Moon Tide and Magic Rise

Moontide and Magic Rise: World Without End (1994) and Sea Without a Shore (1996) Sean Russell

Every time I read Sean Russell, I am always surprised at how good his books are. I pick them up knowing they are going to be good, but the pessimistic part of me always says, “they can’t be that good. Don’t get your hopes up!” only to be proven wrong.

Sean Russell’s Moontide and Magic Rise duology is excellent, although quite long–each book is about 600 pages, which is a slow read, even for me. Although the lands and characters are fictional, they remind me (as they are meant to I’m sure) of England and France at the start of the Victorian era, or perhaps a bit before.

Tristam Flattery is the nephew and heir to Erasmus Flattery, one of the last mages. Tristam, a young naturalist at the start of his career, spent time working with this professor and mentor Sanfield Dandish. It is this work–cataloging the species of an island halfway around the world–that draws him to the attention of the royal court.

In some ways the setting of the take reminded me of the movie “Master and Commander”–at least the bits about the naturalist aboard a great sailing ship. I wonder whether the ocean voyage would have been as realistic if I hadn’t see that movie, and its depiction of life aboard a tall ship? (Of course that’s about where the similarities end, but I still found it interesting.)

One thing that I think Sean Russell does very well, is describe the time before an impending battle. Most books talk about there being a wait before a battle, of the rising tension and confusion and feelings of those involved, but Sean Russell does a very good job of creating a sense of tension and a feeling of confusion.

In many ways his books remind me not of stories being told, but of a history being related. The background is just familiar enough that it’s easy to picture, as are the characters. And so the tale feels like something being related long after the fact more than a story woven from the imagination. Which is, I believe, what I like so much about his books. Despite being fantasy, they feel somehow real to me, in a way that even some history books don’t manage. (Guy Gavriel Kay is another who gives me that some sense in his writing.)

These books are definite must reads, although they are not quick reads. I have four more of his books sitting on my shelves. Now I need only to convince myself again that I won’t be let down.
Rating: 8/10

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