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A God in Chains
" ...the closest thing to Vance since Vance ." says George R.R. Martin Searching for his stolen past in the Dying Earth . He calls himself Farouche, after a character from legend, but his reality is that his memories and identity were stolen from him by a secret enemy. In a far-future world of wizards and walled cities, he finds himself trailing a wealthy merchant's caravan across a dusty plain. Possessed of a soldier's skills, he hires on with the merchant and begins to build a life. But his efforts to discover his past reveal a dark prospect: was he a participant in a notorious massacre of innocents? Will Farouche come to know the truth? Will he survive the journey across a lawless land to the remote city of Olliphract, ruled by half-mad thaumaturges? And when he finally lays bare the plot in which he has been ensnared, will it be too late? Matthew Hughes delivers another dark fantastical adventure set in a decadent Dying Earth, where men and half-men and even the gods themselves contend for earthly power and unearthly prizes. A God in Chains is a Dying Earth adventure of men, half-men, and gods and is the latest Matthew Hughes' Archonate series novel. " Hughes's boldness is admirable " -- New York Review of Science Fiction
About the Author: Matthew Hughes writes fantasy and space opera, often in a Jack Vance mode. Booklist has called him Vance’s "heir apparent." His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, F&SF, Postscripts, Lightspeed , and Interzone , and invitation-only anthologies including Songs of the Dying Earth, Rogues, Old Mars, Old Venus, The Book of Swords , and The Book of Magic , all edited by George R. R. Martin and/or Gardner Dozois. He has won the Arthur Ellis Award, and has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick, Aurora, Nebula, Endeavour (twice), A.E. Van Vogt, and Derringer Awards. He spent more than thirty years as one of Canada's leading speechwriters for political leaders and corporate executives. Since 2007, he has been traveling the world as an itinerant housesitter, has lived in twelve countries, and has no fixed address.
Praise:
About the Author: Matthew Hughes writes fantasy and space opera, often in a Jack Vance mode. Booklist has called him Vance’s "heir apparent." His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, F&SF, Postscripts, Lightspeed , and Interzone , and invitation-only anthologies including Songs of the Dying Earth, Rogues, Old Mars, Old Venus, The Book of Swords , and The Book of Magic , all edited by George R. R. Martin and/or Gardner Dozois. He has won the Arthur Ellis Award, and has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick, Aurora, Nebula, Endeavour (twice), A.E. Van Vogt, and Derringer Awards. He spent more than thirty years as one of Canada's leading speechwriters for political leaders and corporate executives. Since 2007, he has been traveling the world as an itinerant housesitter, has lived in twelve countries, and has no fixed address.
Praise:
236 pages, paperback
Published August 5, 2019
67 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hughes
202 books281 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 20, 2020
A fine story from Hughes, amusing and clever as always. The first half feels more like a Western than anything, and admittedly progresses a little slowly as the protagonist gradually gets his bearings after suffering severe amnesia. Yet by the second half we're immersed in a fascinating Dying Earth setting, replete with capricious wizards and arcane deities. Hughes' conception of the multiple planes of existence and the three components of the human soul are also quite intriguing, and form the crux of the story. The world, and many these concepts will be familiar, to some extent, to those who have read Hughes' previous Dying Earth writings. And that shared world I think is one of the great joys of Hughes' work, with each story adding more flavor and a deeper overall appreciation.
September 15, 2019
I very much enjoyed this book. I first encountered Hughes in the pages of F&SF magazine. His stories of Raffalon and Baldemar introduced me to the world in which this novel is set. It is in this world that we encounter our protagonist on a road in the middle of nowhere with no recollection of who he is or how he came to be there.
We get to follow his adventures as he begins the quest of unraveling the mystery of himself. Who is he? What happened to his memory? What forces are at work, and just what game is he playing as an unaware pawn?
Hughes does not spend a lot of time world building in this book. There is some world "splaining" as we go along. The world has been built in the past short fiction, and here it is revealed as a thing the author has spent a great deal of time building backstage. Rather than showing us all that work, we get what we need to carry us along following our protagonist and the small band of followers that get swept up in the mystery of this man.
I enjoyed being plopped down in the middle of events as it gives the reader a chance to unravel the mystery of what is going on with a minimum of knowledge of how things work.
I found the story engaging and very entertaining.
We get to follow his adventures as he begins the quest of unraveling the mystery of himself. Who is he? What happened to his memory? What forces are at work, and just what game is he playing as an unaware pawn?
Hughes does not spend a lot of time world building in this book. There is some world "splaining" as we go along. The world has been built in the past short fiction, and here it is revealed as a thing the author has spent a great deal of time building backstage. Rather than showing us all that work, we get what we need to carry us along following our protagonist and the small band of followers that get swept up in the mystery of this man.
I enjoyed being plopped down in the middle of events as it gives the reader a chance to unravel the mystery of what is going on with a minimum of knowledge of how things work.
I found the story engaging and very entertaining.
February 15, 2020
Most of the first half of A God in Chains could have been a Western, as Hughes makes little use of the Dying Earth setting. It's certainly enjoyable and solid entertainment, but remains a fairly by-the-numbers Man with No Memory tale. It's only during the second half that the magic kicks in and it becomes very much a Dying Earth story of higher -and lower- dimensions, wizards, vat-grown entities, demonic possession, and punge.
Although this could be read with no prior knowledge of either Jack Vance's work or Matthew Hughes', it has more to offer to those that are familiar with both - there are nods to other DE locations, characters, and mannerisms that will bring a wry smile to aficionados. As hinted at above, Hughes doesn't really offer much as far as atmospherics are concerned, as there's little sense of the vast vistas of time that have gone by; but then he's not that kind of writer - he simply gets down to the matter at hand and describes it in an entertaining fashion (and neither Cugel's Saga or Rhialto the Marvellous - the last two novels of Vance's original series- offered much in that vein, to be fair). The result is a fun, very pleasing read worth any Fantasy reader's time and money.
Rubbish cover to this edition, though.
Although this could be read with no prior knowledge of either Jack Vance's work or Matthew Hughes', it has more to offer to those that are familiar with both - there are nods to other DE locations, characters, and mannerisms that will bring a wry smile to aficionados. As hinted at above, Hughes doesn't really offer much as far as atmospherics are concerned, as there's little sense of the vast vistas of time that have gone by; but then he's not that kind of writer - he simply gets down to the matter at hand and describes it in an entertaining fashion (and neither Cugel's Saga or Rhialto the Marvellous - the last two novels of Vance's original series- offered much in that vein, to be fair). The result is a fun, very pleasing read worth any Fantasy reader's time and money.
Rubbish cover to this edition, though.
May 12, 2020
I've been a fan of Matthew Hughes for a long time, and this book is another in the long line of his continually delightful oeuvre. Each of his works stands on its own, but together, he has created a deep, rich bibliography full of bizarre dealings, eccentric characters, and an intricately constructed fantasy world.
In an author's note at the back of this book, Hughes mentions that all of his genre works came from the seed of a short novella he wrote over a weekend in the 1980s. It's truly awe-inspiring to see the variety of books that have come since!
'A God in Chains' is a perfect example of what Hughes does best. Although the book is short, it contains both a twisty fantasy caper and a thoughtful meditation on existence and morality. If you've not read any Hughes yet, this is a perfect place to start. Trust me.
In an author's note at the back of this book, Hughes mentions that all of his genre works came from the seed of a short novella he wrote over a weekend in the 1980s. It's truly awe-inspiring to see the variety of books that have come since!
'A God in Chains' is a perfect example of what Hughes does best. Although the book is short, it contains both a twisty fantasy caper and a thoughtful meditation on existence and morality. If you've not read any Hughes yet, this is a perfect place to start. Trust me.
May 27, 2020
Another delightful read from this author. The "memoryless protagonist searching for his true identity" premise is kind of overdone, but Hughes keeps it fresh and interesting with plenty of twists along the way. This is set in the Dying Earth universe, although interestingly enough the signature magic, narcissistic OP wizards, and capricious other-plane beings don't make much of an appearance until the second half. We also get other character POVs in the second half which makes things more interesting. It's a standalone story (but ISTR the wizardly Big Bad showing up in a short story somewhere) and I think it could be enjoyed by readers who aren't familiar with Hughes' work. And without spoiling too much, I will only say that I can't think of another author who could solve a magical problem by having the afflicted "reborn" from a giant mommy parts mock-up.
September 2, 2020
It starts with a man walking down a road who has lost most of his memories. He doesn't know how he got there or even his own name. I absolutely love that kind of thing so I was all into this book. Then halfway through the author switches POVs to one of the sidekick characters and we learn something about him that he's been hiding. THe book continues with occasional switches of POVs and eventually we learn the meaning of the title.
The abrupt change in POvs was jarring at first but I went along with it, and after reading the afterward by the author and learning that he just makes stuff up as he goes along instead of plotting in advance, it makes total sense now. Though I wish he would have stuck with the original character who lost his memory.
The abrupt change in POvs was jarring at first but I went along with it, and after reading the afterward by the author and learning that he just makes stuff up as he goes along instead of plotting in advance, it makes total sense now. Though I wish he would have stuck with the original character who lost his memory.
October 9, 2022
I don't mind a classic amnesia trope. It serves as a great excuse to review the basics of a new world without exposition dumps. In this case, the subject of the mind wipe seems strangely calm about the whole experience... a fact that is explained later. This leads the reader to be a little detached from the story. I did enjoy the idea of deducing what sort of person you are from your reflexive actions.
The magic system was largely left on the shelf for most of the tale but by the end, I was very impressed. It had a cohesive and mostly understandable structure.
However, on the whole, I found the story to be pretty forgettable. The writing was high quality but it was missing an essential emotional spark.
The magic system was largely left on the shelf for most of the tale but by the end, I was very impressed. It had a cohesive and mostly understandable structure.
However, on the whole, I found the story to be pretty forgettable. The writing was high quality but it was missing an essential emotional spark.
June 27, 2020
I am flabbergasted at all the 4 and 5 star ratings for this. The main character's mystery was engaging for about 25% of the way in, then it got bogged down and enrobed in a detailed metaphysical system of zero interest. But, beyond that, the story ought to have reached a point of resonance, where emotional involvement provided satisfaction at reading. The best term I can think of for this story is "flat affect".
June 19, 2020
The reader is dropped into the story just like the main character is dropped into the world. The story follows the initial character try to pick up his life with no memories about where he came from or how he arrived in this place. Who is he? Is he the god in chains? How did he end up in the place the story starts? These are the kinds of questions that A God in Chains, by Mathew Hughs, triggers in the reader.
Our protagonist starts to rebuild his life, seemingly only partially interested in his history. His lack of urgency is annoying, and he seems to take one step forward, then two steps back. In retrospect, I find that the author did a fantastic job moving the story forward with the confines of the protagonist’s situation.
The story works well because you feel that at some point all will be explained. Much of the enjoyment of the story is trying to figure out where it is going. It takes place in a rich fantasy world, although there is some worldbuilding details that bog the story down in the middle. Overall, it is well paced.
After the halfway point the character point of view changes. I understand why this happens, but it changes the story from a personal account of a story to something far more spiritual. I think that it will depend on each individual reader if they like and appreciate the shift in perspective. I didn’t like it at first because I felt that I was being shut out of the story.
Overall, I found the story satisfying. It lost me a bit when the point of view changed, but in the end it all made sense and was probably the most effective way of telling the story. I give it an entertaining four of five on Goodreads.
Our protagonist starts to rebuild his life, seemingly only partially interested in his history. His lack of urgency is annoying, and he seems to take one step forward, then two steps back. In retrospect, I find that the author did a fantastic job moving the story forward with the confines of the protagonist’s situation.
The story works well because you feel that at some point all will be explained. Much of the enjoyment of the story is trying to figure out where it is going. It takes place in a rich fantasy world, although there is some worldbuilding details that bog the story down in the middle. Overall, it is well paced.
After the halfway point the character point of view changes. I understand why this happens, but it changes the story from a personal account of a story to something far more spiritual. I think that it will depend on each individual reader if they like and appreciate the shift in perspective. I didn’t like it at first because I felt that I was being shut out of the story.
Overall, I found the story satisfying. It lost me a bit when the point of view changed, but in the end it all made sense and was probably the most effective way of telling the story. I give it an entertaining four of five on Goodreads.
April 8, 2022
Since the master decided to go to another plane, it is hard to find books that give me the same amount of reading-joy. But Matthew Hughes does a good job filling the hole. I liked the familiarity when reading this book. It is like coming to a city where you have been a long time ago and after wandering around some time you get your bearings back. The story is interesting and entertaining. Although is is more a Miro Hetzel or a Magnus Ridolphus story than a dying earth story. And a refreshing approach presenting chapters from the view of different persons. So why not five stars then?
To my taste the first part of the book is too long. Too many pages with not much happening. Also, I am missing some kind of wittiness in the text.
But, that said, I enjoyed reading it and that is what counts. I am looking forward to some of his other books.
To my taste the first part of the book is too long. Too many pages with not much happening. Also, I am missing some kind of wittiness in the text.
But, that said, I enjoyed reading it and that is what counts. I am looking forward to some of his other books.
April 16, 2020
The depth of the worldbuilding in A God In Chains makes it no surprise that this story is part of a long-running series. Hughes' Archonate books range widely across the spectrum of SF and fantasy, as well as time and space. A God In Chains is solid fantasy with a cohesive system of magic and a number of arcane religions. Although its core is a fairly familiar story--a man who's lost his memory striving to find himself--there's enough originality, engaging characters, and creative plot developments to make it an absorbing read and leave you wanting more.
June 27, 2020
Solid
There's nothing new or earth shattering with this story, but what is written is done exceptionally well. Told through the eyes of three characters, each has a part to play in restoring a man's memory. Plenty of interesting twist to keep things fresh. Solid foundation characterization, some magic and just a hint of God's and demons. Most definitely sucked me into the story,a very surprising find.
There's nothing new or earth shattering with this story, but what is written is done exceptionally well. Told through the eyes of three characters, each has a part to play in restoring a man's memory. Plenty of interesting twist to keep things fresh. Solid foundation characterization, some magic and just a hint of God's and demons. Most definitely sucked me into the story,a very surprising find.
June 28, 2020
Really enjoyed this! Started reading and couldn't stop until the end.
Picked this up on a lark based on the description and started reading it "for a few minutes" before doing some chores. Didn't stop until I was done. Only while reading the afterword did I discover this is by an author I have enjoyed before. Obviously i like his style, even when I don't recognize it. Interesting characters and situations; fun, fast read; very well paced.
Picked this up on a lark based on the description and started reading it "for a few minutes" before doing some chores. Didn't stop until I was done. Only while reading the afterword did I discover this is by an author I have enjoyed before. Obviously i like his style, even when I don't recognize it. Interesting characters and situations; fun, fast read; very well paced.
August 22, 2021
If you really like Jack Vance, you will really like Matthew Hughes
Matthew Hughes has crafted a world as intricate as anything Jack Vance wrought, in prose equally limpid and deceptively plain. No easy feat. Damned good story, too. I first encountered Vance in the mid 1960s, and I'm glad to have Mr. Hughes' writing to engage my interest six decades later. It's quite amazing to encounter two writers with such lapidary styles of writing, I think.
Matthew Hughes has crafted a world as intricate as anything Jack Vance wrought, in prose equally limpid and deceptively plain. No easy feat. Damned good story, too. I first encountered Vance in the mid 1960s, and I'm glad to have Mr. Hughes' writing to engage my interest six decades later. It's quite amazing to encounter two writers with such lapidary styles of writing, I think.
November 13, 2024
I found Matthew Hughes because he wrote an authorized (by the author's estate) book in the Jack Vance "Demon Princes" universe. Jack Vance, I should add, is my favorite SF author. Anyway, I loved it and have read a few other Hughes books since. This one is roughly set in Vance's Dying Earth universe. The story was entertaining and the characters believable and relatable. If you like Vance, you should like this work as well.
April 3, 2020
I enjoyed the adventure, the plot twists and the intrigue. I usually go into great detail about the books that I review. I’m not going to do that this time. I am simply going to encourage you to read and get lost in another world and another time. Sit back, relax and enjoy.
I am a LibraryThing Reviewer.
I am a LibraryThing Reviewer.
July 5, 2020
If you enjoy jack Vance you will enjoy mathew hues.
It has been a long time since I found a new author whose work I enjoyed so much. Straightforward, inventive, world and character building with depth and care. I'm surprised it took me so long to find this, and delighted to know that there are other parts of this fascinating universe to explorer.
It has been a long time since I found a new author whose work I enjoyed so much. Straightforward, inventive, world and character building with depth and care. I'm surprised it took me so long to find this, and delighted to know that there are other parts of this fascinating universe to explorer.
January 17, 2021
A great read in the Vance tradition
In his search for identity, the amnestic warrior protagonist experiences many daunting adventures. The action takes place in another universe, one with nine planes, possibly in the far future in which magic, wizards, demons, vat made men and powerful machines intersect with humanity.
In his search for identity, the amnestic warrior protagonist experiences many daunting adventures. The action takes place in another universe, one with nine planes, possibly in the far future in which magic, wizards, demons, vat made men and powerful machines intersect with humanity.
January 4, 2022
A very nice addition to Dying Earth oeuvre, referencing some locations that had appeared in the original series, no less. Hughes continues to flesh out Vance's brilliant invention, adding some serious cosmological and metaphysical details to it. Definitely entertaining and a quick read (took me 3 hours), perhaps a bit on the slight side but great fun nevertheless.
June 28, 2020
Clear
This world has a comp!I dated creation story. While we are travelling with the protagonist we also are learning about the structure of the world. I was always interested in what was going next, I didn't feel an urgency to finish the book as I do with a thrilling story.
This world has a comp!I dated creation story. While we are travelling with the protagonist we also are learning about the structure of the world. I was always interested in what was going next, I didn't feel an urgency to finish the book as I do with a thrilling story.
July 16, 2020
Thoroughly engrossing, with echoes of Moorcock, Zelazny and Clark Ashton Smith as well as Vance. The storytelling starts of simple, but rapidly gets more complex, revealing a deep, layered world. Definitely want to read more.
August 25, 2021
Consistently brilliant and entertaining
If you are familiar with Matt's other work, you will not be disappointed. Intelligent, imaginative, fast-paced, and full of twists, it is, in a word, classic Hughes.
If you are familiar with Matt's other work, you will not be disappointed. Intelligent, imaginative, fast-paced, and full of twists, it is, in a word, classic Hughes.
April 22, 2020
I enjoyed this novel and Farouche's journey from amnesiac to having his memory returned. I liked the characters, the storyline, and the world-building. It's a fun and quick read.
April 24, 2020
Another fantasy novel by Matthew Hughes. Not among his very best, but I'll take it. 3 3/4 stars.
April 28, 2020
Vancian - highest praise : ) 4.5
August 9, 2020
I very much enjoyed this.
The stylistic nod to Jack Vance is always appreciated, and the borrowings from the Dying Earth.
I would definitely read more of this author's work.
The stylistic nod to Jack Vance is always appreciated, and the borrowings from the Dying Earth.
I would definitely read more of this author's work.
June 8, 2021
Fantastic book so much like Jack Vance it could have been written by him. I look forward to reading more.
November 19, 2023
First things first - this book needed some serious copy-editing. There were quite a few instances of odd sentence and grammar construction that an editor should have beaten into proper shape. No, I couldn't tell you where they were - I didn't take written note of them, but they did stop me in my tracks when reading this otherwise entertaining work.
I say entertaining but it's certainly a novel of two halves. The first half follows a fairly conventional narrative- a man with no memories - as he attempts to learn who he is and what is his place in the world. The second half goes into deep magical wacky world and this is where the author's Jack Vance worship is at its most hagiographic. To be fair, Hughes doesn't wholly ape Vance's style - Vance was one of a kind anyway - and he reins in some of the potential excess that could've resulted. But the homage is there plain as day on the page and it does come across as fan service at times.
So, this novel was good, if not excellent and I'll be heading back to Amazon to score the sequel.
I say entertaining but it's certainly a novel of two halves. The first half follows a fairly conventional narrative- a man with no memories - as he attempts to learn who he is and what is his place in the world. The second half goes into deep magical wacky world and this is where the author's Jack Vance worship is at its most hagiographic. To be fair, Hughes doesn't wholly ape Vance's style - Vance was one of a kind anyway - and he reins in some of the potential excess that could've resulted. But the homage is there plain as day on the page and it does come across as fan service at times.
So, this novel was good, if not excellent and I'll be heading back to Amazon to score the sequel.
December 4, 2023
An intriguing and engaging story, in Matthew Hughes's distinctive style. A man with no memory seeks shelter, and sets off a widening sequence of events
October 7, 2024
Picks up after the second half but not bad overall!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews