The Emperors Knife [Hardcover]

One of the most important decisions an author has to make is how much to tell, how much to imply, and how much to show. In fantasy this even more true in creating a secondary/alternate world. An author, looking through the world he's created and the plot he's weaving, has to start bailing water to offer a manuscript that's tight enough to sell and verbose enough to be clear - no mean feat.

I bring this up because I think Mazarkis Williams had more water to bail than the average fantasy debut. Not a criticism, I say that because The Emperor's Knife is incredibly ambitious. Heavily flavored with Persian, Arabic, and Asian influence, it is a riff on epic fantasy with a deep magic system, complex political intrigue, and a complete story arc all contained in well under 400 pages.

There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire. Geometric patterns spread across the skin causing those who bear them to become Carriers - mindless servants of the Pattern Master. Anyone showing the marks is put to death by Emperor Beyon's law. Now the pattern is running over the Emperor's own arms. His body servants have been executed and he ignores his wives - soon the pattern will reach his face. While Beyon's agents scour the land for a cure, Sarmin, the Emperor's only surviving brother, awaits his bride, Mesema, a windreader from the northern plains. Unused to being at court Mesema has no one to turn to but an ageing imperial assassin, the Emperor's Knife. As long-planned conspiracies boil over into open violence, the Pattern Master appears. The only people standing in his way are a lost prince, a world-weary killer, and a young girl from the steppes.

That's a complete and utter hatchet job on the plot in an effort to briefly summarize the general direction of Emperor's Knife. I went over to read the blurb on Goodreads and it was six paragraphs long. Is it becoming clear why I said Williams' had a tough road ahead of him? Somehow, the novel comes together in in 346 pages - a commendable accomplishment. Unfortunately, on my second point - making sure everything was adequately explained - I'm not sure it was as successful. Having finished the novel I still don't fully understand the motivations and actions of the novel's primary instigator - the Emperor's vizier Tuvaini. Very little time is spent on the primary system of magic whereby a mage is a vessel for an elemental living side them, and while more time is spent on manipulating "patterns" the why or how of it isn't addressed at all. So the question becomes, is that a problem?

The truth is... not really. At the end of the day, Emperor's Knife is a big success, largely on the back of interesting characters and a compelling plot. Williams engages his readers in the early moments posing mysteries that demand to be uncovered like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey compels him to walk. The plot is brisk to start before leveling off where we're given an opportunity to come to care about each of Williams' pieces before he brings them back together in devastating fashion.

As I mentioned before the tone of the world is very Middle Eastern in a time period reminiscent of the Crusade Era. Through Masema, Williams also brings in a steppes culture that would fit well in a Henry Sienkiewicz novel and hints at far more beyond the borders of his map. Naturally, when an author walks into a culture grounded in male chauvinism he runs the risk of being labeled as such himself. Character's opinions are often attributed to the author, almost always unfairly. Williams manages to avoid this, crafting three very enjoyable female characters only one of which comes off shallow and reliant on the support of men around her. Masema, the central female character, comes off far stronger though some of her romantic entanglements felt rushed - something I again attribute to a need to keep things tight in a novel whose scope would seem to predicate otherwise.

Reading through the novel and being an active tweeter lead to a conversation with Williams and fellow 2011 debut author Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns) about Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. Williams admitted it was one of his favorites so I hope he takes it as a compliment that I saw elements in Emperor's Knife that reflected Hobb's influence. Sarmin (the closest thing to a protagonist) is a character of some similarity to Hobb's FitzChivalery. He disbelieves in himself and struggles with understanding his place in the events that rage around him. Farseer fans will also notice that the Pattern Master's Carriers call to mind Prince Verity riding along through others' eyes to interact with and bear witness to events far from him. If it is an homage, it is well done, although I suspect mere coincidence is more likely. Had I not had the conversation prior to reading the novel, I doubt very much I would have made the connection.

Despite some unevenness that manifests in the form of esoteric scenes and absent or unclear foreshadowing, Emperor's Knife is a well imagined, well plotted, and [mostly] well executed addition to the epic fantasy codex. While it's satisfying as a standalone work, the fact is well advertised on the book's cover that The Emperor's Knife the first installment in The Tower and Knife Trilogy. If Sarmin returns he has an opportunity become an iconic character and I hope he gets that chance. More emphatically, I hope that Williams will continue to explore some of the details that were left out in his debut; the lack of which will hold me back from putting this near the top of my best of 2011 list.

I said it at the beginning, and I'll say it again, this is an ambitious debut novel. Thankfully, it's also a novel that demonstrates great deal of promise in its author. I for one very much look forward to the sequel and Mazarkis Williams' continued growth as a writer.

Mazarkis Williams' The Emperor's Knife is a debut book which has been under the radar for most fantasy readers. The book's blurb details an empire which has been rotting and rests upon three individuals to stop the events, which might lead to its annihilation. Such a blurb wouldn't necessarily give a clear picture of the actual book and it does seem to make the plot out to be very generic as well.

That's the first mistake you make about the book assuming that the plot will be generic. While the book's plot does feature court intrigue, a traditional story structure and individuals who have the power to change the course of events, there's much more to The Emperor's Knife including a plague that causes colorful geometric shapes to appear and make them mindless drones who act as a singular entity.

The story opens with a prologue set years in the past and details a crucial event which shapes Prince Sarmin's life from that moment onwards. The book then shifts to the present time as he awaits his life within an environment that he does not fully understand, but is comforted by. From here, the plot begins rather suddenly as the reader is thrown into the world of the Cerani, the Felt people, etc. and the reader has to pick up on the clues and descriptions provided by the author and connect the dots to gain an understanding of the story and the problems which are occurring. The main mystery thread consists of the aforementioned plague and the Pattern Master.

At the core of this story are the three main POVs of Prince Sarmin, Mesema and Eyul. Mesema is a Felt girl who has been chosen by her father to be a bride to Prince Sarmin of the Cerani empire. Mesema is not thrilled by this decision, but cannot disobey her father. Eyul meanwhile, is an assassin who's the only person appointed by the emperor in the line of the Knife-Sworn to wield the royal Knife with which royal blood can be spilled and the wielder is not damned. There's also Tuvaini, the court vizier who wants to do right by the empire and shares an important part of the story, although whose side he's on is never made
abundantly clear. There are a few other supporting characters who take part in the plot, but they do not get their own POVs and it would be better for the reader to find out about them via the book.

As a whole, characterization is a major plus as each voice is distinct from the other, with each chapter opening up a new facet for each character. Prose, though good, is a bit spartan in its approach; while the author provides the bare requirement when it comes to world-building, which can hamper the reading experience at times. Another point which undermines the novel is the pacing of the story. On the plus side, the overall mystery is wrapped up satisfactorily with most of the plot threads reasonably concluded except for a couple. Which of course lead to the second book in the trilogy, Knife-Sworn.

Overall, I enjoyed The Emperor's Knife for telling a story of people broken by the psychological nature of past events and their striving to do the right thing. Even though Mazarkis Williams' debut did not possess the gritty violent aspect of the Prince of Thorns or the fast-paced nature of The Whitefire Crossing, The Emperor's Knife is a very good book, especially for those who like to be surprised by plot twists and enjoy clean economical prose. In short, I am looking forward to the second book in the Tower and Knife Trilogy as I am very curious to see where Mazarkis Williams takes the characters and plot next...

Fifteen years Sarmin has lived in the high tower room, after his brothers were killed. He receives a visit from his mother telling him she is sending for a Northern Felting woman as his bride. Then a visit from the vizier, Tuvaini, sounding as he is trying to win Prince Sarmin to his cause but decided Sarmin was mad. The few that know Sarmin is alive and hidden away are now turning to hoping he could lead the Empire, now that the King has the marks of the plague; marking him for death, by his law, or to become a Carrier for the Pattern Master, and bore no heir. As tradition, when the King is crowned his younger brothers are put to death by the Emperor's Knife, leaving one King and his son's when he has them as heir - no question or fights for the throne. But Sarmin was saved, foreseen by his mother and the Tower Mage as powerful and going to be needed.

This is going to be a tough review for me. Not for bad as I liked this read, but I wanted more through out the book. There were hints and mention of gods and the One God. I kind of wanted more information on the One God and Mogyrk church. I know the Cerani turned away from this belief, so not much remains or is known. but also a lot of insinuation through happenings and remarks regarding the pattern magic. I want to better understand it.

Yet I felt like always in suspense, wanting to know about the Patterns and meanings, or what each character had planned and who would prevail. Then most of all, who is the Pattern Master and his plans. I also wondered and worried about Sarmin and what he was capable to do and how to do it. There is so much underlying in the scenes and conversations to think on.

The story starts with a prologue of Sarmin witnessing the death of his younger brothers by the blade of the Emperor's Knife, from his tower room. Then we meet the people involved; Mesema, Eyul, King Beyon, Prince Sarmin, Tuvaini, the Empire Mother Nessaket, and a few others. We bring all the people together, each having their own POV and know or see different things of the Patterns or workings of. For the first 20-30 pages I was a little confused as we dive right in and the characters talk vague or double talk/cross each other, leaving me questioning their motives. But not much later I get clarity, of some understanding to what's going on and what they might be up to. I do suggest before starting the book to read the description completely. It will help let you know what you are diving head first into.

Then the story opened up and started to fit together in my mind. I started to realize the people who were playing the game and game against each other. Once I knew who to "trust" and what to expect from them, it started to make sense.

I liked the touches of the magic here. We got a touch of the Elemental Mages, neat. I liked the Patterned magic, although I'm still piecing the pieces together on Sarmin's half. And the knife, the Emperor's Knife... I wondered on it and the man with it, but I really liked it and the magic wound around it.

This is a very good start, debut into the fantasy genre for Mazarkis. I do look forward to continuing this trilogy to see what Mazarkis has in store for Sarmin and Mesema.