Solar Flare: Science Fiction News

One of the reasons I’m so fond of the Fantasy genre is range that it can cover. Take The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells where we are presented with a fantastical Victorian England complete with Sherlock Holmes.

The Death of the Necromancer

Well not literally. This is Ile-Rien, not England, and there’s no Sherlock Holmes, rather there’s Ronsarde a man who clearly has many of Holmes gifts. But Ronsarde is not our hero, and if he is Holmes then our hero is in fact Moriarty.

Again, not literally. Nicolas Valiarde is a master criminal. But his motivation is revenge for the death of his godfather Edouard. This however, is all background. Its just part of the rich tapestry which Wells weaves in telling her main story. The characters here have depth to them. The storytelling has layers.

While the focus is on a simple enough action story wrapped in a more complex investigative mystery, there are also personal stories. Small details about almost every character to feature in the book. The sort of stuff that makes the whole world feel real.

Most people writing a fantasy “Sherlock Holmes” story would make Holmes their main character. Here, however, Ronsarde is a bit player. He is every bit as shrewd as you would expect and his presence is felt almost from the beginning, but he is not the prime mover of this tale. Wells choice to focus on the more morally flawed Nicolas is one of the things which pushes this book up several notches above the standard fantasy works.

A particularly nice touch is that while Vienne echoes London and Paris in various ways it isn’t simply a cut and paste copy. It has a unique feel to it, but one that is ultimately believeable. I really can’t recommend this book enough. Its a fast paced, easy read that has a depth of characterisation well beyond the fantasy norm. Its hard to imagine that anyone with an fondness for fantasy or detective fiction wouldn’t get some pleasure from it.