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| Demon
Lord
BY TC SOUTHWELL Review by Greg Hamerton ( www.greghamerton.com ) An innocent young girl, an evil adversary, and seven blue wards that hold the dark lord in the prison of the Underworld - clearly outlined fantasy archetypes. I guessed it was either going to be a derivative of Robert Jordan's works, or it would develop into something more intriguing as the author played with the question: what if you take the pure essence of evil and fight it with the pure essence of good - who would win? It's a very linear storyline kept almost entirely on the innocent Mirra and her appalling adventure as the prisoner and plaything of the marauding Bane, recently emerged from the Underworld. Before you get worried, Southwell cleverly avoids sexual abuse, so it never becomes sordid, but it is unflinching in its grotesque exposition. It is necessary to witness Bane's evil to truly appreciate his nature, but I did find that I had got this message fairly early in the book and the mid-section does become a bit tedious as we journey to yet another blue ward, endure more brutality and stack up slain extras without significant character development. But character development there is, it just takes the egotistical young sorcerer some time, for he has no experience at being human, and yet he is - that’s why it becomes interesting. It comes as no surprise that Southwell's favourite author is Stephen Donaldson, a master exploiter of human frailty and devious engineer of the torturous quest. Demon Lord has elements of this, but doesn't develop the crippling ambiguities that might yet make their struggle truly engrossing - Mirra and Bane remain very close to their opposite poles. But the story gathers pace in the final third, and there are some galloping descriptive pieces and encounters with guardians and treacherous foes. Southwell's prose is polished and never slips, so the mood of hell-on-earth is consistent and relentless, and the sense of an ominous impending fate is well scored. There are many moments that display Southwell's ability to write captivating prose - a poignant battle with a dragon, a harrowing ordeal of sorcery when walking through rock, and a seductress who flounces in and manages to be alluring despite the fact that she is undead. |
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| I would have
preferred the book to continue beyond the cliff-hanger at
the end (as it will in the full two-book version), but the story is
satisfying in that it reaches a powerful earth-shattering climax and we
find a resolution to the central dilemma - whether or not through her
kindness and caring the child of Light can convince the evil Bane not
to be evil. It's a mature consideration of the struggle, and is certainly not pulp fiction. It's darker than most fantasies in that we are shackled into the antagonist's world for the duration of the story, but it's not going to turn your children into Satanists, as it's never sympathetic to the evil acts. But it might well shock those who prefer to skirt the violence of feudal warfare and linger in tales where the sunlight dapples the landscapes more. As an addition to the dark fantasy genre, it is a brave contribution of unique unsettling impact by an adept author. |
 ABOUT THE REVIEWERGreg Hamerton has been writing fantasy since 1999. His Lifesong cycle begins with THE RIDDLER'S GIFT. |
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