A spectacular tale rife with rebellion, hedonism, and political intrigues.
Odma is a vast world filled with landscapes that are as varied as its inhabitants. Elves once ruled the land but those days are many millenia gone. Now, the realms are controlled by kings and the Worthy Assembly. The Silver Walls, a palace in the kingdom of Loran, has long been a seat of considerable clout, but turmoil has taken root in the region. Leadership is in flux, the Commons are growing restless, and religious divisions continue to be a source of tension. Conflicts smolder inside and outside Loran and these constant incursions come at a cost. The Silver Walls may be grand, but even House Eddenhold, house of the King, isn’t made of money. Unsurprisingly, the obligation falls on the peasants, and of late the burden has become unusually heavy. The burdened populace needs relief and wants a seat at the table of governance, but those in control are loath to relinquish their power.
However, the tide is shifting. The death of an heirless monarch triggers the Kingstrials, a tournament designed to select a new ruler. Whoever ascends the throne will determine the fate of several volatile families, as well as a wide swath of the population. With so much at stake, there are many players pulling strings behind the scenes of this epic showcase. Secrets have been kept and promises broken, but one thing is certain: there will be consequences that extend beyond Loran as prophecy, vision, fate, and fortune meet in a grand conflagration.
If you like getting marooned in a book, so far removed from real life that there’s no need for rescue, then A Seat for the Rabble was made for you! Sobering parallels to modern plights and injustices form only a grim tether to reality. The descriptions are transportive, offering audiences the chance to admire a palace that radiates unearthly light and journey to a forest filled with trees so lethal they are called a deathwood. Several subplots, decadent in their own right, form the pulsing lifeblood in this staggering tale, making it a delight to follow each story arc. Like mastering a new language, characterization in this robust novel is carried out with painstaking effort and over time, forming a dynamic cast that will feel as close as family, dysfunction and all! A wide audience will appreciate that the nomenclature is intelligent and evocative without being nonsensical or incomprehensible. Though the sprawling tome can be a challenge to tackle, the reward is a spectacular tale rife with rebellion, hedonism, and political intrigues. As dramatic and unrelenting as a storm on the open ocean, A Seat for the Rabble is a sumptuous feast for the mind.
