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A scoundrel suffers richly-deserved retribution, then has to earn redemption, in this Russian literary fantasy novel.
Tor, 2012, 336 pages (English translation was published in 2012; original Russian novel was published in 1996.)
( If Dostoevsky wrote a swords & sorcery novel, it would be a lot like this. )
Verdict: Technically it's a swords & sorcery novel, but The Scar is also literary fantasy, not just a genre potboiler, and it deserves more serious recognition. These characters have real emotions: grief, guilt, fear, bravery, regret, uncertainty, and love, all felt deeply and described against a brooding, menacing background. The story hits a peak at the climax. More translations, please!
My complete list of book reviews.
Tor, 2012, 336 pages (English translation was published in 2012; original Russian novel was published in 1996.)
Reaching far beyond sword and sorcery, The Scar is a story of two people torn by disaster, their descent into despair, and their re-emergence through love and courage.
Sergey and Marina Dyachenko mix dramatic scenes with romance, action and wit, in a style both direct and lyrical. Written with a sure artistic hand, The Scar is the story of a man driven by his own feverish demons to find redemption and the woman who just might save him. Egert is a brash, confident member of the elite guards and an egotistical philanderer. But after he kills an innocent student in a duel, a mysterious man known as “The Wanderer” challenges Egert and slashes his face with his sword, leaving Egert with a scar that comes to symbolize his cowardice. Unable to end his suffering by his own hand, Egert embarks on an odyssey to undo the curse and the horrible damage he has caused, which can only be repaired by a painful journey down a long and harrowing path.
Plotted with the sureness of Robin Hobb and colored with the haunting and ominous imagination of Michael Moorcock, The Scar tells a story that cannot be forgotten.
( If Dostoevsky wrote a swords & sorcery novel, it would be a lot like this. )
Verdict: Technically it's a swords & sorcery novel, but The Scar is also literary fantasy, not just a genre potboiler, and it deserves more serious recognition. These characters have real emotions: grief, guilt, fear, bravery, regret, uncertainty, and love, all felt deeply and described against a brooding, menacing background. The story hits a peak at the climax. More translations, please!
My complete list of book reviews.
