In a world where one’s magical prowess is determined by one’s skill with words and ability to spell, Nicodemus is a wizardly apprentice afflicted by a curse that causes him to misspell magical texts. Now, the demon who cursed him has hatched a conspiracy to force Nicodemus to change language and ultimately use it to destroy all human life. As Nico tries to thwart the demon’s plan, he faces challenges from all sides. But his biggest challenge is his own disability, which causes him to create chaos wherever he goes. And the chaos surrounding Nico is affecting the world so profoundly that the kingdom to which he has fled to gather strength is on the brink of civil war, and he suspects that his closest allies—even Francesca, whom he loves more than life itself—may be subject to the demon’s vast powers. As Nico tries to forestall the apocalypse, he realizes that he doesn’t know if he can fully trust anyone, not even the woman he loves. And if he makes one wrong move, not only will his life be forfeit, he may end up destroying all mortal life as well.
Introducing new twists to the unique magical system of Spellwright, and exploring issues that will bring readers a deeper appreciation of a fascinating world, Spellbound is sure to please Blake Charlton's fans and increase their number.
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Spellbound is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Science Fiction & Fantasy title.
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Review
Praise for Spellwright:
“I’m fascinated to see what happens next, and will be following every word with the absorption of an apprentice spellwright. You will be, too.” —Tad Williams, bestselling author of Shadowmarch
“Think words can’t hurt you? Sometimes, they can kill. The spells of textual magic of this enthralling take will demonstrate how.” —Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author
“An enjoyable, well-written novel, with a satisfying conclusion.” —SFX Magazine, 4.5 stars
“A refreshingly new look at magic and the power of words. Nicodemus is a strong protagonist, but the supporting cast is equally as memorable. This series opener [will] resonate in the reader’s mind. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, starred review
“Spellwright brims with a love for the genre and a thrill for written language.” —Chicago Sun-Times
About the Author
BLAKE CHARLTON is currently a medical student at Stanford University. An active, engaging presence online, he lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
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Most helpful customer reviews
By Patrick St-Denis
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
In 2010, Blake Charlton released an original debut titled Spellwright, a throwback book reminiscent of epic fantasy and sword & sorcery novels from the 80s. In a day and age in which genre authors attempt to subvert traditional fantasy tropes and clichés, Charlton embraced them, making Spellwright some kind of homage to a different era.
Although the author elevates his game in basically every aspect of his craft in this sequel, Spellbound remains the same in style and tone.
Here's the blurb:
In a world where one’s magical prowess is determined by one’s skill with words and ability to spell, Nicodemus is a wizardly apprentice afflicted by a curse that causes him to misspell magical texts. Now, the demon who cursed him has hatched a conspiracy to force Nicodemus to change language and ultimately use it to destroy all human life. As Nico tries to thwart the demon’s plan, he faces challenges from all sides. But his biggest challenge is his own disability, which causes him to create chaos wherever he goes. And the chaos surrounding Nico is affecting the world so profoundly that the kingdom to which he has fled to gather strength is on the brink of civil war, and he suspects that his closest allies—even Francesca, whom he loves more than life itself—may be subject to the demon’s vast powers. As Nico tries to forestall the apocalypse, he realizes that he doesn’t know if he can fully trust anyone, not even the woman he loves. And if he makes one wrong move, not only will his life be forfeit, he may end up destroying all mortal life as well.
Charlton is a world away from the "New Grit" movement spearheaded by authors such as George R. R. Martin, Richard Morgan, Joe Abercrombie, R. Scott Bakker, Steven Erikson, etc. In Spellwright, pretty much everything was black and white. The heroes were good, the villains were evil. The forces of good always beat the odds and somehow managed to come out on top, with secret knowledge or power falling into their lap in the nick of time. The good guys were all handsome and beautiful, while the bad guys weren't. In a nutshell, it was the whole good vs evil shebang. Even though it's more or less the same with Spellbound, the author added a few shades of gray to the plot. Yet in the end, the novel remains a work that will appeal more to fans of more traditional fantasy series written by the all-stars of the 80s and early 90s such as David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and Raymond E. Feist.
One facet in which Blake Charlton managed to up his game significantly is the worldbuilding. The structure of a debut is such that Charlton couldn't offer readers more than a glimpse of his universe in Spellwright. I was pleased to learn more about Language Prime, the Chthonic race, the Disjunction, the dragons, and so much more. Readers will also discover more about the world at large, as the action occurs in a variety of localities. Overall, the worldbuilding added quite a few layers to this work.
Once again, the imaginative magical system that Charlton created is a highlight of Spellbound. As was the case in the first book, it can take a while for you to understand how it works. But it remains fascinating and unique.
One aspect which leaves a lot to be desired, I felt, was the characterization. Ten years have passed since the events chronicled in Spellwright, a decade that hardened Nicodemus. The young dyslexic spellwright suffering from cacography wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but the man he became commands respect. What nearly killed the book for me was Francesca DeVega, the novel's main protagonist. Oh my God. . . Where to begin? Think of a strange hybrid between Polgara the Sorceress and Dr. House with a dose of Faile. She is insufferable and I wanted to open my veins every time she appeared in the book. Another thing that readers will either love or despise, with all the bantering and back-and-forth between the characters (most of which often getting in the way of the plot), with Spellbound Blake Charlton firmly established himself as the David Eddings of the 21st century. The supporting cast doesn't play such an important role in the bigger scheme of things, which means that there is an uneven balance between Francesca and Nico's POVs.
You may or may not know that Black Charlton attends the Stanford University School of Medicine. Which explains why there are a few bits of medical porn here and there throughout the book. It's not off-putting in any way, not even the unexpected brain surgery, but it doesn't always have much to do with the storylines. There is also a love story that you can see coming from a mile away. . .
The pace can be a problem in certain portions of the book. Spellbound begins with a bang and the rhythm is fluid for about half of the novel. Then it becomes extremely sluggish at times, before resuming again for the finale. Charlton brings this one to a satisfying close, setting the stage for what should be an interesting final volume.
Spellwright seemed too have a lot of potential and Spellbound demonstrates that there is a lot more to Charlton's creation than meets the eye. If not for the intolerable Francesca, this book would get a much better score. As I mentioned, she nearly killed this one for me. Because in every aspect but the characterization, Spellbound is a much superior tale than Spellwright turned out to be. Which means that if you can put up with Francesca, you might love it.
Check out Pat's Fantasy Hotlist!
Although the author elevates his game in basically every aspect of his craft in this sequel, Spellbound remains the same in style and tone.
Here's the blurb:
In a world where one’s magical prowess is determined by one’s skill with words and ability to spell, Nicodemus is a wizardly apprentice afflicted by a curse that causes him to misspell magical texts. Now, the demon who cursed him has hatched a conspiracy to force Nicodemus to change language and ultimately use it to destroy all human life. As Nico tries to thwart the demon’s plan, he faces challenges from all sides. But his biggest challenge is his own disability, which causes him to create chaos wherever he goes. And the chaos surrounding Nico is affecting the world so profoundly that the kingdom to which he has fled to gather strength is on the brink of civil war, and he suspects that his closest allies—even Francesca, whom he loves more than life itself—may be subject to the demon’s vast powers. As Nico tries to forestall the apocalypse, he realizes that he doesn’t know if he can fully trust anyone, not even the woman he loves. And if he makes one wrong move, not only will his life be forfeit, he may end up destroying all mortal life as well.
Charlton is a world away from the "New Grit" movement spearheaded by authors such as George R. R. Martin, Richard Morgan, Joe Abercrombie, R. Scott Bakker, Steven Erikson, etc. In Spellwright, pretty much everything was black and white. The heroes were good, the villains were evil. The forces of good always beat the odds and somehow managed to come out on top, with secret knowledge or power falling into their lap in the nick of time. The good guys were all handsome and beautiful, while the bad guys weren't. In a nutshell, it was the whole good vs evil shebang. Even though it's more or less the same with Spellbound, the author added a few shades of gray to the plot. Yet in the end, the novel remains a work that will appeal more to fans of more traditional fantasy series written by the all-stars of the 80s and early 90s such as David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and Raymond E. Feist.
One facet in which Blake Charlton managed to up his game significantly is the worldbuilding. The structure of a debut is such that Charlton couldn't offer readers more than a glimpse of his universe in Spellwright. I was pleased to learn more about Language Prime, the Chthonic race, the Disjunction, the dragons, and so much more. Readers will also discover more about the world at large, as the action occurs in a variety of localities. Overall, the worldbuilding added quite a few layers to this work.
Once again, the imaginative magical system that Charlton created is a highlight of Spellbound. As was the case in the first book, it can take a while for you to understand how it works. But it remains fascinating and unique.
One aspect which leaves a lot to be desired, I felt, was the characterization. Ten years have passed since the events chronicled in Spellwright, a decade that hardened Nicodemus. The young dyslexic spellwright suffering from cacography wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but the man he became commands respect. What nearly killed the book for me was Francesca DeVega, the novel's main protagonist. Oh my God. . . Where to begin? Think of a strange hybrid between Polgara the Sorceress and Dr. House with a dose of Faile. She is insufferable and I wanted to open my veins every time she appeared in the book. Another thing that readers will either love or despise, with all the bantering and back-and-forth between the characters (most of which often getting in the way of the plot), with Spellbound Blake Charlton firmly established himself as the David Eddings of the 21st century. The supporting cast doesn't play such an important role in the bigger scheme of things, which means that there is an uneven balance between Francesca and Nico's POVs.
You may or may not know that Black Charlton attends the Stanford University School of Medicine. Which explains why there are a few bits of medical porn here and there throughout the book. It's not off-putting in any way, not even the unexpected brain surgery, but it doesn't always have much to do with the storylines. There is also a love story that you can see coming from a mile away. . .
The pace can be a problem in certain portions of the book. Spellbound begins with a bang and the rhythm is fluid for about half of the novel. Then it becomes extremely sluggish at times, before resuming again for the finale. Charlton brings this one to a satisfying close, setting the stage for what should be an interesting final volume.
Spellwright seemed too have a lot of potential and Spellbound demonstrates that there is a lot more to Charlton's creation than meets the eye. If not for the intolerable Francesca, this book would get a much better score. As I mentioned, she nearly killed this one for me. Because in every aspect but the characterization, Spellbound is a much superior tale than Spellwright turned out to be. Which means that if you can put up with Francesca, you might love it.
Check out Pat's Fantasy Hotlist!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars
12 reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome followup to Charlton's debut
Oct 21 2011
By BastardBooks
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Spellbound is right up there with my most entertaining novels so far this year. Blake Charlton puts the pedal to the metal from the get go, and doesn't let off until the last word is written. The book really has a bit of everything, interesting magic system, cool and fun characters, great action, some comedy, drama, romance, tragedy, horror, good dialogue and banter, etc. It's simply a fun and entertaining read from the get go, and I'm sure few will be disappointed, if any. Spellbound is the sequel to Charlton's highly praised debut, Spellwright.
Though there's always excitement about the second book in the series after a good introductory novel, particularly when it's the second book of a new author, the reality is that it often doesn't measure up to expectations. That's not the case here. It's quite evident that Charlton has become a better writer since his debut, Spellwright, and the sequel for all intents and purposes is a better novel than the first one. The prose seems more skillful and confident, and the author simply let himself loose in the world, not holding back on the limits of imagination.
As just mentioned, Charton really lets loose in this installment, and the only way I can come up to describe the book it's as an epic fantasy prosepunk. We got airships, flying kites, structures, constructs, organisms, dragons, medical tools and procedures, well the whole world really made up of some sort of prose. Which makes for some really distinct sentence structure in the narrative, which I think only a skillful writer is capable of pulling off. So in all, a very cool fun prose.
My only complaint is that it at time becomes a confusing read, the spells are a bit hard to follow often enough and I don't think it's really clear who's who, what's what as far as opposing factions go. So, towards the end of the battle when it became a bit of a free for all, I wasn't really sure who was fighting who. What cities are allies, which aren't, and all those fun political stuff. But the battle I'm particularly talking about was more of a side-plot thing which really wasn't the focus of the book, so it really didn't hamper the experience. By the end of the book though, when all is said and done I think a more clear picture of the world and the alliances are settled, so I wouldn't worry much about it. It might just be me too, being a sucky reader.
Spellbound takes place about a decade after the events of Spellwright. Our favorite characters return, though some of them at a diminished capacity. But that's not a problem, we get to introduced to a new variety of characters, in particular to our new heroine, Francesca, which might just be the best character in the series so far. Very interesting and tons of fun too.
We find ourselves in a new city where the demon Typhon has put under his control, and we got Nicodemus trying to get his emerald back to save his mentor. Deidre, being possessed by Typhon, is scheming and fighting Typhon's control by undermining his plans at the risk of being discovered. Lastly, we have Francesca, a skillful doctor who has been manipulated into killing a patient and then is left to her own devices as she learns Typhon has in mind to use her for his own nefarious plans. She's in a city where she can't trust anyone, not even an old lover recently arrived, and who might just be her only means to get out of this mess. The city is about to go into a civil war, we have all the factions, Halcyon and anti-Halcyon, making their moves in the background further complicating matters.
The novel is really about monsters, external and internal; both identifying and defining. It's about trust, acceptance, and overcoming one's limitations and disabilities. I think the acceptance of disabilities, and adapting to once disability theme was done really well. Also, with having a doctor protagonist, we're subjected to quite a few scenes of medical discussion and procedures. Blake Charlton is a doctor, so he really shows off his stuff here and it comes off quite enthusiastic and interesting.
Spellbound is another winner by Blake Charlton, and I'm highly recommending it to just about anyone. If not mistaken, the series has been marketed recently as a Young-Adult, but I think the book fits right at the boundary between YA and Adult; I recommend reading Spellwright first though. The book is a real page turner which I'm positive you won't regret reading.
Though there's always excitement about the second book in the series after a good introductory novel, particularly when it's the second book of a new author, the reality is that it often doesn't measure up to expectations. That's not the case here. It's quite evident that Charlton has become a better writer since his debut, Spellwright, and the sequel for all intents and purposes is a better novel than the first one. The prose seems more skillful and confident, and the author simply let himself loose in the world, not holding back on the limits of imagination.
As just mentioned, Charton really lets loose in this installment, and the only way I can come up to describe the book it's as an epic fantasy prosepunk. We got airships, flying kites, structures, constructs, organisms, dragons, medical tools and procedures, well the whole world really made up of some sort of prose. Which makes for some really distinct sentence structure in the narrative, which I think only a skillful writer is capable of pulling off. So in all, a very cool fun prose.
My only complaint is that it at time becomes a confusing read, the spells are a bit hard to follow often enough and I don't think it's really clear who's who, what's what as far as opposing factions go. So, towards the end of the battle when it became a bit of a free for all, I wasn't really sure who was fighting who. What cities are allies, which aren't, and all those fun political stuff. But the battle I'm particularly talking about was more of a side-plot thing which really wasn't the focus of the book, so it really didn't hamper the experience. By the end of the book though, when all is said and done I think a more clear picture of the world and the alliances are settled, so I wouldn't worry much about it. It might just be me too, being a sucky reader.
Spellbound takes place about a decade after the events of Spellwright. Our favorite characters return, though some of them at a diminished capacity. But that's not a problem, we get to introduced to a new variety of characters, in particular to our new heroine, Francesca, which might just be the best character in the series so far. Very interesting and tons of fun too.
We find ourselves in a new city where the demon Typhon has put under his control, and we got Nicodemus trying to get his emerald back to save his mentor. Deidre, being possessed by Typhon, is scheming and fighting Typhon's control by undermining his plans at the risk of being discovered. Lastly, we have Francesca, a skillful doctor who has been manipulated into killing a patient and then is left to her own devices as she learns Typhon has in mind to use her for his own nefarious plans. She's in a city where she can't trust anyone, not even an old lover recently arrived, and who might just be her only means to get out of this mess. The city is about to go into a civil war, we have all the factions, Halcyon and anti-Halcyon, making their moves in the background further complicating matters.
The novel is really about monsters, external and internal; both identifying and defining. It's about trust, acceptance, and overcoming one's limitations and disabilities. I think the acceptance of disabilities, and adapting to once disability theme was done really well. Also, with having a doctor protagonist, we're subjected to quite a few scenes of medical discussion and procedures. Blake Charlton is a doctor, so he really shows off his stuff here and it comes off quite enthusiastic and interesting.
Spellbound is another winner by Blake Charlton, and I'm highly recommending it to just about anyone. If not mistaken, the series has been marketed recently as a Young-Adult, but I think the book fits right at the boundary between YA and Adult; I recommend reading Spellwright first though. The book is a real page turner which I'm positive you won't regret reading.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent and entertaining fantasy novel
Sep 15 2011
By "Seregil of Rhiminee"
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Last year I read and reviewed Blake Charlton's fantastic Spellwright and now I'll write a review about the fantastic sequel, Spellbound, which is even better and more fascinating than Spellwright. In other words, it's a perfect sequel and readers, who have read Spellwright, will love it.
Before I begin to write my review, I'll mention that this review is based on a PDF review version of Spellbound. The PDF version didn't contain any maps or cover art. It took me only a couple of days to read this PDF version, because I couldn't stop reading it (when I'm reading an interesting book, I find it extremely difficult to stop reading the book). Now that I've had time to digest what I've read, I'm ready to write the review. (I'll try to avoid too many spoilers.)
Spellbound is a traditional fantasy book and it contains elements which are often associated with traditional fantasy. These elements are charming and they add a nice flavour to the story. I know that there are fantasy readers who don't want to read traditional fantasy, which is a real shame, because they don't know what they're missing. Traditional fantasy is at its best - like it is in this book - fantastic and thrilling entertainment and it shouldn't be overlooked. That's why I'm not afraid to praise Spellbound in this review. I apologize if the last couple of phrases sounded like preaching, but in my opinion we need more books like Spellbound, because fantasy readers must be reminded how good traditional fantasy can be.
The events of Spellbound take place ten years after the first book. That's why it's essential and important to read Spellwright before reading Spellbound. It's probably impossible to understand what's going on unless you've read Spellwright, because Blake Charlton reveals new things in this book and all events are based on previous events (the author goes full speed ahead and spends only little time repeating previous events).
Spellbound starts with a furious and breath-taking pace and the author knows how to keep the pace brisk enough to keep his readers glued to the book until the end. Although the pace slows down a bit after the start, there aren't any dull moments, because something is always going on or something is going to happen soon. The plot and the subplots are fascinating.
The main characters are Nicodemus Weal and Francesca DeVega. Here's a bit of information about Nicodemus and Francesca:
- Readers who have read Spellwright know that Nicodemus is a young man who has trouble with normal spells, because he suffers from cacography. He can only use different kind of spells.
- Francesca is a healer (a cleric) whose life is turned upside down when her patient dies and then comes back to life and tells her about what's going on in Avel.
In my opinion both main characters are three-dimensional and believable fantasy characters. It was a pleasure to read about them.
There are also other interesting characters. These characters include (I'll only mention four characters):
- Deirdre, who is under the demon's (Typhon) influence and tries to deceive the demon as often as she can.
- Cyrus, who is Francesca's old friend and an air warden.
- Shannon, who is Nicodemus' mentor. He suffers from a canker curse, which is slowly killing him.
- Typhon is a demon, who tries to start the War of Disjunction, which will bring end to human language.
It was nice to read about Deirdre and Shannon and what's happened to them since the end of Spellwright. I'm sure that readers will be as delighted as I was to find out new things about their fate.
Blake Charlton writes with passion about his characters and makes them come to life. He focuses nicely on the characters and keeps the reader guessing about certain things and skillfully reveals bits and pieces about them. In my opinion Spellbound's character development is similar to Spellwright's character development, because the characters are as likeable in Spellbound as they are in the first book. Character interaction is almost flawless and the dialogues are well written. The author switches narration fluently between different characters and keeps the story flowing without problems.
There were several fascinating things in Spellbound:
- I found it interesting that the author wrote about intelligent lycanthropes who were believed to be able to use spells and disguise themselves as people in order to lure helpless victims among them.
- The beast called Savanna Walker is one of the most intriguing monsters I've read about. It's a deadly creature that drives men mad and causes aphasia.
- Air wardens, lofting kites and airships were also intriguing. It's possible that when readers hear about airships they automatically assume that they have something to do with steampunk (or they're similar to the airships in Terry Brooks' The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy), but I can say that these readers are wrong if they think this way. Blake Charlton's airships are totally original creations.
- Hierophants and their spells were interesting. It was fun to read about them.
It was great that the author explored new areas in Spellbound. It was also great to read about spellwriting again, because Blake Charlton's magic system is one of the most unique and thoroughly convincing magic systems I've ever read about during the last couple of years. In this book the author brings new depth to his magic system and reveals several new things to the reader.
Worldbuilding is much better in Spellbound than it was Spellwright. Blake Charlton has created a richly detailed and charming fantasy world, which gradually begins to open to the reader. He writes beautifully about new vistas and places.
Spellbound has nice moments of humour which lighten the atmosphere nicely. There are also intriguing mystery elements and subplots, which spice up the story.
Although Spellbound is a middle book, it doesn't feel like a middle book, because the action is suspenseful and the plot is good. Some authors have problems with middle books, but not Blake Charlton. Spellbound is a good example of a fascinating and carefully written middle book, because it's better and more engaging than its predecessor.
Considering that Spellbound is Blake Charlton's second book, it's amazing how good and entertaining it is (I expected Spellbound to be a good book, but it exceeded all my expectations). Spellwright was a traditional, but unique fantasy book, because the author had invented a new and original magic system, but I dare say that Spellbound is even more unique, because the author has taken all the interesting bits from Spellwright and added more elements and new twists to the story.
I was impressed by the author's ability to explore several different things and I was amazed by how much information Blake Charlton had included in Spellbound (this book contains more information than Spellwright). It's possible that readers who don't remember what happened in Spellwright may feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information, but I wasn't overwhelmed. I loved every part of this book, because the author didn't underestimate the intelligence of his readers.
In my opinion Blake Charlton has matured as a writer and he's now a more confident and experienced writer than before (his confidence and experience can be seen in the way he writes about the events). After reading Spellbound it's easy for me to say that Blake Charlton is definitely one of the best and most talented new fantasy writers at this moment, because he writes good, entertaining and vivid fantasy prose. He also has a good imagination, which is needed when you write about fictional worlds.
Spellbound is one of the best fantasy books I've read this year. I like Blake Charlton's writing style and seemingly endless imagination very much. On a scale from one to ten, Spellbound gets full ten points from me for being an entertaining, imaginative, detailed and emotional fantasy book. Spellbound can be recommended to readers who like epic fantasy stories and want to immerse themselves into reading and experience the joy of reading good fantasy. It's excellent epic fantasy for adult readers (I'm sure that younger readers will also love it). I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the third book, Spellbreaker, because I want to know how the trilogy ends.
If you haven't read Blake Charlton yet, you should seriously consider reading his books, because they're wonderful and imaginative fantasy entertainment. Spellwright and Spellbound belong to everybody fantasy reader's reading list and bookshelf. (I think it's possible to turn reluctant fantasy readers into fantasy lovers by giving them Blake Charlton's books, because both books are impossible to put down.)
Highly recommended!
Before I begin to write my review, I'll mention that this review is based on a PDF review version of Spellbound. The PDF version didn't contain any maps or cover art. It took me only a couple of days to read this PDF version, because I couldn't stop reading it (when I'm reading an interesting book, I find it extremely difficult to stop reading the book). Now that I've had time to digest what I've read, I'm ready to write the review. (I'll try to avoid too many spoilers.)
Spellbound is a traditional fantasy book and it contains elements which are often associated with traditional fantasy. These elements are charming and they add a nice flavour to the story. I know that there are fantasy readers who don't want to read traditional fantasy, which is a real shame, because they don't know what they're missing. Traditional fantasy is at its best - like it is in this book - fantastic and thrilling entertainment and it shouldn't be overlooked. That's why I'm not afraid to praise Spellbound in this review. I apologize if the last couple of phrases sounded like preaching, but in my opinion we need more books like Spellbound, because fantasy readers must be reminded how good traditional fantasy can be.
The events of Spellbound take place ten years after the first book. That's why it's essential and important to read Spellwright before reading Spellbound. It's probably impossible to understand what's going on unless you've read Spellwright, because Blake Charlton reveals new things in this book and all events are based on previous events (the author goes full speed ahead and spends only little time repeating previous events).
Spellbound starts with a furious and breath-taking pace and the author knows how to keep the pace brisk enough to keep his readers glued to the book until the end. Although the pace slows down a bit after the start, there aren't any dull moments, because something is always going on or something is going to happen soon. The plot and the subplots are fascinating.
The main characters are Nicodemus Weal and Francesca DeVega. Here's a bit of information about Nicodemus and Francesca:
- Readers who have read Spellwright know that Nicodemus is a young man who has trouble with normal spells, because he suffers from cacography. He can only use different kind of spells.
- Francesca is a healer (a cleric) whose life is turned upside down when her patient dies and then comes back to life and tells her about what's going on in Avel.
In my opinion both main characters are three-dimensional and believable fantasy characters. It was a pleasure to read about them.
There are also other interesting characters. These characters include (I'll only mention four characters):
- Deirdre, who is under the demon's (Typhon) influence and tries to deceive the demon as often as she can.
- Cyrus, who is Francesca's old friend and an air warden.
- Shannon, who is Nicodemus' mentor. He suffers from a canker curse, which is slowly killing him.
- Typhon is a demon, who tries to start the War of Disjunction, which will bring end to human language.
It was nice to read about Deirdre and Shannon and what's happened to them since the end of Spellwright. I'm sure that readers will be as delighted as I was to find out new things about their fate.
Blake Charlton writes with passion about his characters and makes them come to life. He focuses nicely on the characters and keeps the reader guessing about certain things and skillfully reveals bits and pieces about them. In my opinion Spellbound's character development is similar to Spellwright's character development, because the characters are as likeable in Spellbound as they are in the first book. Character interaction is almost flawless and the dialogues are well written. The author switches narration fluently between different characters and keeps the story flowing without problems.
There were several fascinating things in Spellbound:
- I found it interesting that the author wrote about intelligent lycanthropes who were believed to be able to use spells and disguise themselves as people in order to lure helpless victims among them.
- The beast called Savanna Walker is one of the most intriguing monsters I've read about. It's a deadly creature that drives men mad and causes aphasia.
- Air wardens, lofting kites and airships were also intriguing. It's possible that when readers hear about airships they automatically assume that they have something to do with steampunk (or they're similar to the airships in Terry Brooks' The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy), but I can say that these readers are wrong if they think this way. Blake Charlton's airships are totally original creations.
- Hierophants and their spells were interesting. It was fun to read about them.
It was great that the author explored new areas in Spellbound. It was also great to read about spellwriting again, because Blake Charlton's magic system is one of the most unique and thoroughly convincing magic systems I've ever read about during the last couple of years. In this book the author brings new depth to his magic system and reveals several new things to the reader.
Worldbuilding is much better in Spellbound than it was Spellwright. Blake Charlton has created a richly detailed and charming fantasy world, which gradually begins to open to the reader. He writes beautifully about new vistas and places.
Spellbound has nice moments of humour which lighten the atmosphere nicely. There are also intriguing mystery elements and subplots, which spice up the story.
Although Spellbound is a middle book, it doesn't feel like a middle book, because the action is suspenseful and the plot is good. Some authors have problems with middle books, but not Blake Charlton. Spellbound is a good example of a fascinating and carefully written middle book, because it's better and more engaging than its predecessor.
Considering that Spellbound is Blake Charlton's second book, it's amazing how good and entertaining it is (I expected Spellbound to be a good book, but it exceeded all my expectations). Spellwright was a traditional, but unique fantasy book, because the author had invented a new and original magic system, but I dare say that Spellbound is even more unique, because the author has taken all the interesting bits from Spellwright and added more elements and new twists to the story.
I was impressed by the author's ability to explore several different things and I was amazed by how much information Blake Charlton had included in Spellbound (this book contains more information than Spellwright). It's possible that readers who don't remember what happened in Spellwright may feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information, but I wasn't overwhelmed. I loved every part of this book, because the author didn't underestimate the intelligence of his readers.
In my opinion Blake Charlton has matured as a writer and he's now a more confident and experienced writer than before (his confidence and experience can be seen in the way he writes about the events). After reading Spellbound it's easy for me to say that Blake Charlton is definitely one of the best and most talented new fantasy writers at this moment, because he writes good, entertaining and vivid fantasy prose. He also has a good imagination, which is needed when you write about fictional worlds.
Spellbound is one of the best fantasy books I've read this year. I like Blake Charlton's writing style and seemingly endless imagination very much. On a scale from one to ten, Spellbound gets full ten points from me for being an entertaining, imaginative, detailed and emotional fantasy book. Spellbound can be recommended to readers who like epic fantasy stories and want to immerse themselves into reading and experience the joy of reading good fantasy. It's excellent epic fantasy for adult readers (I'm sure that younger readers will also love it). I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the third book, Spellbreaker, because I want to know how the trilogy ends.
If you haven't read Blake Charlton yet, you should seriously consider reading his books, because they're wonderful and imaginative fantasy entertainment. Spellwright and Spellbound belong to everybody fantasy reader's reading list and bookshelf. (I think it's possible to turn reluctant fantasy readers into fantasy lovers by giving them Blake Charlton's books, because both books are impossible to put down.)
Highly recommended!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
.
Nov 11 2011
By Tyson Perna
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is so much fun. It starts with the rush of action and exhilaration with which most fantasy stories end. We've all read enough of them to know the formula - slow pace methodically building up to the fantastic finish, the finish the author wrote the book to get to, the beginning and middle just being that annoying necessity. Mr. (Dr.?) Charlton kicks that standard template in the ass and provides a 400 page rush. I enjoyed every second of it.
The story picks up 10 years after Spellwright left off, and the focus is not on that books protag, Nicodemous Weal, but instead on a doctor, Francesca. Some readers may not consider a true series in that sense, but I didn't miss Nicodemous; Fran is too much fun. And Charlton does a great job of balancing multiple POVs. There is a huge leap in his writing's maturity from Spellwright to Spellbound, and this balance is not the least example.
Aside from being a fun adventure story, Charlton gets cerebral on us. I'm not even going to attempt to tackle an explanation of what the book is "about," but if you are a lover of language and medicine, you'll enjoy it.
When you get to surprise reveal at the end, just as an FYI, I figured it out on page 165. I'm just sayin'. (Okay, so he sorta hinted at it in an interview when discussing the cover art, so I don't think I would have figured it out on my own otherwise. But maybe...)
Overall, Spellbound is quite the accomplishment. The story, characters, and dense ideas are so layered and interwoven that it could have been a big mess, but he keeps it all straight and easy to understand. (Though at one point I was on the verge of graphing out the various political factions.)
As much as I liked Spellwright, Spellbound blows it out of the water. Can't wait for book 3
The story picks up 10 years after Spellwright left off, and the focus is not on that books protag, Nicodemous Weal, but instead on a doctor, Francesca. Some readers may not consider a true series in that sense, but I didn't miss Nicodemous; Fran is too much fun. And Charlton does a great job of balancing multiple POVs. There is a huge leap in his writing's maturity from Spellwright to Spellbound, and this balance is not the least example.
Aside from being a fun adventure story, Charlton gets cerebral on us. I'm not even going to attempt to tackle an explanation of what the book is "about," but if you are a lover of language and medicine, you'll enjoy it.
When you get to surprise reveal at the end, just as an FYI, I figured it out on page 165. I'm just sayin'. (Okay, so he sorta hinted at it in an interview when discussing the cover art, so I don't think I would have figured it out on my own otherwise. But maybe...)
Overall, Spellbound is quite the accomplishment. The story, characters, and dense ideas are so layered and interwoven that it could have been a big mess, but he keeps it all straight and easy to understand. (Though at one point I was on the verge of graphing out the various political factions.)
As much as I liked Spellwright, Spellbound blows it out of the water. Can't wait for book 3
›
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