Nobody's Son
The Night WatchNobody's Son The Night Watch
First, I have to say this is a terrific paperback.
The cover has both a nice texture and an excellent appearance. I've seen
too many cheap-feeling, tackily decorated books to overlook commending this
one. In fact, let's explore this. The vast majority of paperbacks have those
very slick covers, as though you might read the book, or you just might
use it as an umbrella. My copy of Nobody's Son has just enough texture
to make it pleasing to hold and easy to read from. I find the tactile sensation
or reading a book can actually enhance my reading experience (and I think
many people agree with me - why else would hardcover books be so popular?),
and find the extra dollar for a nice cloth or thick paper cover to be worth
the effort. I have a real appreciation for good cover art as well. I stumbled
upon the excellent City of Bones by Martha Wells because the cover
art was superb. And I find I have an aversion to certain books because the
cover art is so horrible (like the original cover to Lois
McMaster Bujold's Brothers In Arms).
As for the story Nobody's Son, well, imagine a story which begins "And the hero slew the dragon, married the princess, and lived happily ever after, which unfolded something like this..." In a slightly more detailed and colorfully written form this is what Sean Stewart gives us. I enjoyed the book when I read it, but wasn't in love with it. I don't have any particular gripes; it just didn't "click". I think this book lives in that "personal taste" middle ground. A good book to pick up if you are looking for variety in your fantasy stories.
Nobody's Son was,
as I wrote, a story with a clever plot which did not become a great story.
In The Night Watch Stewart has started with an even better plot and
crafted a tremendous story.
The story is of 2074, long after the cataclysmic return of magic to the Earth. The cataclysm left the survivors mostly clustered in autonomous city/states. In some of these city/states magic dominates while in other scientific progress has surged forward. This divergence is driven by the way each community has dealt with magic. Communities which have embraced the magic contrast with those which have, sometimes successfully, sought to contain the magic.
In Edmonton, at the time of the unleashing of the magic, Winter Thompson made a deal. He sacrificed his strong magical powers to contain the magic on the North Side. Thus sheltered the people of Edmonton became powerful technologists and their scientifically enhanced troops are the most feared on the continent. The magic is not easily kept confined, and continual sacrifices are required.
In Vancouver, a different balance has emerged. Three Powers, the Dragon, the Double Monkey, and the Lady in the Garden, co-exist peacefully in the city. The people of Vancouver live under their gaze, trading and practicing their magics, threatened by the raving monsters living beyond their borders.
These two ways of coping interact when Vancouver hires some of Edmonton's soldiers to defend their borders. More detail will likely ruin the story for you, but trust me, it's amazing.
This story is a spectacular mix of magic and science, West (Canadians) and East (the majority in Vancouver are Chinese immigrants), and everything in between. Easily one of the best novels I've read lately.
