Publisher’s Summary: “Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements. But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions. However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors of forbidden seductions, murder and damnation. His enemies are many and any one of his secrets could not only end his life but Kiram’s as well.”
It seems inaccurate to suggest that positive reviews of Lord of the White Hell had been stacking up across a variety of platforms. To the best of my knowledge, few, if any, brick and mortar stores stocked the books, which perhaps polarized their readership to those already familiar with Hale’s work, word of mouth exposure, or those purposefully seeking a specific type of fantasy. One thing is for sure: those readers who found Hale’s coming of age fantasy set were fierce in their expression of enjoyment. I can appreciate that kind of appreciation. Tack on the fact that these books were drawing favorable comparisons to Lynn Flewelling’s excellent Nightrunner series, and I was willingly sold on seeking Lord of the White Hell out. I should note, however, that my expectations were both high and wary. As it turned out, rightly so on both counts.
Book one was encouraging. The foundation set in those pages was strong, built on an interesting, layered world and magic system, and cemented by characters that were, for the most part, well-drawn and varied. The boarding school setting was visual and integral to the storyline; the pace seemed to be dictated by the story’s mystery thread, and was therefore quick and engaging; and the racial and religious prejudice explored throughout served to both heighten the tension and trigger several conflicts. All in all, I wasn’t more than half-way through the book when I thought, “Why didn’t I order the second book at the same time?”
Of course, all of those things would matter little to me if the characters were flat or failed to rouse any sort of emotion in me, or if their interactions provided little satisfaction. Luckily there was Kiram and there was Javier, and they delivered on the last of my caveats beautifully. Frankly, they were a joy to watch together.
The first in the duology sets-up Kiram and Javier’s romantic entanglement in a believable, lovely way. Their relationship is built on small, stolen moments; their feelings develop gradually, flirting with indifference, resistance, friendship, and desire along the way; and their chemistry is palpable, thick with equal measures of indecision and certainty. But one of the things I loved the most was that there was a balance between them: Javier, with his title and skills, learns and grows as a result of being near Karim, and Karim, the young outsider, gains new confidence in his abilities under Javier’s tutelage. They provided support without becoming a crutch, they pushed and pulled and challenged each other, and both boys become wiser, more accepting versions of themselves as the story goes on.
I will be honest and admit that their relationship more than anything made it imperative to read the second book. I do not mean to take away from the fantasy, the mystery, or anything else offered up; that was all good, too. But I wanted those boys together and happy, and that was all there was to it. It’s worth mentioning, though, that the ending of book one is abrupt, which makes having the second book on hand and ready to go a very good, sanity-saving thing indeed.
Unfortunately, book two of the duology, while still good, didn’t capture me in quite the same way. I tried to reason why, and this is what I came up with: the second half of the set was action oriented; the wheels were in swift motion to resolve and tie up loose ends in a great gulp, and the quiet moments, as sweet as they were, seemed to get swallowed up by the momentum. I would have gladly paid for a third book if it meant that the sequence of events slowed down enough to fully appreciate and accept all that was happening. That said, I applaud the ambitious nature of the second half of Lord of the White Hell, and acknowledge that I may very well be in the minority with that opinion.
When all is said and done, I’m happy to have found and read these books. Javier and Kiram are characters I won’t soon forget. I can even see myself revisiting them, particularly in the first book, on occasion. Lord of the White Hell, a few quibbles aside, was a very good entry in the high fantasy subgenre.
[A word of caution for those who’ve read the Nightrunner series and might gravitate towards Lord of the White Hell, as I did, because they have recently been placed side by side as “if you like”: they are not really comparable as the similarities are minute. In fact, the only points they share are a relationship between two men and the high fantasy backdrop.]
Last year was…bumpy, and while I thought I had bounced back (or at least settled in), it seems I haven’t. As I’ve mentioned ad nausuem in past posts, I don’t want to close up shop, don’t want this blog to go quiet, dark or even a little dim. But right now…posts are coming harder and harder, motivation is slipping, and…Nevermind. That’s on me. This is also me saying, if you wouldn’t mind helping a gal out, I’d love to host several guest posters!
