World

Albion #2

by John Grant

Rehan, a singer with more lives than a cat, has found favor in the eyes ofAlyss, a demigoddess. As his mentor, she plans to use Rehan to maintain Earths position in the universe. While in the seven chambers that are Rehans mind, Alyss must defeat Syor, who has been searching the afterlife for her. Using Rehan as a vessel, Alyss must maintain the balance of power within the universe or see it destroyed by evil.

Genres: Fantasy

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

John Grant is author of over eighty books, of which about twenty-five are fiction, including novels like The World, The Hundredfold Problem, The Far-Enough Window and most recently The Dragons of Manhattan and Leaving Fortusa. His “book-length fiction” Dragonhenge, illustrated by Bob Eggleton, was shortlisted for a Hugo Award in 2003; its successor was The Stardragons. His first story collection, Take No Prisoners, appeared in 2004. He is editor of the anthology New Writings in the Fantastic, which was shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award. His novellas The City in These Pages and The Lonely Hunter have appeared from PS Publishing.

His latest fiction book is Tell No Lies , his second story collection; it's published by Alchemy Press. His most recent nonfiction is A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir . Earlier, he coedited with John Clute The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and wrote in their entirety all three editions of The Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s Animated Characters; both encyclopedias are standard reference works in their field. Among other recent nonfictions have been Discarded Science, Corrupted Science (a USA Today Book of the Year), Bogus Science and Denying Science.

As John Grant he has to date received two Hugo Awards, the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a number of other international literary awards. He has written books under other names, even including his real one: as Paul Barnett, he has written a few books (like the space operas Strider’s Galaxy and Strider’s Universe) and for a number of years ran the world-famous fantasy-artbook imprint Paper Tiger, for this work earning a Chesley Award and a nomination for the World Fantasy Award.

Reviews

[Kes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this but it's not for me.

The first chapter starts in a cliche fashion: Kursten is a beautiful girl in an inn run by her father, acknowledged to be a neutral area. A singer comes in and she's drawn to him. Kursten is kidnapped by monsters (ffarg); in a cliche feat, he manages to kill the monsters and rescue her, bringing her triumphantly back to her home.

Upon her return, we learn that her kidnapping was orchestrated by someone. The singer is drugged on an addictive substance, Kursten's father is killed, and Kursten forced into sex trafficking (i.e. a prostitute).

Like seriously, WTF was that?

The second chapter is no less depressing.

What goes in favour of this book is the writing. The writing is pretty, there are interesting elements (like the Painter). But I couldn't get past how gruesome some parts of the book was even though the violence is not that explicit.

1.5/5 stars

[Amanda Nunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This at first seemed like your average cliché fantasy book but took a complete left turn when the 'hero' fails miserably at his first challenge. From there on it turned into a semi-philosophical journey between a fantasy world, our own, and a seven-layered castle of bizarre scenes in one character's mind. As the story progresses the worlds increasingly collide and unravel.

I wasn't sure what to make of a lot of it, but it was a fun ride that gave me a lot to think about, and definitely a unique and creative approach to a genre usually riddled with tired old clichés.

[James]

DNF: I lost interest about 150 pages in.

[Sara]

Kidnapped
sea and mounten
yallow color paint wide
over that dark castil
addicated singer fly near
the monister walk to hill
but painter paint face
like the dust home
and green element
but still the photo not end
many want to learn
from many villige near
glory gathering to see new color
and listin to sweet bird
it silint voice
tell
the world