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The Sea Beggars #1
The Mark of Ran
A stunning blend of visionary storytelling and majestic prose, The Mark of Ran is a new masterpiece of imaginative fiction. In this epic adventure, Paul Kearney records the voyages of a reluctant hero, a band of outcasts, and a quest into the unknown no one has ever dared before…In a world abandoned by its Creator, an ancient race once existed–one with powers mankind cannot imagine. Some believe they were the last of the angels. Others think they were demons. Rol Cortishane was raised in a remote fishing village with no idea of his true place in the world. But in his veins runs the blood of this long-forgotten race and he shares their dangerous destiny. Driven from home, accused of witchcraft and black magic, Rol takes refuge in the brooding tower sanctuary of the enigmatic Michal Psellos. There Rol is trained in the assassin’s craft and tutored by the beautiful but troubled Rowen. It’s no accident that Rol and Rowen have been brought together, but the truth about their past is a secret they will have to fight to discover. Now they’ve set their sights across the sea in search of the Hidden City and an adventure that will make them legends…if it doesn’t kill them first.From the Trade Paperback edition.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
26 people are currently reading
1169 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kearney
47 books528 followersPaul Kearney was born in rural County Antrim, Ireland, in 1967. His father was a butcher, and his mother was a nurse. He rode horses, had lots of cousins, and cut turf and baled hay. He often smelled of cowshit.
He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?
By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.
His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.
Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.
Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.
He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?
By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.
His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.
Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.
Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.
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January 20, 2012
The world is dying, seemingly forsaken by its creator. Mankind schemes, plots and wages wars across it, forgetting that another race once dwelled here. To some they where Angels, exiled for a long-forgotten crime; to others they were demons…
So starts the first book in Kearney’s new series, a tale woven with an eloquent style that is hard-edged and gritty. Set in a decaying world filled with legends and fragments of a glorious past, Kearney introduces his readers to fantasy on the high seas, the continent of Umer being a collection of islands, large and small - rather than the forest filled land masses we are typically presented with, although there are those too – separated by huge tracks of wild oceans and brutal seas.
In Rol Cortishane veins runs the blood of the Elder race. Driven from his home, Rol seeks refuge in the ancient citadel of Michal Psellos, where he is trained to be a killer of men, an assassin without pity. After years spent mastering the art of murder, Rol defies Psellos and returns to the high seas.
Kearney is one of the best writers of British fantasy around. His prose is consistently of the highest standard. His use of language is concise, yet vivid - in one paragraph he can paint a picture that would take another author a page to describe. His dialogue intelligently adds to world building, scene setting and distinctive characterisation. In a story set over a period of years, Kearney’s character development is dynamic, clear and, most of all, realistic. The plot itself is tight and never stagnates or wastes pages on unnecessary sub-plots; it is completely driven by character action and resulting consequence that meld together in a snowball effect, taking you on a breathless ride that avoids ‘traditional’ fantasy quests.
This is the beginning of Cortishane’s story. A tale in which he journeys across the breadth of this teeming, wicked world and finds a legendary Hidden City where the desperate and the dispossessed fight for survival. This is the first of the chronicles of Rol’s great voyages, and those of his compatriots; a band of outcasts who took to the wide oceans of the world when every nation of the earth set its face against them. Ussa’s Orphans they were called, the Beggars of the Sea...
Though it is a comparatively short novel for the epic fantasy market, so much happens you could swear you’d read a book twice its size. It’s fun, original and enthralling, and sure to appeal to fans of Steven Erikson, R Scott Bakker, Glen Cook and even George R R Martin. This book is a must for serious readers of fantasy fiction.
So starts the first book in Kearney’s new series, a tale woven with an eloquent style that is hard-edged and gritty. Set in a decaying world filled with legends and fragments of a glorious past, Kearney introduces his readers to fantasy on the high seas, the continent of Umer being a collection of islands, large and small - rather than the forest filled land masses we are typically presented with, although there are those too – separated by huge tracks of wild oceans and brutal seas.
In Rol Cortishane veins runs the blood of the Elder race. Driven from his home, Rol seeks refuge in the ancient citadel of Michal Psellos, where he is trained to be a killer of men, an assassin without pity. After years spent mastering the art of murder, Rol defies Psellos and returns to the high seas.
Kearney is one of the best writers of British fantasy around. His prose is consistently of the highest standard. His use of language is concise, yet vivid - in one paragraph he can paint a picture that would take another author a page to describe. His dialogue intelligently adds to world building, scene setting and distinctive characterisation. In a story set over a period of years, Kearney’s character development is dynamic, clear and, most of all, realistic. The plot itself is tight and never stagnates or wastes pages on unnecessary sub-plots; it is completely driven by character action and resulting consequence that meld together in a snowball effect, taking you on a breathless ride that avoids ‘traditional’ fantasy quests.
This is the beginning of Cortishane’s story. A tale in which he journeys across the breadth of this teeming, wicked world and finds a legendary Hidden City where the desperate and the dispossessed fight for survival. This is the first of the chronicles of Rol’s great voyages, and those of his compatriots; a band of outcasts who took to the wide oceans of the world when every nation of the earth set its face against them. Ussa’s Orphans they were called, the Beggars of the Sea...
Though it is a comparatively short novel for the epic fantasy market, so much happens you could swear you’d read a book twice its size. It’s fun, original and enthralling, and sure to appeal to fans of Steven Erikson, R Scott Bakker, Glen Cook and even George R R Martin. This book is a must for serious readers of fantasy fiction.
June 24, 2015
Disappointing. That's the word for it. This proves that the author of a favourite series does not churn out great books all the time. This book is as bad as Monarchies of God series was good, despite both being written by the same author. While the writing is quite good, I didn't feel any connection whatsoever with the book. The characters seemed far-off, lifeless. The plot seemed directionless. It's like driving after you've had more to drink than is good for you. The treatment of women in the book was the worst. The main female character was a made to be a little more than a cheap slut: firstly being used by her master and anyone who wished to sample her (for a price, paid to her master), then falling for the main character who's 10 years her junior, spreading her legs for him, later discovering that they were siblings, then running off to be a tyrant in some far-off land.... It's all so fake and unreal. And disgusting! Probably Paul Kearney really had had too much to drink before penning this.
March 16, 2021
The last of an ancient lineage. Trained in the art of assassination. A heart for the sea and a Revenant to sail upon. Oh man, this was SO GOOD! All the stars.
Rol Cortishane's life begins when his family's ends. After surviving an attack by fearful townsfolk, he sails across the open sea and finds Michal Psellos, a creature of unfathomable purpose, and Rowen, the woman of Rol's dreams who is in servitude to Psellos. Rol's tutelage under the two prepare him for whatever is to come, but he could not have imagined his future would lead him back to the ocean, captain of his own pirate ship.
Not only was this book full of swashbuckling action, but the prose was just beautiful to read and the characters rose fully-formed from the page. I actually caught myself smiling while reading, just from the pleasure of the story. The Mark of Ran is one of those hidden gems, and I can't wait to read the sequel! Very much recommended.
Rol Cortishane's life begins when his family's ends. After surviving an attack by fearful townsfolk, he sails across the open sea and finds Michal Psellos, a creature of unfathomable purpose, and Rowen, the woman of Rol's dreams who is in servitude to Psellos. Rol's tutelage under the two prepare him for whatever is to come, but he could not have imagined his future would lead him back to the ocean, captain of his own pirate ship.
Not only was this book full of swashbuckling action, but the prose was just beautiful to read and the characters rose fully-formed from the page. I actually caught myself smiling while reading, just from the pleasure of the story. The Mark of Ran is one of those hidden gems, and I can't wait to read the sequel! Very much recommended.
September 9, 2021
Spannende Epische Fantasy mit Fokus auf die Seefahrt.
Auf einer abgelegenen Insel lebt der junge Rol Cortishane mit seiner Familie. Als seine Familie aufgrund ihrer Abstammung von einer alten humanoiden Rasse, getötet wird, flieht Rol mit seinem Boot und macht sich auf den Weg zu dem geheimnisvollen Michal Psellos, der den unwissenden Jungen beschützen, über seine Herkunft aufklären und ausbilden soll. Doch Psellos ist nicht ganz so freundlich, wie Rol sich das vielleicht zunächst vorstellte. So beginnt ein Abenteuer ohne Gewissheit auf Überleben.
Grundsätzlich spielt The Mark of Ran in einer typischen Fantasy-Welt mit einer relativ typischen Fantasy-Story. Die beinahe ausgestorbenen, uralten Humanoiden sind stärker und leben länger als Menschen. Außerdem sind sie magisch begabt und die „Vermischung“ von Menschen und Weren führt zu einem Kind, das von ihren Merkmalen her irgendwo dazwischen liegt. Doch trotz dieser augenscheinlichen mangelnden Originalität bietet das Buch so einige Twists. Auch der Fokus auf die Seefahrt in der zweiten Hälfte ist bei klassischen Fantasy-Büchern ungewohnt, hier aber definitiv äußerst willkommen.
Die Geschichte bleibt durchgehend spannend. Zu keinem Zeitpunkt scheint sie langsamer zu werden, was ich als besonders beeindruckend empfinde, wenn man bedenkt, dass dieses 400 Seiten-Buch etwa ein Jahrzehnt umspannt –ohne dass man das Gefühl bekommt, eine detaillose Erzählung aufgetischt zu bekommen.
Obwohl die ganze Geschichte aus Rols POV erzählt wird, bleibt dieser für mich die einzige echte Schwäche des Buchs. Seine Gefühle werden nie wirklich klar, und auch seine Motivation konnte ich die ganze erste Hälfte des Buchs lang nicht wahrnehmen. Es fühlte sich an, als würde er von der Geschichte einfach so mitgeschwemmt. Gerade die fehlende Motivation ist zwar irgendwo verständlich, da er im ersten Teil gerade mal ein Jugendlicher ist und erst dabei ist seine Herkunft sowie sich selbst näher zu ergründen, störte mich aber doch etwas. Zum Glück kann die rasante Story über diese Schwächen ein wenig hinwegtäuschen, bis Rol im zweiten Teil des Buchs älter und für mein Gefühl auch einfach besser geschrieben ist.
Ein herausragender Start für eine leider noch unvollendete Reihe. Leider sieht es, zumindest den Aussagen Kearneys nach, so aus, als würde die Buchreihe aufgrund von rechtlichen Problemen mit dem Publisher auch nie vollendet werden. Also nichts für Leute, die nicht ohne Vollendung der Geschichte klarkommen. Meines Erachtens nach ist das Buch aber trotzdem auf jeden Fall lesenswert – und wer weiß, vielleicht wird das ja doch noch was.
Auf einer abgelegenen Insel lebt der junge Rol Cortishane mit seiner Familie. Als seine Familie aufgrund ihrer Abstammung von einer alten humanoiden Rasse, getötet wird, flieht Rol mit seinem Boot und macht sich auf den Weg zu dem geheimnisvollen Michal Psellos, der den unwissenden Jungen beschützen, über seine Herkunft aufklären und ausbilden soll. Doch Psellos ist nicht ganz so freundlich, wie Rol sich das vielleicht zunächst vorstellte. So beginnt ein Abenteuer ohne Gewissheit auf Überleben.
Grundsätzlich spielt The Mark of Ran in einer typischen Fantasy-Welt mit einer relativ typischen Fantasy-Story. Die beinahe ausgestorbenen, uralten Humanoiden sind stärker und leben länger als Menschen. Außerdem sind sie magisch begabt und die „Vermischung“ von Menschen und Weren führt zu einem Kind, das von ihren Merkmalen her irgendwo dazwischen liegt. Doch trotz dieser augenscheinlichen mangelnden Originalität bietet das Buch so einige Twists. Auch der Fokus auf die Seefahrt in der zweiten Hälfte ist bei klassischen Fantasy-Büchern ungewohnt, hier aber definitiv äußerst willkommen.
Die Geschichte bleibt durchgehend spannend. Zu keinem Zeitpunkt scheint sie langsamer zu werden, was ich als besonders beeindruckend empfinde, wenn man bedenkt, dass dieses 400 Seiten-Buch etwa ein Jahrzehnt umspannt –ohne dass man das Gefühl bekommt, eine detaillose Erzählung aufgetischt zu bekommen.
Obwohl die ganze Geschichte aus Rols POV erzählt wird, bleibt dieser für mich die einzige echte Schwäche des Buchs. Seine Gefühle werden nie wirklich klar, und auch seine Motivation konnte ich die ganze erste Hälfte des Buchs lang nicht wahrnehmen. Es fühlte sich an, als würde er von der Geschichte einfach so mitgeschwemmt. Gerade die fehlende Motivation ist zwar irgendwo verständlich, da er im ersten Teil gerade mal ein Jugendlicher ist und erst dabei ist seine Herkunft sowie sich selbst näher zu ergründen, störte mich aber doch etwas. Zum Glück kann die rasante Story über diese Schwächen ein wenig hinwegtäuschen, bis Rol im zweiten Teil des Buchs älter und für mein Gefühl auch einfach besser geschrieben ist.
Ein herausragender Start für eine leider noch unvollendete Reihe. Leider sieht es, zumindest den Aussagen Kearneys nach, so aus, als würde die Buchreihe aufgrund von rechtlichen Problemen mit dem Publisher auch nie vollendet werden. Also nichts für Leute, die nicht ohne Vollendung der Geschichte klarkommen. Meines Erachtens nach ist das Buch aber trotzdem auf jeden Fall lesenswert – und wer weiß, vielleicht wird das ja doch noch was.
May 21, 2008
The Review is originally available at Realms of Speculative Fiction
Paul Kearney might just be one of the undiscovered, rather than hidden, gems of fantasy fiction. His début “The Way to Babylon” (1992), two subsequent stand alone novels and a more traditional epic fantasy series “Monarchies of God” counting five books, all failed to bring a financial breakthrough even though these books were often praised by critics at least as competent efforts if not beyond that. His latest started (but never finished) trilogy “The Sea Beggars” – the first book of which I am about to review, was sadly dropped by Bantam, Kearney’s publisher at the time, just after the second book. The official explanation was not surprisingly of a financial nature. Hopefully his streak of bad luck will have ended this year with a new upcoming title “The Ten Thousand” (September 2008) backed by a new publisher - Solaris, which also plans to reissue the five Monarchies of God books as an omnibus duo.
Intrigued by Adam’s (The Wertzone) perseverant endorsement of Kearny as a severely underrated author, as well as by the blurb on the cover of “The Mark of Ran”, written by Steven Erikson, proclaiming Kearney as one of the best fantasy authors out there, I’ve decided to read the damned thing myself. And guess what, despite the fact that the book has its flaws, I was still pleasantly surprised and have to agree about the underrated part at least.
The World is slowly dying, forsaken by its Creator. Mankind schemes and plots and makes war across the world, forgetting that they are not its sole inheritors. Another race once dwelled here… We witness the story of Rol Corthisan, an orphan and a farm-boy, whose undisclosed heritage makes him unaware of his hidden potentials – now where have we heard that before? After his safe haven is destroyed he has to seek his only chance at help and knowledge. Afraid and alone he sails through a storm to a neighboring island state, where the mysterious figure of Michal Psellos takes him in. While under his patronage, Rol learns many skills (most of them are about being deadly) as well as finds himself in love with Rowen, his beautiful tutor and the only person besides Rol, who shares his ambiguous status in Michal’s household and is unfamiliar with her parentage. Without giving out too much let me conclude this brief synopsis by revealing that everything is not what it seems to be in the tower of Michal Psellos and after things get complicated and then resolved after a fashion, Rol sets out onto the sea, where a new life awaits him, a life full of danger and opportunities…but even as he tries to run from his personal past, a different kind of past rushes headlong into his direction instead.
“The Mark of Ran” reads like a simple and straight-forward story, which it is after a fashion, but Kearney also manages to transcend such trite generalization with his competent writing skills, fluid narrative, killer pacing, detailed world building (the annexed map and the mythos are intriguing at the least), carefully deployed mystery element of the general plot and the likeability of the characters, as well as plausibility of their actions. I’m not sure why, maybe the cover blurb is to fault for the comparison, but Kearney’s prose seems in a way akin to that of Erikson – the flow of narrative for example. If I tried hard enough I might also find some similarities between Rol and Crokus (a character in Erikson’s “Malazan Book of The Fallen” series).
Where the story starts to drop in intensity is well into the second half of the novel, which follows Rol as he traverses the seas as a sailor/officer. The seafaring part cannot possibly match up to the earlier chapters. Rol’s growth as a character seems to stall significantly in exchange for (in my opinion) filler action scenes and seemingly random courses in seamanship. The terminology itself didn’t bother me that much, but if you are not interested in principles of sailing and (old) sea vessels this sections of the book might bore you some.
Otherwise, I have to congratulate Kearney for not being afraid to kill people in his book, although the main cast seems a bit untouchable at moments. The body count is quite high in the end. One other thing I liked is how Kearney handles the love story - well not the love part of the story per se, it is only that he treads around this theme really elegantly, showing us love's bitter-sweet side without overdoing it.
With barely under 400 pages this novel rarely falters. “The Mark of Ran” is a well executed epic fantasy, which doesn't deserve to be buried under a heap of unremarkable fiction littering the market. (I will save the peculiar story of how I got this book for later.) All in all, this novel is more than a decent read and although a bit short of brilliant, it still made me eager to read its sequel - "The Forsaken Earth".
3,5/5
- Thrinidir -
Paul Kearney might just be one of the undiscovered, rather than hidden, gems of fantasy fiction. His début “The Way to Babylon” (1992), two subsequent stand alone novels and a more traditional epic fantasy series “Monarchies of God” counting five books, all failed to bring a financial breakthrough even though these books were often praised by critics at least as competent efforts if not beyond that. His latest started (but never finished) trilogy “The Sea Beggars” – the first book of which I am about to review, was sadly dropped by Bantam, Kearney’s publisher at the time, just after the second book. The official explanation was not surprisingly of a financial nature. Hopefully his streak of bad luck will have ended this year with a new upcoming title “The Ten Thousand” (September 2008) backed by a new publisher - Solaris, which also plans to reissue the five Monarchies of God books as an omnibus duo.
Intrigued by Adam’s (The Wertzone) perseverant endorsement of Kearny as a severely underrated author, as well as by the blurb on the cover of “The Mark of Ran”, written by Steven Erikson, proclaiming Kearney as one of the best fantasy authors out there, I’ve decided to read the damned thing myself. And guess what, despite the fact that the book has its flaws, I was still pleasantly surprised and have to agree about the underrated part at least.
The World is slowly dying, forsaken by its Creator. Mankind schemes and plots and makes war across the world, forgetting that they are not its sole inheritors. Another race once dwelled here… We witness the story of Rol Corthisan, an orphan and a farm-boy, whose undisclosed heritage makes him unaware of his hidden potentials – now where have we heard that before? After his safe haven is destroyed he has to seek his only chance at help and knowledge. Afraid and alone he sails through a storm to a neighboring island state, where the mysterious figure of Michal Psellos takes him in. While under his patronage, Rol learns many skills (most of them are about being deadly) as well as finds himself in love with Rowen, his beautiful tutor and the only person besides Rol, who shares his ambiguous status in Michal’s household and is unfamiliar with her parentage. Without giving out too much let me conclude this brief synopsis by revealing that everything is not what it seems to be in the tower of Michal Psellos and after things get complicated and then resolved after a fashion, Rol sets out onto the sea, where a new life awaits him, a life full of danger and opportunities…but even as he tries to run from his personal past, a different kind of past rushes headlong into his direction instead.
“The Mark of Ran” reads like a simple and straight-forward story, which it is after a fashion, but Kearney also manages to transcend such trite generalization with his competent writing skills, fluid narrative, killer pacing, detailed world building (the annexed map and the mythos are intriguing at the least), carefully deployed mystery element of the general plot and the likeability of the characters, as well as plausibility of their actions. I’m not sure why, maybe the cover blurb is to fault for the comparison, but Kearney’s prose seems in a way akin to that of Erikson – the flow of narrative for example. If I tried hard enough I might also find some similarities between Rol and Crokus (a character in Erikson’s “Malazan Book of The Fallen” series).
Where the story starts to drop in intensity is well into the second half of the novel, which follows Rol as he traverses the seas as a sailor/officer. The seafaring part cannot possibly match up to the earlier chapters. Rol’s growth as a character seems to stall significantly in exchange for (in my opinion) filler action scenes and seemingly random courses in seamanship. The terminology itself didn’t bother me that much, but if you are not interested in principles of sailing and (old) sea vessels this sections of the book might bore you some.
Otherwise, I have to congratulate Kearney for not being afraid to kill people in his book, although the main cast seems a bit untouchable at moments. The body count is quite high in the end. One other thing I liked is how Kearney handles the love story - well not the love part of the story per se, it is only that he treads around this theme really elegantly, showing us love's bitter-sweet side without overdoing it.
With barely under 400 pages this novel rarely falters. “The Mark of Ran” is a well executed epic fantasy, which doesn't deserve to be buried under a heap of unremarkable fiction littering the market. (I will save the peculiar story of how I got this book for later.) All in all, this novel is more than a decent read and although a bit short of brilliant, it still made me eager to read its sequel - "The Forsaken Earth".
3,5/5
- Thrinidir -
January 14, 2018
This book should have been right up my alley. It is a tried and true formula, barely tweaked. The formula that worked for Harry Potter, and Mistborn, Belgariad, Star Wars, Name of the Wind, and countless other fantasy novels: Young orphan with special heritage/powers/legacy who has to go through an apprenticeship where he learns about and masters his powers so he can fight off the big baddie with the help of some memorable sidekicks, and throw in a romance for good measure.
And yet... I really disliked this book. It was unnecessarily crude and gritty and simply unpleasant to read. It isn't that the writing is bad, the author's command of language is impressive. But rather that I don't like to read about abusive sex acts and torture and people rutting and urinating in public. I don't get to read much for fun these days, so when I do, I want to be able to enjoy my reading. I don't dislike all books that are gritty or dark - Mark Lawrence's Thorns series and GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire come to mind. But for those the grittiness is essential to the plot, rather than added as a stylistic choice to a heroic plot. And it didn't work for me.
Large chunks of the story were completely unnecessary and irrelevant to the plot. The first half and second half were almost entirely unrelated - almost like they were two different stories which led it to feel disjointed. The main protagonist is entirely unmemorable, and inconsistent chapter by chapter - sometimes kind, sometimes cruel, but not in any way that feels like character growth or complexity, but rather in a "changing the personality to fit what the plot demands at that point".
The author has clearly done his research, and his description of ships and how they run is written with the sort of detail and jargon that rings true to me (a person who has no knowledge of ships). But while I can recognize the effort that went into creating that air of authenticity, I didn't particularly appreciate it because I didn't understand the distinction between the different masts or rigs, etc. so to me it read like unnecessary detail that bogged down the pacing and left me skimming large chunks of text.
So I can understand why people would like this book. It follows the classic fantasy memes, has a lot of detail and expertise written in, and for people who like dark and crude this would resonate. For me, it did not. The only reason I finished was because I was stuck waiting for several hours with nothing else to read. I won't be reading the sequels.
And yet... I really disliked this book. It was unnecessarily crude and gritty and simply unpleasant to read. It isn't that the writing is bad, the author's command of language is impressive. But rather that I don't like to read about abusive sex acts and torture and people rutting and urinating in public. I don't get to read much for fun these days, so when I do, I want to be able to enjoy my reading. I don't dislike all books that are gritty or dark - Mark Lawrence's Thorns series and GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire come to mind. But for those the grittiness is essential to the plot, rather than added as a stylistic choice to a heroic plot. And it didn't work for me.
Large chunks of the story were completely unnecessary and irrelevant to the plot. The first half and second half were almost entirely unrelated - almost like they were two different stories which led it to feel disjointed. The main protagonist is entirely unmemorable, and inconsistent chapter by chapter - sometimes kind, sometimes cruel, but not in any way that feels like character growth or complexity, but rather in a "changing the personality to fit what the plot demands at that point".
The author has clearly done his research, and his description of ships and how they run is written with the sort of detail and jargon that rings true to me (a person who has no knowledge of ships). But while I can recognize the effort that went into creating that air of authenticity, I didn't particularly appreciate it because I didn't understand the distinction between the different masts or rigs, etc. so to me it read like unnecessary detail that bogged down the pacing and left me skimming large chunks of text.
So I can understand why people would like this book. It follows the classic fantasy memes, has a lot of detail and expertise written in, and for people who like dark and crude this would resonate. For me, it did not. The only reason I finished was because I was stuck waiting for several hours with nothing else to read. I won't be reading the sequels.
June 25, 2012
I shamelessly picked up this book in my local Waterstones because the cover shouted out at me! I was very interested in seeing how a maritime ship based fantasy novel would go and I am really pleased I bought it!
A slow start soon speeds up gear into a real saltwater romp with plenty of action and some very interesting characters.
This is a fantastic read and the world that Paul Kearney has created is incredibly detailed with great depth and interest and I loved referring back to the map at the front of the book. I loved this book so much, I have ordered book two from Amazon even before I finished this one!
A slow start soon speeds up gear into a real saltwater romp with plenty of action and some very interesting characters.
This is a fantastic read and the world that Paul Kearney has created is incredibly detailed with great depth and interest and I loved referring back to the map at the front of the book. I loved this book so much, I have ordered book two from Amazon even before I finished this one!
November 28, 2018
Rating
Review
*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews. ***
The Mark of Ran by Paul Kearney is the first in the Sea Beggars duology. As my mind wanders over the story and its characters, I'm not quite sure where the series title comes into play. The main character, Rol Cortishane, is at times without home or hearth, but never does he beg. He never needs to. Cast into the world after his guardian/grandfather is slain by an angry mob, Rol seeks out an old associate of his grandfather's in whom he finds a mentor willing to train him in the ways of his ancestry. Rol is not human. While he looks human enough, certain traits come to the forefront when Rol is pushed emotionally or physically: his eyes glow, his strength is superhuman, and he heals quickly.
While the story is entertaining enough, it seemed to jump from place to place a bit too often with less than smooth transitions between. Much of the tale revolves around Rol's initial training, his interactions with his mentor, and his love/hate relationship with the mysterious and beautiful Rowen, who is not human, either. About halfway through, Rol takes to the sea, and while I expected the story to really take off from that point, it instead fizzles in a somewhat predictable direction.
I've heard good things about Kearney, so it was with some disappointment I have to say that I will not be reading the second book in this series. The author's Monarchies of God and the novel, The Ten Thousand, have both stood out in others' reviews, though, so I'll set my sights on those the next time Kearney's name comes around.
Review
*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews. ***
The Mark of Ran by Paul Kearney is the first in the Sea Beggars duology. As my mind wanders over the story and its characters, I'm not quite sure where the series title comes into play. The main character, Rol Cortishane, is at times without home or hearth, but never does he beg. He never needs to. Cast into the world after his guardian/grandfather is slain by an angry mob, Rol seeks out an old associate of his grandfather's in whom he finds a mentor willing to train him in the ways of his ancestry. Rol is not human. While he looks human enough, certain traits come to the forefront when Rol is pushed emotionally or physically: his eyes glow, his strength is superhuman, and he heals quickly.
While the story is entertaining enough, it seemed to jump from place to place a bit too often with less than smooth transitions between. Much of the tale revolves around Rol's initial training, his interactions with his mentor, and his love/hate relationship with the mysterious and beautiful Rowen, who is not human, either. About halfway through, Rol takes to the sea, and while I expected the story to really take off from that point, it instead fizzles in a somewhat predictable direction.
I've heard good things about Kearney, so it was with some disappointment I have to say that I will not be reading the second book in this series. The author's Monarchies of God and the novel, The Ten Thousand, have both stood out in others' reviews, though, so I'll set my sights on those the next time Kearney's name comes around.
March 17, 2018
Very good, but upsetting knowing he never finished the series. Which means I won't be reading the next, knowing we will never see the conclusion. :(
March 19, 2018
It's not the most original book but damn I couldn't put it down.
May 15, 2020
I'm afraid I'll have to echo other reviews that marked this as a disappointment, especially as I loved his Monarchies of God. This is a more personal and less epic tale, with just the one central character driving the narrative, and Kearney can still spin a good yarn in the Sabatini vein, so I thought I might like it even better. Unfortunately, a few things soured it. First, the main character is a bit too special and not very likable, though I suppose this still comes from an era when fantasy characters had to have destinies and all that. Second, the treatment of women is appalling, both as women and as characters (again, from an era etc. but still).
Lastly, and for me most disappointingly is that it just doesn't spend enough time at sea, glossing over so much of the sailing and seven years of seafaring career and making us sit through his abusive training in a cruel wizard's tower. If it had started on "Part Two" (p227) and continued into what the start of book twp promises, I'd have been much happier. But it's just too late by then and I can't trust that book two will deliver any better - and book three remains finished but unreleased. Fortunately, while still a travesty that's not as much of a tragedy any more considering the above.
Lastly, and for me most disappointingly is that it just doesn't spend enough time at sea, glossing over so much of the sailing and seven years of seafaring career and making us sit through his abusive training in a cruel wizard's tower. If it had started on "Part Two" (p227) and continued into what the start of book twp promises, I'd have been much happier. But it's just too late by then and I can't trust that book two will deliver any better - and book three remains finished but unreleased. Fortunately, while still a travesty that's not as much of a tragedy any more considering the above.
May 1, 2018
It started off well--I would have given the first third 3 or 4 stars--but it started to lag when he got to the Tower and just dragged on more from there, at one point feeling more nautical than story (if that makes sense). Certain elements that could have been interesting (hello, mysterious sword; and how you doin', enigmatic not-quite-humans) were introduced and then either not developed/built on, or the development started happening way too much later to keep me engaged. I started skimming during the sea-faring part and gave up at the 3/4 mark. It felt like the author lost the thread of the main story I had glimpsed in that first part and just started meandering around hoping something would jump out. Any compelling edge was completely lost.
February 19, 2022
Truly awful depiction and treatment of women. I love sailing so actually loved the sailing bits but couldn't get past the fact that the female characters are hollow shells, there to be abused or as sex objects with no real brains or character of their own. Rol himself felt like a halfbaked character that I never grew to like or be that interested in. It has all the bones of a good story but some pretty glaring flaws.
December 6, 2017
The plot was a little confusing, especially since I don't know a lot about sailing. There were many references to war and sailing that I didn't understand but I was curious the entire time I was reading the book. I didn't like the time gaps though and the direction it went with Rowen and Rol.
January 27, 2018
Never-ending action!
This was a very good book, with lots of fighting. Rofl (the main man) was not a very likeable person, but in the end he did the right thing. I'm waiting to read another book in this series
to see if Rol and his sister, Rosen, get together again.
This was a very good book, with lots of fighting. Rofl (the main man) was not a very likeable person, but in the end he did the right thing. I'm waiting to read another book in this series
to see if Rol and his sister, Rosen, get together again.
June 25, 2022
I am so deeply tired by authors who choose to use the rape and brutalization of a secondary female character to further the growth of the primary male character. It’s a tired plot device and lazy writing in what is otherwise a well crafted tale.
May 9, 2017
Soooooo depressed that I didn't know until I was already well into this book that this series is probably not going to be completed. It's SO good. How does this happen?!?!
November 10, 2020
I liked Part I of this novel more than Part II (which was OK).
February 1, 2022
A jolly good read.
August 3, 2023
I tried, but I just couldn’t get into it. For me, it started to get promising, but then would veer off in another direction that I just didn’t care about.
June 21, 2024
Excellent and underrated fantasy.
April 27, 2013
The Mark of Ran; Paul Kearney, 2005; Bantam Books
A writer has less than five pages to grab my rather short attention span, unless they are someone like Terry Brooks who's ten or twenty page introduction is almost always worth the wait. Paul Kearney managed to do it within two, by using the theory less is more; at least in the beginning.
For the majority of "The Mark of Ran", a first in what was originally intended to be a four book series, the author invests a considerable about of time developing his main character's Rowen and Rol Cortishane - particularly the mystery surrounding Rol. And though I am not a sailing buff myself, Kearney's well placed nautical terminology didn't leave me lost and wondering in the wilderness of 'guy stuff'. Instead it left me feeling as though I'd just finished a really enjoyable story and couldn't wait to read Book Two; "The Forsaken Earth"
But this review isn't really about the story or whether I like or don't like tales written about sea pirates and confused young men. Rather its about style and whether the author's writing should be lauded or panned. Since I'm not particularly fond of being mean just for the sake of being mean, if this had been about a poorly written book, I'd either not have written a review or at least have watered down the criticism. But fortunately for all who read it, The Mark of Ran is not a poorly written book; if anything Kearney's authorship is one of the best I've seen in a long time. Fact is, if I were to compare his ability to paint stories rather than tell them, I'd have to compare him to Norman McClean; author of "A River Runs Through It". Which when you think about it is weird because McClean didn't write fantasy and his stories certainly don't rise out of the landscapes of mythology or Nintendo Game Boys (though theology was at the heart of at least the first one).
So why the comparison?
When I read "The River Runs Through It" I was immediately struck by the authors ability to describe fly fishing in a way that made me feel as though I was right there. As if I were the one casting the line, gauging how the current would carry the fly and what each ripple and swell of water meant. I became the character. I stood in that river, under an August sun completely melded with the moment. And it didn't matter that I'd never been fly fishing a day in my life, or that I melt in temperatures above 72 degrees, or that I wouldn't know a 'Bass Popper' from a 'Sneaky Pete' if one snagged itself in my pink Roper hat. All that was important is that the author did and he used that knowledge to immerse me in his experience - empowering me to make it my own.
And that is exactly what Kearney has done; used words to bring us vicariously into his experience and then invite us to make it our own.
Can't wait to sneak off with the second book and spend the day sailing, drinking cheap wine and finding out whether Rol Cortishane is god or man.
On my reader's scale of 1 to 5 I'm giving "The Mark of Ran" 4 stars for being a darn good story and 5 to Paul Kearney for writing it so well I now want my own pirate ship.
A writer has less than five pages to grab my rather short attention span, unless they are someone like Terry Brooks who's ten or twenty page introduction is almost always worth the wait. Paul Kearney managed to do it within two, by using the theory less is more; at least in the beginning.
For the majority of "The Mark of Ran", a first in what was originally intended to be a four book series, the author invests a considerable about of time developing his main character's Rowen and Rol Cortishane - particularly the mystery surrounding Rol. And though I am not a sailing buff myself, Kearney's well placed nautical terminology didn't leave me lost and wondering in the wilderness of 'guy stuff'. Instead it left me feeling as though I'd just finished a really enjoyable story and couldn't wait to read Book Two; "The Forsaken Earth"
But this review isn't really about the story or whether I like or don't like tales written about sea pirates and confused young men. Rather its about style and whether the author's writing should be lauded or panned. Since I'm not particularly fond of being mean just for the sake of being mean, if this had been about a poorly written book, I'd either not have written a review or at least have watered down the criticism. But fortunately for all who read it, The Mark of Ran is not a poorly written book; if anything Kearney's authorship is one of the best I've seen in a long time. Fact is, if I were to compare his ability to paint stories rather than tell them, I'd have to compare him to Norman McClean; author of "A River Runs Through It". Which when you think about it is weird because McClean didn't write fantasy and his stories certainly don't rise out of the landscapes of mythology or Nintendo Game Boys (though theology was at the heart of at least the first one).
So why the comparison?
When I read "The River Runs Through It" I was immediately struck by the authors ability to describe fly fishing in a way that made me feel as though I was right there. As if I were the one casting the line, gauging how the current would carry the fly and what each ripple and swell of water meant. I became the character. I stood in that river, under an August sun completely melded with the moment. And it didn't matter that I'd never been fly fishing a day in my life, or that I melt in temperatures above 72 degrees, or that I wouldn't know a 'Bass Popper' from a 'Sneaky Pete' if one snagged itself in my pink Roper hat. All that was important is that the author did and he used that knowledge to immerse me in his experience - empowering me to make it my own.
And that is exactly what Kearney has done; used words to bring us vicariously into his experience and then invite us to make it our own.
Can't wait to sneak off with the second book and spend the day sailing, drinking cheap wine and finding out whether Rol Cortishane is god or man.
On my reader's scale of 1 to 5 I'm giving "The Mark of Ran" 4 stars for being a darn good story and 5 to Paul Kearney for writing it so well I now want my own pirate ship.
April 11, 2012
•Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Le Sceau de Ran ?
"Une fois encore, je dois cette rencontre à Livraddict et au Livre de Poche. La couverture et le titre m'ont attiré et après un peu d'attente, il a miraculeusement atterri dans ma boîte aux lettres. "
•Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Rol est un jeune garçon de 15 ans qui vit à l'écart de tous avec ceux qu'ils considèrent comme sa famille. Ils vivent de la pêche et son grand-père lui raconte des histoires le soir au coin du feu. Jusqu'au jour où le village les attaques, les accusant de sorcellerie. Avant de mourir, le grand-père de Rol lui révèle qu'il n'est pas humain et lui conseille d'aller trouver Psellos qui fait lui aussi partie de la race des anciens... "
•Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"On entre facilement et assez rapidement dans ce récit. Tous les éléments du roman de fantasy sont réunis, le jeune garçon, la découverte d'un monde nouveau, l'obligation de commencer une nouvelle vie, une quête... Et ça fonctionne. Pourtant, ça manque peut-être un peu de fantasy justement. Même s'il est très vite sous-entendu que Rol pourrait être un ange ou un démon, en terme de capacités extraordinaires, on va devoir se contenter d'une vision nocturne exceptionnelle et d'une capacité à tuer hors du commun. C'est tout de même un peu léger. Et surtout, ce n'est qu'en ouvrant le livre que j'ai compris que ce n'était que le premier tome d'une série et qui plus, un premier tome qui n'a pas vraiment de fin... "
•Et comment cela s'est-il fini?
"Et bien si j'avais su, j'aurai attendu que le deuxième tome soit sorti pour le lire parce que là, j'ai vaguement l'impression de m'être arrêté au milieu de quelque chose et je suis desapointée de devoir abandonner ces personnages très attachants de la sorte. Je suis donc impatiente de lire la suite, preuve de l'efficacité du roman, tout en espérant qu'il s'y passera un peu plus de choses tout de même."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
"Une fois encore, je dois cette rencontre à Livraddict et au Livre de Poche. La couverture et le titre m'ont attiré et après un peu d'attente, il a miraculeusement atterri dans ma boîte aux lettres. "
•Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Rol est un jeune garçon de 15 ans qui vit à l'écart de tous avec ceux qu'ils considèrent comme sa famille. Ils vivent de la pêche et son grand-père lui raconte des histoires le soir au coin du feu. Jusqu'au jour où le village les attaques, les accusant de sorcellerie. Avant de mourir, le grand-père de Rol lui révèle qu'il n'est pas humain et lui conseille d'aller trouver Psellos qui fait lui aussi partie de la race des anciens... "
•Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"On entre facilement et assez rapidement dans ce récit. Tous les éléments du roman de fantasy sont réunis, le jeune garçon, la découverte d'un monde nouveau, l'obligation de commencer une nouvelle vie, une quête... Et ça fonctionne. Pourtant, ça manque peut-être un peu de fantasy justement. Même s'il est très vite sous-entendu que Rol pourrait être un ange ou un démon, en terme de capacités extraordinaires, on va devoir se contenter d'une vision nocturne exceptionnelle et d'une capacité à tuer hors du commun. C'est tout de même un peu léger. Et surtout, ce n'est qu'en ouvrant le livre que j'ai compris que ce n'était que le premier tome d'une série et qui plus, un premier tome qui n'a pas vraiment de fin... "
•Et comment cela s'est-il fini?
"Et bien si j'avais su, j'aurai attendu que le deuxième tome soit sorti pour le lire parce que là, j'ai vaguement l'impression de m'être arrêté au milieu de quelque chose et je suis desapointée de devoir abandonner ces personnages très attachants de la sorte. Je suis donc impatiente de lire la suite, preuve de l'efficacité du roman, tout en espérant qu'il s'y passera un peu plus de choses tout de même."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
September 30, 2014
c2004. Recommendation from a book blogging site. Great read with all the elements that I love - the sea, magic, strong protagonist and great story told at a fast pace. After only a few chapters, I knew that this was a series I wanted to complete and promptly ordered Book 2. I was devastated to then find out that there was some sort of publishing rights issues and the 3rd book was never published and from what I have gleaned from the net - is not likely to be published. Boo Hoo. The blurb on the back is from Steven Erikson promoting Mr Kearney as "One of the very best writers of fantasy around.". High praise, indeed. Under the acknowledgements, Mr Kearney goes on to thank Erikson for helping him "who helped put me on the right track writing wise again." Just re-inforces my pet hate for the publishers including random quotes from similar genre authors on the covers to increase sales. At least there was no mention of "living stone" but "living seas" did crack a mention. At least living seas makes some sort of sense. "Never trust anyone who has responsibilities beyond his own skin. Anything can be rationalised when it is for the general weal."
October 3, 2011
Paul Kearney iembarked on an entirely new series, The Sea Beggars, and the first installment is ‘The Mark of Ran’ (Bantam Spectra, $12, 303 pages), and Kearney, like the authors of many new fantasies, is avoiding the sword-and-sorcery brand by putting primitive guns in his alien world populated (mostly) by humans.
The protagonist, Rol Cortishane, is not completely human, however, but like many of the best works of fiction, his background is part of a mysterious backstory that will be revealed along with Cortishane’s progress through a treacherous and violent world. ‘The Mark of Ran’ also is heavy on nautical adventure, with lots of storms and mainsails and other oceanic arcana that are as mysterious to me as the moving parts of a Zamboni.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed ‘The Mark of Ran’ immensely, and I expect the following volumes to be just as entertaining while they chronicle Cortishane’s struggles with his past, a beautiful but mysterious woman and lots of people out to kill him.
The protagonist, Rol Cortishane, is not completely human, however, but like many of the best works of fiction, his background is part of a mysterious backstory that will be revealed along with Cortishane’s progress through a treacherous and violent world. ‘The Mark of Ran’ also is heavy on nautical adventure, with lots of storms and mainsails and other oceanic arcana that are as mysterious to me as the moving parts of a Zamboni.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed ‘The Mark of Ran’ immensely, and I expect the following volumes to be just as entertaining while they chronicle Cortishane’s struggles with his past, a beautiful but mysterious woman and lots of people out to kill him.
Read
October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/693837.html[return][return]I very much enjoyed it. It's the first in a series, so includes a certain amount of coming-of-age narrative: our hero, Rol, sees his family massacred, gets trained as an assassin, and becomes a successful naval warrior. The contrasting environments - especially the city where he gets his training, and a long desert interlude in the middle of the naval section - are very vividly realised. Possibly this demonstrates my own ignorance, but I felt no particular problems with a 17th-century-at-latest-plus-magic urban environment coexisting with 18th-century-at-earliest naval warfare in the same world. Will look out for later books in this series.
April 20, 2009
I almost gave up on this, but Steven Erikson's glowing jacket quote made me stick it out a little longer and I reached the beginning of the sailing section, which kept me hooked.
The writing is good, but I didn't like any of the characters, at least not for a while. There is a lot of unpleasantness in the first sections of the story and no charm. But then there is some thrilling sea action, some man against nature, some naval battles, and so on. Good action.
I also liked the way the Magical Orphan's magicalness finally manifests. Very cool, and just the right amount of mystery to allow the reader to imagine something really amazing.
On a side note, how on earth did they let this cover go to press? It has terrible low resolution jpeg artifacts all over the middle element.
The writing is good, but I didn't like any of the characters, at least not for a while. There is a lot of unpleasantness in the first sections of the story and no charm. But then there is some thrilling sea action, some man against nature, some naval battles, and so on. Good action.
I also liked the way the Magical Orphan's magicalness finally manifests. Very cool, and just the right amount of mystery to allow the reader to imagine something really amazing.
On a side note, how on earth did they let this cover go to press? It has terrible low resolution jpeg artifacts all over the middle element.
March 24, 2012
Not quite as 'seafaring' as I'd hoped, certainly doesn't compare to something like David Weber's "Safehold" series. Also, I was never able to pick up on why it is called "The Sea Beggars" series. Still, it was a decent read and I'll certainly try and lay my hands on the second volume,
This Forsaken Earth. I would like to see how this ends. A third and final volume was/is planned - Storm of the Dead (forthcoming in late 2012.)
I read that the series was dropped by the original publisher after the second book was published. In 2011 the series was picked up by a new publisher who will publish the completed series as an omnibus in 2012. We'll see.
This Forsaken Earth. I would like to see how this ends. A third and final volume was/is planned - Storm of the Dead (forthcoming in late 2012.)
I read that the series was dropped by the original publisher after the second book was published. In 2011 the series was picked up by a new publisher who will publish the completed series as an omnibus in 2012. We'll see.
August 13, 2016
Kearney's realistic description of the sea and the men who travel them make one want to leap onto a boat and sail away.
He accurately depicts a young boy's forlorn love grow into the hopeless love of a man. Kearney's writing has a pace which I really enjoyed. He did not breeze through his descriptions of landscapes, but rather you felt that you were there. However he did not linger overlong on describing a single view and this kept the story flowing on.
I enjoyed Rol's travel from denying his Blood to coming to an acceptance of who he is.
All in all one of the best fantasy books that I have read recently, a gem in a genre that is increasingly crowded with lackluster works.
He accurately depicts a young boy's forlorn love grow into the hopeless love of a man. Kearney's writing has a pace which I really enjoyed. He did not breeze through his descriptions of landscapes, but rather you felt that you were there. However he did not linger overlong on describing a single view and this kept the story flowing on.
I enjoyed Rol's travel from denying his Blood to coming to an acceptance of who he is.
All in all one of the best fantasy books that I have read recently, a gem in a genre that is increasingly crowded with lackluster works.
July 10, 2012
Not great. Drawn in like others by the cover endorsement by Steven Erikson, but giving up at the half-way point. Plot, characters, and setting all seem very thin, and the author uses some very unconventional language as well as 20th century idioms...all of which is to say that this book just didn't work for me. Promising idea, poor execution.
And FWIW, I don't believe in candy-coated reviews, especially not on a user site such as goodreads. If you want bloat and hype, there's always enough of that on the book jacket.
And FWIW, I don't believe in candy-coated reviews, especially not on a user site such as goodreads. If you want bloat and hype, there's always enough of that on the book jacket.
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