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It is the year 1529 and Brian Duffy, a soldier of fortune, finds himself in Venice. A late-night confrontation with three brothers over a matter of honor convinces Brian to find greener pastures. After a chance meeting with an old monk named Aurelainus, Brian finds himself hired on to be the bouncer at the famous Herzwesten brewery and inn (formerly a monastery) located in Vienna. During Brian's voyage from Venice to Vienna, he crosses the Dolomite Mountains, only to meet assassins who attack him. Dwarves and creatures Brian knew only from mythology assist him in vanquishing his attackers.
The mythical Fisher King is a central character in The Drawing of the Dark, and cameos by the Roman god Bacchus, the Lady of the Lake, reincarnations of King Arthur and Sigmund from Norse mythology, Merlin, and hosts of soldiers, including Vikings and Swiss mercenaries, add to the otherworldly feel. The legendary heroes are allied against legions of soldiers from the Turkish Ottoman Empire under Suleiman and his wizard Ibrahim, who try to repeat the successes of their 1521 and 1526 invasions of eastern Europe by laying siege to Vienna. But just what is their objective? The city or the beer?
Tim Powers does a great job of tying the historical invasion of eastern Europe by the Turks to a rollicking, fun-filled fantasy, which offers its own reasons for the invasion and a wonderful cast of heroes that ultimately repel the invaders. This is a must-read for Tim Powers fans and for readers who have yet to delve into his rich, wonderful worlds. --Robert Gately
Review
--JAMES P. BLAYLOCK
"Tim Powers does it right! Combining the best of mythology and real history, he takes you on a rollicking magical adventure that is both tense and hilarious. You won't read a more plausible explanation for Western Civilization, or one that's half so much fun. So raise your glass to The Drawing of the Dark."
--DAVID BRIN
"I stand in awe of Tim Powers's recent work, but I must confess my secret love for The Drawing of the Dark. Powers was one of the first to put fantasy back in the city where it belongs! If you're sick of endless quests through murky woods and lonely mountains, this is the place to start."
--ELLEN KUSHNER
Author of Swordspoint
"Tim Powers is like no other. Tim Powers is granite where others are shale. Tim Powers chuckles like a river at night. Tim Powers is like a butterfly hovering at the pin, ruminating, eyebrow cocked, over the dancing angels. Tim Powers is not like any other, now and far into tomorrow."
--ALGIS BUDRYS
Editor of Tomorrow
All night the hot wind had swept up the Adriatic, and from the crowded docks down by the arsenale to the Isola di San Chiara at the western mouth of the Grand Canal, the old city creaked on its pilings like a vast, weary ship; and clouds as ragged as tatte Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drink deeply and be refreshed...,
By
This review is from: The Drawing of the Dark (Paperback)
Here's an unheralded classic, returned to print after a decade on the shelf, which is simply one of the more marvelous fantasies out there. I was simply spellbound by this book.A brief description of this novel tends to emphasize what's not important about this novel. There are several important things here that make this a delight. First, simply, are the characters. Brightly drawn and lovable, be they knaves or heroes. The texture and dialog do not (as many fantasy novels do) evoke modern Americans, even though there is no dialect used. Second is the feel for medieval Europe, history, and realism (in what is a rather fanciful novel). Although this novel features such things as dwarves, dervishes, King Arthur, Merlin, Excaliber, the Fisher King, Norse gods, etc., the sheer realism of the novel never is pierced. Third is the delight that infuses the whole work. Why the title alone is at least triple entendre, if not quadruple. I mean: how can you dislike a work who's central premise is that Western civilization is based in no small part on quality beer? So by now it is obvious that I love this book. If you like books such as Silverlock or Brunner's Traveller in Black, I think you'll be enchanted by this gem.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An easy and entertaining read - wildly creative.,
By "abztract" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Drawing of the Dark (Paperback)
Tim Powers has a magical way of finding an odd piece of historical trivia with a little bit of mystery shrouding it, and weaving a fantastic story of mystical forces and occult arts around it.The story revolves around one Brian Duffy, and brings to the surface such mythological characters as the Irish hero Finn Mac Cool, Sigmund, King Arthur, and Dionysus. Powers seems to love the myth of the Fisher King, and this has been a recurring theme through many of his novels. It is obvious that this is one of his earlier works, a lack of depth can be felt in the historical details as well as the writing style. But the plot is an engaging one - this author is wildly creative. The Drawing of the Dark is an easier read than some of his other works, and quite entertaining. If you love what he does with the Fisher King storyline, read Last Call, Expiration Date, and Earthquake Weather. If you enjoy his habit of weaving an occult story around historical fact, make sure you read Declare.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Drawing of the Dark (Paperback)
An excellent read, one of my favourite books. Nice to see it back in print. It's entertaining.
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