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The Use of Language in Fantasy Novels

I sat down last night and picked up ‘The Blood Knight’, the third in Greg Keyes’ The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series. I finished the second book, ‘The Charnel Prince’ maybe a month or two ago and promptly found myself without the third (and fourth) to continue on with. The order from a certain online store had yet to arrive and was already about three months late.

Months passed, other books were read, a few weeks went by without me reading any fantasy at all (though I did start in on Dewey: The Small Town Cat Who Touched The World, which I’m loving as I pick it up every now and again).

Finally the third and fourth books in Keyes’ series arrived and went onto the shelf next to book one and two. I was looking forward to it, but I had a few other books that had arrived as well, including three books by Joe Abercrombie and Trudi Canavan’s next book. So I didn’t really know when I was going to get to read Keyes, as I suspected the others – new books from publishers rather than purchased and old – would get preferential treatment.

I was wrong, and I’m probably about halfway through The Blood Knight.

And I’m loving it!

I really love Greg Keyes work. From a simple story point of view, it’s great. The general concept is unlike anything I’ve ever read, as it isn’t just a “usurper stole the crown” story or a “there are monsters in the land” story. In fact there are about five different “stories” in here that all intertwine and rely upon one another. The characters are fully realized and fleshed out, tangible and very ‘able: which is to say either likeable or hateable.

I’ll say more about the story in reviews, that’s for certain, but I wanted to touch on something that Keyes does, I think, remarkably well.

Many fantasy authors – myself included – spend a lot of time working out different languages and sources for their languages. You don’t want a book that all of a sudden has a Julius walking into the scene or someone entering a Coliseum; it’s too close to home, too close to reality. Fantasy books are supposed to be just that, fantasy, and that means that they need to take you away from the reality you’re in. One of the methods used to do this is to use different words for commonplace things and peoples names.

Some people succeed, others fail. I’ll get into who else does either at some later date.

For now, let’s just look at how well Keyes does it.

And he does do it well. Very well I think.

Within the novel Keyes’ characters travel through and encounter a variety of different cultures. Some live right next door to each other, and some are across seas. Some are related to one another and others are not. But in every instance, with every new culture introduced, there is a modification or variation on the language. Some of them bear striking resemblance to the “common” tongue (ie, the written word on paper for our reading eyes) while others are substantially removed. Oftentimes the older the reference made the farther removed from the “common” tongue it is, though there are several instances where the native tongue of someone our protagonists come across is indecipherable, saved only by context and/or explanation.

I have just finished reading a scene tonight where Anne Dare meets a native of a particular area whose language is similar, but just a little off from hers. Words like “welcome” are closely written but maybe off by a letter or two, and the way in which the sentences are structured are clumsy by common standards.

But this only makes it more impressive because behind the clumsiness is a certain grace that you can see exists within the natives language but that is lost in translation. Keyes somehow manages to imprint the lilting music of another language without us even hearing it, let alone understanding it.

More than the simple usage of different words (that are either italicized or not) to separate different cultures from our protagonists cultures, but the lead characters have different phrases for commonalities in our world. For example a nightmare is known as a Black Mary, and is frequently used as such with no hesitation. It is not a once off thing but just the way that the people speak. ‘They wake up from a bad dream and they want to cast off the lingering touch of the Black Mary,’ or something like that.

And these changes – both language wise and phrase wise – are beautifully interwoven into a story that is as much dependant on these changes as the changes are dependant on the story.

The differences between the common tongue and other tongues and historical tongues are integral to unravelling what is going to happen, revealing mysteries to the reader at the right time and creating moments of “ah ha” for the characters. One character is important almost solely for his ability to understand multiple languages both past and present. That takes a lot of guts to create a character like that, who is essentially a scholar without any of the Indiana Jones-esque abilities.

So I’d suggest that if you are at all interested in languages (or well written fantasy) than these books are for you.

Posted: May 15th, 2010
Author: JoshSHill
Categories: Joe Abercrombie, Trudi Canavan

Stephen Hunt to guest star at SFX Weekender

British fans gearing up for the Weekender (the UK equivalent of the Comic-Con), have been given the news that Stephen Hunt will now be appearing with genre stars such as John Barrowman (Torchwood), James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville), Lis Sladen (Doctor Who) and a number of the world’s best-selling science fiction authors and comic-book creators.

Stephen’s novel, The Court Of The Air (2007), commenced his international best-selling Jackelian fantasy series, and was the first of his works to be published by JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis‘s publishers, HarperCollins.

The Court Of The Air was also one of the ten books selected by the organisers of the Berlinale Film Festival for presentation to US and European film producers, and was the only fantasy novel in the line-up. HarperCollins pitched The Court Of The Air as "Charles Dickens meets Blade Runner", instantly earning the book a place on SFX’s shelves.

In November 2008, his second book in the Jackelian series, ‘The Kingdom Beyond the Waves’, was nominated for the long-list of the David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy. The third book in the series, ‘The Rise of the Iron Moon’, was published in the UK in February 2009, and the fourth book, ‘Secrets of the Fire Sea’, will be published February 6th 2010.

Other luminaries of the science fiction and fantasy scene attending the Weekender include Robert Rankin, China Mieville, Mark Millar, Peter F Hamilton, Richard Morgan, and Joe Abercrombie.

Posted: October 30th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Joe Abercrombie, Latest News

Fantasy Book Review: Best Served Cold by Preita Salyer

We would like to welcome Preita Salyer, the latest addition to our ever-expanding review team. Preita’s first review is now live and she has provided a thoughtful and insightful look at Joe Abercrombie’s latest offering Best Served Cold.

In conclusion Preita says “All-in-all this was an enjoyable and smart read. The dialogue is well written and witty, the scenery and battle scenes gracefully and beautifully executed, and the characters bold, brilliant, and brutal. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something new and different in the fantasy genre.”

To read this review in full – Best Served Cold book review

About the author
In 2002 Joe Abercrombie began the writing of a fantasy trilogy based around the adventures of Logan Ninefingers. Completed with the help and the support of his family in 2004, and after initial rejections, The First Law trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings) was taken onboard by Gillian Redfearn at Gollancz in 2005. It has since been published in eight countries, seven languages and with seven different titles.

In February 2009 Fantasy Book Review interviewed Joe Abercrombie

Posted: August 25th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Fantasy Book Review, Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie reviews Lev Grossman’s The Magicians

Lev Grossman’s The Magicians was Fantasy Book Review’s Book of the Month for May 2009. We loved it and last week fantasy author Joe Abercrombie (The First Law Trilogy, Best Served Cold) gave his thoughts on the Time critic’s novel:

“It’s a beautiful looking hardcover on which serious design effort has been expended, with the deckled edges, and the author’s initials stamped into the book under the dustjacket, and a lavish map not printed craply across two pages but on proper end sheets and what have you. It also begins with a quote from one of my favourite speeches from Shakespeare, so we were off to a good start, I can tell you.”

Abercrombie goes on the say: “I guess you could say – if you were fond of incompetently describing things by likening them to things it’s only superficially like, which, of course, I am – that there’s a Harry Potter meets Narnia meets Catcher in the Rye vibe about it. I’m not sure if it’s fair to say that Grossman is trying to do with Harry Potter and Narnia something not entirely unlike what I’m trying to do with Lord of the Rings and the Belgariad, that is to present a story that is self-consciously classic with a grittier, more realistic, more morally ambiguous spin and a slightly ironic raised eyebrow at its source material.”

And in conclusion “The depictions of magic were often fascinating, but they didn’t have the ring of truth about them (how could they, they’re magic), the depictions of depression, of boredom, of ennui definitely did, and it was the honesty of those that really made this book work for me…”

It looks like Abercrombie enjoyed the book as much as we did. To read the interview in full, visit http://www.joeabercrombie.com/2009/08/magicians.html

About the authors
In 2002 Joe Abercrombie began the writing of a fantasy trilogy based around the adventures of Logan Ninefingers. Completed with the help and the support of his family in 2004, and after initial rejections, The First Law trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings) was taken onboard by Gillian Redfearn at Gollancz in 2005. It has since been published in eight countries, seven languages and with seven different titles.

Joe Abercrombie book reviews on Fantasy Book Review

• The Blade Itself book review
• Before They Are Hanged book review
• Last Argument of Kings book review
• Best Served Cold book review

Lev Grossman worked for a string a dot-coms while writing freelance articles about books, technology and culture in general for numerous magazines, newspapers and websites, until he was hired by Time in 2002 and became the magazine’s book critic as well as one of its lead technology writers.

Lev Grossman book review on Fantasy Book Review

• The Magicians book review

Have you read Lev Grossman’s The Magicians? What did you think? Do you agree with Joe Abercrombie’s comments? Let us know by posting a comment of your own below.

Posted: August 25th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Joe Abercrombie

Sapkowski wins David Gemmell Legend Award

Blood of Elves, by Polish fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski, has received The David Gemmell Legend Award for establishing honour and lending dignity to the fantasy genre.

Sapkowski’s UK editor, Jo Fletcher, collected the award in front of an audience of publishing professionals, authors, media and fans at the Magic Circle headquarters in Euston, London. The inaugural award had the official support of Stella Gemmell and the trophy, supplied by Raven Armoury, took the form of a butterfly axe, named Snaga, that featured in Gemmell’s fiction.

Fantasy Book Review would like to offer Andrzej its warmest congratulations.

Read our full review of Blood of Elves

The runner-ups were each presented with a miniature version of Snaga. They were Joe Abercrombie (Last Argument of Kings); Juliet Marillier (Heir to Sevenwaters); Brandon Sanderson (The Hero of Ages) and Brent Weeks (The Way of Shadows).

Andrzej Sapkowski was born on the 21st of June 1948 in Lodz, Poland. Sapkowski studied economy and business, but the success of his fantasy cycle about the sorcerer Geralt de Riv turned him into a bestselling writer and he is now one of Poland’s most famous and successful authors, selling more in his own country than Stephen King or Michael Crichton. Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories Lesser Evil in 1990, Sword of Destiny in 1992 and In a Bomb Crater in 1993, and two for the novels Blood of the Elves in 1994 and Narrenturm in 2002.

Posted: June 22nd, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Andrzej Sapkowski, Brandon Sanderson, David Gemmell, Joe Abercrombie

The short-list for The David Gemmell Award announced

At the beginning of 2009 the final long-list for the David Gemmell Legend Award [complete list of nominations] was announced. Comprising of 78 titles the list was in obvious need of pruning and this weekend came the announcement of the lucky 5 titles that had made it onto the short-list.

The short-list is:

• Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
• Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
• The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
• Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
• The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

The overall winner was originally going to be decided by a panel but feedback has lead to the final decision being made by public vote.

Source: British Fantasy Society

Good luck to all on the list and commiserations to those that did not make it. What do you think of the short-list? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The inaugural David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy will be awarded to the best fantasy novel of the year (2008). The award has the official support of Stella Gemmell and has been instigated by friends and professional colleagues to celebrate David’s life and literary legacy.

The David Gemmell Award for Fantasy official site

• The Legend of Deathwalker book review
• Knights of Dark Renown book review
• Ghost King book review
• Legend book review
• Waylander book review
• Waylander II book review
• Wolf in Shadow book review
• The Last Guardian book review
• Lord of the Silver Bow book review

Posted: April 15th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Andrzej Sapkowski, Awards, Brandon Sanderson, David Gemmell, Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie interview on YouTube: Part 1

Fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie discusses the inspiration behind his latest novel, Best Served Cold, with Blackwells’ Marcus Gipps.

In 2002 Joe Abercrombie began the writing of a fantasy trilogy based around the adventures of Logan Ninefingers. The First Law trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings) has since been published in eight countries, seven languages and with seven different titles. Best Served Cold, a standalone book set in the same world, will be released on June 18, 2009. Joe Abercrombie kindly spoke to FantasyBookReview.co.uk in February 2009.

Read the entire Joe Abercrombie interview

The Blade Itself book review
Before They Are Hanged book review
Last Argument of Kings book review

Posted: March 6th, 2009
Author: Floresiensis
Categories: Joe Abercrombie

An interview with Joe Abercrombie

In 2002 Joe Abercrombie began the writing of a fantasy trilogy based around the adventures of Logan Ninefingers. The First Law trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings) has since been published in eight countries, seven languages and with seven different titles. Best Served Cold, a standalone book set in the same world, will be released on June 18, 2009. Joe Abercrombie kindly spoke to FantasyBookReview.co.uk in February 2009.

Read the entire Joe Abercrombie interview

Posted: February 2nd, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Joe Abercrombie

The final 2008 longlist for the David Gemmell Legends Award

The David Gemmell Legend Award will be presented for the very first time in 2009 for the best Fantasy novel of 2008. The award will be given to a work written in the ‘spirit’ of the late, great David Gemmell, a true Master of Heroic Fantasy. Voting opens at midnight on 26th December – but you have until 31st March 2009 to
register your vote. Vote here!

1. The Margarets Sheri S Tepper
2. Red Wolf Conspiracy Robert V.S. Reddick
3. The Last Argument of Kings Joe Abercrombie
4. The Burning Man Mark Chadbourn
5. The Steel Remains Richard Morgan
6. Blood of Elves  Andrzej Sapkowski
7. Red Gloves Beth Vaughan
8. Ravensoul by James Barclay
9. The Grave Thief Tom Lloyd
10. Graceling Kristin Cashore
11. Dragonforge James Maxey
12. The Blood King Gail Z. Martin
13. The Ten Thousand Paul Kearney
14. Gladiatrix Russell Whitfield
15. Going Under Justina Robson
16. Bloodheir Brian Ruckley
17. The Company K. J. Parker
18. The Way of Shadows Brent Weeks
19. Shadow Gate Kate Elliott
20. Wolfblade Jennifer Fallon
21. The Riven Kingdom Karen Miller
22. Path of Revenge Russell Kirkpatrick
23. The Painted Man Peter V Brett
24. Royal Exile Fiona McIntosh
25. The Kingdom Beyond the Waves Stephen Hunt
26. Wrath of a Mad God Raymond E. Feist
27. The Twisted Citadel Sara Douglass
28. The Divine Talisman Eldon Thompson
29. Shadowmage Matthew Sprange
30. The Clockwork King of Orl Mike Wild
31. Heldenhammer Graham McNeill
32. Nagash the Sorcerer Mike Lee
33. Elfslayer Nathan Long
34. Magic Burns Ilona Andrews
35. City of Jade Dennis L. McKiernan
36. Dragon Strike (Age of Fire) EE Knight
37. Empire in Black and Gold Adrian Tchaikovsky
38. The Dog of the North Tim Stretton
39. Winterstrike Liz Williams
40. Heir to Sevenwaters Juliet Marillier
41. King of Ithica Glyn Iliffe
42. A Darkness Forged in Fire Chris Evans
43. The Return of the Crimson Guard Ian C. Esslemont
44. Toll the Hounds Steven Erikson
45. The Two Pearls of Wisdom Alison Goodman
46. Havemercy Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
47. Iron Angel Alan Campbell
48. Fallen Tim Lebbon
49. Tracing the Shadow Sarah Ash
50. Final Sacrifice Patricia Bray
51. Shadows Return Lynn Flewelling
52. The Vacant Throne Joshua Palmatier
53. A Magic of Twilight S.L. Farrell
54. The Hidden City Michelle West
55. Goblin War Jim C. Hines
56. The Shadow Ilse Katharine Kerr
57. The Dark Ferryman Jenna Rhodes
58. King’s Shield Sherwood Smith
59. The Soldier King Violette Malan
60. Foundation Mercedes Lackey
61. The Golden Tower Fiona Patton
62. The Dragons of Babel Michael Swanwick
63. In a Time of Treason David Keck
64. Steward of Song Adam Stemple
65. The Ancient RA Salvatore
66. Mage-Guard of Hamor L. E. Modesitt, Jr
67. Ill Met in the Arena Dave Duncan
68. The Phoenix Endangered Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
69. The Hero of Ages Brandon Sanderson
70. The Gods Return David Drake
71. Thirteen Orphans Jane Lindskold
72. The Queen’s Bastard C. E. Murphy
73. Shadowbridge Gregory Frost
74. Victory of Eagles Naomi Novik
75. The Engine’s Child Holly Phillips
76. A Woman Worth Ten Coppers Morgan Howell
77. Dragon Strike EE Knight
78. City of Jade Dennis McKiernan

Posted: January 1st, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Andrzej Sapkowski, David Gemmell, James Barclay, Joe Abercrombie, RA Salvatore, Raymond E Feist, Steven Erikson

Feng Shui Assassin proves to be an online success

Adrian Hall has hit the virtual bestseller list on a computer publishing site with his debut novel. Feng Shui Assassin is a thriller with a twist in which the killer uses alternative therapies to wipe out his victims and keeps the reader guessing. Overall, the 70,000-word book took about four years to complete before Adrian published it as an online ebook on the Smashwords.com website.

The book, priced at £8, is available from Lexicon Books in Douglas and the online bookseller Amazon.

Personal reading tastes include other thrillers and also fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie. His day job is in the finance sector, but his career history is eclectic, to say the least. As well as graduating in business management from the University of East London, he has been a policeman, milkman, English teacher in a Thai school and web designer.

Source: iomtoday.co.im

Posted: January 1st, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Joe Abercrombie