Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world, magic and technology exist side by side, and the great repository of information is the library of Windwir, which is mysteriously destroyed. As the characters try to uncover the plot behind the desolation of Windmir, they are also moved in a game of politics, religion, and war.

Review: I wanted to like "Lamentation." I wanted to like it so much. It’s a story about magic and technology and religion, which are three themes that I absolutely love in fantasy, especially when tied together. I mean, there are robots! Awesome! However, I found the story so abrupt and jarring that I could not get into it. Every time I settled into a particular character’s head, I would be forced out and thrown to another character like a hot potato. The POV scenes are way too short and the overall narrative is frustratingly choppy. Normally this would be okay if the characters were worth sticking with, but the characters in "Lamentation" are so flat and one dimensional. They are stereotypes of stock fantasy characters like the dashing but roguish prince, the femme fatale, the insane fat villain, etc. I kept on waiting for one of the characters to do something that added complexity to their archetypes but they never did.

I mean, the first time Rudolfo meets Jin Li Tam, he’s all “I must have her!” It was a line straight out of a corny romance novel. I burst out laughing and not in a good way.

I also don’t like the way Scholes handles different cultures in the novel. Again, he just deals in stereotypes and/or weird interpretations. Rudolfo is the Gypsy King and as far as I can see, that just means he wears scarves on his head and comes from a line of wandering, thieving bandits. Yeah. How deep. Jin Li Tam has an Asian name and seems to come from an Asian tradition, but oh yeah, she’s a redhead with “alabaster” skin. Romany and Asians are rolling their eyes everywhere as their very real and meaningful cultures are summed up in a few token gestures.

To be fair, none of the cultures in "Lamentation" are really developed. The world is shiny and exciting (robots!), but it's ultimately pretty shallow.

Conclusion: It didn’t work for me, unfortunately. I wished it could; it had a lot of premises that I liked. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. ( )

Extremely well written, this book is a little bit of everything skillfully rolled into one fantastic piece of work. It's multi-genre with a bit of post apocolyptic lit in there, some fantasy and sci-fi. Somehow Scholes manages to make it all work, and nothing seems out of place. He moves seamlessly from character to character. Often times one event is being shown from several perspectives, but in no way is it repetative or boring, it actually adds depth and life to the book. I found it impressive that there was no loss of momentum or drop off when switching between characters as sometimes happens with GRRM in his ASoIF series. There is no filler to be found in this book, and no dead sections. I also appreciated the fact that Scholes gives glimpses of the background or back story of characters and places but manages to avoid bogging the reader down with details. The author manages to make other well known, successful fantasy look almost amateurish when stacked up against the skill put forth in this book. I would say this is a must read and look forward to starting Canticle immediately. ( )

I really enjoyed this book, despite the plot. Yes, despite the plot. The plot is basically taken right out of medieval history - sack Rome, kill the Pope, then two Popes spring up, one of them 'bought' by the side that did the destroying. Not very original. The other annoying part was the names and roles that were too parallel to our world. 'Androfrancines'? Just call them Franciscans or Jesuits and you'll see what I mean. I also found the too short chapters that dealt with each character, even while they were all in the same location made it a bit choppy.
However, I enjoyed the characters and the political intrigue, it was quite interesting. I'm looking forward to the next one. ( )

This story to me is like the Whymer Mazes used as a meditation device by the Androfrancines. The maze circle that seems to never end and always turns back on to itself. I loved this story, there's always a mystery to figure out. Who and why did they destroy the city of Windwir, the home to the Androfrancines who protected the rest of the people in the world from the technology and dark pieces that could be used to destroy the world and only trickling out the small pieces of information they feel the people of the world can handle.

There is talk of an ancient Wizard whom created the Seven Cacophonic Deaths, which no one is to know what the words are inorder to protect everyone and anyone from causing distruction.

However, the book starts right off with the distruction of Windwir and only one metal man from the city, being fully functional, seems to have somewhere in his memory some idea yet no idea as to what happened on that tragic day. Isaak is the name given to this metal man.

There are many creative secrets in this book, such as the letters with secret messages intertwined within, the tapping out of messages while talking to another person on their skin, and the wonderous magic of running so fast and not being seen either running or standing still. Then you have Isaak the metal man, who is powered by a constant steam source.

I loved the writing style of a view from each characters point of view. When I first say this was the writing style I was nervous that information would be lost in the translation. After I read through this book so far, I did start taking notes so I didn't forget all the wonderous details to help with the mystery, but found that I really liked the way the author wrote this with the point of views. I actually got more details from seeing and knowing what each character did.

Did the right man pay the price for the distruction of the city? Could he have weaved the web that you see in this book? The further you go in the book the more intricate the web becomes. The more I thought on the book after reading and trying to piece together information from through out the whole book I have a very my idea of what is going on. I am curious to read what really happens. I had a wonderful time piecing the pieces together and making the story go the way I think it may. ( )

Ken Scholes's debut novel is a stunning work of epic fantasy. The action begins from the very first page as the mighty city of Windwir, home of the greatest library in the world, is utterly destroyed. The high pillar of smoke draws key characters to the point of destruction - some to celebrate, others to grieve, others to prepare for war. The pace of the book is quick and ruthless. Scholes' background is in short story writing, and it shows. The world-building is effective and doesn't drown in detail. Each chapter switches between several major viewpoints, each with a distinct voice and viewpoint that shows Windwir and the ensuing political and military warfare in a different light.

I loved this book, and I can see why it generated so much buzz. It really does have a different feel than most epic fantasies, and I think that would make it more accessible to those who don't usually read the genre. Some of the characters were very moving. I loved Isaak the mechanoservitor and Jin Li Tam. This is the first in a series of five, and I'll definitely pick up the rest as they come out. ( )