Voices From Below is
the tale of ex-thief Halia and her companion, ax-wielding warrior Xarun, as
they try to rescue their deceased friend, the wizard Minaras, from the
underworld.
The protagonists are
more moral than many fantasy characters cast from a similar mold. Halia was
once a thief (justified since she grew up scrounging on the streets), and Xarun
has a history of cruelty and tyranny, but both are working hard to grow beyond their
pasts and actively help others as their friend Minaras once did.
Paralleling their
quest is the story of Oswynn, an apprentice mage who suddenly finds himself
without a master and with access to powerful transmutation spells. Oswynn knows
he is working with dangerous magic, but the allure of its power is too strong
and he will have to face severe consequences for his actions
Also paralleling Halia
and Xarun’s adventure is the revenge quest of Inar, a woodcarver who lost his
brother to a wizard’s magic. Much of Inar’s plot is driven by his own
deep-seated prejudice, and while the leaps of logic he makes may seem ludicrous
at times, his delusional thinking is all too disturbingly realistic.
Voices is the
seventh of nine books that form an “interlocking matrix” of several series
which all share books between them but emphasize different characters and
themes from each volume. Despite being in the middle of the
series, Voices contains enough references to previous events for a
reader to easily piece together what has gone before. It is a big credit to
Rapapport’s storytelling that he can make this tale stand on its own reasonably
well, though it will definitely help to read the other books in the matrix.
My biggest critique
of Voices is that the characters’ emotional reactions often seem
dulled and stilted. Characters never seem to be truly sad or angry, even if
their words suggest it. Dialogue can also be too expository and matter-of-fact
at times. While thankfully no one ever uses the dreaded “as you know”, their
call-backs to previous books can swerve dangerously close at times.
Despite their often
flat emotions, the characters themselves are interesting and believable. The
world has plenty of creativity with lots of story potential. It’s not a perfect
read, but fans of fantasy adventure- especially of fast-paced, quest-based
plots like the Pathfinder or Dungeons & Dragons shared-world novels- will
enjoy it.
You can get a copy of Voices From Below on Amazon or at the author's web site, Owl King Publishing, LLC
