Volkhavaar

This book is awesome, so typical of Tanith Lee's masterful artistry and storytelling. The story is about a slave girl named Shaina living in a village among a fantasy "role-playing type" world made up of various villages/cities, kingdoms, and empires. She spies a young actor descended from nobility (who plays a knight in a sort of traveling troupe act), who has had his soul stolen by an evil magician named Volk Volkhavaar. She immediately falls for the young noble. Both Shaina and Volkhavaar have been somehow introduced to the powers of witchcraft (both good and bad) through what seems by accident. Volk learned how to manipulate his powers from an early age by binding himself to a dark God out of desperation to control and dominate people. While he seems like a deplorable character (he is), Lee is able to portray him in a way that makes him quite fascinating (as they say, imaginary evil is always more romantic than the real thing). Volkhavaar's method of witchcraft (or black magic) involves death and sacrifice to his God and also involves reanimating the lifeless and soulless bodies of his victims (almost like necromancy), while Shaina picks up her only lessons from an old witch/vampiress who teaches her how to use her astral powers (in exchange for her blood) in order to reach the young actor from the troupe. By way of mental telepathy or sorts, the witch's powers are transferred to Shaina. There is also the hint that Shaina the slave is actually descended from a noble family. I don't want to give any more information lest I ruin the story for you, and anyhow, this is as far as I am in the story so far . . . Sometimes when reading a book you can sense a certain "male" or else "female" touch to a story, and most people expect that from a science fiction or fantasy tale, but Lee has the ability to be judged solely by her writing skills, intelligence, and imagination. She is, in my personal opinion, one of the top writers of this time, better than most, far better than Stephen King for one (and more prolific). She is one of the very few modern-day authors I even bother to read. It's also amazing that there have been no film adaptations of her works yet -- but being a female author in science fiction and fantasy probably isn't an easy task. I really would like to see a film based on this hypnotic story.

The author of the unforgettable BIRTHGRAVE, of the panoramic outworld of THE STORM LORD, and of the future folk of DON'T BITE THE SUN, now presents us with something different - and yet equally enthralling in its color and fantasy and high adventure. For VOLKHAVAAR is a novel of witchcraft and wonders on a world far removed from those we know. Here the gods contend for power - the Dark forces against the Light - and here an entire city and its land is plunged into the shadow of an evil beyond anything conceivable. It is the story of Shaina the slave girl and of Volk the outcast who enslaved himself to cosmic forces to gain total power - and of how they were finally to meet and clash - with an entire world as their prize. VOLKHAVAAR is high fantasy comparable only to the best of Andre Norton and Michael Moorcock Michael Whelan cover art

Until I read this, I was not terribly impressed with Tanith Lee's standalone novels (Electric Forest, Days of Grass, Day By Night). This, however, is probably one of her most imaginative and lush fantasy novels. The tale of lupine sorcerer Kernik/Volk and his dark god, and of innocent slave girl Shaina and her hopeless love for a cursed travelling actor, and how they interact, is engrossing and fantastic. Lee's writing is at its richest and most vibrant here, and the book is magical and totally enjoyable. And while "poetic justice" may be served, it's not done predictably so. If you're interested in checking out Tanith Lee, but don't want to get caught up in a series, this is an excellent place to start.