The Reckoning of Asphodel, by Celina Summers, is traditional high fantasy, with chivalric knights and wood-wise elves, beautiful princesses and wise female seers, good and evil sorcerers and magicians. It's written in the language typical of the genre. It is, however, much better written, with more complex characters and situations, than many similar books. This is a serious fantasy novel, not the verbal equivalent of a computer game.

This is the first book in a new fantasy series, unnamed, set in the world of Asphodel, a divided world of two peoples, human and elves, who view each other with suspicion as a result of the Elfwars. Elves have retreated to the forest. Less prolific and less war-like than humans, they are a diminishing people. Tamsen Ka'antiro de Asphodel, heroine of the series, half-elf, and half-human, must unite the two peoples in an attempt to save both.

The book opens as twelve-year-old Tamsen sees her half-uncle destroy her home and kill her father. Her mother uses the last of her magical power to conceal Tamsen and tells her half-brother that Tamsen will destroy him. He kills his sister and destroys most of the family castle.

Tamsen escapes into the forest and conceals her flight by her first use of her magical powers - she raises a great storm, something neither elven magic users nor human mages can do. She is rescued in the forest by Kaldarte the Seer, one of Tamsen's elven kindred.

Kaldarte and her husband, Ar’ami Ka’antira, a powerful Forest Lord, take Tamsen into their household and raise her with their granddaughters Liliath and Ctenne. The three girls learn to use their elven magic together. A human mage, Hygrem, is brought to the household to instruct her in the use of her human mage ability.

At the age of eighteen, Tamsen and the Ka'antira family go to Leselle, the city of elves. There, Tamsen undergoes ritual testing and becomes a legal adult. She learns she is a princess of Ka'antira and one of the heirs to the elven throne. She is also heir to her father's lands, Asphodel.

Tamsen, possessing both elven and human magic, a member of royalty among both peoples, leaves the forest accompanied by her elven guard Brial. Aided by Brial and Anner de Ceollliune a human noble and warrior, Tamsen begins her task of uniting the elven and human worlds. It is a world that is changing, and the leading character, Tamsen Ka'antira de Asphodel, attempts to save what is best in Aspodel while attempting to defeat those who destroy it.

Summers has created a complex and colorful world inhabited by equally complex and colorful characters. Minor as well as major figures are quirky and individual. The dressmaker, Myrielle, advising Tamsen on using proper dress as a woman's weapon is clever, funny and down to earth - a good supporting character.

The book is written as a first person narrative, from Tamsen's point of view. This has some real disadvantages. While it makes Tamsen more understandable, we have a restricted view of the world of some other major characters. Her half-uncle, for example: we know he's a powerful mage, a skillful powerful politician, a murderer, and he hates elves, including his half-sister and Tamsen - why? The half-uncle is a cardboard villain and, were we not restricted to Tasmen's viewpoint, he could become a more rounded character.

In general, the language and style are effective - it works well in the prelude, for example, where Tamsen is reviewing her past, seeing how she has become what she is.

"Memory is a chancy thing, and I must rely upon mine to tell me what came to pass out there in my father’s orchard. Ultimately, the remembrance brought me nothing but the thought of death and the taste of fear..."

The style is less effective in other sections of the book.

Summers uses very formal, restricted language to suggest a hierarchical, traditional society. She uses more colloquial language to suggest "common folk" or family. Summers is seriously concerned with writing as well as plot, character, and setting. I think, however, that the book would have benefited from a harsher editor: "Yes, dearie, it's a lovely sentiment and very pretty words. Cut it." Chivalric eloquence is a seasoning, not a major ingredient of the dish.

The style reminds me a bit of Hope Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist. I found it, in places, irritating. But I'm rather like Merry and Pippin, contemplating Aragorn as the High King. I can live at those heights only so long.

I like the book,with a few reservations. The reservations are minor enough that I intend to read the next three volumes. Will you like the book The Reckoning of Asphodel? If you like Tolkien and enjoy dressing up and going to Medieval fayres, you'll probably like it. If you sneer at the spelling 'fayre' and love Elizabeth Moon, you probably won't.

Reviewed By Wenonah Lyon
© December 2007