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Time of Heroes #1
The Spark
In the time of the Ancients the universe was united—but that was so far in the past that not even memory remains, only the broken artifacts that a few Makers can reshape into their original uses. What survives is shattered into enclaves—some tiny, some ruined, some wild. Into the gaps between settlements, and onto the Road that connects all human reality and the reality that is not human and may never have been human, have crept monsters. Some creatures are men, twisted into inhuman evil; some of them are alien to Mankind— And there are things which are hostile to all life, things which will raven and kill until they are stopped. A Leader has arisen, welding the scattered human settlements together in peace and safety and smashing the enemies of order with an iron fist. In his capital, Dun Add, the Leader provides law and justice. In the universe beyond, his Champions advance—and enforce—the return of civilization. Pal, a youth from the sticks, has come to Dun Add to become a Champion. Pal is a bit of a Maker, and in his rural home he's been able to think of himself as a warrior because he can wield the weapons of the Ancient civilization. Pal has no idea of what he's really getting into in Dun Add. On the other hand, the Leader and Dun Add have no real idea of what might be inside this hayseed with high hopes. THE A story of hope and violence and courage. And especially, a story of determination. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About The ". . . entertaining tale combining the feel of Arthurian legend with nifty far-future super science . . ."—Publishers Weekly About David “Drake deftly weaves a web of political machinations and intrigue that vividly depicts the costs of war. Fans of Patrick O'Brian's Maturin and Aubrey novels will enjoy this intricate, rousing space opera.” —Publishers Weekly “[R]ousing old-fashioned space opera.”—Publishers Weekly “The fun is in the telling, and Mr. Drake has a strong voice. I want more!”—Philadelphia Weekly Press “[S]pace opera is alive and well. This series is getting better as the author goes along…character development combined with first-rate action and memorable world designs.”—SFReader.com “[P]rose as cold and hard as the metal alloy of a tank…rivals Crane and Remarque…”—Chicago Sun-Times “Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.”—Booklist David Drake was attending Duke University Law School when he was drafted. He served the next two years in the Army, spending 1970 as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Upon return he completed his law degree at Duke and was for eight years Assistant Town Attorney for Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has been a full-time freelance writer since 1981. His books include the genre-defining and bestselling Hammer’s Slammers series, the nationally bestselling RCN series including In the Stormy Red Sky, The Road of Danger, The Sea without a Shore, and Death's Bright Day.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2017
About the author
David Drake
426 books866 followersDavid Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the major authors of the military science fiction genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
December 4, 2017
The Spark is a hybrid science fantasy/Arthurian romance by popular MilSF author David Drake, set in a world where humans are plagued by incursions from deadly monsters that cross over from a neighboring dimension. Pal is a Maker (someone who can instinctively repurpose ancient technology) who goes on a quest to become a Champion, someone who defends human civilization – known as Here – from said incursions from Not-Here. Drake writes with an easy confidence, but is perhaps a little too easy and over-confident with this novel: all the myriad elements of The Spark, from worldbuilding to character and plot development to action and dialogue are shrug-worthy at best, the overall result disappointingly mediocre. I expected a lot more from an old pro like Drake.
December 25, 2017
loved this one - it's a far future sf tale with spaceships and wondrous technology but can be read as a a sort of low fantasy with monsters and heroes - by the author's preface it wants to be a "round table" sort of story in the way "the Voyage" was an Argonauts sort of story - and it succeeds to some extent but it's better read without any prejudgement and enjoyed as a simple looking tale of the "boy from the sticks with some abilities coming to the capital with his dog (even the dog is actually not quite a dog in the usual sense for example) to make his mark, being thwarted to start with but observed by powerful people who help him get another chance" with lots of subtleties, sense of wonder, all told in the naive voice of the protagonist
excellent book and one I had a lot of fun and enjoyment reading
excellent book and one I had a lot of fun and enjoyment reading
November 7, 2018
Though David Drake is probably best known for his Military Science fiction, with the exception of REDLINERS I've always thought it is his Fantasy writing that truly highlights his literary talents. This is because David often writes against existing trends in the genre. While other writers of Epic Fantasy were mining the Nibelungenleid, Tolkien, and European history to form the foundations of their tales, David used Sumerian mythology as the foundation of his Lord of the Isle series.
With THE SPARK, David breaks even further from the current trends in Fantasy writing. The current market is filled with a wonderful collection of door stopper thick Epic Fantasies, picaresque tales, and urban fantasy. It's a golden age for each of these genre. The Game of Thrones series, The Licanius Trilogy, and the Kingkiller Chronicles are but three wonderful Epic Fantasies in the current market. The Greatcoats and Gentlemen Bastard books are exciting tales of swordsmen and rogues. The list of popular urban fantasy is too long to even consider, though The Dresden Files, Iron Druid Chronicles, and Monster Hunter Incorporated would all be among the most fun. None of this even considers the mountain of Steampunk books out there. These are well walked trails in the modern fantasy market and it takes a talented writer to find what is overlooked. David Drake is that writer and the overlooked source he found is one that is surprising.
It's surprising because one wouldn't think that a story based on the tales of King Arthur could be considered overlooked. The sheer volume of fiction inspired by Arthurian tales includes over 11,000 works (https://www.amazon.com/Arthurian-Anna...). But it is overlooked in the modern market. Not because bildungsroman about boys who would be king are rare. Those are still common. What is lacking, or rare, are tales based on the storytelling techniques of Arthurian Legends. The Romances, rather than the Cycle, are where the rich untapped vein of stories lays. This is where David Drake found his inspiration for THE SPARK.
THE SPARK was inspired by both the PROSE LANCELOT and THE IDYLLS OF THE KING, the first for the narratives and the hopeful tone from Tennyson. The resulting book is a delight, but one that might take some getting used to for modern readers. The Romance is an interesting genre. Yes, it is filled with "romance" in the modern understanding, but literary romances are tales of heroes. They are often disjointed tales of heroes where a Knight goes from one quest to another with no transition or overarching narrative. There is just the heroic theme and the tales. There is also very little world building as these tales expect you to fill in the gaps with your knowledge of the time and place. This is the kind of tale David tells in THE SPARK.
THE SPARK focuses on several of the adventures of the heroic character Pal and his faithful dog Buck as he transitions from Aspirant to Knight Arrant. The world(s) in which Pal lives had some major cataclysm centuries ago that led to humankind becoming fractured and in a state of technological decline. It's similar to what happens to some places in Asimov's FOUNDATION series, or at least what was feared would happen. These fractured and scattered human communities are connected by The Road. What The Road is in actuality is never revealed. It could be an actual road between scattered cities or it could be walkable wormholes between scattered communities on distant planets. What it is though is the means by which one makes it from one to another of the communities located in what is called Here. As with The Road, we are never told exactly what Here, only that Here is what is not Not Here. We also know that The Road is surrounded by The Wastes, a place of danger and chaos, that may or may not be Not Here. Our protagonist doesn't know, so neither do we. One can travel through The Wastes either using an animal to see within them (not recommended and likely lethal) or using a Boat, a vehicle of some sort that can travel through The Wastes.
In my version of THE SPARK, and one of the wonderful things about THE SPARK is that different readers will experience different worlds, Here is comprised of communities on distant planets where the collective consciousness of mankind has enforced stability on the locale. The Wastes are unexplored, ill understood, areas where that collective consciousness has not taken root. My Not Here is comprised of areas where the collective consciousness of "beasts" (David's truly inhuman version of Faerie) has taken root. In my version, unoccupied places are as unknown and unstable as the empty space on a map. David leaves all of these details up to MY imagination to fill, and I deeply appreciate that.
As for Pal's tales, they are inspired by the tales of Percival, Galahad, Gawain, and Bors. He's a delightfully GOOD and forthright character. His forthrightness is a virtue, but it does lead to complications and challenges. He is a capable warrior who has talents most warriors lack, but he is not "the greatest" at any of the things he does. Like the knights who inspired his creation, he is heroic without being a Larry Stu. Okay, Galahad is a Larry Stu, but the others aren't and that's why their stories are so appealing.
What was most striking to me was how well David wrote a character who could be strongly morally forthright without being preachy or judgemental. He leads by moral example and exemplifies the ability to forgive and through that forgiveness potentially redeem others. Not everyone is redeemed by him, because not everyone wants to be redeemed, but he provides inspiration for those who want to become better people. To use D&D terms for a minute, if you wanted to read a perfect example of why I think Paladins should always be Lawful Good and how that isn't limiting, then you should read THE SPARK.
Heck, if you want to read a wonderful work of Science Fantasy that trusts its readers ability to fill in the gaps and be co creators with the author, then this is your book.
With THE SPARK, David breaks even further from the current trends in Fantasy writing. The current market is filled with a wonderful collection of door stopper thick Epic Fantasies, picaresque tales, and urban fantasy. It's a golden age for each of these genre. The Game of Thrones series, The Licanius Trilogy, and the Kingkiller Chronicles are but three wonderful Epic Fantasies in the current market. The Greatcoats and Gentlemen Bastard books are exciting tales of swordsmen and rogues. The list of popular urban fantasy is too long to even consider, though The Dresden Files, Iron Druid Chronicles, and Monster Hunter Incorporated would all be among the most fun. None of this even considers the mountain of Steampunk books out there. These are well walked trails in the modern fantasy market and it takes a talented writer to find what is overlooked. David Drake is that writer and the overlooked source he found is one that is surprising.
It's surprising because one wouldn't think that a story based on the tales of King Arthur could be considered overlooked. The sheer volume of fiction inspired by Arthurian tales includes over 11,000 works (https://www.amazon.com/Arthurian-Anna...). But it is overlooked in the modern market. Not because bildungsroman about boys who would be king are rare. Those are still common. What is lacking, or rare, are tales based on the storytelling techniques of Arthurian Legends. The Romances, rather than the Cycle, are where the rich untapped vein of stories lays. This is where David Drake found his inspiration for THE SPARK.
THE SPARK was inspired by both the PROSE LANCELOT and THE IDYLLS OF THE KING, the first for the narratives and the hopeful tone from Tennyson. The resulting book is a delight, but one that might take some getting used to for modern readers. The Romance is an interesting genre. Yes, it is filled with "romance" in the modern understanding, but literary romances are tales of heroes. They are often disjointed tales of heroes where a Knight goes from one quest to another with no transition or overarching narrative. There is just the heroic theme and the tales. There is also very little world building as these tales expect you to fill in the gaps with your knowledge of the time and place. This is the kind of tale David tells in THE SPARK.
THE SPARK focuses on several of the adventures of the heroic character Pal and his faithful dog Buck as he transitions from Aspirant to Knight Arrant. The world(s) in which Pal lives had some major cataclysm centuries ago that led to humankind becoming fractured and in a state of technological decline. It's similar to what happens to some places in Asimov's FOUNDATION series, or at least what was feared would happen. These fractured and scattered human communities are connected by The Road. What The Road is in actuality is never revealed. It could be an actual road between scattered cities or it could be walkable wormholes between scattered communities on distant planets. What it is though is the means by which one makes it from one to another of the communities located in what is called Here. As with The Road, we are never told exactly what Here, only that Here is what is not Not Here. We also know that The Road is surrounded by The Wastes, a place of danger and chaos, that may or may not be Not Here. Our protagonist doesn't know, so neither do we. One can travel through The Wastes either using an animal to see within them (not recommended and likely lethal) or using a Boat, a vehicle of some sort that can travel through The Wastes.
In my version of THE SPARK, and one of the wonderful things about THE SPARK is that different readers will experience different worlds, Here is comprised of communities on distant planets where the collective consciousness of mankind has enforced stability on the locale. The Wastes are unexplored, ill understood, areas where that collective consciousness has not taken root. My Not Here is comprised of areas where the collective consciousness of "beasts" (David's truly inhuman version of Faerie) has taken root. In my version, unoccupied places are as unknown and unstable as the empty space on a map. David leaves all of these details up to MY imagination to fill, and I deeply appreciate that.
As for Pal's tales, they are inspired by the tales of Percival, Galahad, Gawain, and Bors. He's a delightfully GOOD and forthright character. His forthrightness is a virtue, but it does lead to complications and challenges. He is a capable warrior who has talents most warriors lack, but he is not "the greatest" at any of the things he does. Like the knights who inspired his creation, he is heroic without being a Larry Stu. Okay, Galahad is a Larry Stu, but the others aren't and that's why their stories are so appealing.
What was most striking to me was how well David wrote a character who could be strongly morally forthright without being preachy or judgemental. He leads by moral example and exemplifies the ability to forgive and through that forgiveness potentially redeem others. Not everyone is redeemed by him, because not everyone wants to be redeemed, but he provides inspiration for those who want to become better people. To use D&D terms for a minute, if you wanted to read a perfect example of why I think Paladins should always be Lawful Good and how that isn't limiting, then you should read THE SPARK.
Heck, if you want to read a wonderful work of Science Fantasy that trusts its readers ability to fill in the gaps and be co creators with the author, then this is your book.
December 19, 2017
Very good, unique world, interesting characters, good stuff!!
September 10, 2017
The Spark is the latest book by David Drake. Like many fans, I began reading Drake because of Lt. Leary, and that is probably still my favorite series of Drake's, but I like almost all of his books.
This one I just love!
Briefly, this story follows Pal, a very determined self-described rube from a little place nobody's heard of and his dream of becoming a Champion of Mankind. One of the best traits Drake's written into this character is his self-awareness; the fact that he admits to being a rube when he arrives in the Capital of Humanity, Dun Add, is one of the things that really attracted me about Pal. His reactions to people with different morals and values is perfect, he shows how someone can believe that something is OK or at least understandable in someone else, but without being judgmental, still look down upon it in himself. It allows Pal to be naive, but not daunted by how things are different than he imagined them to be, placing the blame for that squarely within himself.
Pal's world has areas of human settlement (called "here") scattered across the world? the galaxy? the dimensional planes? (we're never told) and connected by "the road." I sincerely love how Drake describes Pal's surroundings as if the reader is already as familiar with the road as the average person in the story would be and how he masterfully avoids any trace of info-dump along the way. Just excellently done, on that.
Drake's writing is also on display in the book; I don't know what he's put into this that I never noticed in his writing before, but the prose just sings. If I could do justice to describing what I feel, I'd drop this review and begin writing my own novel.
This one I just love!
Briefly, this story follows Pal, a very determined self-described rube from a little place nobody's heard of and his dream of becoming a Champion of Mankind. One of the best traits Drake's written into this character is his self-awareness; the fact that he admits to being a rube when he arrives in the Capital of Humanity, Dun Add, is one of the things that really attracted me about Pal. His reactions to people with different morals and values is perfect, he shows how someone can believe that something is OK or at least understandable in someone else, but without being judgmental, still look down upon it in himself. It allows Pal to be naive, but not daunted by how things are different than he imagined them to be, placing the blame for that squarely within himself.
Pal's world has areas of human settlement (called "here") scattered across the world? the galaxy? the dimensional planes? (we're never told) and connected by "the road." I sincerely love how Drake describes Pal's surroundings as if the reader is already as familiar with the road as the average person in the story would be and how he masterfully avoids any trace of info-dump along the way. Just excellently done, on that.
Drake's writing is also on display in the book; I don't know what he's put into this that I never noticed in his writing before, but the prose just sings. If I could do justice to describing what I feel, I'd drop this review and begin writing my own novel.
May 7, 2018
If I thought for a moment that this was trying to be a Serious SF Novel, I'd give it three stars.
But as an idea developed for fun, it's pretty good.
Suppose an Arthuran world that is also one of those lost-tech-of-the Ancients world, in which Something allows some of the people to sort of mind-link with the tech. Hmm, we'll need a Hero. Let's make him young, bring him into the culture from the outside. We'll need him to be very capable, but to avoid Marty Stu let's make him socially awkward and quite priggish, but decent.
Frankly, we're aiming at the reader of the 60s - a nerdy teenage misfit boy.
We are light-years and decades away from Jemisin and Leckie and all, but hey, not everyone has to write Important books. There's a bit of a gesture to diversity with our hero being all, "oh yeah, you're a Beast from the Wilds, cool, my name is Pal, pleased ta meetcha." May is apparently one-sided, but grows up as we watch.
Pal is a VERY lucky fellow, because he keeps meeting just the right person at just the right time and aw-shucksing his way to safety. Book coulda bin called "Lucky Pal."
As in the 60s, we're never in doubt that Pal's going to do just fine (OK, the first-person narrative is a giveaway), but lots of books do that. Do you expect James Bond or Batman to die?
More like the 2000s is the occasional tendency to slip into the more modern "hack, slash, dismember, decapitate, gore, blood" followed by the even more modern "gosh, I feel terrible about that, and I should really ... hey, look, donuts!"
But it was a good story and fun to read. No sequel please, I think we've burned the idea.
But as an idea developed for fun, it's pretty good.
Suppose an Arthuran world that is also one of those lost-tech-of-the Ancients world, in which Something allows some of the people to sort of mind-link with the tech. Hmm, we'll need a Hero. Let's make him young, bring him into the culture from the outside. We'll need him to be very capable, but to avoid Marty Stu let's make him socially awkward and quite priggish, but decent.
Frankly, we're aiming at the reader of the 60s - a nerdy teenage misfit boy.
We are light-years and decades away from Jemisin and Leckie and all, but hey, not everyone has to write Important books. There's a bit of a gesture to diversity with our hero being all, "oh yeah, you're a Beast from the Wilds, cool, my name is Pal, pleased ta meetcha." May is apparently one-sided, but grows up as we watch.
Pal is a VERY lucky fellow, because he keeps meeting just the right person at just the right time and aw-shucksing his way to safety. Book coulda bin called "Lucky Pal."
As in the 60s, we're never in doubt that Pal's going to do just fine (OK, the first-person narrative is a giveaway), but lots of books do that. Do you expect James Bond or Batman to die?
More like the 2000s is the occasional tendency to slip into the more modern "hack, slash, dismember, decapitate, gore, blood" followed by the even more modern "gosh, I feel terrible about that, and I should really ... hey, look, donuts!"
But it was a good story and fun to read. No sequel please, I think we've burned the idea.
June 10, 2021
Notes:
I like the characters but the story flow (in audio) is not that great. If I can get the audibooks on sale, I'll continue the series.
I like the characters but the story flow (in audio) is not that great. If I can get the audibooks on sale, I'll continue the series.
March 15, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book!
I received this book in a Page Habit box and I wasn't sure what to expect. The author starts the book by first explaining how this book is his attempt at writing an Arthurian legend but set in a science fiction world. So I was thinking "Okay, Arthur, Merlin, but with lightsabers?" And yeah, kind of!
First lets talk about the world because it is very interesting; it's a world where towns are connected by a straight Road that travels through some kind of in between space and which can be riddled by strange beasts and other creatures. In order to travel on the Road people need an animal (dog, cat, etc) so that they can see through the animal's eyes since human vision apparently doesn't work on this plane. There's a concept of "Here" and "Not Here", so the towns are in what's called "Here" and the beasts and the Road are in "Not Here".
Our protagonist is Pal, a young man who dreams of becoming a Champion of Humanity, one who fights for King Jon's kingdom so that all of humanity is prosperous. The way that people become Champions is through a test that involves fighting other Champion Aspirants. The weapons are also very interesting since they seem to be able to be in the Not Here while in the fight, so they can also use their animal companions to aid them in the battles. I really enjoyed the battle scenes since Drake was really successful in describing them in a way that I could really see them in my mind.
The characters are quite complex, they aren't just the hero and the princess and the magician. They each have values that I could identify with in some ways, and I found it incredibly refreshing that the romance isn't stereotypical or what you'd expect in an Arthurian legend (princess in danger, hero goes and rescues her, they love each other forever kind of thing). Take Pal, he's a farmer, a man who took care of his family until they were gone and now he's looking to follow his dream of serving the Commonwealth, he's not just a farmer but he also has the ability to see within objects and figure out ways to make them useful (a Maker). So he's taken things he's acquired from the Not Here and made himself a weapon and shield in order to become a Champion (he didn't just find it in a rock). Then there's Guntram, a Maker from the castle who is the old wise man in the story. I loved Guntram because he's a old lonely man who just wants someone he can teach all his wisdom and who will not just want to create weapons. And then there are all the women in the story, they are all very interesting, strong, independent women who are smart and really good at what they do.
There are three different adventures that Pal goes in, and each is vital to making him who he is by the end of the story. I really liked that it wasn't a straight shot at becoming a Champion, he has to grow and learn many things before he can get there, not just at having the title, but knowing how to use it.
All in all this was a really great book, very entertaining and full of lessons. I'll be looking for the next installment! :D
I received this book in a Page Habit box and I wasn't sure what to expect. The author starts the book by first explaining how this book is his attempt at writing an Arthurian legend but set in a science fiction world. So I was thinking "Okay, Arthur, Merlin, but with lightsabers?" And yeah, kind of!
First lets talk about the world because it is very interesting; it's a world where towns are connected by a straight Road that travels through some kind of in between space and which can be riddled by strange beasts and other creatures. In order to travel on the Road people need an animal (dog, cat, etc) so that they can see through the animal's eyes since human vision apparently doesn't work on this plane. There's a concept of "Here" and "Not Here", so the towns are in what's called "Here" and the beasts and the Road are in "Not Here".
Our protagonist is Pal, a young man who dreams of becoming a Champion of Humanity, one who fights for King Jon's kingdom so that all of humanity is prosperous. The way that people become Champions is through a test that involves fighting other Champion Aspirants. The weapons are also very interesting since they seem to be able to be in the Not Here while in the fight, so they can also use their animal companions to aid them in the battles. I really enjoyed the battle scenes since Drake was really successful in describing them in a way that I could really see them in my mind.
The characters are quite complex, they aren't just the hero and the princess and the magician. They each have values that I could identify with in some ways, and I found it incredibly refreshing that the romance isn't stereotypical or what you'd expect in an Arthurian legend (princess in danger, hero goes and rescues her, they love each other forever kind of thing). Take Pal, he's a farmer, a man who took care of his family until they were gone and now he's looking to follow his dream of serving the Commonwealth, he's not just a farmer but he also has the ability to see within objects and figure out ways to make them useful (a Maker). So he's taken things he's acquired from the Not Here and made himself a weapon and shield in order to become a Champion (he didn't just find it in a rock). Then there's Guntram, a Maker from the castle who is the old wise man in the story. I loved Guntram because he's a old lonely man who just wants someone he can teach all his wisdom and who will not just want to create weapons. And then there are all the women in the story, they are all very interesting, strong, independent women who are smart and really good at what they do.
There are three different adventures that Pal goes in, and each is vital to making him who he is by the end of the story. I really liked that it wasn't a straight shot at becoming a Champion, he has to grow and learn many things before he can get there, not just at having the title, but knowing how to use it.
All in all this was a really great book, very entertaining and full of lessons. I'll be looking for the next installment! :D
March 31, 2018
The Spark is quite different from Drake's most popular works, but I enjoyed reading it. It's an Arthurian-inspired tale of a young country boy who sets off to join the champions that he has heard about and admired from afar, and the adventures he has along the way to achieving his goals. It's set in the far future, but the Arthurian analogs hold true throughout, with plenty of action and romance. I'll admit that the physics of the setting escaped me; I wasn't clear on the Here/Not-Here dimensional differences and how the travel was achieved or how the assistance of dogs aided in perceiving the surroundings, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. I thought the cover was a poor one- it seems to have a young and angry Matt Damon waving a light-saber over a clear plastic beach ball, but this is definitely one of those novels you can't judge by the wrapping. I'll definitely pick up the next volume and hope some off the nuances become clearer.
February 11, 2018
This review is also posted on my blog Mad Scibrarian.
The world building of this reminded me heavily of Hiyao Miyazaki movies like Howl’s Moving Castle or Castle in the Sky. It takes place in a medieval-feeling setting with the use of ancient, lost technology and the existence of some mystical beings from Not-Here”. Our main character, Pal, comes from a very rural small town and after his family dies he decides to sell off the farm and head to the capital to become a Champion. Champions are loyal knights to the king and are sent off to complete quests for the good of the people. To become a Champion, Pal must train and then compete in a combat tournament. The weapons in this story are Made with the use of the lost technology and can be adjusted to specific power levels when fighting others. Pal is also a Maker, so he crafted his own weapon after gathering materials to use from the ancients.
There was just so many things going on that it seemed the world building never felt very complete. I did get a good feel for the capital, the roles of Champions, and general weapon abilities, but the overarching ancient technology got spread thin rather quickly and was not well explained. For example, boats make an appearance as some sort of lost ancient technology ship. I’m not really sure if it is more of a land-vehicle that is called a boat in our medieval-minded characters, or if the whole place is surrounded with water and boats allow for easy travel. Additionally, Pal is a Maker and kind of understands the technology of boats in that he can “talk” to them and fix them, but then he can’t drive them. He needs a special captain/driver to make the boat operate and move. On top of the ancient technology component there is this otherworldly realm known as “Not-Here” were some bad things come from. Beasts, I guess? Honestly I can’t explain it at all, but this whole part was definitely left out the most. Pal wants to become a champion to protect people from Not-Here, but most of the things he does ends up focusing more on Making stuff.
I did find Pal to be an endearing narrator. I haven’t read a book that has that small town main character in quite some time, so he comes across as very humble and naive. It was a cute voice to read from. Pal really just wants to do good for the world and stand up for what is right. I think Pal really helped this Arthurian-tale stay a little bit more on track.
This is just a standalone, but if Mr. Drake ever wanted to write more about Pal’s adventures I think he certainly could. The ending is pretty open ended, however I do not think I would continue on in the series. I would be too confused from the poor world building.
The world building of this reminded me heavily of Hiyao Miyazaki movies like Howl’s Moving Castle or Castle in the Sky. It takes place in a medieval-feeling setting with the use of ancient, lost technology and the existence of some mystical beings from Not-Here”. Our main character, Pal, comes from a very rural small town and after his family dies he decides to sell off the farm and head to the capital to become a Champion. Champions are loyal knights to the king and are sent off to complete quests for the good of the people. To become a Champion, Pal must train and then compete in a combat tournament. The weapons in this story are Made with the use of the lost technology and can be adjusted to specific power levels when fighting others. Pal is also a Maker, so he crafted his own weapon after gathering materials to use from the ancients.
There was just so many things going on that it seemed the world building never felt very complete. I did get a good feel for the capital, the roles of Champions, and general weapon abilities, but the overarching ancient technology got spread thin rather quickly and was not well explained. For example, boats make an appearance as some sort of lost ancient technology ship. I’m not really sure if it is more of a land-vehicle that is called a boat in our medieval-minded characters, or if the whole place is surrounded with water and boats allow for easy travel. Additionally, Pal is a Maker and kind of understands the technology of boats in that he can “talk” to them and fix them, but then he can’t drive them. He needs a special captain/driver to make the boat operate and move. On top of the ancient technology component there is this otherworldly realm known as “Not-Here” were some bad things come from. Beasts, I guess? Honestly I can’t explain it at all, but this whole part was definitely left out the most. Pal wants to become a champion to protect people from Not-Here, but most of the things he does ends up focusing more on Making stuff.
I did find Pal to be an endearing narrator. I haven’t read a book that has that small town main character in quite some time, so he comes across as very humble and naive. It was a cute voice to read from. Pal really just wants to do good for the world and stand up for what is right. I think Pal really helped this Arthurian-tale stay a little bit more on track.
This is just a standalone, but if Mr. Drake ever wanted to write more about Pal’s adventures I think he certainly could. The ending is pretty open ended, however I do not think I would continue on in the series. I would be too confused from the poor world building.
April 8, 2022
I loved this so much. Pal is a hero's hero, everything we hope we could be, and that our heroes could be: honest with himself and others, humble, kind, imperfect...I enjoyed reading his story!
November 8, 2017
A fresh, new tale from a master, November 7, 2017
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Spark (Kindle Edition)
Even had Mr. Drake not revealed the fact that this novel is based upon the Arthurian legends, I believe that most readers would recognize the similarities. And the differences. Science fiction meets the Knights of the Roundtable who are called Champions of Mankind in this story. Rather than a quest for the Holy Grail, these champions fight to reunite humanity into a commonwealth. Their main adversaries are "beasts" who crossover from Not Here to Here. However they must also deal with human evil. Travel among the scattered enclaves of humanity is along a mysterious road across the wasteland which is neither Here nor Not Here.
The main character, properly called a hero in this book, is Pal. Pal, later Lord Pal, is reminiscent of Cashel from Drake's Lord of the Isles series. This is fine with me as Cashel is one of my favorite Drake characters. Like Cashel, Pal is a humble man from a rural backwater of the commonwealth. He is driven by a strong sense of duty, of right and wrong and of justice even though his mentor wryly remarks that justice is the province of God.
As usual Mr. Drake tells a rollicking good story filled with interesting characters and situations. The research into the Arthur legends is solid as are Drake's observations on human nature. Of course the combat sequences are exciting and believable as one would expect from a thoughtful man who has been there himself. I read this novel in one sitting. Unfortunately I started in late evening and was pretty much useless the next day. Fortunately I am retired so not so many people noticed. I hope that Drake is already working on a sequel.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Spark (Kindle Edition)
Even had Mr. Drake not revealed the fact that this novel is based upon the Arthurian legends, I believe that most readers would recognize the similarities. And the differences. Science fiction meets the Knights of the Roundtable who are called Champions of Mankind in this story. Rather than a quest for the Holy Grail, these champions fight to reunite humanity into a commonwealth. Their main adversaries are "beasts" who crossover from Not Here to Here. However they must also deal with human evil. Travel among the scattered enclaves of humanity is along a mysterious road across the wasteland which is neither Here nor Not Here.
The main character, properly called a hero in this book, is Pal. Pal, later Lord Pal, is reminiscent of Cashel from Drake's Lord of the Isles series. This is fine with me as Cashel is one of my favorite Drake characters. Like Cashel, Pal is a humble man from a rural backwater of the commonwealth. He is driven by a strong sense of duty, of right and wrong and of justice even though his mentor wryly remarks that justice is the province of God.
As usual Mr. Drake tells a rollicking good story filled with interesting characters and situations. The research into the Arthur legends is solid as are Drake's observations on human nature. Of course the combat sequences are exciting and believable as one would expect from a thoughtful man who has been there himself. I read this novel in one sitting. Unfortunately I started in late evening and was pretty much useless the next day. Fortunately I am retired so not so many people noticed. I hope that Drake is already working on a sequel.
February 22, 2018
David Drake updated a chunk of the Arthurian mythos to take place in a world where "Makers" are able to repair and adapt ancient machinery. Humanity is threatened by powerful monsters that roam the "Not Here" (the region between towns that can only be navigated with difficulty, assisted by companion animals or trained boatsmen operating boats left behind by the Ancients). There is a Leader who is trying to assemble the best of humanity -- anybody can attempt to become a Champion, demonstrating their prowess with sword and shield (actually energy weapons left behind by the Ancients; very similar to how swords and shields were in the author's Northworld series).
Pal, an innocent and young Maker, wants to become a Champion and fight for Humanity, but he comes from a poor background, with only home-made weapons. But he attracted the attention of a reclusive Maker at court, who helps train him, until Pal goes out, fights monsters, and eventually defends the honor of the queen.
It's ... quick reading. The setting has some enjoyable revelations, and the way it blended sci fi and Arthurian events was decent. But if you've read other King Arthur stories, it's completely predictable, and there are much better Arthur SF adaptations.
Pal, an innocent and young Maker, wants to become a Champion and fight for Humanity, but he comes from a poor background, with only home-made weapons. But he attracted the attention of a reclusive Maker at court, who helps train him, until Pal goes out, fights monsters, and eventually defends the honor of the queen.
It's ... quick reading. The setting has some enjoyable revelations, and the way it blended sci fi and Arthurian events was decent. But if you've read other King Arthur stories, it's completely predictable, and there are much better Arthur SF adaptations.
February 26, 2019
I am conflicted about Mr. Drake: most of whose books I like, but a few I simply could not stand. This is definitely in the first category.
The story background is interesting: humanity on a close-to-medivial level, separated into isolated communities, a tech-inheritance approach, and a nebulous, but daily threat from outside reality (the "not-here"). All masterfully presented without resorting to stupid info-dumps. The story and characters are retold from the Arthurian sagas and those never get stale. Alternatively, it can be viewed as "idealistic small-town boy makes good in the big city", which is another old-time favorite for a very good reason. Combined with the very easy-flowing story-telling, this book went down in two days and was heading for five stars.
In the end, I settled on 4* because of the side characters. While I liked the too-good-to-be-real protagonist, Mr. Drake took his retelling approach a bit too far and most of the side characters felt flat, not giving much more than backdrop and scenery to the story. With perhaps one or two exceptions, all of them could be identified by a simple cliché and they did not evolved deeper than that.
Nevertheless a highly enjoyable read and I wish for more books set in this universe.
The story background is interesting: humanity on a close-to-medivial level, separated into isolated communities, a tech-inheritance approach, and a nebulous, but daily threat from outside reality (the "not-here"). All masterfully presented without resorting to stupid info-dumps. The story and characters are retold from the Arthurian sagas and those never get stale. Alternatively, it can be viewed as "idealistic small-town boy makes good in the big city", which is another old-time favorite for a very good reason. Combined with the very easy-flowing story-telling, this book went down in two days and was heading for five stars.
In the end, I settled on 4* because of the side characters. While I liked the too-good-to-be-real protagonist, Mr. Drake took his retelling approach a bit too far and most of the side characters felt flat, not giving much more than backdrop and scenery to the story. With perhaps one or two exceptions, all of them could be identified by a simple cliché and they did not evolved deeper than that.
Nevertheless a highly enjoyable read and I wish for more books set in this universe.
December 20, 2018
Two stars feels like an appropriate rating for The Spark because it really was "just okay". In fact, I stayed up till 2 am just to finish this book because I was getting tired of reading it. This is not to say that I disliked this book, I actually did like it. It was interesting but very dry. I liked that it was straight to the point, constantly. But I never felt a rush of adrenaline or any emotion while reading, I was just reading it, not experiencing it like I typically do while reading books. And I got this through my PageHabit subscription forever ago so I had the opportunity to read the authors thoughts throughout the book...but I couldn't read his handwriting. Nice book but I'm glad I finished it.
January 25, 2020
I obtained this book through the Baen website. Months ago. Sigh.
The cover art is by one Todd Lockwood, with whom I am not familiar. I think it does an excellent job of representing the science-magic in the sword and shield being wielded, and the font chosen is a great fit. While I didn't have a clear picture of the protagonist in mind, the figure here displayed reminded me too much of a youngish Arnold Schwarzenegger; YMMV.
The HIGHLY significant introductory material is listed in the TOC as "A Map of the Territory." It's NOT a literal map; it just explains things that I found to be important. Don't automatically skip it.
I've been a fan of David Drake since the early 1980's, which is when I picked up my copy of "Hammer's Slammers." I went from recognizing HIS name, to realizing that if the book had the little spaceship on the cover, I was probably going to enjoy reading it.
I did NOT enjoy the "Northworld" trilogy, which I picked up in the early 1990s, nearly so well. Because of the magic/fantasy woven into the story, I couldn't see myself as one of the players in the same way I had with his straight mil sf. His introduction to "The Spark" and the next book in the series, "The Storm," explain the discontinuity: he was exploring the (exceedingly dark) themes of Norse mythology, and I hadn't a clue about those.
I mention this because in that same introductory material, he discloses that he is using "The Matter of Britain," known to most as the stories of King Arthur, as the basis for this series. Thus, just as with "Northworld," here we have a mix of non-magical themes of people brought into conflict with other people and the environment, but with strong elements of skills we would call magical. NOTE: it may just be sufficiently advanced technology! (I'm gonna call it magic, though, and let it go at that.)
The tragic core of the story of King Arthur is the romantic love between Arthur and Guinevere, between Guinevere and Lancelot, and the brother love between Arthur and Lancelot. As depicted, all of these relationships are true, and therefore desolation is inevitable.
For the person of wisdom and understanding, it's a ridiculous set-up, as it supposes that both Guinevere and Lancelot possess the fidelity virtues that commend them to Arthur, and simultaneously the complete LACK of fidelity virtues that would permit them to ignore their attraction to each other.
So, a great deal of the interest of the mature reader (ie, someone older than the eight-year-old reading Disney's "Sword in the Stone) has to examine the skill in which the author breathes reality into an utterly unreal set-up. In "The Spark," Drake manages this by admitting the infidelity of Guinevere (the Consort Jolene), and MOSTLY ignoring the character of Lancelot (Lord Clain). It works, for the purposes of the story.
Instead of banging on about that worn-out drama, Drake gives us the character of Pal. He's a bumpkin, raised somewhat incompetently by a couple he discovers to be his foster parents, who do manage to instill in him a profound respect for others, and a code of behavior that the greatest Southern Gentleman would envy. The fact that his mother (surrogate) can't boil water without burning it does have some value eventually, in that he can accept the rudest food without dismay. However, it's his chivalrous conduct, even as a bumpkin, that sets him apart.
Another trait that sets him apart is his ability as a Maker, one who can manipulate reality at the atomic (or at least molecular) level by mental processes (one of the magic bits). Despite that ability, what he intensely desires is to become one of the Champions of the Leader Jon (the Arthur figure). So, he sets out for the court of the Commonwealth in Dun Add, with great virtue and inadequate weapons, to join Jon in his unification of the scattered elements of the Here.
The Here is another of the magic bits; it being the reality that people can perceive. There is also the Not-Here and the Waste, and don't worry about it. Nobody else understands it, either; they just live their lives in what they have. And YOU must accept that as an element of the story, else you'll get flummoxed.
A brief seduction attempt, exposing a left breast, and an attempted act of necrophilia, interrupted by the lethal punishment of the wrong-doer, makes this NOT the right reading material for the aforementioned eight-year-old who is looking for something after Disney. However, there is NOTHING at all erotic about the corpse-raping scene, and with appropriate guidance about the nature of the depravity, I might offer this to my 15 year-old son. You be the judge on that; there are also gory fighting scenes.
I found it to be a fast read, and I'm immediately starting on the next installment.
The cover art is by one Todd Lockwood, with whom I am not familiar. I think it does an excellent job of representing the science-magic in the sword and shield being wielded, and the font chosen is a great fit. While I didn't have a clear picture of the protagonist in mind, the figure here displayed reminded me too much of a youngish Arnold Schwarzenegger; YMMV.
The HIGHLY significant introductory material is listed in the TOC as "A Map of the Territory." It's NOT a literal map; it just explains things that I found to be important. Don't automatically skip it.
I've been a fan of David Drake since the early 1980's, which is when I picked up my copy of "Hammer's Slammers." I went from recognizing HIS name, to realizing that if the book had the little spaceship on the cover, I was probably going to enjoy reading it.
I did NOT enjoy the "Northworld" trilogy, which I picked up in the early 1990s, nearly so well. Because of the magic/fantasy woven into the story, I couldn't see myself as one of the players in the same way I had with his straight mil sf. His introduction to "The Spark" and the next book in the series, "The Storm," explain the discontinuity: he was exploring the (exceedingly dark) themes of Norse mythology, and I hadn't a clue about those.
I mention this because in that same introductory material, he discloses that he is using "The Matter of Britain," known to most as the stories of King Arthur, as the basis for this series. Thus, just as with "Northworld," here we have a mix of non-magical themes of people brought into conflict with other people and the environment, but with strong elements of skills we would call magical. NOTE: it may just be sufficiently advanced technology! (I'm gonna call it magic, though, and let it go at that.)
The tragic core of the story of King Arthur is the romantic love between Arthur and Guinevere, between Guinevere and Lancelot, and the brother love between Arthur and Lancelot. As depicted, all of these relationships are true, and therefore desolation is inevitable.
For the person of wisdom and understanding, it's a ridiculous set-up, as it supposes that both Guinevere and Lancelot possess the fidelity virtues that commend them to Arthur, and simultaneously the complete LACK of fidelity virtues that would permit them to ignore their attraction to each other.
So, a great deal of the interest of the mature reader (ie, someone older than the eight-year-old reading Disney's "Sword in the Stone) has to examine the skill in which the author breathes reality into an utterly unreal set-up. In "The Spark," Drake manages this by admitting the infidelity of Guinevere (the Consort Jolene), and MOSTLY ignoring the character of Lancelot (Lord Clain). It works, for the purposes of the story.
Instead of banging on about that worn-out drama, Drake gives us the character of Pal. He's a bumpkin, raised somewhat incompetently by a couple he discovers to be his foster parents, who do manage to instill in him a profound respect for others, and a code of behavior that the greatest Southern Gentleman would envy. The fact that his mother (surrogate) can't boil water without burning it does have some value eventually, in that he can accept the rudest food without dismay. However, it's his chivalrous conduct, even as a bumpkin, that sets him apart.
Another trait that sets him apart is his ability as a Maker, one who can manipulate reality at the atomic (or at least molecular) level by mental processes (one of the magic bits). Despite that ability, what he intensely desires is to become one of the Champions of the Leader Jon (the Arthur figure). So, he sets out for the court of the Commonwealth in Dun Add, with great virtue and inadequate weapons, to join Jon in his unification of the scattered elements of the Here.
The Here is another of the magic bits; it being the reality that people can perceive. There is also the Not-Here and the Waste, and don't worry about it. Nobody else understands it, either; they just live their lives in what they have. And YOU must accept that as an element of the story, else you'll get flummoxed.
A brief seduction attempt, exposing a left breast, and an attempted act of necrophilia, interrupted by the lethal punishment of the wrong-doer, makes this NOT the right reading material for the aforementioned eight-year-old who is looking for something after Disney. However, there is NOTHING at all erotic about the corpse-raping scene, and with appropriate guidance about the nature of the depravity, I might offer this to my 15 year-old son. You be the judge on that; there are also gory fighting scenes.
I found it to be a fast read, and I'm immediately starting on the next installment.
January 25, 2024
I found this book in the library, on a table commemorating those authors who passed away in 2023. That I loved this book so much is bittersweet, because the author is gone and there won’t be anything more from him. I’m still very glad I found it!
This was my first foray into classic science fiction. Most of what I’ve read - and I’ve read three books categorized in the sci-fi section - are either heavy on the fantasy elements so much so that it feels more like that genre, or more of a slice of life, life on earth but also there’s an alien here who nobody knows is an alien type situation. This was different. A King Arthur retelling in the sci-fi genre.
This was so well written, I’m glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone to explore a more traditional space opera/science fiction book. The main character, Pal, is extremely likable and guides the reader through the world easily and in a way that feels satisfying. The author balanced the need for the main character to succeed with the need for realism quite nicely. Every character in this book is well written, and I found myself caring about many of them and pleasantly surprised when we saw someone we hadn’t been mentioned in awhile.
After reading this author, I have a new appreciation for a good fight scene. The back of the book says, “Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.” And I’m inclined to agree after what I saw.
The world building was also good. There is a futuristic society, there are alien type beasts who live separately from humans, and the world is very different from Earth, but the author guides the reader well in understanding everything necessary by the end.
Very happy to know the author was prolific, will certainly be checking out more by him.
This was my first foray into classic science fiction. Most of what I’ve read - and I’ve read three books categorized in the sci-fi section - are either heavy on the fantasy elements so much so that it feels more like that genre, or more of a slice of life, life on earth but also there’s an alien here who nobody knows is an alien type situation. This was different. A King Arthur retelling in the sci-fi genre.
This was so well written, I’m glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone to explore a more traditional space opera/science fiction book. The main character, Pal, is extremely likable and guides the reader through the world easily and in a way that feels satisfying. The author balanced the need for the main character to succeed with the need for realism quite nicely. Every character in this book is well written, and I found myself caring about many of them and pleasantly surprised when we saw someone we hadn’t been mentioned in awhile.
After reading this author, I have a new appreciation for a good fight scene. The back of the book says, “Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.” And I’m inclined to agree after what I saw.
The world building was also good. There is a futuristic society, there are alien type beasts who live separately from humans, and the world is very different from Earth, but the author guides the reader well in understanding everything necessary by the end.
Very happy to know the author was prolific, will certainly be checking out more by him.
September 12, 2017
I read this from an early ARC. The book is due out in November of this year.
The conceit behind this book was a very interesting one, basically a science fiction retelling of part of the story of King Arthur. The world-building was so fascinating, though, that the Arthurian framework ended up being almost a distraction.
Mankind has been separated and devastated, as another dimension or something seems to have "spilled over" into our reality. A small group of warriors and tinkerers, led by the charismatic Jon, tries to fight back against the tide of darkness and rebuild civilization. Ancient artifacts can be made to function by human "Makers," and the weapons from those Ancients can be used by the Warriors.
From there, it's a story of a Galahad/Percival character entering the scene in the middle of the Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur love triangle, but with enough differences to make things entertaining even for an Arthurian buff like me. The side stories, though, about life in this strange world and the weird technologies are what made me wish that this was not just a one-off story. I'd like to see more stories set in this world. Not only the weapons, but the weird gadgets were also fascinating, especially the "ships" used for travel. Also, why can dogs "see" into the other realm? Why are there no horses? So many questions not answered in the story...
The conceit behind this book was a very interesting one, basically a science fiction retelling of part of the story of King Arthur. The world-building was so fascinating, though, that the Arthurian framework ended up being almost a distraction.
Mankind has been separated and devastated, as another dimension or something seems to have "spilled over" into our reality. A small group of warriors and tinkerers, led by the charismatic Jon, tries to fight back against the tide of darkness and rebuild civilization. Ancient artifacts can be made to function by human "Makers," and the weapons from those Ancients can be used by the Warriors.
From there, it's a story of a Galahad/Percival character entering the scene in the middle of the Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur love triangle, but with enough differences to make things entertaining even for an Arthurian buff like me. The side stories, though, about life in this strange world and the weird technologies are what made me wish that this was not just a one-off story. I'd like to see more stories set in this world. Not only the weapons, but the weird gadgets were also fascinating, especially the "ships" used for travel. Also, why can dogs "see" into the other realm? Why are there no horses? So many questions not answered in the story...
February 18, 2018
In the introduction to The Spark, the author says it was inspired by the story of Lancelot. I am not one to argue with an author about where his or her inspiration comes from, but this was not the story I expected. It was better than I expected.
The story of Lancelot is often told from the perspective of King Arthur, betrayed by his wife and his best friend. I distantly recall a version of the story told from Lancelot's perspective, which left only Guinevere to be the villain of the story. This story is not at all like that. There is a king, sort of. He is married. He has a best friend, who is the best of the Champions, who are sort of knights.
But we see the story through the eyes of a young man from a small town, who wants to be a Champion. Because of this, we see both how hard it is to be a Champion, and how far from his ideal the actual Champions are. That is the very heart of the story. The difference between good and evil, and how it may be that good people do not see good and evil the same way.
The story is wrapped with adventure and deceit. There are technologies from an ancient world, and the near magic of the makers, who can both understand and change these machines.
In short, it is a really good story, and on that was hard to put down.
The story of Lancelot is often told from the perspective of King Arthur, betrayed by his wife and his best friend. I distantly recall a version of the story told from Lancelot's perspective, which left only Guinevere to be the villain of the story. This story is not at all like that. There is a king, sort of. He is married. He has a best friend, who is the best of the Champions, who are sort of knights.
But we see the story through the eyes of a young man from a small town, who wants to be a Champion. Because of this, we see both how hard it is to be a Champion, and how far from his ideal the actual Champions are. That is the very heart of the story. The difference between good and evil, and how it may be that good people do not see good and evil the same way.
The story is wrapped with adventure and deceit. There are technologies from an ancient world, and the near magic of the makers, who can both understand and change these machines.
In short, it is a really good story, and on that was hard to put down.
February 27, 2020
David Drake is an unsurpassable master, and it shows it again.
When it comes to fantasy, sci-fi, or blending the two together, you can count of M. Drake to do it. And when he picks a classical tale, and remake it his way, you can count even more on his skill.
Here, you're warned in the introduction that he's basically taking the archetypes of Arthurian Legend, and then remaking them in a fantasy-scifi setting. And you can immediately recognize them, yet enjoy the fact that they are definitively not those people you read about previously. So, the story of a young lad coming to Camelot join the Round Table (here's it's Dun Add and the Hall of Champions) is simultaneously familiar enough to see where it comes from, and totally innovative and going you about reading Pal until you discover you've reached the end of the book.
It's a blend like no other. M. Drake mention another retelling (and one I absolutely love), Northworld, because it is simultaneously the same kind of exercise of taking classical tales and putting them in a science-fiction-cum-fantasy setting, and he's bringing the Smiths of that trilogy (renamed "Makers" here). Kudos. And long live David Drake, may he bring us many more stories.
When it comes to fantasy, sci-fi, or blending the two together, you can count of M. Drake to do it. And when he picks a classical tale, and remake it his way, you can count even more on his skill.
Here, you're warned in the introduction that he's basically taking the archetypes of Arthurian Legend, and then remaking them in a fantasy-scifi setting. And you can immediately recognize them, yet enjoy the fact that they are definitively not those people you read about previously. So, the story of a young lad coming to Camelot join the Round Table (here's it's Dun Add and the Hall of Champions) is simultaneously familiar enough to see where it comes from, and totally innovative and going you about reading Pal until you discover you've reached the end of the book.
It's a blend like no other. M. Drake mention another retelling (and one I absolutely love), Northworld, because it is simultaneously the same kind of exercise of taking classical tales and putting them in a science-fiction-cum-fantasy setting, and he's bringing the Smiths of that trilogy (renamed "Makers" here). Kudos. And long live David Drake, may he bring us many more stories.
January 16, 2020
This is a nice mash up of magical post apocalypse and Arthurian legend.
It does a lot and skates close to Marry Sue, but the protagonist struggles and nearly fails enough that it works. This could also be because many of the events are kind of rushed.
The book reads as a fully standalone story and it seems that the author had certain Arthurian inspired events that he wanted to retell so he often breezes quickly through them.
Another nice feature is that many of the questions aren't resolved and sometimes not even brought up.
For example what caused the Not-Here or the Waste, Beasts, Shades, Makers, Boatmen and many other things. In the universe these are unknowns and by the end they still are. It leaves you wondering which is often a good thing and could lead to a sequel or more stories in that universe.
Also it is enjoyable when you recognize who or what inspired parts of the book.
Overall a solid read.
It does a lot and skates close to Marry Sue, but the protagonist struggles and nearly fails enough that it works. This could also be because many of the events are kind of rushed.
The book reads as a fully standalone story and it seems that the author had certain Arthurian inspired events that he wanted to retell so he often breezes quickly through them.
Another nice feature is that many of the questions aren't resolved and sometimes not even brought up.
For example what caused the Not-Here or the Waste, Beasts, Shades, Makers, Boatmen and many other things. In the universe these are unknowns and by the end they still are. It leaves you wondering which is often a good thing and could lead to a sequel or more stories in that universe.
Also it is enjoyable when you recognize who or what inspired parts of the book.
Overall a solid read.
February 4, 2022
This book started out strong for me and then fell apart. Pal starts off as a naïve, judgmental self righteous character from the sticks. After 300 pages of reading(the whole book) there was no character growth at all. I don't know why he's so judgmental of everyone, there's nothing in his character background for it and when he changes his mind on one point, that it's okay for HIM to have sex, there's no basis for it. There's absolutely no interactions that justify this change.
There's not really a plot either. He goes to be a champion, he fails but gets it just handed to him later and really he just gets handed everything with no effort. Even from his enemies. Everyone's just handing him everything he needs to succeed. He does a few random assignments, adds a dash of family drama and that's about it. By the time I finished this book I was sick of it. I was sick of the characters. Incredibly disappointed.
There's not really a plot either. He goes to be a champion, he fails but gets it just handed to him later and really he just gets handed everything with no effort. Even from his enemies. Everyone's just handing him everything he needs to succeed. He does a few random assignments, adds a dash of family drama and that's about it. By the time I finished this book I was sick of it. I was sick of the characters. Incredibly disappointed.
November 30, 2017
David Drake tells a variation of the King Arthur tale set millions of years from now. Monsters live outside the human area. People with the maker talent can rebuild ancient technology. King Jon is bent on restoring The Spark (hard from Baen) of order with his Champions. Pal, is a maker who has built his own weapon and shield and goes to Dun Add. His rough weapons impress Guntram, the chief maker of the city, but are too rough to get him admitted as an Aspirant. Guntram, fascinated by his self-taught maker skills follows him home and provides him a machine fighter trainer. Eventually he joins the champions and goes on quests to kill monsters, and finally to defend the Queen in a fighting trial. This is a neat world and I hope Mr. Drake has further adventures for Pal in mind.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
February 11, 2018
Fun, quick read featuring a country bumpkin who want to go to the capital and become a knight of the realm. Modeled on King Arthur and his court, but with a sci-fi twist. Humans live in the Here and are fighting to re-unite humanity after thousands of years living scattered throughout a magical world long after a high civilization collapsed. There are plenty of artifacts to be found and some humans can use them; warriors are able to activate and wield hand weapons like shields and swords and Makers can interact with the artifacts and rebuild and repair them. Our "bumpkin" is a self-taught Maker who gradually learns how to be a warrior and Champion for the Arthur-like Leader. He's talented and has a sense of honor and overcomes his ignorance and disappointment at the morals and ethics he runs into in the wider world. Could be fun to have more in this world.
May 18, 2018
Fun concept that has a NorthWorld feel
I really enjoyed this book as I needed a light read.
Sometimes the portrayal of Pal, the main character, as being a bumpkin got a little old as it was ground into me over and over. BUT the overall pace, novel concepts, and funness of the book certainly made up for it.
This book, while coming to a conclusion, really still has a lot of unfinished business left for future stories. I would like to see where the Here and Not Here come from and is this a modified earth or some other place in the universe. Who or what are the Beasts, Ancients and Shades? What are the limits of who Pal can become? Greatest Maker, Greatest Warrior or even can he become a Boatman.
This was a nice return to reading some literature from Drake. I look forward to more opportunities.
I really enjoyed this book as I needed a light read.
Sometimes the portrayal of Pal, the main character, as being a bumpkin got a little old as it was ground into me over and over. BUT the overall pace, novel concepts, and funness of the book certainly made up for it.
This book, while coming to a conclusion, really still has a lot of unfinished business left for future stories. I would like to see where the Here and Not Here come from and is this a modified earth or some other place in the universe. Who or what are the Beasts, Ancients and Shades? What are the limits of who Pal can become? Greatest Maker, Greatest Warrior or even can he become a Boatman.
This was a nice return to reading some literature from Drake. I look forward to more opportunities.
October 17, 2018
Mom and Dad died, so Pal (seriously, that his name) sells the farm and heads off to the capital. He is a magician (maker) and fights pretty well, so he'll just sign up to be a Champion.
Doesn't work out so well, so he goes back to the farm - and Makes, and the Merlin-figure comes to tutor him. (Because Heros get this sort of treatment from the plot.) 2nd time, he has more success, becomes a champion, has adventures. And, aw shucks, he isn't condoning all the immoral women-folk at court, even if the Queen is carrying on with the King's best friend. So he's pretty abrupt with the Lady who lies him.
PS, farm boy Luke Skywalker was adopted, wasn't he? look out for that plot twist in this book.
"Kill The Farm Boy" by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne is targeted against exactly this kind of aw-shucks hero farm boy, but is's a fun story.
Doesn't work out so well, so he goes back to the farm - and Makes, and the Merlin-figure comes to tutor him. (Because Heros get this sort of treatment from the plot.) 2nd time, he has more success, becomes a champion, has adventures. And, aw shucks, he isn't condoning all the immoral women-folk at court, even if the Queen is carrying on with the King's best friend. So he's pretty abrupt with the Lady who lies him.
PS, farm boy Luke Skywalker was adopted, wasn't he? look out for that plot twist in this book.
"Kill The Farm Boy" by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne is targeted against exactly this kind of aw-shucks hero farm boy, but is's a fun story.
November 21, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed The Spark by David Drake, partly because it reminded me of some of my favorite epic fantasy adventures -- Sword in the Stone, Wizard of Earthsea, Golden Compass, Eragon. Set in the far future, but with familiar King Author-style themes, a young man from
the country sets off for adventure to the big City on a quest to become a Champion. Pal encounters more than he bargained for in the city - jealousy, politics - but also finds a mentor, Guntram, who helps Pal understand his magical Maker abilities. This was an action-packed, fast-paced fantasy set in a richly imagined world, that kept me reading well into the night!
This ARC book was provided by my local library, but the opinions are my own.
the country sets off for adventure to the big City on a quest to become a Champion. Pal encounters more than he bargained for in the city - jealousy, politics - but also finds a mentor, Guntram, who helps Pal understand his magical Maker abilities. This was an action-packed, fast-paced fantasy set in a richly imagined world, that kept me reading well into the night!
This ARC book was provided by my local library, but the opinions are my own.
October 19, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed The Spark by David Drake, partly because it reminded me of some of my favorite epic fantasy adventures -- Sword in the Stone, Wizard of Earthsea, Golden Compass, Eragon. Set in the far future, but with familiar King Author-style themes, a young man from the country sets off for adventure to the big City on a quest to become a Champion. Pal encounters more than he bargained for in the city - jealousy, politics - but also finds a mentor, Guntram, who helps Pal understand his magical Maker abilities. This was an action-packed, fast-paced fantasy set in a richly imagined world, that kept me reading well into the night!
-Reviewed by Amy
-Reviewed by Amy
November 27, 2017
As with most David Drake books, this one is a masterpiece. It's an entirely new world for him, though it does seem to have similarities to a couple other series, though I can't remember what they are called at the moment. Most notably the one where folks travel between worlds using bicycles.
Regardless, he does a very good job here, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes his works, as well as those who like exploring and maybe even those interested in knightly type persuits though to a lesser degree.
Well done in any case, and I always look forward to new books from David Drake.
Regardless, he does a very good job here, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes his works, as well as those who like exploring and maybe even those interested in knightly type persuits though to a lesser degree.
Well done in any case, and I always look forward to new books from David Drake.
February 10, 2018
If you are looking for major fighting and action, this is for you. There’s numerous duel type scenes, along with knights attacking creature from Not Here. Entertaining.
Pal comes from a small village. His goal in life is to become a Champion, much like a Knight of the Round Table. He also has skills as a Maker, someone who can enter machinery and know how to repair it. He goes to the city, and immediately defends a lady and is challenged to a duel.
The weaponry involves magical properties, some of which didn’t really make sense to me. ( I haven’t been in many duels myself.) There are numerous cultural, moral, and class conflicts within the book. A pretty good romp.
Pal comes from a small village. His goal in life is to become a Champion, much like a Knight of the Round Table. He also has skills as a Maker, someone who can enter machinery and know how to repair it. He goes to the city, and immediately defends a lady and is challenged to a duel.
The weaponry involves magical properties, some of which didn’t really make sense to me. ( I haven’t been in many duels myself.) There are numerous cultural, moral, and class conflicts within the book. A pretty good romp.
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