Elitist Book Reviews

I've been looking forward to reading THE DAEMON PRISM since reading THE SOUL MIRROR in May. I had no clue what to expect, or where Carol Berg was going with the story. After the stunning climax in MIRROR, what else could happen? As it turns out, there's an even bigger plot we haven't discovered yet.

At the end of book two, Anne and Dante retire to the country where he can teach Anne her new-found magic skills. Portier has gone into hiding to recover from the events on the mount, but also to study the myths and history that would make people believe he is a Saint Reborn. They had discovered and thwarted the nefarious plots of the aspirant--but it turns out that the conspiracy is even deeper, and they must stop the evil that would bind the world of the living and dead together permanently.

SPIRIT was narrated in first person by Portier, MIRROR by Anne, but DAEMON is primarily Dante, a PoV that is a complicated, tortured soul. He's proved in every book that he's willing to do despicable things in order to see the mystery through, and will even risk his friendships and the relationship with the woman he loves. Berg has made a deliciously tortured character in Dante, whose past has shaped him, and we finally get to see in DAEMON exactly what that means. Many are convinced he's the evil that needs to be stopped, but Anne, Portier, and Illario are steadfast in their trust that he's doing what's ultimately the right thing. In DAEMON Anne, Portier, and even Illario make brief appearances as first person viewpoints to round out the narrative; but here, it's Dante who shines.

When the narrative started I had a hard time understanding how this new plot line continued that of the previous books. It begins with Anne returning home to her parents to help with the household, leaving the blind Dante alone and feeling abandoned. Until a former soldier appears at his doorstep with a dream that has tormented him for years, and fears it will cause him to go insane. But Dante learns that the dream is actually someone looking for him, and he's compelled to find out what it's really about--something about magic stones and setting free the beautiful woman trapped by them.

I tried to figure out how this seemingly random storyline coincided with the previous books, and for a long time I felt like it was a contrivance. But, as in the previous books, patience wins out--Berg has a bigger picture in mind through the entire series. Dante's story is compelling, and it's worth the wait to watch it slowly build and come together in the final climax of the series.

We also see more of the world outside of Sabria; before we were limited to the capital city and a few areas around it. This time we travel to Dante's hometown and beyond, to cities where history is catching up to and influencing the present. Berg's world is varied without being overwhelming, with a rich history that's interesting to unravel and explore. I only wish there were more.

If you've read the previous books, yes THE DAEMON PRISM is worth the effort to see it through. Berg does take her sweet time telling the story, but there is a purpose to it, and when the threads start coming together in the final 70 or so pages, everything gets mashed up and jumbled and exciting.

I know I gush; however, I'm not completely blind to the book's imperfections, including some unanswered questions, abruptly tied off character story lines, and pacing issues through the middle of the book. Yet, they are small issues when one looks at the series as a whole, because the overarching narrative is fascinating and compelling.

Can you read THE DAEMON PRISM without reading the first two? No, and you wouldn't want to. The previous novels are worth the slow buildup of information--magical, historical, religious, character--and the time it takes to see this series to the very end.

Recommended Age: 16+ more for comprehension than content
Language: Fewer than five instances
Violence: Death, torture, and grisly magic rites, much more than in previous books
Sex: Referenced and described in a handful of instances (including as part of a death ritual), although without detail

This phenomenal series contains:
THE SPIRIT LENS
THE SOUL MIRROR
THE DAEMON PRISM

Magic is not what it used to be. Now it's less potent. It's less reliable. Fewer people can use it. As a result science has gained popularity and the people of Sabria are experiencing a Renaissance.

But the Aspirant wants to change all that—and he will resort to murder to get what he wants.

The story began in Carol Berg's THE SPIRIT LENS, a fantasy whodunit told from the viewpoint of Portier, cousin to the king, and charged with finding the source of a failed assassination plot. It unravels into a mystery beyond a simple murder attempt and into full-blown conspiracy, with the king's bosom friend Michael de Vernase as the suspected instigator.

In the sequel, THE SOUL MIRROR, it's four years later and the plot thickens. The PoV switches to Anne de Vernase, the 22-year-old daughter of the suspected traitor, who much must move to Merona and the queen's court because her father's lands are to be given to another. Add to that her brother's imprisonment, a mother gone insane, her sister dead from spellwork gone awry (or is the cause more sinister...?), and now at court they want to marry her off. Anne can't believe her life could get any worse—except that it's the hated Portier, the very man who named her father as traitor, who brings her to Merona and watches over her every step.

At first, like everyone else, Anne believes her father is the Aspirant. But as she fumbles her way through the queen's court while the king is away, she gathers proof that perhaps her father is innocent. However, that begs the question: who is the Aspirant and what is he trying to accomplish? Is it the despicable sorcerer Dante, who performs necromancy on the queen's behalf? Is it the arrogant headmaster of the Collegia Magica? She may have to turn to the sycophantic Portier for help, afterall, in order to clear her father's good name.

The books are at heart mysteries, so as a result the plot and set-up are patterned after that genre. Berg blends magic into the mystery: How does the magic work? Why has it changed since the Blood Wars? What of this 'new' magic that threatens the very laws of nature? Why is the Aspirant using illegal blood magic to fuel his work? While some questions are answered in THE SPIRIT LENS (or so we think...), others continue into THE SOUL MIRROR, building on what has gone before, unraveling layer by layer the conspiracy in fascinating detail.

Anne is rational and intelligent, but lacks the refinements that would make her comfortable at court—even if her family had still been in the king's good graces. But she's still the goddaughter to the king with a dowry of her own, and so is brought to court to be a maid of honor for the queen. She's determined, and despite her introverted nature, is willing to do difficult things in order to see her plans through. Despite Anne being a much different voice from Portier's in the first book, the tone is consistent and pitch perfect for the story. The intelligently formal prose adds flavor to the era, is consistent across the books, and makes for lovely reading, reminiscent of Dickens or Austen.

Portier, Dante, and the queen's brother Illario all continue to be principle characters, continuing their roles from THE SPIRIT LENS. As the PoV character of the first book, Portier was a little difficult to figure for most of the book, but I enjoyed seeing him, as well as others, from Anne's viewpoint in THE SOUL MIRROR, which only made them more layered. Beyond these, there is a large and varied cast, from maidservant to the king himself. Sometimes all the names and places get confusing, there's a lot to remember. Fortunately, the characters are interesting enough to move the story along despite the bumps along the way.

The pace is steady and deliberate. While there are important events that happen, there is a lot of thinking going on as Anne attempts to unravel the mystery of her father's disappearance and the Aspirant's nefarious plans. Having all these details and intrigues to sort out takes time and may bore readers who prefer faster-paced excitement. Anne's narrative also suffers from the occasional leap in logic as she makes connections that I couldn't follow, but were necessary to the plot. Fortunately, all the information Anne gathers leads her to the solution and the exciting climax. But I don't dare spoil it for you. See if you can figure it out for yourself.

Can you read THE SOUL MIRROR without having read THE SPIRIT LENS? Probably not. You'll lose your way with the story and names, and the plot won't have the same impact. Should you bother reading the first in order to read the second? As well as prepare for the third, THE DAEMON PRISM coming out in 2012? Absolutely.

Recommended Age: 16+ more for reading level than content
Language: None
Violence: Although infrequent, it can be graphic
Sex: Referenced only

It was in 2008 that Carol Berg's FLESH AND SPIRIT was published, so it has had some shelf time, like a few other books we have reviewed. We have received quite a large number of emails requesting a review of this book (and it's sequel BREATH AND BONE), and since we do aim to please, here it is.

Anyone who has read Carol Berg before, knows that she is pretty dang good at what she does, and has written some great books. So we picked up this first half of the series without much hesitation, and cracked it open.

From the beginning, we learn our protagonist isn't much a hero, in fact he is kind of an antagonistic jerkface that has Numero Uno as his main concern. Oh also, he is a drug-addicted magic-user, and of course comes from a long line of important people. He is also prophesied to die "in water and blood and ice". Yeah, Valen (the main character) has some cool stuff going on.

Not only does Valen have enough conflict to keep him interesting, but the plot manages to capture our attention quite well. We love political strife in the novels we read, almost more than anything, (yes, even including Steve's penchant for violence in books) and Carol delivers it here. Around Valen, there is a civil war going on between three men who believe they are the best heir to the dead king.

There is a lot of "yay!" in this book from what he have mentioned above, however the book fails in one huge aspect. It starts promising, with Valen being robbed by his buddy and left, wounded, to endure the withdrawals of his addiction before he dies. He, by the grace only a fantasy author (or Dan Brown of course...ugh...) could muster, manages to live thanks to a group of monks at a monastery.

So much of the content of this book is centered on the ensuing interactions Valen has with the monks. The members of the monastery and Valen both have their own secrets and they are slowly revealed...very slowly...

This is where both Berg's strong point and the book's weak point come into play. The writing is incredible. Honestly her writing is vivid, descriptive, and evocative, but without being excessively verbose or obtuse. (See what we did there?) She has real grasp on the both the subtle surgical, and the overt broadsword powers of the English language and how to use it in writing. We rarely get this impressed with a writer in this category, because we feel a certain mastery is requisite to write. Berg exceeded our expectations. She manages to make the most boring content...seem OK.

Now the weak point. The pacing is ungodly. Horrific. Detestable. Hair-Raising. We could go on. Other than the opening scene, absolutely nothing happens for the first 200-250 pages. The novel is only 488 pages. Now, when we say nothing...of course we don't really mean nothing. There are subtle hints and snippets of information about something bigger going on, news about the civil war, Valen's contention with his new lifestyle as a monk. This first (more than) half of the book is the excruciating minutiae of monastic life. The only reason we could summon the willpower to turn each page was because of Berg's writing.

In answer to the question we know you're asking. Yes. The pacing does pick up and literally throws it's readers into a very dismal and dark adventure. It quickly gets very interesting. But in all honesty, it happens too late, and is ultimately too little. With the ending, very little is resolved and we realized we read a 488 page exposition on what the second book would be. This was at once both very shocking and very irritating. There is a lot (nearly everything) left open, mysteries unsolved (cue that creepy music that scared us all as kids when our grandparents would watch that show...gah!), and action imminent.

Final say? If you are going to brave this first book, make absolutely sure you read the second book so you can at least have some closure. For aspiring writers this is a perfect book in every way. It shows both to do, and what not to do. For your average sit-down-for-a-few readers, this is not the way to go. We read both books, cover to cover, and didn't quite feel cheated, but we didn't get what we wanted or were hoping for. Also, Steve despised the cover art. Yes, he judges.

Recommended Age: 17 and up. It gets a bit dark, but mainly the age is we doubt anyone younger will be capable of slogging through.
Language: Nothing terribly offensive. Standard fantasy-fare.
Violence: A bit here and there. Remember how nothing happens for most of the book?
Sex: Not that we can remember.