Monument: 6

This is an exceptional book that I recommend without reservations. I have read many of the other book reviews and have noted that they come down repeatedly on what an ugly character Ballas is. I think this misses the point; it is like standing in an elegant drawing room and criticizing a large dirty jagged piece of ice that is melting and soiling the carpet. That same piece of ice might partake of a certain stark beauty in an arctic landscape. Mr. Graham gives us an arctic landscape and Ballas must be seen as of and in this landscape. There is a depth, beauty, and hardness the like of which I have not seen for many years. The prose is spare but surprisingly evocative; it is well suited to the tale that unfolds. Monument leaves me holding my breath; can he do it again?! Will this book come to be joined by equally good books? The books' ending is superb in that it not only ties things together but casts them in a new and deeper light. This is wonderfully satisfying and reminds me of The Winter of Our World by Scott Rohan and Kiplings short story, The Gardener. The book is entire and complete in itself, but there is an enticing and supremely ironic possible sequel. Ballas seemingly fated death saves both Haresh, his world, and the church. Yet Haresh strikes me as resolute, practical , smart, and unforgiving enough to ultimately bring the church down. I suspect the high churchman at the end was right when he suggested she be killed. And certain it is, she would have been but for Ballas resolute and tremendous final deeds.

As all the other reviewers have stated Ballas is a vile human being, but to the authors credit he does not try to make him more than what he is. He doesn't suddenly become more noble at each juncture of the quest. We watch his interactions and each time we insinuate ourselves into his thoughts hoping and well for me urging that just this once he will act honorably, he will be that noble character we have come to expect in fantasy novels. He never comes through...he remains a vile individual, he is a plain dealing villain. But we do see him grow, we see him come to think more of the world then just being a series of whores and pubs. He becomes someone who, in a sense comes to self realization, and this is why I loved Monument

Ballas is a shifty, ill-mannered, incorrigible, self-interested, perpetually drunk brute of a man with basically no morals and a natural dislike of every other living person on earth. If you think I'm describing the villain of this novel, you are quite mistaken. Ballas is actually the "hero" - or, to be precise, anti-hero, of Ian Graham's absolutely captivating debut fantasy novel. Fantasy as a genre suffers from repetition of themes and outlines more than any other genre (just think of all the Lord of the Rings clones out there), so it is quite refreshing indeed to come across a story that eschews all traditional approaches to the subject at hand. Of course, courageous risk such as that displayed by Ian Graham carries with it possible consequences -namely, some readers may find the main character so roguish and unlikable that they will not consider reading the novel, put it down in disgust after a chapter or two, or grudgingly finish the book in order to tell everyone just how unenjoyable it was. On the other hand, this type of unusual approach, distilled through the talents of an undeniably gifted author, can make for a most memorable experience, one sure to deeply impress many fantasy readers. Ballas is a thief who roams from village to village in the land of Druine stealing anything he can get his hands on in order to support his drinking habit. He is a big, ugly brute of a man who looks as if he has been on the wrong side of many physical confrontations - and he has. This pattern continues, as Ballas is beaten to a pulp on a regular basis (but not without leaving a path of human destruction in his own wake). A young priest takes Ballas in, but our "hero," once he is recovered, betrays his protector and makes off with a most unusual of trinkets bearing a mysterious blue jewel surrounded by four red rubies. This object, he soon discovers, seems to have magical qualities when exposed to moonlight, and on one occasion he witnesses a vision of a member of a dead alien race (the Lektivin) seemingly trying to speak to him. His crime (which includes murder) makes Ballas a wanted man, and leaders of the Church send out Wardens to apprehend him. His ordained fate is to have his head nailed up on the Penance Oak (sans body, of course) as a message to all sinners and unbelievers. The occasion of his execution is a truly memorable one, marked as much by what he witnesses as by the fact that he somehow manages to escape. On the run, Ballas begins to develop a deep-seated desire to escape across the mountains to a legendary land beyond; certainly, he needs to leave Druine because the Church and its Wardens are quickly on his tail, desperate to eliminate this outlaw, but the land beyond the mountains - if it even exists - is an almost impossible goal. Ballas has no qualms about killing and sacrificing others in his mad dash for escape and safety, yet he does take on temporary companions and finds a number of unexpected allies in his cause, i

i have read many fantasy books, and this one sure is different. about 90 percent of fantasy heroes have the highest morals u can imagine. they will alwais help others, alwais be there for their friends, and alwais place themselves lest. not this one. Ballas is the perfect anti-hero. he thinks only of himself, he loves violence, and wont hasitate stabing a guy or two in the back to get what he wants. on the other hand, it's not the only side of Ballas. throughout the book u learn more and more about how complicated and deep his character realy is. the world in this story is also fasinating. its a land ruled by priests and their soldiers, where anyone who goes against it is being put to death in the most horoble of ways. u can understand how Ballas became the way he is, for it was the only chance for him to survive. the action scences are exellent, in a dirty, painfull and non-honorable kind of way. also the interactions between Ballas and the rest of the characters are great and help u to learn more about Ballas and his way of thinking. in short, this book is one of the best i have ever read. its very unuseul and refreshing (especiely after reading 9 of drizzt books) and if u dont mind your hero isn't the perfect gantleman, i'm sure u'll love it

He is a slothful thief who does not care that he is homeless, smells like a pig and has a beer belly so huge that it bounces. Ballas has no friends and kills without mercy. In a tavern he steals the purse of a store mason but is caught and beaten almost to death. A priest takes him into his home and when he is well asks him to perform an errand at the museum.Ballas spots an artifact consisting of a big blue stone surrounded by red ones that brighten up a room when a light is put under it. He steals it hoping to sell it to a collector. Instead the church, which rules the kingdom of Druine, wants him dead. The chief hunter is from a magical race of mages long thought gone. Ballas leaves dead bodies in his wake and forces reluctant allies to help him find the mystical city of Belthiran over the unexplored Garsbracks Mountains because he knows he can never return to Druine.This is not the typical fantasy novel because Ballas is an antagonist with very few redeeming qualities. Those he does have he does his best to sublimate preferring to treat other people as if they were things to be discarded when he has no use for them. Readers can't helped but be drawn to this character in spite of themselves because of a fascination with such a nasty soul or because he has the raw potential to do good deeds in spite of himself. Ian Graham has plenty of talent and the courage to write a book that is totally different than any recent work in the fantasy genre.Harriet Klausner