Foul Tides Turning by Stephen Hunt
| Foul Tides Turning by Stephen Hunt | |
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| Category: Fantasy | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: The second in an enjoyable fantasy saga, Foul Tides Turning capitalises on the fantastical world built in the first book, but lacks character development in parts, making it a mixed read. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 448 | Date: June 2015 |
| Publisher: Gollancz | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0575092105 | |
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The people of Weyland always believed the slavers' raids, which destroyed families and homes like a natural disaster, were a misfortune that couldn't be averted. But it wasn't true. Their King, King Marcus, had struck a deal – sacrificing his people in exchange for technology and political power. But now, everyone knows. Jacob and Carter Carnehan escaped the slavers, returning home with the truth, the true King, and a Princess as their hostage. Their purpose was to avoid war – but instead the truth prompts a civil war, and an invasion force gathers to reclaim the princess. Once again, Jacob and Carter will be separated – and this time they'll be fighting for something bigger than both of them…
I reviewed the first book in this series, In Dark Service, on its release, and found it a good, if uneven book with a fantastically built world but issues in terms of pacing and character. Now on to book two, I can say essentially the same – as the same issues crop up again here.
Stephen Hunt is an extremely skilled writer, with a hell of a lot of experience – his Jackelian series reached six books. And I'm certainly not saying that Foul Tides Turning is a bad read – the cleverness in the writing leaps off the page, and the witty dialogue that constantly crackles between the characters is something that many other writers could only dream of – and this is where the book really takes off, as characters come to life in dazzling fashion.
It's a shame, then, that the world so brilliantly depicted in In Dark Service is not hugely developed here – we see the political landscape change hugely, but the actual landscape is left unexplored, with the action staying in few places throughout. I also felt the characters could have done with a little more development – many occur constantly, but only a few feel like they are fully fleshed out – although I don't doubt that this may well be changed in book 3.
Many thanks to the publishers for the copy, and for further reading I would recommend Promise of Blood (Powder Mage Trilogy) by Brian McClellan. I harp on about this book a lot – but it really is one of the staggeringly good fantasy debuts of the last few years.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Foul Tides Turning by Stephen Hunt at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Foul Tides Turning by Stephen Hunt at Amazon.com.
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