Weekly Reader: Gol (Legend of Ansu Book 1) by J.W. Webb; Brilliant and Dark Epic Fantasy With Great Characters , Narration, Themes, Plot p, and Suspense
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: No joke, I am in the process of reading or reviewing five Epic Fantasies this month, one of the most popular genres for independent authors. I have often weighed the reasons why this genre is so popular for authors and I believe because it calls for the highest amount of creativity to not only develop a plot and put believable characters in it but to create the world around them including the history, geography, mythology, socio political environment, flora, fauna, and magical creatures as well as the rules that magic users follow so that they don't seem too powerful or too invincible. It also helps that many authors are echoing the favorite books of their youth like The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wheel of Time, The Sword of Truth, The Harry Potter series, His Dark Materials, The Mortal Instruments, and so on. People who are raised as fantasy geeks write books for fantasy geeks and let's be proud of it.
It's a fun experience for Authors and Readers alike to fall into a new magical world and embrace that fantasy from within. If the first book of these Epic Fantasies, Gol (The Legend of Ansu) is any indication, then it shall be quite a ride. I am warning future authors, J.W. Webb has set the bar pretty high already so they will have to be something to catch up. Gol is a brilliant and dark Epic Fantasy that is filled with terrific characters and thrilling plot and suspense as the characters prepare for what amounts to the end of the world.
What is particularly engaging about Gol is that it is written in the style of ancient historical documents like the narrator is gathering together legends and myths that they have heard in their childhood and putting them together in written form. This shows in some moments when the Third Person Omniscient Narrator suddenly becomes intrusive.
For example, one character is trained on an island to become a warrior. The Narrator skips over the training session saying that this section was incomplete and that they do not possess the research to reveal anything more about his education.
From an author's standpoint it allows Webb to write future short stories and novellas to tie up those loose ends. On a storytelling standpoint it puts the Narrator and the Reader on the same level so that the Reader experiences the world of Gol as the Narrator is describing it. The Omniscient Narrator isn't a god who sees everyone and everything. They are more like a bard, a historian, or a storyteller who reveal the important points but leave enough interest for the Reader to listen and want to hear more.
The cast of characters are a well written group. While there are some cliches and tropes (The Heroic Paladin, The Wise Magical Mentor, The Corrupt Sorcerer, The Star Crossed Lovers), Webb does some brilliant unique things with them that make them three dimensional and stand out from their archetypal origins.
In the center of this cast are lovers, Erun Cade and Lissane Barola. They are the lovers from opposite sides of the economic scale. He is the son of a blacksmith and she is the daughter of a wealthy baron. Her corrupt father, Baron Eon Barola has arranged her marriage to Prince Varentin Gallante. While plotting their escape, Erun runs afoul of Lissane's brothers. They kill his father and kidnap him while Lissane is forced into marriage to the not so Gallante Varentin.
Meanwhile an evil wizard, Ozymandeus is possessed by a fire demon called Ashmali destroying everything in their path. Armies, lords, kings, and an emperor are torn between fighting or siding with this unstoppable force. The plots between Erun, Lissane, and Ozymandeus cover various characters, plots, and situations only to unite in a very violent and destructive end that gives only two options: fight an unstoppable force or flee to new worlds.
One of the interesting aspects to the book are the separate paths that Erun and Lissane take. Erun befriends outlaws and warriors like Red Torrig, a rough mannered Prince and a strange cranky but experienced old man, Irulan.
Some of the more intriguing chapters are when he is trained by the giantess, Scaffa. Scaffa is the type of mentor who challenges not only with tasks but gives him instructions that are purposely unclear but leaving him to figure them out on his own. In a way she is reminiscent of Scatheach, the druidess who trained Cuchulain in Irish mythology (In fact many times in Irish history and lore, boys were trained by women and girls by men.).
Scaffa also leads Erun in his most dangerous tasks to capture the other three elemental spirits of Earth, Air, and Water to fight against Ashmali. They are very dangerous and clearly play on Erin's fears and desires so these are difficult feats, but he realizes that they are tests so Scaffa can observe his interaction with them. Through her instruction and guidance, Scaffa becomes one of the more intriguing characters that Erun and Lissane encounter, fiercely independent and wise, willing to make a fighter out of this young man or see him die in the attempt. It pays off in the end. Erun becomes a scarred fierce skilled warrior named Kell.
While Erun takes a warrior's path, Lissane is thrown directly into palace intrigue, that of a queen. Varentin is a sociopath who has affairs and hangs on his mother's every word. Speaking of which Varentin's mother, Sophistra openly flaunts her lover and when her husband dies under not so mysterious circumstances, her lover Torlock becomes king in all but name. The dangerous couple conspire against and do away with multiple enemies. Living with such maniacs, Lissane learns survival skills and to bury her deeper feelings up to a point.
Finding no love from her alcoholic backstabbing father and or her scheming sadistic in-laws, Lissane looks for love elsewhere. She finds it in Estorian Sarfe, a charming but kind hearted baron's son. She eventually runs away with Estorian and is accepted by his family. Through the Sarfes, Lissane is finally accepted and learns to use her power to protect those close to her.
One of the strangest bonds that Lissane develops is with Morwella, Sophistra's younger daughter. Morwella is a mentally ill girl who lives in her own world where she imagines violent scenes and declares herself Queen of Cats. In fact the people of Gallante often call Lissane, Lady of Light and Morwella, Lady of Darkness. They complete each other in a strange way like Jane Eyre and Bertha Rochester, where Morwella serves as Lissane's dark shadow self acting on the impulses that Lissane buries. It makes sense that after Morwella finally does commit murder, Lissane takes a protective sisterly role in her life. Morwella is another interesting colorful character in this cast.
What makes Erun and Lissane's path so memorable is how their feelings for each other mature. They still care for each other and cite one another as catalysts for their desires for revenge and survival, but they realize that their feelings for each other were immature and brought on by childish emotion. In fact there is a moment where after they have been through so many struggles and have learned and changed so much that when they see each other again, they don't recognize one another. In a fantasy novel, it is nice to have this true to life scenario in which lovers do grow and change when they are separated. Their feelings aren't going to be the same and their situations are going to change accordingly.
Another interesting feat is how Webb handles Ashmali and what the characters do to fight against him. It is graphic to read about Ozymandeus being eaten from within by fire and him knowing it too. Even though he's egocentric and ambitious, it's not hard to feel sorry for him as he is being tortured and eaten alive.
What is particularly compelling is that Ashmali is literally unstoppable. Yes, the other Elementals are destined to fight against him and blah blah blah. The Elemental battles are exciting and well worth the build up. However, there is a realization that Ashmali leaves so much destruction behind him as a fire demon that he is still destroying the world.
Even if he loses and is defeated, there is so much destruction that he in effect has already won. While the characters prepare to fight, they are also preparing to leave the subcontinent of Gol to another world. They need to start over somewhere else. Again that is a very unique touch that sometimes the bad guys win and all you can do is move on, regroup, and start over somewhere else.
With it's brilliant cast of characters, dark themes, tight suspense, brilliant narration, and wide reaching plot, Gol could stand to be a future classic in the world of Epic Fantasy.
