Wysard [Paperback]

At times, Kephart's writing style and dialogue seem too stilted, as though she is relying on a pseudo-Middle Ages grammatical structure to give her novel atmosphere. However, at other times, her prose is smoothly lyrical, written with beautiful logic. Kephart's real strength, however, is her storytelling ability. While she takes far too many pages to set up the central conflict, I couldn't put down this novel once I had passed the midway point. By the end, the story was incredibly engrossing. Unfortunately, in this novel nothing is resolved. It ends with a cliff-hanger, necessitating the reading of Kephart's second volume to discover Ryel's fate.

Kephart clearly has talent. She has imagined her fantasy world well, with details that make it come alive for the reader. I only wish that much of the novel had been tighter and more judiciously cut, perhaps combining it with the second volume into one 250 page novel. Still, there is much to admire here. Avid readers of fantasy especially will be intrigued by Kephart's writing. While I could not give this novel four stars, three seems too few: three and a half stars for an up-and-coming fantasy writer.

Ryel Mirai left his family in the Steppes many years ago, to learn with the wysard Edris at the city of Markul, for studies that were dangerous, dark and gave him powers that the outside world could hardly believe in. But when he ventured into the void beyond life, he encountered the daimon Dagar -- who murdered Edris. Now he leaves Markul, with a strange mocking voice in his head and visions of his dying mother and a mad princess.

After healing his mother, Ryel travels to the city of Almancar, where the
Sovrena Diara has gone mad under Dagar's influence -- the same influence that whispers constantly in Ryel's mind. Even as he heals her, he learns two things: That Edris's rai (spirit) is still around, and can be reunited with his body... and that an evil wysard is trying to bring Dagar back with the same spell...

"Wysard" reads a bit like an earthier, sexier "Wizard of Earthsea"; it has some of the same themes, the same atmosphere, and one can imagine Le Guin using similar ideas (the misty, ascetic wysard city, the decadent Almancar with its incestuous royals and rich brothels, the proud horse-riding Steppes folk). Kephart manages to deal with Ryel's training quite well through flashbacks, more skillfully than most authors can.

Perhaps the biggest problem is that the pace is a little rushed; if it had been slower, it would have been easier to get acquainted with Ryel, Edris and the rest rather than paying attention to where the plot was going next. And readers may be frustrated by the big blinking "To Be Continued" that ends the book, leading up to sequel "Lord Brother."

Ryel is a likable guy, and his loving but tense relationship with Edris is exceptionally well-done; Edris himself is a bit abrasive, definitely not easygoing, and a good change from the usual wizard mentors. The voice of Dagar is mocking and nasty, more effective than a blustering villain. Diara, Ryel's future lover, while we don't see much of her, is perhaps the most likable of all.

"Wysard" makes a change for those who want a genuinely dark, adult fantasy without the cliched trappings. Intriguing.