Chains of Darkness, Chains of Light by Michelle Sagara West

The fourth and final book in the Sundered Quadrology, Chains of Darkness, Chains of Light concludes the story of Stefanos the Servant of the Dark Lord and Erin of Elliath. It seems that finally the Dark will succeed as the power of the Light fades. But Erin is determined to free the light whatever the cost. This will be the last confrontation between the Light and the Dark.

I don't know if it's because I've left it so long between book 3 and book 4 but I found it harder to get into this one. The story also starts slowly as the various players move into position for the final battle. There's quite a lot of politicking going on and I was really struggling to keep all the council members, priests and lords straight in my head. And I admit here to not understanding everything that was going on. Saying that, I greatly admire how Michelle Sagara West is able to slot everything together, there is the ultimate confrontation between dark and light, but within that individuals manipulate situations to their own advantage and pursue their own ends.

Perhaps the most fascinating and tragic character introduced here is that of Amalayna. And I feel that Chains of Darkness,... is worth reading if only to read her story. Michelle Sagara West captures perfectly the conflict that Amalayna feels - the need for vengeance balanced against the decision to take it. Her need is so powerful but not without doubt and uncertainty, very well written scenes.

Maybe the main problem I have is that as with the previous book Erin and Stefanos are separated. (Right until the end). There isn't the quest plot here to sustain the interest as there was in Lady of Mercy (the third book) and it makes for much harder going.

Erin is an emotionally distant heroine - completely in keeping with all that has happened to her, but a little frustrating at times. Bethany perhaps best explains the situation when she explains to Darin what will happen when Erin and Stefanos meet:-

...the Sarillorn of Elliath must carry the battle to its logical end. What she brings is war and death. Could you face him easily, with only that to offer? Could you face him so, knowing that he would not lift hand against you?

Erin doesn't really grasp until she is told that she is the last hope of a desperate people. And the scene of her torture at the end was I think just one too much for me. (It took me back to the scenes in Book 2 which were also very disturbing).

Stefanos on the other hand has maintained my interest perhaps more than any other character. This is one of the few series I've read with a true anti-hero - a protagonist who stands opposed to everything a hero should be. (Urban fantasy writers currently writing about demon heroes should take note). Even in this last book when we anticipate that he will somehow be redeemed he is still sacrificing and murdering people. But, importantly his motivation has changed, he has changed. His, has been the journey that kept me reading the books.

Would I recommend the series? Yes. The first book I still feel is one of the best introductions to a series I have read, and Stefanos is one of the most interesting and disturbing (anti-)heroes. I believe this is the first series Michelle Sagara West wrote and whilst (for me) the ending has let it down slightly, I cannot imagine any other ending than the one I have read. I think for anyone who loves dark fantasy, this is a series they should read.

Lady of Mercy - Michelle Sagara West

Lady of Mercy is the third book in the Sundered Quadrology. This is the Benbella reissue published in 2006. I think the reason this has been on my TBR pile for a while is that unlike some series, I don't know where or how the story is going to go. So it's not like I can think - I fancy reading some light urban fantasy, or a crime thriller. The plot isn't clearly signposted and in the course of the first two books some awful things happen. So not really a series I'd recommend if you're feeling a little bit down. In Book 3 I have no idea whether the characters will succeed or fail on their quest, only that they will try.

The story picks up virtually straight from the end of Book 2. Erin and Darin have left Stefanos (First of the Dark Sundered) behind. Erin has remembered who she was and wants to free the people that Stefanos has enslaved. She and Darin join forces with a mage - Trethar, and a thief - Robert. They journey to Marantine where they will fight the first battle in the new war between Light and Dark.

Plotwise you could argue not a lot happens here - Erin and Darin join forces with the deposed crown Prince of Marantine, and journey to Marantine with the intention of ridding the Dark Church from the city, and restoring the rightful monarch to the throne.

However, within this story so much else happens. It's a book of what happens between, between finding out the truth and ending the war. Erin remembers who she is, she remembers the fate of Belfas, Kandor and the warriors who came to kill Stefanos so many centuries ago. They are now tied to a dark place, an anchor for her immortality, and as long as she lives they cannot pass over. Erin blood vows to destroy all that Stefanos built up for the Dark. She says she hates him now, but a part of her misses him.

She also discovers the truth about The Lady of Elliath, that her grandmother knew the fate of her mother and father and did nothing to stop it. A very bitter pill for her to swallow.

This is really a story where things start coming together. And unlike the previous two books, it has many light moments. Most of which come from the character of Robert/Renar. Though this optimism and hope, is countered by Erin and Darin's more sombre attitudes.

"Gods, Renar, you stink."
"Really? How kind of you to say so."

Don't become too complacent though, there are still moments in the story that cut like a knife.

There are two more major characters who Erin and Darin meet up with as they flee Mordantari. Trethar an old mage who takes Darin on as his student and teaches him how to call the fire that comes from neither the dark, nor the light. And Robert a foppish thief, who is hiding a secret. Indeed, that's a big thing in this book - characters hiding the truth of themselves, keeping secrets, wearing 'masks', and secrets being found out.

The story starts quite slowly but builds as the quest gains momentum. In particular there are two scenes that stood out for me in the second half of the book. The first a scene between Renar and Erin on the night before they try to take back the city of Marantine. He is fighting this battle to restore Marantine, to give the people back the life they have lost. But she has only ever known war, from the time she was very small until now. She has no concept of a 'life' outside that conflict. They dance together in the training room, and he tries to show her a little of the life they are fighting for.

The second is actually multiple scenes - the battle itself. Told in short bursts from the points of view of many characters. It gives a small idea of the confusion of such a situation. Very well written.

Stefanos only makes a very brief appearance. Also in the first half of the story Erin takes a back seat to what's happening to Darin, Robert and Trethar. But the characters in this story are so well drawn, everything is moving the plot forward.

There is a very important quote that Erin uses to persuade a bereaved father/grandfather to join the fight.

"Do not turn that love inward; it was never meant to be a weapon."

The reason I think this is important is that this is something she is doing, she has turned her love for Stefanos into a weapon. But deep down inside she knows 'it was never meant to be a weapon'.

Just to mention there is a whacking big twist at the end of this story. I almost suspected it, but not quite, so it still had my mouth dropping open. :) It's the sort of twist that makes you want to read the whole book again because you know it's going to alter your perception of events.

One little niggle is that the term Pyrrhic victory is used twice. And this is a fantasy book set in another world, but the term refers to a specific battle which actually took place in 279 B.C.

Finally at the end. Sargoth (the Second) manipulates the First of the Darkness. And soon Erin and Stefanos will meet on the field of battle once more. I almost dread reading Book 4, this hasn't been the sort of series where happy endings are guaranteed. But I so want to know what happens next.

Children of the Blood - Michelle Sagara West

SPOILERS BELOW SPOILERS BELOW SPOILERS BELOW

Second in the Sundered Quadrology, Children of the Blood Begins three hundred years after the events of Into the Dark Lands (Book 1). The last fortress of the Light - Dagothrin - is about to fall. And as Dagothrin falls, Sara lies sleeping, waiting to be wakened.

We see the events of Children of the Blood mainly through the eyes of Darin, the last survivor of the line of Culverne. Stefanos was present at the fall of Dagothrin but he couldn't bring himself to kill Darin, seeing something in him that reminded him of Sara. We first meet Darin as a very young child, living a relatively carefree life in Dagothrin. Through him we experience the life of the newly enslaved. MSW does not sugar coat his suffering or that of the other slaves. One scene in particular is quite distressing and had me in tears. This part is heartbreaking, bleak and difficult to read. But I think it is important because it illustrates how quickly the Dark can break not only an individual but also a people.

Ultimately Darvin is saved when he comes to work at the castle of Lord Darclan (Stefanos). He is put in charge of the care of a young noblewoman who lies sleeping in the castle (Sara).

Again I found I delineated the book into sections. With the first part being Darin's slavery, the second being his time with Stefanos and Sara, and the third part being when time finally runs out and the High Priest and Servants of the Dark come for Sara.

Sara is perhaps the weaker of the three main characters in this story. She believes through much of Children of the Blood, that she is a noblewoman who lost her memory during a boating accident. It's interesting to see the aspects of her character that remain true even though she doesn't know who she is.And to see the spell that Stefanos risked everything to perform slowly unravel.

Stefanos I found fascinating. In the three hundred years he has changed. He is melancholy in that he realizes despite all his machinations his time with Sara is running out. And that perhaps he made a mistake, instead of sharing a mortal life with his beloved, he has had no life with her at all. He still has the arrogance all the Servants and Priests of the Dark seem to have - I can't help wondering if that will be their downfall, because they can't conceive they will be defeated.

Ironically after the confrontation between Stefanos and the Lady of Elliath at the end of the last book when he swore to himself he would never do as she had done, he chooses to pierce the veil of the future as she did. I believe he has come to a better understanding of what love is and the sacrifices you sometimes have to make.

Although I didn't find Darin quite as engaging a protagonist as Sara I warmed to him throughout the story. Through him we learn how hard it is, when you have lost all hope and had trust stripped away from you, to risk yourself again.

I think this is definitely a book that would improve with a re-read. The first part is very powerful, and as a consequence the middle part where Darin is getting to know about Sara and about who he is - he comes into his powers as a Priest of Lernan - is much slower. I think during a re-read I would appreciate much more the sense of time running out in the middle section, the feeling that this is a respite for Sara, for Stefanos and for Darin, because as long as Sara and Darin survive, the Dark hasn't completely won. As we come towards the end the pace of the story accelerates, you can feel the time running out and how Stefanos and Sara are holding onto individual moments.

Together, by mutual silent consent, they walked toward Sara's chambers. There, in the curtained light, they held each other against the coming of the night.

At the end of the story Stefanos believeing Sargoth's (Second of the Dark Sundered) lie retreats from the world. Sara and Darvin have left and the battle between Light and Dark will continue in the next book.

Into the Dark Lands by Michelle Sagara West

Into the Dark Lands is the first in the Sundered Quadrology. It begins the story of Erin of Elliath, Warrior of the Light, and Stefanos, First Servant of the Dark. Erin is born into a time of constant conflict, the Servants of the Bright Heart and the Servants of the Dark Heart have been locked in a war for millenia. Although Erin is born a healer, scarred by personal loss, she chooses instead to wield a sword and fight the enemy on the battlefield. But Erin's greatest struggle will happen after she is captured by Stefanos and taken to the Dark Heart's stronghold. The First Servant of the Light has gambled everything on the hope that Erin might be the one to pull from the darkness a lasting light.

The version I read was the 2005 reissue which includes an introduction from Michelle Sagara that is well worth reading. She explains how the book came about, and why she decided not to rewrite it for reissue, as other authors have done when their first novels are re-released. She refers to ITDL as her dark romance, and it is essentially a version of Beauty and the Beast.

The story itself begins with a prologue - do not skip this - which explains the origins of conflict. To sum up here originally there was the Light (Lernan) and the Dark (Malthan), each thought they were perfect and didn't know of the existence of the other. One day they touched and when they did, parts of them fragmented - these became the Sundered (the servants of Light and Dark). The two sides fight one another, eventually Light and Dark lock together and sleep (removing the greatest power from the conflict), leaving their children behind to fight. Some of the Sundered mated with mortals creating half breeds - the Lernari and the Malanthi. But Gods don't sleep forever, and when Lernan reawakens, Malthan is not far behind.

As we join the main story, the Lady of Elliath (First Servant Bright Heart) has returned from traversing various futures, trying to find the one that will end the war. She has found only one slim hope that her grandaughter Erin will be able to pull a lasting light from the darkness. The course she chooses for her people is one full of sacrifice and pain, risking everything for just the possibility of success.

I loved this story. It's not one I'd recommend if you prefer a lighter romantic tale. This is dark and powerful. The character description is sparse, MSW mentions in her introduction that she added ten thousand words of description as part of her first set of revisions and even so I think the only physical thing we learn about Erin is that her hair is auburn, and then not until well into the story. I didn't mind about this. I often find myself imagining characters differently to how authors describe them, so this was quite freeing. Instead we know what's in her heart, what she fears and hopes, which I think is far more important than what colour her eyes are and how tall she is.

The story is essentially in two parts. The first part deals with Erin's childhood, her training and how she becomes a warrior. There are scenes here that are absolutely heartbreaking. When Erin attends her father's funeral as a young child. MSW absolutely captures the loss of childhood innocence.

Eventually Erin is chosen to be Sarillorn of the Line, a member of the Lernari who contains a portion of the Lady's power, and carries it onto the battlefield. And it is through her exploits as Sarillorn that she captures the interest of the First Servant of the Dark. As a healer, at the end of battles Erin heals both her own side and that of the enemy, causing some of the mortal members of the Malanthi army to change sides. She becomes a great threat. When she is eventually captured by Stefanos, she offers herself in exchange for the other hostages.

So begins the second part of the story - the development of a relationship between Erin and Stefanos. He agrees to her bargain, because there is something in her that draws him, and he wants to take her apart over and over again, until he can understand what it is. Make no mistake Stefanos is not misunderstood, he's empty of all save his purpose - he isn't even human and MSW just makes this so clear. I can't think of another anti-hero that comes close. He reminds me of a shark, how they learn what things are by biting them. What he forgets however, is that when the darkness touches the light, the light also touches the darkness. By torturing Erin, he is also changed.

Towards the end of the story Erin realizes the path she is on, (to paraphrase Tolkien) to be a light in the darkness when all other lights go out. In the empire that Stefanos is building, the majority of people become slaves to the Malthan nobles. Tortured and offered in blood sacrifice to the Dark God. Their languages and history become illegal, to speak your own name is a death sentence. The only mercy to be found is any that Erin (now called Lady Sara) can persuade the First Servant to give.

Stefanos who has never loved anyone realizes that unlike him, eventually Erin will grow old and die. In the final pages of the book, true to his nature, he commits an act of horror to keep her with him. Betrayed by the priest of Malthan, Erin witnesses it, and Stefanos has to take drastic action to keep her with him.

This story is so much about choice - what would you give up, what would you sacrifice for a lasting peace, for love when you never understood what love was. It's also about the nature of things. Stefanos is like the scorpion in the tale, he is what he is. He remains true to his nature, even as he is able to offer concessions to Erin. But Erin expects / hopes for more from him. In the end would you choose to be true to yourself, or to the one you've given yourself to. How far would you bend for that person, before you break completely.

I don't like to give A grades to the first in a series. But this story is so darkly powerful, it deserves an A.