interesting as Ecce and Old Earth; it doesn't break brilliant new ground in a new genre like Lyonesse; and it's not "late Vance unchained" (that would come later). It's a regression, and it feels half-hearted.

Maybe the most bitter pill to swallow is that it had a setup for something awesome and new for Vance -- a husband and wife team! Vance developed the excellent character of Wayness Tam as a protagonist in Ecce. But now for some reason he has Vancian young male hero Glawen Clattuc go off and leave her at home to set up their future domicile (seriously?!). So Glawen goes on a bog-standard adventure with a random side character instead of his rad fiancée. Blah.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, Throy doesn't live up to its predecessors, Araminta Station and Ecce and Old Earth. It's still Vance, and therefore a fun read. But he doesn't seem to have put much effort into this book, which seems a somewhat half-hearted effort to tie up loose ends. There's not a lot of mystery, and the expected resolution comes about, though with more callous bloodshed than one might anticipate.

All in all, a decent and readable book. Definitely worth reading to finish up the series, but otherwise not interesting enough to be one of Vance's best.

CVIE edition

[Arthur B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing conclusion to the trilogy. The Cadwal series started out well, but Jack Vance seems to have run out of steam towards the end, falling back on tried and true ideas which already had better outings elsewhere in his expansive bibliography. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/200...

[Edwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minder dan de voorgaande twee delen. Had het idee dat er snel naar een einde toegewerkt moest worden. Toch wel een leuk verhaal.

[John Gossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1992, Throy is one of Jack Vance's last novels, followed by Night Lamp (1994), Ports of Call (1998), and Lurulu (2004). Along with the Throy's immediate prequel Ecce and Old Earth (1991), I consider these books Vance's late works. All of them are very similar; all of them exhibit Vance's characteristic style, humor, and creativity. And yet there is something missing. Sadly, all of them are a bit slow, consisting of long sequences of loosely related adventures on various worlds, something captured in the title "Ports of Call". By comparison to his tight novels and short stories of the classic years, these stories feel a little flabby, even indulgent. Which is fine because more Vance is a good thing.

Some of my favorite bands continue to produce new albums long past their heydays: McCartney, Townshend, the Stones, Sting. Perhaps John Mayall is the best example. It is hard to point to any diminishment in the quality of their songs. In terms of technique and craft, they are arguably better now than when they were young. And yet, I go back always to their earlier albums, and it those songs which drew the bulk of their audiences. So it is with these late Vance books. Read them, savor them, but don't be surprised if your primary response is to be reminded of his earlier classics.

Notice that I did not include Araminta Station, the first book in the trilogy ending with Throy, in late Vance. That one is notably better than its sequels, and despite its length is a quick, highly engaging read, and of my favorites. The only flaw with that book is that is not standalone and the sequels do not live up to it.

[Kagey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the Cadwal Chronicles, albeit a bit too slim (I always leave a Vance series yearning for more!). Glawen gets a raise and is now a commander of Bureau B (space cops!) and investigates the warring factions of the LPFers who had previously teamed up to take down the Charter and build themselves palatial estates. We also get to know Flitz and Barduys, introduced in Ecce and Old Earth, construction magnates who have been backstabbed by the libs of Cadwal.

This series has a crotchety old man vibe to it, as our heroes want things to stay the same (preserving the natural beauty of their planet), and their enemies are hypocritical snobs who act like they care, but will always put themselves first. At the end of the day, the message of not losing your values in your quest to attain your goals is well-explored, as well as the caution to not get fooled by pretty words with nothing behind them. The vast amount of destruction and murder by those who claim to love peace is notable, as is its counterpart, unfashionably humble honesty.

[Jürgen Defurne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In dit deel rondt de schrijver de lijnen af die hij heeft uitgezet in de vorige twee delen. Hierdoor is het misschien wat korter, maar hij tovert geen nieuwe konijnen uit zijn hoge hoed. De gebeurtenissen hier in beschreven, volgen logisch uit alle voorgaande gebeurtenissen en beschreven personages.

Ik krijg ook niet het gevoel dat vanwege de lengte van het boek (ongeveer de helft van ieder voorgaand deel) de schrijver het finale deel in zeven haasten bijeen heeft geschreven. Vance is Vance. Zijn onderkoelde humor is duidelijk aanwezig, samen met zijn prachtige beschrijvingen van landschappen en gedragingen van mensen.

[Joe Kopacz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I made it through this Jack Vance trilogy. This one moved along a bit more than Ecce, but not so much more that I found it particularly interesting or more compelling than the other two entries.

The story of Cadwal and its inhabitants wraps up nicely. Justice is done to those who had wronged Glawen and his father, the Conservancy is assured, and the Yips are dealt with. There's a fair bit of travel off world and that travel is pretty typical of other Vance.

I'm glad to be done with it. The series was interesting, but certainly not my favorite of Vance's works. I think I'm taking a break from Vance for a bit. I don't have much left of his to read anyhow.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10. Media de los 30 libros leídos del autor : 7/10.

Nada menos que 30 libros leí de Vance, la mayoría de joven lector de CF en editoriales míticas: Orbis, Edhasa, Ultramar, Nova,...
De imaginación desbordante, creaba mundos y sociedades como churros, desbordando imaginación y superando nuestra capacidad de asombro. Una media de 7/10 en tantos libros no es fácil de mantener.

Creó muchas sagas (ninguna mala o aburrida) y me quedo con la de "Tschai", que son 4 libros. Si hubiera de escoger uno que no sea saga, pues "Lámpara de Noche".

Un gran clásico.

[David Meiklejohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The planet charter is safe but the bad guys are still on the loose and Glawen is out to sort things out as he follows the trail and ties up the loose ends from the previous two books. This last book was the shortest and weakest of the three Cadwal books but still has plenty of Vance's style and humour.

[Ondřej Šefčík · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third part of the trilogy is not so awesome as the first one or the second one, especially since main problems have been already solved... this one is more about cleaning the table, joining the loose ends and to marry even the unexpected protagonists. However, since this is Jack Vance, it is still full of imagination, sharp witticisms and baroque language.

[Hans van der Veeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final volume of this trilogy. Although it answers many unanswered questions, I still get the feeling that Vance was done with this story. It is not as intricate and elaborate as the previous two volumes but merely wraps things up.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable ending to a great series

[Tex-49 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il migliore dei libri di questo ciclo, quello più movimentato.

[Till Noever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic

As always, Jack’s worlds pass by us in A magic whirlwind of caleidoscopic colours and characters, making us return to our own world and finding it rather bland and mundane.

[springheeled · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay

[Guido Velder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Trilogy wrap-up.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A (too) quick wrap up of an entertaining series.

This could have been more interesting. Also, why did Wayness get no POV chapters? A waste if you ask me.

[Eric Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Rating: 4.5/5.0]

[Donovan Jenkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

JV is my favorite writer but this book was a rush job - too short and not enough Wayness in it. Still, the series overall I would rate as a 4 or 4.5.

[beaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than the first two books in the series, but ultimately, the Cadwal series left me disappointed. Friction between groups of people is a fundamental source of humor and energy throughout Vance's oeuvre, but his stories often leave a bad taste behind when he follows these ideas deeper with seeming earnestness. In this series, attention is repeatedly drawn to the idea that cosmopolitanism can only reach so far; pluralism of disparate groups is rejected, and an ideology of keeping cultures separated is positively invoked.


After all the hand-wringing and xenophobia which swirled around "the Yip question" throughout the series, their ultimate fate is described in a single throwaway paragraph at the end of the book in which every single Yip is herded aboard a spaceship and sent to another planet. It's on par with "I have to go now, my planet needs me" in terms of abruptness. The Yips are an imported immigrant guest worker slave class who serve as a vaguely Oriental-coded foreign presence which the American-coded protagonists find unwelcome. And just as the main characters dispose of the Yips once their need for slaves is not so pressing, so the plot itself disposes with the Yips-as-plot-device once they bad guys are caught and justice has been applied.

The Yips are treated as nothing more than pawns who are used and played by the protagonist and antagonist factions, then their city is burned by one of those factions, then all the Yips are rounded up and sent somewhere else far away without themselves having any voice in this. You could say this is an apt depiction of the native experience under real-world colonialism, and that the book is giving voice to these horrors. But the sympathy of the protagonists -- and the narrator -- toward the plight of the Yips is cold and callous at best. The implication is that the narrator believes that the Yips are subhumans who don't really matter, at least not in the same way that the main characters do.

The conclusion is a run-of-the-mill Vance capper in which the heroes wield the righteous authority of the interplanetary police to force their foes into submission and then punish them for their many misdeeds. It's kinda fun but always a bit thin feeling. If I may be fastidious about one small point, I didn't love the way they sent the bad guys to the jungle prison continent to rot away the rest of their days. Why wouldn't they simply execute them? They had no qualms about previously executing others who had committed lesser offenses. It feels like Smonny and Spanchetta and Namour would be resourceful enough, and have allies enough, to escape that situation. Obviously the chosen conclusion is meant to be more amusing than practical with regards to the ironic retribution which the antagonists are forced to suffer. But it still irked me a little bit.

[Andrew Hamblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bad guys' plans to secure the Charter was thwarted in "Ecce and Old Earth", but they are still at large: Araminta Station's Bureau B is concerned that plans to transport thousands of Yips to the mainland are still underway. Glawen, along with Eustace Chilke, the earthy lead-spaceport-technician-cum-Bureau-B-officer, head off-world to track down the principals through their connection with Lewyn Barduys, construction magnate, and his mysterious female companion Flitz.

This book is the shortest of the trilogy. The first book featured lots of world-building, a huge cast of characters, an intricate plot and was in some ways a coming-of-age story. The second mainly focused on Glawen and Wayness in a cloak-and-dagger adventure on Old Earth. This one seems like it's mostly wrapping up loose ends, with a few surprises.

It's still Vance, though: I appreciate any time I can spend in his imagination, where quietly confident protagonists saunter the avenues of strangely familiar extraterrestrial cities, perhaps lounging in street-side cafes and soliciting information from tourist kiosks.