The Devil in the Dust [Mass Market Paperback]

We first meet Marron, a young man who has come to Roq de Rancon to become a Knights Ramsoner like his late father. The Knights Ransomers are basically the religious army in the land of Outremer, and Roq de Rancon is the most strategically important fortress in this vulnerable realm facing hostile neighbors outside it and a hidden, "enfolded" heretical state somewhere within its own borders. The Folded Land is left pretty much a mystery in the pages of this opening novel, but the people of Outremer are highly desirous of finding it and destroying it. The king of Outremer claims to enforce the will of God, made manifest most impressively to the religious warriors via the magic of the King's Eye. Before Marron first experiences the wonder of this vision of light, however, he is baptized in blood. His actions during his first "battle" (the complete slaughter of a community of "heretics") open the way for disillusionment in his soul. He trains hard, though, and a certain noble knight, Sieur Anton d'Escrivey, makes him his squire. Marron's struggles within the strict orthodoxy of the militant religious order and the hardships of his particular situation serve as the strongest elements of this novel.

We also meet a fascinating young woman, Julianne de Rance, teenaged daughter of the King's Shadow, as she makes her way to meet the man she is to marry. She is a strong and compelling character who finds herself a temporary guest at Roq de Rancon. With her comes Elisande, the most mysterious character of all in this story; Julianne befriends her on the road and takes her to the Roq alongside her, but she is never successful in learning the true story of her most unusual friend's background. Obviously, there is much more to be learned of Elisande as the series progresses.

I absolutely loved The Devil in the Dust and am excited over the books left to read in this impressive fantasy series. This first novel positions the major players on Brenchley's mental chess board, but epic omens hang over the land of Outremer. Encircled by enemies and further threatened by an invisible enemy within, Outremer is a land on the brink of climactic change, and the assembly of heroes we see slowly coming together stand poised to lead the reader through a whirlwind of fantasy delights in the days ahead. Brenchley creates a world you can see in your mind's eye quite clearly and gives birth to characters you come to know and care for as soon as you meet them, no matter what dark mysteries each may yet hold in his/her soul.

Brenchley writes beautifully on a sentence level and incorporates some nice elements of darkness. Marron and his master/lover Sieur Anton are intriguing characters; I found both young women a bit too perky, but not irretrievable. The plot is fast-paced and high in tension, though here and there the author leaves a thread unresolved (and apparently not to be resolved in sequels). The worldbuilding is reasonably interesting, though not highly detailed on a material level--I kept wanting to know more about the tactics, the weapons, the material culture, the economy, but Brenchley doesn't develop his world deeply. On the other hand, I didn't find anything silly or out of place, and the slim length of the book makes a refreshing contrast to some of the fantasy doorstops currently in vogue.

This will probably please readers of GG Kay, George Martin, Judith Tarr (it has some definite romance elements) and perhaps Katherine Kurtz.