Random Book Review – Because reading is a necessary part of
survival.
The Reever by Richard Lee Byers
Fantasy books are often pushed to the side as escapist reading
unless they are direct allegories for something. I couldn’t disagree more. Many
fantasy books deal with complex issues that can cut very close to home. The
veneer of fantasy allows us to digest the internal message without having a
knee-jerk reaction that may cause us, the reader, to immediately stop reading and ignore what the author is
trying to say. The Reever is an excellent
example of this.
We follow the journey of a young boy, a pirate, and a
wizard. All face situations that have correlations to our own world.
The young boy, Stedd, must face down an inflexible
theocracy, one that refuses to change out of fear that their lives maybe
rendered meaningless. This could be a direct commentary on current religious
organizations and their stance on gay marriage, or on our own government and
its lack of an effective stance on global climate change.
The Reever, Anton, must come to terms with darkness from his
past. This darkness happened not because Anton was a bad man but because he was
a bored man. He didn’t see his overall worth in the grand scheme of things.
Anton could not see that his role as a customs official was just as vital as
the role of a sailor or soldier in the military.
And finally the wizard Umara. I would like to note that the wizard
was a woman with a shaved head who was described as exotic in appearance and
attractive, in part, because of her shaved head. I think this is a nice step
away from the chainmail bikini, or boob plate that we often see given to female
characters.
There is still a flaw.
Anton is never really described in terms of appearance, where as she is.
In fact if I had not seen the cover, or had not been familiar with the fantasy
nations and regions used I would have not realized Anton was darker skinned
(that is another thing I applaud, fantasy is too often white washed) for a good
portion of the book.
But to get back on topic the wizard comes from a nation with
an evil past that has taken an even more villainous turn, a nation that is now
ruled by the undead. It would not be a stretch by any means to say that there
is a connection to both the United States and to how many long for a better
time.
Now I am not saying that the author is somehow in favor of a
1950's America, but rather a pre 9/11 America when our own government was not a
threat to our civil liberties. This is
perfectly summed up by her relationship with her Master, who is also a vampire that
can actually sense her thoughts.
All these points I have gone over may make it sound like a
thin veneer of fantasy, but it is very possible to read this book and never
once think about any of these elements. The Reever is a fun read. It is set in
the shared universe setting of the Forgotten Realms, but you don’t need to know
anything about the Realms to enjoy the journey. I often found myself unable to
put this book down, wanting to know what happens next.
A side note; a shared universe setting is never a reason to
NOT read a book. With the internet at your fingertips (quite literally with
most phones), you can actually look things up using the Forgotten Realms
Wiki, or the Wizards
of the Coast website. If you are willing to spend a half hour
looking at pictures and videos of cute animals you can look up what a Turmishman
is.
