The Devil in the Dust

Outremer - US #1

by Chaz Brenchley

The desert kingdom of Outremer is ruled by a harsh king whose will is enforced by warrior-priests called Ransomers. But when a young Ransomer in training meets the daughter of the King's Shadow, the reign of blood and magic will be changed forever.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, LGBT, Romance, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy

261 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Chaz Brenchley has been making a living as a writer since he was eighteen. He is the author of nine thrillers, most recently Shelter, and two major fantasy series: The Books of Outremer, based on the world of the Crusades, and Selling Water by the River, set in an alternate Ottoman Istanbul. A winner of the British Fantasy Award, he has also published three books for children and more than 500 short stories in various genres. His time as Crimewriter-in-Residence at the St Peter's Riverside Sculpture Project in Sunderland resulted in the collection Blood Waters. He is a prizewinning ex-poet, and has been writer in residence at the University of Northumbria, as well as tutoring their MA in Creative Writing. His novel Dead of Light is currently in development with an independent film company; Shelter has been optioned by Granada TV. He was Northern Writer of the Year 2000, and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with a quantum cat and a famous teddy bear.

Also known as author Daniel Fox.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

This alt-Crusades (very alt) fantasy series is being republished by Wizard's Tower in the UK, which is an excellent idea, because I enjoyed this enormously. Oppressive fanatic invaders, the local tribes, the occasional djinn, and stray mysterious travellers from home get all tangled up in religion, politics, secrets, and resistance. Intense atmosphere of intrigue, betrayal, and fanaticism, and very real and engaging characters. The plot moves slowly, building the atmosphere and characters, and it feels like the story has hardly started (I gather this edition is following the US publication schedule of splitting the original three books into six, which may explain that), but the sense of place is tremendous (especially the claustrophobic dark of the altCrusader castle, dug into the hillside of an arid land) and I want the rest of the story stat.

[Caleb Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9

Favorite Characters - Marron, Juliane, d'Escrivey, Elisande

This is a really well-written fantasy novel! Genuinely think this character work is on the level of a literary novel. My main complaint is for sure the plot. I am not someone who cares much about a plot. Give me some philosophical musings and a room where I may have a conversation it, and I'm there! This book did that which is what I want - may even need - in a fantasy book; however, I really feel like there could have been a bit more plot to the story. I think it's important to say that this 6 book series was originally published as a three-book series but was cut into 6 books when published in America. This led to the book I'm reviewing write here being the first half of an already published first book. I think that is the reason I only took off .1 of a star because I cannot blame the pacing too much since this is truly not how the author intended this to be formatted. All that being said, I did enjoy this book quite a lot, and that is saying something, considering I am really weaning off my love for fantasy.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, felt a smidge slow at some bits, but the characters are absolutely fascinating.

[Jules Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chaz Brenchley's Outremer series is an alternate-Crusades story set in a world where magic is real. As the story opens, the land of Outremer is a place where recent settlers have successfully imposed their religion and way of life upon those who were there before. But Outremer faces challenges from both without and within, and a military religious order grows ever more fanatical in its attempts to enforce the religious law.[return][return]The main characters in the novel show the diversity of opinion and culture within Outremer. The major plotline in this book follows two of the men in the Ransomer order. Marron is a young man who joined the Ransomer brothers out of idealism, but has seen the dark side of the order in his journey to the castle of Roq de Rancon where he will undergo training; Marron has true faith but his experience of a religious dictatorship leaves him disillusioned and in pain. He finds something worth believing in with Sieur Anton d'Escrivey, the Knight Ransomer who takes him on as squire, but d'Escrivey has problems of his own.[return][return]Julianne de Rance, daughter of the King's Shadow, is a child of the court, a woman used to having status and power but now on her way to a political marriage in a culture where women are expected to go veiled. She's temporarily trapped by circumstance in the Roc, along with Elisande, a young women she has picked up along the way. Elisande has little to say about herself, but it's clear that there's a good deal she could say if she chose to.[return][return]Their interactions with each other and those around them make for superb characterisation and worldbuilding, and Brenchley creates a vivid picture of his world without forgetting to tell a story. This is not an easy tale of good and evil, but a world where people have mixed loyalties and may have to make harsh choices as to who they serve.[return][return]This is the first part of the US edition of the Outremer series -- I note this because the series was originally published as a trilogy in the UK, but for the American edition it was split into six volumes, with some rewriting. As such, The Devil In The Dust should really be read together with Tower of the King's Daughter (also the title of the original UK volume 1 comprising the material in 1&2 of the US edition).[return][return]That said, this volume works well as a standalone segment within a larger story arc. The book introduces characters and sets up several plotlines for the series, but provides a satisfactory resolution for part of the storyline within the book, rather than leaving the reader with a cliffhanger. It pulls off the difficult trick of being a satisfying read in its own right while being an enticement to read the rest of the story. An excellent start to what looks from this sample to be an excellent series.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though only half a book - the trilogy released originally in the UK was split in 6 small volumes for the US market - I enjoyed this one more than I expected and I immediately started on the second half.

More of a setup though it has some action too, it follows a Crusades like setting, with Outremer, the Ransomer brotherhood, desert and so on, but it has some interesting new elements like the Djinns, the magic Eye_of_the_King, the hidden principality of Surayon...

Marron is a farmer/soldier from the Mainland whose father died as a soldier in Outremer - so he enrolls in the ultra-strict Ransomer Brotherhood and sets sail for the Outrmeer. His first taste of how the things are truly there is set when his troop massacre an innocent village of "heretics" at the command of their Elder, Confessor Piet (!).

Stationed at the outpost fortress of Roq on the Northern border with the former masters of the land, the desert tribes of the Sharai, Marron falls in with the mysterious and seemingly disgraced high noble Sir Anton who is a knight of the Ransomers - the nobility of the Outremer not particularly fond of the strict Brotherhood discipline but envious of its reputation has a deal where they serve for a set time as Knights of the Order subject to a somewhat laxer discipline, allowed wine, entertainment, squires, servants, armor...

However Sir Anton has no squire so taking a shine at Marron's martial abilities he enrolls him as part time squire to the fury of Brother Piet who now seeks the smallest reason to punish Marron when participating in the Brotherhood duties.

Lady Julianne de Ranee is the 16 year old daughter of the King's Shadow, who runs the kingdom in his secluded master's name, though not being of an exalted rank as former squire of the Duke now King by right of conquest, he is despised by the high nobility.

Raised as a semi-hostage in Marasson the capital of the decadent neighboring Byzantine-like Empire, she is sent to marry a nobleman of the northern principality of Outremer, Elessi, where women are veiled and expected to be obedient property like in the Sharai culture, but she is forced to take shelter at Roq until her husband to be sends an escort for her. On her way there she meets a mysterious girl Elisande, seemingly noble too who helps her deal with a Djinn and attaches to her as "lady in waiting".

One atrocity too many for Marron and one Djinn encounter too many for the girls and their path is set to wildly diverge from expectations.

Highly entertaining series so far and a page turner to boot.

[Stonemagpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but it captured my interest and I ended up racing though it.

The books alternates between the POV's of two characters, Brother Marron and Lady Julianne. There is occasionally a third POV, a Sharai fighter, who we get introduced to about a third of the way in. I admit I found this one a bit irrelevant.

While there isn't really a lot of action in most of the book, it's still fast-paced as Marron goes through an emotional journey rather than a physical one.

Mosty this feels like it's the opening chapter to a much bigger story, when the book ends the story is only really beginning.

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Slash review
Although the book is tagged as gay on Amazon, there isn't really any gay content, it's just sort of hinted at. Was there more to Marron and Aldo's friendship than we're told? And what might happen between Marron and Sir Anton?

[Viridian5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chaz Brenchley's The Devil in the Dust is a fine read with characters I intend to follow into the sequel. This first novel of the series leaves quite a few things hanging but provides enough closure on other matters that you don't feel completely cheated. I hate book number ones that stop dead at a cliffhanger. Some of the scenes really give you a feel of the place and situation. A lot of the characters show major development and slowly reveal their secrets.

I do have to say that the way this world and its culture clashes have some heavy inspiration from clashes between Crusades-like Christianity and Middle Eastern Islam sometimes turned me off for being a bit too easy. I like fantasy authors to show more creativity and original thinking on settings and religions.

[Bumblesby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how to describe this book. It is quite different from other fantasies that I have read. I would consider this a dark fantasy and as the synopsis says it verges on horror.

There are some disturbing scenes in this book that nearly caused me to set it aside. These haunt you just as they do the protagonist. Some are just casually mentioned in conversation, so this is a harsh, violent world.

This first book is mostly world building and character development. The world is one where evil people do their deeds in the name of religion and "the god". The mood was very oppressive and stifling. I kept reading hoping that somehow these atrocities would get reconciled. Well, not yet at least in this first book. So I will continue on.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to finish this, despite it's shortness. The prose is beautiful and lyrical, but sometimes soporific. Once I got to the middle, though, the pace picked up, and I'm eagerly starting book 2 now.

[Samantha Balmes]

Interesting tale which brings in hints of modern controversy to the fantasy world.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit grim but fairly well written. =)