just finished Monarchies of God by Paul Kearney

[Clansman]

I found The Ten Thousand to be very good. An excellent look at warfare and military life in ancient times. Appears to be well researched, and the writing is very strong. Ending fizzled a little, but that is because this stupid human expects things to be all tied up nicely in a bow at the end of a book. Kearney kept it real, and ended it real. Well done, really.

 

[Rick]

Thanks, I'll also need to look for this if Book 5, which did feel rushed, is going to be rewritten.

I agree, I think Book 5 was a real letdown for the series finale. I will be buying the new omnibus versions though if he's rewritten parts of the last book.

 

[Connavar]

Well you will find that his prose is probably best in the Sea Beggar series. I wouldn't say it was particularly better than Erikson just different but I still think he's a very good writer. If you like Tad Williams, Greg Keyes, Kate Elliot which I think you do?...then he's IMO on a similarish level prose-wise and I really like the action scences on the high seas. He really knows his stuff regarding ships and seafaring. There's actually less military from memory in this series than Monarchies or Ten Thousand Conn but it's still got plenty of action and is well written.

Please let me know how you find it.

Cheers...

The prose sure is better than Erikson now that i have read Kearney.

Im liking Kearney so far. The blurb from Steve Erikson is actually not only hype. The things they rate him for is looking good.

First time since David Gemmell, a modern fantasy writer has impressed with the way he uses his prose,vocab to tell his story.

 

[GOLLUM]

As per the other post, glad you're enjoying it mate....

 

[Connavar]

I was planning on reading my library book His majesty's dragon by Novik before i picked up Kearney book just to sample it and see what it is like.

Then i saw i had read too many pages before realizing i wasnt suppose to read it.

 

[GOLLUM]

I was planning on reading my library book His majesty's dragon by Novik before i picked up Kearney book just to sample it and see what it is like.

Then i saw i had read too many pages before realizing i wasnt suppose to read it.

Well it is addictive stuff.

I met Novik in 2007 at WorldCon, Japan, nice lady. That was just before she won the John W. Campbell award for best new talent. You may like her books as they have military aspects to them although they're lighter on than Kearney or Erikson. Still quite a nice series.

Have to go, good night and let us know once you're onto the next Kearney book.

 

[Ice fyre]

I have read both Monarchies of God and the first two of his Sea beggars series. I felt the sea beggars is a bit tighter on prose and plotting, but I just put that down to his natuaral evolution as an authour.

As to comapring him with Erickson, hmmm, I like both authors but Erickson is a bit on the heavy side much heavier than Kearny, I like to think that he (Kearny) more in common with David Gemmell. Erickson has a more real world style, writing historical sagas of his worlds while Kearny has a much lighter fictional feel to his work.

Again both write well just IMO very differently.

 

[GOLLUM]

Basically agree on those comments Ice Fyre although I think Kearney has thought through his world well enough, not just operating at the level of info dumps we're used to getting with Erikson. Writing is certainly "smoother" or more polished in Beggars than Monarchies.

@Clansman and anyone else:...I assume you've read Glen Cook's work, let us broadly say the father of contemporary military fantasy. If not you'll no doubt enjoy the Black Company series and some of his earleir stuff (little weaker) which I've got e.g. Dread Empire being put out by Nighshade books. P.I. Garrett detective series is also a lot of fun.

I'm just glad after posting abuot this guy over the last few years that there seems to be a mini groundswell of support. Time to collect my cheque.....

Now....my next project...to drum up some more interest in another underrated EPIC and dark fantasist Ricardo Pinto..

 

[Werthead]

This seems a good place to confirm that Kearney has been contracted to write two more novels set in the world of the Macht. No word on if they are sequels or prequels to The Ten Thousand, but their working titles are Corvus and Kings of Morning.

Kearney has a bit of a busy plate coming up then. The two Monarchies re-issues are due later this year under the titles Hawkwood and the Kings and Century of the Soldier. I imagine we will see the new books in 2010 and 2011. By then, hopefully, the Sea Beggars rights mess will have been sorted out and the final book in the series, Storm of the Dead (working title) can be released, possibly again as an omnibus with the first two books.

Kearney also has a 'fat fantasy' series set in an alternate-history Hundred Years War with magic he wants to write. The working title for that is apparently Fury.

 

[GOLLUM]

Thanks for the heads up Werthead.

As usual your information is timely and most welcome...

Didn't realise he had so much on the go though.

 

[Connavar]

I have read both Monarchies of God and the first two of his Sea beggars series. I felt the sea beggars is a bit tighter on prose and plotting, but I just put that down to his natuaral evolution as an authour.

As to comapring him with Erickson, hmmm, I like both authors but Erickson is a bit on the heavy side much heavier than Kearny, I like to think that he (Kearny) more in common with David Gemmell. Erickson has a more real world style, writing historical sagas of his worlds while Kearny has a much lighter fictional feel to his work.

Again both write well just IMO very differently.

Dont call it light fiction feel. I was comparing the prose ability of them not the different type of fantasy they write.

Nothing is lighter about a more simple themed heroic fantasy books. Nothing is bigger,better with a fantasy book just cause it has 20 characters and its a " fat" series about world shatting events.

Its about quality not qauntity. The only light fantasy is the weak,bad fantasy.

 

[Connavar]

This seems a good place to confirm that Kearney has been contracted to write two more novels set in the world of the Macht. No word on if they are sequels or prequels to The Ten Thousand, but their working titles are Corvus and Kings of Morning.

Kearney has a bit of a busy plate coming up then. The two Monarchies re-issues are due later this year under the titles Hawkwood and the Kings and Century of the Soldier. I imagine we will see the new books in 2010 and 2011. By then, hopefully, the Sea Beggars rights mess will have been sorted out and the final book in the series, Storm of the Dead (working title) can be released, possibly again as an omnibus with the first two books.

Kearney also has a 'fat fantasy' series set in an alternate-history Hundred Years War with magic he wants to write. The working title for that is apparently Fury.

Are there fixed date for Monarchies reprintings ? If it is in the summer i can wait but if its the fall/winter of this year. I cant wait that long. The first Sea Beggars thrilled me so much.

It feels wrong getting out of print second hands books just when Monarchies books are getting reprinted. Reading The Ten Thousand only its way too little.

Does he sell way too little or is rights thing that made his books out of print ?

"Fat" fantasy you mean he is gonna write a Epic/High fantasy series and not only the fat of book size ?

 

[GOLLUM]

Are there fixed date for Monarchies reprintings ? If it is in the summer i can wait but if its the fall/winter of this year. I cant wait that long. The first Sea Beggars thrilled me so much.

It feels wrong getting out of print second hands books just when Monarchies books are getting reprinted. Reading The Ten Thousand only its way too little.

Does he sell way too little or is rights thing that made his books out of print ?

"Fat" fantasy you mean he is gonna write a Epic/High fantasy series and not only the fat of book size ?

I think you'll find publication dates haven't been finalised yet for the 2 omnibus edn of Monarchies mate but it will probably be in the latter part of this year.

I think Fat fantasy refers more to length of a series but also size and therefore generally in the vein of EPIC style fantasy; these series often having doorstopper-sized books e.g. Elliot's Crown Of Stars, Williams M,S,T, Jordan's WOT, Erikson's Malazan, Hobb's Farseer series etc...all fall into this "class".

Werthead will be able to best answer those other queries.

 

[Connavar]

I think you'll find publication dates haven't been finalised yet for the 2 omnibus edn of Monarchies mate but it will probably be in the latter part of this year.

I think Fat fantasy refers more to length of a series but also size and therefore generally in the vein of EPIC style fantasy; these series often having doorstopper-sized books e.g. Elliot's Crown Of Stars, Williams M,S,T, Jordan's WOT, Erikson's Malazan, Hobb's Farseer series etc...all fall into this "class".

Werthead will be able to best answer those other queries.

Its a shame that he hasnt written many books cause then i could have waited for the first Omnibus.
So i ordered through my bookstore two second hand paperbacks of the first two Monarchies books. After that i can wait for the second omnibus but i wanted something to read now.

I hope Monarchies are near as good as Sea Beggars. The grim world without any romantic gloss and the characters depth,the smooth world building in a small book made me feel like i must have more Kearney now.

Only Gemmell usually make me feel like that in todays fantasy writers.

Usually i dont get excited about or even bother to read "fat" epic style fantasy but i look forward to reading it when its Paul Kearney. For me its all about quality writer not the type of fantasy you read.

 

[GOLLUM]

Its a shame that he hasnt written many books cause then i could have waited for the first Omnibus.
So i ordered through my bookstore two second hand paperbacks of the first two Monarchies books. After that i can wait for the second omnibus but i wanted something to read now.

I hope Monarchies are near as good as Sea Beggars. The grim world without any romantic gloss and the characters depth,the smooth world building in a small book made me feel like i must have more Kearney now.

Only Gemmell usually make me feel like that in todays fantasy writers.

Usually i dont get excited about or even bother to read "fat" epic style fantasy but i look forward to reading it when its Paul Kearney. For me its all about quality writer not the type of fantasy you read.

Well I suspect knowing what you like Conn that you will enjoy Sea Beggars but you probably won't find it as "smooth" or well written as Sea Beggars. Simply because most writers are going to improve over time and Sea Beggars was one of his early works.

Conn, Kearney has written other stuff, maybe you didn't know that? I've got A way To Babylon and I think?? A Difffernt Knigdom. Haven't got around to reading them yet but may be worth you looking into them further.....

Earlier books....

The Way to Babylon (1992)
Riding the Unicorn (1994)
A Different Kingdom (1995)

 

[Werthead]

PK's full bibliograpy:

Stand-Alone Novels
The Way to Babylon (1992)
Riding the Unicorn (1994)
A Different Kingdom (1995)
Primeval: The Lost Island (2008)

The Monarchies of God
Hawkwood's Voyage (1995)
The Heretic Kings (1996)
The Iron Wars (1999)
The Second Empire (2000)
Ships from the West (2002)

The Sea-Beggars
The Mark of Ran (2004)
This Forsaken Earth (2006)
Storm of the Dead (forthcoming)

The Macht Series
The Ten Thousand (2008)
Corvus (forthcoming)
The Kings of Morning (forthcoming)

The Lost Island is a tie-in book with the UK SF TV series Primeval, but I don't think foreknowledge of the series is required to read it.

Does he sell way too little or is rights thing that made his books out of print ?

He has publicity issues. Monarchies started off strong but the last couple of books didn't seem to get widely publicised on their release. The Mark of Ran got great publicity and sold well, and This Forsaken Earth barely had any publicity and had its name changed (from The Stars We Sail By) just a couple of months before it was released, so it tanked.

Interestingly, Kearney says that his publishers claim his books are too short. If they were 600-page bricks they reckon he'd sell a lot more, but his slim volumes don't look too appealing, especially when he is usually on the shelves closed to the many, huge Robert Jordan books. That's why Solaris put out The Ten Thousand with an unusually large font size to get it close to 500 pages: the ARC I have, with a much more normal font size, is less than 300 pages in length.

"Fat" fantasy you mean he is gonna write a Epic/High fantasy series and not only the fat of book size?

I think that's the idea, to write a series of big, deep books with tons of characters and subplots. How 'High' fantasy it's going to be is unclear, because it is set in a parallel-universe version of the real world rather than a made-up fantasy world.

 

[Connavar]

Thats sick that its not about how good a book is for the publisher but how long it is.

Maybe they need to target him to readers that are use to Gemmell like books.

Of course people that need bricks to get a thrill wont like his books as much....

Maybe thats why he will write a fat fantasy series.

When he said in Sfsite interview from early 2000s that he would write self contained books like Sea Beggars and no more real series.

 

[Connavar]

Well I suspect knowing what you like Conn that you will enjoy Sea Beggars but you probably won't find it as "smooth" or well written as Sea Beggars. Simply because most writers are going to improve over time and Sea Beggars was one of his early works.

Conn, Kearney has written other stuff, maybe you didn't know that? I've got A way To Babylon and I think?? A Difffernt Knigdom. Haven't got around to reading them yet but may be worth you looking into them further.....

Earlier books....

The Way to Babylon (1992)
Riding the Unicorn (1994)
A Different Kingdom (1995)

I know about the stand alones and i have higher hopes of them now after i read an interview he said he does stand alone books better than his series books.

I didnt pick up Monarchies because they were a series. I got them because they are easier to get as second hand books.

Also i dont mind if it isnt as well written as Sea Beggars cuz it would be worriying if he didnt improve over time.

What i hope is that has Sea faring too. It being more military sound promising.

P.S Sorry for double post i wanted to reply to Gollum's before i forgot.

 

[Werthead]

Yes, Monarchies has a fair bit of naval action in it as well, mostly in the first two books and the fifth.

 

[Connavar]

Good i was a bit worried that Sea Beggers with its name where the only real naval fantasy of his.

Speaking about Sea Beggars my brother who read The Mark of Ran after me cause i recommend it as Gemmelleque in quality. He finished it in less than a day and bought the second book of the series who was in the shelfs of our bookstore.

He couldnt wait a week or two for the books i ordered hehe