Soleri

When I received an email from Michael Johnston's publicist asking me if I'd like an early read of Silence of the Soleri, sequel to his epic fantasy debut, Soleri, it dawned upon me that I had never heard of the author or his novel. I thought that it had perhaps been published during the first wave of the pandemic, a veritable black hole for many a title released during 2020. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that the book was published in 2017. Checking around, I realized that, though Soleri garnered some good reviews, it seems that it flew so low under the radar that very few people actually read it.

Judging from the cover blurb, it's obvious that Lev Grossman loved it. And thought Grossman and I don't always see eye to eye when it comes to novels/series, my interest was piqued. So I requested copies of both installments and elected to give the first one a shot.

Here's the blurb:

Michael Johnston brings you the first in a new epic fantasy series inspired by ancient Egyptian history and King Lear.

The ruling family of the Soleri Empire has been in power longer than even the calendars that stretch back 2,826 years. Those records tell a history of conquest and domination by a people descended from gods, older than anything in the known world. No living person has seen them for centuries, yet their grip on their four subjugate kingdoms remains tighter than ever.

On the day of the annual eclipse, the Harkan king, Arko-Hark Wadi, sets off on a hunt and shirks his duty rather than bow to the emperor. Ren, his son and heir, is a prisoner in the capital, while his daughters struggle against their own chains. Merit, the eldest, has found a way to stand against imperial law and marry the man she desires, but needs her sister’s help, and Kepi has her own ideas.

Meanwhile, Sarra Amunet, Mother Priestess of the sun god’s cult, holds the keys to the end of an empire and a past betrayal that could shatter her family.

Detailed and historical, vast in scope and intricate in conception, Soleri bristles with primal magic and unexpected violence. It is a world of ancient and elaborate rites, of unseen power and kingdoms ravaged by war, where victory comes with a price, and every truth conceals a deeper secret.

I must say that it's the fact that Soleri is supposed to be inspired by ancient Egyptian history that truly made me want to read it. Trouble is, it has very little to do with anything Egyptian. Other than the grandeur of the Soleri Empire, that is. Which was more than a little disappointing as far as I'm concerned. The worldbuilding is an important aspect of the novel, yet I couldn't help but feel that Johnston didn't quite manage to capture the scope and the vision of the tale he meant to tell. There's always a little something that's missing, something that could have been elaborated on a little more. Weighing in at only 364 pages, which is a little short for an epic fantasy title, there is no reason why the author couldn't give more depth to his creation. Still, the end result is impressive. But it could have been so much more.

Michael Johnston definitely has an eye for detail, especially for anything that has to do with architecture. Given his background as an architect, this is no surprise. His evocative prose creates an imagery that is akin to that of Stephen R. Donaldson, which is high praise indeed. This is by far my favorite aspect of the book. It's with the history and the political intrigue at the heart of Soleri that Johnston is maybe not as gifted. Things don't always make a whole lot of sense and make you question many of the protagonists' motivations.

In my opinion, the characterization is the aspect that leaves the most to be desired. Similar to the Starks in A Song of Ice and Fire, an entire family takes center stage in this series. But unlike the Starks, all of whom benefit from lots of character development in A Game of Thrones, the Hark-Wadi family is never fleshed out enough to truly carry this story on their shoulders. It's not that they are two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, mind you. It's just that they're never really fleshed out in a way that makes you want to feel for them and their plights. As was the case with the worldbuilding, there's always a little something that's missing. Although I must admit that most reviews I've read opined differently, so your mileage may vary in that regard. Be that as it may, I found King Arko to be a poor man's version of Ned Stark, while his ambitious daughter Merit is a poor man's version of Cersei Lannister. Kepi is an analog of Arya Stark and in many ways the most interesting protagonist of the bunch. I had high hopes for the king's son, Ren, held hostage in the Priory, and his estranged wife, now high priestess, Sarra. But it was not to be. Though revelations near the end come as a shock and elevate this one to another level, it was a case of too little, too late. Giving each character more depth would have worked wonders, methink.

The pace is uneven throughout the novel. It's quite evident from the get-go that all is not well within the Soleri Empire and armies are ravaging its outskirts. And while the overall story arc is quite compelling, it can be a bit of slog at times to go through each of the Hark-Wadi family's plotlines. It starts well and ends on a high note, yet there are too many chapters in the middle portion of the book where the rhythm slows to a crawl.

For all of its faults, there is still a lot to like about Michael Johnston's debut. And Soleri does set the stage for what could be a better and more ambitious sequel. So you may want to check it out.

The final verdict: 7/10

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You can read an extract from the novel here.