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Time of the Dark 9780345409959 Books

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Time of the Dark 9780345409959 Books

This is excellent fun, a traditional portal fantasy of the sort I hadn’t read in years. As far as Hambly’s books go, I didn’t love it to pieces like The Ladies of Mandrigyn, it doesn’t turn tropes on their heads like Dragonsbane, and I doubt the characters will prove as memorable to me as in either of those books, but it’s an exciting adventure nonetheless.

The book has a bit of a slow start, as we meet two 20-somethings – Gil, a grad student, and Rudy, a motorcycle painter – living in southern California. But within a couple of chapters, they are transported to the medieval world of Darwath, which is under assault by amorphous beings known as “the Dark.” This is a short book, the start of a short trilogy, and Hambly successfully cuts to the chase: the Dark is not supposed to be a complex or comprehensible villain, but rather, to tap directly into primordial fears of the dark and the things that might be moving in it. It’s all about atmosphere, and as the characters struggle to survive and fend off unknown attackers, the atmosphere is excellent.

The characters themselves are familiar archetypes, though they get some respectable development that doesn’t always follow the stereotypes. Of the two protagonists, she becomes a warrior on Darwath (not your typical character arc for a female nerd), while he becomes a mage; he has a romance, while she doesn’t yet. And their adventures are certainly gripping, though to me the book loses some emotional resonance in following primarily Gil in the beginning, but primarily Rudy toward the end; as the stakes ramp up, we’re spending more time with the character we know less well. The plot, while exciting, also doesn’t bear much critical scrutiny. (Why doesn’t Ingold simply deposit Tir at the Keep on his way back from Earth, then go to Karst for everyone else?)

That said, this was a satisfying read, and although the story is far from over, there’s still a solid conclusion here: let that be a lesson to authors of series whose intermediate endings are determined more by page count than story flow. I would continue this series next time I’m looking for fun escapism.


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Time of the Dark 9780345409959 Books Reviews

Absolutely love this series. This is the book that introduced me to Barbara Hambly. And since then I've read every book she's published, as well as the short stories ("the Further Adventures of..") that she's published on Smash Words and store. A fantastic author and well worth trying out if you're looking for something new. Great plots and well developed characters, with strong female lead characters (something you don't see too often).
While taking a few-years break from reading fantasy, I had read Ms Hambly's remarkable series about Dr Benjamin January in the old New Orleans. The break was necessary as I'd become weary of the same story line with only superficial differences. If you had told me there was a new take on a real-world Jane (and/or Joe) being taken to an alternate reality, I'd have not believed you. Ms Hambly has restored my faith!

This book is written so skillfully you can't tell just how hard it is to write credible and fresh dialogue in these situations, and the detailed, atmospheric, descriptions allowed me to not just see, but to smell, taste, and feel the frozen mountains of Renweth and the desert wastes. There is no arguing that Ms Hambly is a remarkably talented writer in more than one genre. There is also no arguing that I will be purchasing the rest of the Darwath Series, and exploring all of her fantasy worlds.

There were a few typos, apparently from scanning mishaps, which should have been caught by the proofreader or copy editor, but has offered this first book at a very low price. The publisher has priced the other two books in the series at 30 cents lower than the usual, which I appreciate as at least a first step towards reasonable pricing for electronic editions of previous works, be aware that the entire trilogy is being released as a kindle edition at a very good price in early September 2012. Wait and get all three, you'll want them anyway!
I downloaded this when it was offered as a Freebie. I saw the great reviews and figured Why Not?

The book is a pleasant read for those who like Sword and Sorcery or Alternate Universe stories. The main characters are interesting and well constructed. The supporting case is little more than cardboard in the first book of the series. I'll read the others to see if they get fleshed out. And the Universe isn't quite complete. But I expect that some of that is taken care of in the remainder of the series.

At the story level there were few surprises, but then I have to remind myself that this was written in 1982 and I have read a substantial number of S&S books. In 1982 this all could very well have been fresh and original. Well, mostly original. Near the book's climax I did find myself muttering "Thou Shall Not Pass!"

Hambly writes in a clear, concise style with enough poetry in her prose to satisfy my taste. She isn't Donaldson, but she isn't Moorecock either - a very nice balance. And I was glad to have my built-in dictionary as Hambly did stretch my vocabulary on occasion.

If you are new to the genre this series looks like an excellent introduction. If you are an old hand, you might find your attention wandering at times. But the quality of the prose should win you over.
The initial trilogy of the Darwath series begins with this volume. It introduces Ingold Inglorion, the only wizard of his world who is able to cross over to ours. He recruits two young Americans, a female academic historian and a male auto body shop artist, to fight a mysterious magical war in his own world. Their lives become a series of challenges that are grim, dangerous, and yet immensely satisfying as Rudy finds magic in his soul and Gil discovers her valiant heart. Resign yourself - you will be compelled to read the whole trilogy, if not the two subsequent volumes.
This is excellent fun, a traditional portal fantasy of the sort I hadn’t read in years. As far as Hambly’s books go, I didn’t love it to pieces like The Ladies of Mandrigyn, it doesn’t turn tropes on their heads like Dragonsbane, and I doubt the characters will prove as memorable to me as in either of those books, but it’s an exciting adventure nonetheless.

The book has a bit of a slow start, as we meet two 20-somethings – Gil, a grad student, and Rudy, a motorcycle painter – living in southern California. But within a couple of chapters, they are transported to the medieval world of Darwath, which is under assault by amorphous beings known as “the Dark.” This is a short book, the start of a short trilogy, and Hambly successfully cuts to the chase the Dark is not supposed to be a complex or comprehensible villain, but rather, to tap directly into primordial fears of the dark and the things that might be moving in it. It’s all about atmosphere, and as the characters struggle to survive and fend off unknown attackers, the atmosphere is excellent.

The characters themselves are familiar archetypes, though they get some respectable development that doesn’t always follow the stereotypes. Of the two protagonists, she becomes a warrior on Darwath (not your typical character arc for a female nerd), while he becomes a mage; he has a romance, while she doesn’t yet. And their adventures are certainly gripping, though to me the book loses some emotional resonance in following primarily Gil in the beginning, but primarily Rudy toward the end; as the stakes ramp up, we’re spending more time with the character we know less well. The plot, while exciting, also doesn’t bear much critical scrutiny. (Why doesn’t Ingold simply deposit Tir at the Keep on his way back from Earth, then go to Karst for everyone else?)

That said, this was a satisfying read, and although the story is far from over, there’s still a solid conclusion here let that be a lesson to authors of series whose intermediate endings are determined more by page count than story flow. I would continue this series next time I’m looking for fun escapism.