Battle

Now that I'm done with Battle, it looks as though it's safe to skip the first three House War books if you want to discover what happens next after the end of the events chronicled in the Sun Sword series. As was the case with Skirmish, Michelle West refers to a lot of past events/relationships regarding Jewel and her den, but she always provides enough context for readers to understand what's going on. Like in the Sun Sword novels, you understand that there's more to this or that plotline, and I'm fairly sure that there are some nuances that I failed to grasp to their full extent, but other than that it's pretty much smooth sailing the whole way through.

Like its predecessor, Battle fails to recapture the epicness and the awesomeness of The Sun Sword. It's a better novel than Skirmish, and in scope and vision it continues to be amazing. The main problem remains Jewel and the pivotal role she plays in the House War series. Two installments in, it's evident that Jewel alone cannot carry such a complex tale on her shoulders. Regardless of how fascinating some of the plot twists involving her turned out to be, when it's great it's often in spite of Jewel, not because of her. She remains the same insufferable and annoying young woman we've known for quite a while, with very little character growth to speak of. As I mentioned in my previous review, The Sun Sword benefited from its diverse cast, all of whom having important roles to play in the outcome of the series. The downsizing of the House War books is definitely detrimental to the series as a whole.

Here's the blurb:

In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats.

The weeks since Jewel Markess ATerafin has been acclaimed ruler of her House have not been peaceful: four assassination attempts have been made on her life, and one of the most important members of her House Council has been forced to retire, leaving a seat empty at a time when she requires trusted allies.

The war in the distant South has ended, and the Kings’ armies are victorious. During a victory parade to celebrate their return to Averalaan, a fifth assassination attempt occurs—in full view of the Ten, the Kings, and thousands of spectators. In response, the Kings have demanded an audience with the newest ruler of House Terafin. But before Jewel can answer the summons, she falls prey to the strange, sleeping plague that has felled citizens across the city of Averalaan.

It is there—in the uneasy land of dreams—that Jewel discovers the reason for the sickness and begins to understand the forces arrayed against her House and the Empire. If she can survive the traps set by the Warden of Dreams and by her deadly, former allies, Jewel will wake to a changed world—if she wakes at all.

Skirmish began at the exact point where Jewel's storyline ended in The Sun Sword and only covered a period of three days afterward. This short span of time and the small number of perspectives made that novel a decidedly more self-contained work than those that came before. Still, compared to the sprawling and elaborate Sun Sword yarns, it also made Skirmish West's weakest Essalieyan novel to date. Battle turned out to be better, but it also suffers from the same shortcomings that plagued Skirmish. The relatively short time span covered in this one means that we've gone through about 1500 pages and we don't have a whole lot to show for it. Considering how much went on in the previous series, the House War can't be anything but a disappointment thus far.

As a matter of course, the worldbuilding continues to be awesome. In many ways, it's what is holding the story together at the moment. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a depth to Michelle West's universe that rivals that of Tolkien, Erikson, and Bakker. And although Skirmish was limited to the story arcs of Jewel and her entourage, there was more than enough material for West to continue to push the envelope in that regard. Battle raised the bar even higher, though it takes a while for things to look up. Once again, though she remains unaware of the full extent of her seer-born powers, Jewel's strength grows in unexpected ways that leave their mark on House Terafin and Averalaan. So much so that the Kings and the Exalted now perceive Jewel as a threat and are pondering whether or not she should be eliminated before she loses control and wreaks havoc across the capital city. New revelations about Avandar, Lord Celleriant, Sigurne, Meralonne, the Oracle, and the Winter Court add yet new layers to what is truly one of the most convoluted fantasy series of all time.

Sadly, the characterization continues to leave something to be desired. As mentioned in my review of Skirmish, I believe that your mileage will vary regarding this. Readers who love Jewel will likely enjoy this novel as much as the others. Perhaps more, to be honest. For those for whom, like me, Jewel is just one of the protagonists and not their favorite, it remains very tricky. I doubt that Jewel can carry this series on her own, ever. Again, I'm missing the thoughtful perspectives of such flawed protagonists as Diora, Teresa, Kallandras, Margret, Valedan, Alina, Ser Anton, and others. So far, even though West is trying to give more importance to Finch and Teller, no other characters have really stepped up to the plate. As a result, the characterization aspect is decidedly weaker in this series. Everything that has to do with House politics/business remains rather boring. I mean, what could be the end of the world is coming, so why must we go through so many tedious scenes involving the House responsibilities of Finch and Teller? Thankfully, Kallandras returns from the South at the end of the novel and hopefully his reunion with Lord Celleriant will be one of the highlights of the House War moving forward.

Like its predecessor, the pace throughout Battle can be quite uneven. As was the case with Skirmish, everything that has to do with the greater scheme of things is interesting and the implications for the future quite engrossing. Michelle West upped her game in that regard and we finally get answers to some questions that go back several books. However, dealing with the minutiae of House business continues to make for long and boring chapters. It often feels as though Skirmish and Battle could have been but a single novel given the amount of what feels like superfluous material found in both books. Having said that, West brings this novel to its conclusion with an enthralling endgame that helps you forget about the more monotonous moments that came close to sinking this one at various stages of the tale.

When it's good, Battle can rival with any Sun Sword installment. But when it's not, it's hard to maintain focus and enjoy the story.

The final verdict: 8.25/10

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