Shadow (Scavenger Trilogy) - K.J. Parker

Remoulded the Genre

Grand claims are often made by a publisher about how original and exciting their new book is. This was justified in the case of Shadow. The book isn't dark or erie. The book is quite simple really, about a man who has amnesia and you piece his former life together.

Theres no magic or elves it's more like an alternate past. The raiders are similiar to the vikings in some ways. The book builds well enough for part 2 of the triology. But after that it's all downhill. Book two is slow and adds little to the plot, except for a few pages really. Book three jams the rest of the plot in the last few pages. This was really annoying and disapointing.

This book deserves four stars anyways I did enjoy it, it was a change from the usual fantasy fare. It did remould the genre but it threw the mould and the cast away. Had I realised the other books were not worth reading I would have given it a miss.

Dangermash approves

Outstanding stuff.

I'm getting towards the end of Book 2 (Pattern) at the moment and thought now was a good time to give my thoughts on Shadow.

It's impossible to quantify the scope of the plot in Shadow simply because I still don't know what the plot is. OK I've followed the adventures of Poldarn for a while now but there's something else going on that I'm not yet sure of, although I'm starting to get some ideas.

It's a bit like Agatha Christie in some respects. A mystery, littered with clues and red herrings. During the first book I was wishing I was a single man again, able to sit in the back garden on a Sunday and read through the whole book in one sitting (OK maybe two for one this thick). Because there's so much information thrown at you in such a confused manner that it's hard to take it all in. Mind you, you do end up in the same situation as Poldarn does, having lots of "I'm sure I'm supposed to already know something about this" sort of way.

For anybody enjoying the first book but feeling buried under information, I can tell you that the second is more relaxing. We are told at the end of the first book who Poldarn is (although I'm still suspicious) so the second is more about character development, and about filling in some of the memory lapses. And the feeling of deja vu still keeps coming back.

It's just such a nice change to have a fantasy book with some real mystery to it.

implausible, inconsistent and sluggish.

What is the fuss over this at best mediocre book?
First we have a God ina cart (yes, a GOD, in a CART) then we have a monastery of invincible fighting monks who run a "James Bond" type of spy and assassin network, followed by an even more invincible group calling themselves "Raiders", who use funny swords and can apparently outrun a horse without working up a sweat.
The hero of the piece never actually manages to get anyone to tell him who he is before that person is killed. Why doesn`t he just ask???
Altogether a slow moving book. It appears the author came up with a reasonable idea and either made up things as he went along or had a vague plan and crowbarred evrything int that plan.
The bay mentioned in the book must be big enough to hold a country the size of France or the empire must be a tiny one!

What the fantasy genre should be

Billed by SFX as "exactly what the fantasy genre needs", this book is a truly excellent example of how a basic fantasy novel concept can be turned into a masterpiece of believable and entertaining fiction. The plot begins with the main character, Poldarn, waking up in a puddle of mud surrounded by corpses, not knowing who he is, where he is, or anything of his past (let alone who the corpses beside him are). An almost cliched beginning these days, but instead of sending Poldarn off on some irrelevantly random quest, and discovering by the end of the book he's actually the heir to the throne of the kingdom currently held under the tyranny of an evil warlord, Parker sends Poldarn bumbling his way through the world in which he finds himself, and having to deal with the problems this presents.

This is done in a completely creditable manner, and although there is indeed a deeper plot afoot in the background, Poldarn only brushes past it from time to time, whilst in other chapters the reader is privy to what dangers could face him in the future (and looking for any subtle clues as to the character's identity). But perhaps the most memorable (and brilliant) aspect of this book is the way in which it has been written. Parker does not go in at all for describing the glorious countryside, or the long back-histories of irrelevant forests and towns, he tells it "like it is", with a nicely cynical narrative which effectively grounds the story into something resembling a true reality you can actually believe exists, rather than having to make an effort to suspend your disbelief. If there is some contrived factor, say, for example, a hay cart just outside Poldarn's window which he has to jump into later to escape some attack, he will remark on it rather than leave the reader groaning at the falsity; more importantly he will look at it and probably mutter to himself cynically about how a god of some sort must be enjoying seeing his hindquarters running into the sunset.

This refreshing tone in a fantasy book, and the light and easy manner in which it is told (contrasting to the more serious moments, thus increasing the intensity of those interludes), lead to "Shadow" being a totally accessible, and massively entertaining read, with many a plot twist and revelation right to the last chapter. Don't expect to have all revealed at the end, either; this is a trilogy, and Parker intends to do it properly, and keep the central factors in the book (Poldarn's loss of memory, coupled with the fragments of worrying story he hears about himself, and the mysterious confidence and panache he possesses with a sword) going to the final instalment. This is no bad thing, as I personally cannot wait for more of the same.

Thank god for Poldarn

Can I just say thank you to KJ Parker for writing this absolutely stunning book. It is one of the most imaginative, colourful books I've read. His scene don't just come to life, they stay with you forever. It's as if Parker lives in his books to bring them to life. Most books you read, you are with them for a short while and then forget what happened (If they aren't memorable) SHADOW will be in your thoughts forever.

From page one, where Poldarn wakes up on the aftermath of the battlefield, this book twists and turns with the age old theme of amnesia. An absolutely superb fantasy book.
However, I was not too pleased with the ending. But, I told myself it's not the ending, more or less the start to the next adventure.
Bring on PATTERN.