Book reviews: Talyn, A Novel of the Korre, by Holly Lisle
When is peace more horrifying than war? When it subjugates and obliterates an entire nation.
Talyn is a Tonk soldier, breed to fight and shield her country from their enemies, the Republic. The war has lasted about three hundred years because the Tonks and the Republic had wanted a few small meadows. Many lives were lost. The Tonks see themselves as proud nomads, who are held together through a democratic system. They know their histories, religions, and personal histories to a thousand years – not like the barbarians from the Republic.
The Republic has a representative system that is headed by a King. The barbarians of the Republic do not know their ancestry and the Tonks know that many of the Republics ancestors were criminals sent away for barbaric acts. But, the Republic is strong. The Tonks are also strong, but do not have as many people.
Talyn’s talents are more on a metaphysical level. She goes into a place called “The View” where she stops the things that the Republic mages throw at them. Only certain people with certain breeding can see this place. It is also a wondrous and dangerous place. Many Shielders have lost their minds in the view, while their bodies have slowly died.
However, even as horrifying as this war, it is not as bad as the peace that is yet to come. The Feegash live in a small kingdom that depends on commerce. They lend their diplomats to help end the war. This three hundred year war is ended in a couple of weeks, leaving many of the soldiers, mundane and metaphysical, spending the several months dismantling their weapons of war. Once it is done, the Tonks are almost defenseless against a new threat-the Feegash.
There is another story line about Gair. He is a Republic soldier who wants to end the war through his mission. His mission is to kill all the Tonks warleaders, plus the Feegash diplomats. He believes that if the Tonks come under Republic rule that they would have better lives. Gair learns much about this people after he is captured, tortured, and then rescued by Talyn. Even though Talyn dislikes or even hates her enemies, she is honorable.
Talyn is noticed by a Feegash diplomat, who steals her will through a foul magic – very different to her own. She learns the magic. She doesn’t know the true horror of what the Feegashes want to do until she finds out that her very own Feegash is a fleshmage. A fleshmage draws off energy from the people he has enslaved. They become a part of him and die as he takes their energy.
There have not been fleshmages for hundreds of years so no one knows how to fight him.
To truly enjoy this work, you need to read it. Holly Lisle has been on the writing scene for many years. She and other fantasy writers like Mercedes Lackey experimented with urban fantasy when fantasy was about kings, queens, and medeival kingdoms. She has really developed as a writer since then.
The descriptions of the Tonks, their religion, their customs, and their clothing are fascinating. Just the development of the religion and what each of the saints represent is rich. You not only read the religion, but also see it in action. Talyn’s path is the path of Ethebert, the way of the warrior.
After reading this book, I know that Holly Lisle will be around in the fantasy field a very long time. It was that good.
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