Delusion's Master

You may remember my surprise when I learned that, on top of all the accusations levelled against him, there were claims that Neil Gaiman had based The Sandman on Tanith Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth series without giving her any credit. Having been in the SFF field as a reviewer for over two decades now, in addition to being a fan of the genre for almost as long before that, I was a bit shocked by the fact that I only heard about this so-called ripoff last year.

Even more surprising was the fact that, at least on Amazon, the folks from Daw Books have changed the blurb for the first installment, Night's Master, and now openly claim that Lee's series was the inspiration for Gaiman's magnum opus. With the first three volumes now under my belt, I found that there was absolutely nothing in common with The Sandman. But I know that this might change as I go through the subsequent books. Time will tell whether or not Gaiman "borrowed" much from Lee's Tales from the Flat Earth, or nothing at all. But since no one has managed to offer concrete evidence that this is the case since the initial claim was made, I doubt that we'll ever get some confirmation in that regard. For the record, I'm just glad I gave this series a shot, as it's been a very good read so far!

Here's the blurb:

A recognized master fantasist, Tanith Lee has won numerous awards for her craft, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Horror.

Delusion’s Master is the third book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of The One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.

A long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.

Chuz, Prince of Madness, third of the Lords of Darkness—beauty on one side, foul corruption on the other—“takes pity” on the world. In his gentle, soft embrace, mortal minds repose in a tide of illusion and twisted desire. Yet no one is immune from the sweetest madness of all, and even immortals fall at the cast of the bone dice…

Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love. Discover the wonder that is the Flat Earth.

Like One Thousand and One Nights, Night's Master was a collection of interconnected short stories/vignettes that formed a bigger and more far-reaching narrative with each new tale. Though each one stood alone to a certain extent, most built on one another and were linked in various and sometimes unexpected ways. That first volume encapsulated the mythological and whimsical nature of fairy tales. But these were not innocent children's tales. The sex, the violence, and the themes explored made Tales from the Flat Earth an adult fantasy series. Death's Master follows in the same vein in terms of structure, yet each story stick to a trajectory that plot-wise assemble what is more or less a novel. It is also a much darker fairy tale, one that explores the meaning of death and what comes after, and one that is, despite the definite beauty and love that permeates everything, full of cruelty, despair, and revenge. Delusion's Master is more akin to that second volume in tone and structure and perhaps even darker, with scenes of violence done to children, as well as the sexual abuse of a mentally challenged girl.

Once again, I was impressed by the quality of Tanith Lee's baroque writing. The imagery she creates continues to be absolutely amazing and the prose is lyrical and otherworldly. The universe, the landscapes, the protagonists, and everything else are richly depicted. Like its predecessors, Delusion's Master makes for an incredibly immersive reading experience. This third installment is also filled with eroticism that prudes may not care for. Ultimately, it's these dark and seductive narratives that give this series its original flavor. This book contains a number of biblical allusions that add layers to an already complex tale.

Azhrarn, Prince of Demons and one of the Lords of Darkness, was the closest thing to a main character found in Night's Master. He made a few appearances in the second volume, and again in this third installment, and once more he influences every tale in various ways, be it mischievous, cruel, or good-natured. Oddly enough, Uhlume, the remote and rather detached Lord of Death, didn't take center stage in Death's Master. True, he had an important role to play in the myriad storylines, but he wasn't a central figure in the plot by any means. The same can be said of Chuz, Prince of Madness, in this novel. Still, by setting himself up as Azhrarn's antagonist, their relationship will likely shape what will take place in the sequels to come. Once again, it's the diverse cast that makes Delusion's Master such an enthralling read. Dunizel's origin story was by far the most interesting and I'm looking forward to see what happens with the child she bore, Azhrarn's daughter born from Chuz's manipulations.

You guys should give this series a shot, either out of curiosity or simply due to the Gaiman allegations. The first book was a World Fantasy Award nominee, the second one won the British Fantasy Award for best novel, and Delusion's Master was a British Fantasy Award nominee. Tanith Lee can weave myth, fable, and dark fantasy like no one else!

The final verdict: 8/10

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