Lord Brother (Paperback)

In "Wysard," Ryel went on a quest to defeat the evil daimon Dagar and to reunite the body and rai (soul) of his mentor Edris. In the twisting path, Ryel saved the lovely Sovrena Diara, and encountered Michael, an acolyte of Dagar. Now Ryel is on the road again, encountering a simpering poet and a tough soldier.

But when Ryel cures a man called Redbane of a strange illness, he contracts the illness himself (much to Dagar's delight). And to find the spell he's looking for, Ryel must go into deeper, darker places than he's ever gone before: the Fraternity of the Sword, religious fanatics -- and if he loses his battle with Dagar, he will lose everything.

Kephart's fantasy world is a stark, complex one, a bit like Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea, but much grittier, sexier, frightening one. No elves or dwarves, pixies or time travel here. Instead, Kephart takes care to craft a bunch of different cultures, religions, customs and traditions, all well-written and very intriguing to read about.

It's possible to get a little lost even if you've read "Wysard" (and you should -- readers who don't will be hopelessly lost if they don't). The plotting is steadier and we have a better glimpse into Ryel's mind as his situation gets worse and worse. The prose flows a little better, as does the dialogue.

Ryel is a solid hero, flawed but very likable; Edris pops up from time to time, gruff but a good mentor for Ryel. And Dagar takes the cake as a seemingly indestructible, very gleeful villain; other characters like the Countess and Alleron are good supporting cast. All the characters are distinct and individual, very well-written.

"Lord Brother" is a worthy follow-up to "Wysard," and a treat for those who like their fantasy a little darker and unpredictable. "Lord Brother" is a rare read.

You should read "Wysard" first for the background of Ryel's society and his history, starting with the loss of his mentor Edris. In "Lord Brother", Ryel continues his quest to bring Edris back to life, joins a bloody brotherhood, is befriended by the delightful Markess Gwynedd and suffers great pains along the way.

There is a lot of adventure here, and very fine imagery. I only wish the print were not as fine in this book--the typeface was for my eyes a bit difficult....but for the average reader of fantasy (younger than I!) it should pose no problem at all.

Once again, I join those clamoring for the next book in the series!
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