in other news, Devil's Peak wears silly hat

[freckles_and_doubt]

I think I'm randomly dubbing July Random Ginormous Epic Fantasy Series Month, just because. (Probably mostly because my posts seem to be very boring at the moment. I could tell you about the irritatingly arrogant phone call from the delusional wannbe-Fine-Art-student this afternoon, or how I woke up this morning feeling as though someone has socked me in the left eye, but see? very boring). Also, I'm randomly craving Ginormous Epic Fantasy Serieses, which means I absolutely have to dig some of them out of my backbrain/bookshelves in order to re-read them. And as with YA Fiction Month I'm trying for more obscure examples, which all things considered is fortunate: I know David Eddings died recently, but there are limits.

Does anyone else remember reading Geraldine Harris? Her Seven Citadels series comprises four books following the quest of Kerish-lo-Taan, Prince of the Godborn, for the seven keys which will unlock the prison of the Saviour of Galkis. He travels through a variety of bizarre, vivid, faintly Eastern, rather hallucinogenic adventures, in which I remember swamps, wastes, strange deserted cities, jungles and diaphanously-clad sorceresses, or queens, or possibly sorceress-queens. (Did I mention that the names are great? the names are great. Ellandelore and Gidjabolgo and Chirandermar). Kerish himself is a fascinating figure, initially naive and sheltered, but gaining maturity as the story twists and turns; his growth belies his frankly Mary-Sue-ish physical construction (I mean, black hair with a white streak, and violet eyes flecked with gold? In less able hands he'd end up dating Aragorn and destroying the One Ring). The writing style has a deliberately stilted, slightly archaic quality which fits very well with the story's frequent strangeness and its measured, inevitable pace. (And, in fact, with the fact that the author is apparently an Egyptologist when she's not writing YA fantasy). Ultimately the narrative does a weird, dissolvey, shifty thing and folds into itself in a completely non-standard fashion given its extremely questy nature. It's a strangely memorable and trippy read.

You don't get a picture because my edition of this is the initial UK imprint, the black-edged Unicorn edition, a scan of which I absolutely cannot find online. Internets, you have failed me.

Oh, yes. Devil's Peak. Silly hat.

Comments

[mac1235.livejournal.com]

Yes, I remember it. Cool covers, very dark and mysterious. I read it from the library, but I don't think I finished the series, can't remember why but I was not riveted by it.

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

It's a bit weird, and quite oddly restrained and philosophical given the strangeness of the setting. I think I was intrigued by it more than being pulled along by it, if that makes sense.