Solar Flare: Science Fiction News

This was the first book of Martha Wells that I read, and I think its still my favorite, though Death of the Necromancer and City of Bones are both close challengers for that title.

Wheel of the Infinite

Set in the Celestial Empire, a country where almost everything is governed by study of the Infinite and its relationship with the world, the story focuses on Maskelle an exiled priestess and Voice of the Adversary who is called back to help remove the corruption which has somehow entered the Wheel of the Infinite, distorting the sacred patterns. She is assisted in this by the swordsman Rian, a lordless bodyguard from a distant and barbarous land.

The plot line for this book could be considered predictable “save the world” fantasy, but its not the plot that really matters that much here. It’s the characters and the world.

Once again Martha Wells builds up a unique world and fills it with vivid characters. Both the badly flawed Maskelle and the loyal but impatient Rian are complex people placed in difficult positions.

Wells handily balances the need to fill out this world she has created with the importance of stay to the story and not cluttering it with needless details. In the end the reader still doesn’t know exactly how the magic of the Infinite really works or just how the Celestial Empire functions, but we don’t need to. The broad strokes we are given color in life in the Empire enough for us to be able to feel its richness.

The end result is a book that is a pleasure to read.