Russell Kirkpatrick

[Gumboot]

I had a search through the forum, and couldn't find anything specifically discussing his books, so thought I'd start something.

Kirkpatrick is a New Zealand fantasy writer whose work is quite dark, noted for his very realistic maps (he's a professional cartographer), his characterisation, and his worldbuilding.

He has written two trilogies, both based on the same world but only indirectly linked;

Fire of Heaven Trilogy:
Across The Face Of The World
In The Earth Abides The Flame
The Right Hand Of God

Husk Trilogy (Broken Man in the USA and UK):
Path Of Revenge
Dark Heart
Beyond The Wall Of Time

I'll admit I originally read his books just because of the evocative titles in the first series, and the fact he's a fellow kiwi, but I'd regard him as one of my favourite authors. I've read all but "Beyond The Wall Of Time" as I'm still waiting for it to be available on Kindle.

Kirkpatrick's strength, for me, is the realism with which he treats his characters. I think he does this better even than other celebrated "realistic" fantasy writers like George RR Martin. While Martin's stories are quite theatrical, Kirkpatrick's treatment of his characters is quite grounded, and feel much more real to me.

What is perhaps even more clever is that nearly all of his characters are introduced as fantasy archetypes. For example you have Leith, the naive farm boy who sets off to save the world, and the evil, semi-immortal "dark lord" ruling an evil empire. And so on. And yet none of these characters are what they seem. None is a hero. None is a villain. They're all thoroughly fleshed out, complex, deeply flawed, and admirable.

And what happens to each of them is dictated by plot and circumstance. Kirkpatrick is merciless with his characters, affording them only the fate that is most realistic. As a result the tone of his work is heavily bittersweet.

 

[Bick]

Sounds great. Although not a kiwi by birth, I'm living in NZ, so I ought to check out Kirkpatrick. I like the sound of the grounded realism. I also note that the first book is incredibly cheap on Book Depository. Shame the TBR pile is mountainous. Maybe I should squeeze the first book into the list.

 

[GOLLUM]

I read Kikrkpatrick's first trilogy and thought it was quite good. I recall the characterization was well handled as was the plotting but it wasn't a feature that stood out to me in temrs of any lasting impressions. Mind you, it's half a dozen years since I read the orginal series so my memory may be fading somewhat.

I particularly liked the geographical and travel aspect of the work, which is not suprising given Kirkpatick is/was a cartographer by trade. His maps are amongst the best I've come across in fantasy fiction.

Certainly worth a look and I know we have dicussed this author here before but it was probably a while back...in fact if you look at this thread you recently posted on, you'll see some comments about him.

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/539676-index-of-maps.html

Cheers.

 

[Vertigo]

I have read the second series but not the first (don't ask!) and thoroughly enjoyed it and do plan to read the first series sometime. As you say, Gumboot, at first glance the characters seem pretty standard fantasy fare but in the end they're anything but. In fact one of the things I liked about these books was they he seems to break the mold of what I have found in the last decade to be somewhat same old same old fantasy, even throwing in an autistic (I think; no such word available to Kirkpatrick to describe her in the fantasy world) savant.

 

[Gumboot]

Agreed, it's really something quite new and different. I did find that I struggled to get into the second series initially, and found it pretty depressing to hear of the fate of the original characters (the second series is set 70 years after the end of the first series), but once I'd battled through the first half of the first volume I was hooked and I utterly devoured the second volume.

I agree on the introduction of elements truly new to fantasy; Lenares is a fascinating character, my favourite.

 

[Vertigo]

Yep, my favourite character too. Do you have any idea, perchance, of what condition he modelled her on? As I said, I suspected it was autism, but I have very little knowledge in that area and have always wondered.

It's a good few years since I read them and I wasn't keeping track the way I do now, but I do seem to remember finding the beginning a little slow and meandering. But in the end I loved them. Thinking back on it one of the things that stands out most in my memory are each of the many different characters, so I guess, for me at least, he painted a bunch of very vivid, memorable characters. An impressive achievement when you consider just how many major players he has in the books.