Ken Scholes' post-post-apocalyptic world is richly depicted by his clever prose, that interweaves and re-enlivens the stock phrases and tropes of our world. The layers of intrigue in [Lamentation] make for a disconcerting read, that is ultimately more satisfying than any any and easy solution could be. Scholes' characters are delightfully human in their imperfections and inadequacies, and equally strong in their resolve. He successfully maneuvers past simplistic depictions of good and evil, to raise questions about the freedom of the human will, and just what exactly the mark of a "good" man is. Highly recommended for people looking for thoughtful and well-written speculative fiction. ( )

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. ( )

The great city of Windwir, repository of all learning literally religiously gathered and guarded by the venerable Androfrancine Order, headed by the Pope, is suddenly destroyed in an incredible magickal conflagration. The Brothers of the Order had perhaps discovered some ancient knowledge that was too dangerous, it was thought. The power-vacuum inevitably leads to a battle for supremacy and war between various factions.

The characters involved in this are varied and interesting. There is Rudolfo, sometime good-time boy and dandy, otherwise, Lord of the Ninefold Houses and General of the Wandering Army, the crack military Gypsy Scouts. He has seen the fiery clouds of destruction of Windwir, which he was in alliance with, and recovers one of the Order's metal men in the ruins. The mechanical Servitor, dubbed Isaak by Rudolfo, is in anguish, believing itself responsible for the destruction of the City. Rudolfo discovers that a renegade apprentice of the Order had tampered with the Servitor, programming it to give voice to an ancient magick that called down destruction upon the city.

The apprentice was in the pay of Lord Sethbert, Overseer of the Entrolusian City States and the Delta of Three Rivers. He is unwisely boastful of the City's destruction, leading even his own military to question his sanity. Sethbert has brought his army with him, to happily (or unhappily) view the destruction of Windwir, and to secure all power to him, particularly from the Gypsy King, Rudolfo, whose army stands in opposition to his. Sethbert has set up a cousin as the new Pope of what Androfrancines are left, and has told him to declare Rudolfo shunned as having caused the destruction of Windwir.

What follows is war and intrigue, with crosses and double-crosses, and plots and machinations that reach back for generations. Involved with all this are other characters, such as the Lady Jin Li Tam, formerly consort of Sethbert, but foremostly, daughter and agent of the House of Li Tam, one of the most powerful trading houses in the Named Lands. And there is young Neb, raised by the Order and hoping to become a Brother some day, who barely escaped death in the city, but lived to see the destruction with his own eyes, including the death of his father and everyone he's ever known. And there is the mysterious Petronus, who claims to be a simple fisherman.

The book has a solid ending and reads almost like a stand-alone. But from the "Palms of Isaak" subtitle listed on-line (but nowhere in the actual book), it seems this is the first in a series and the story will continue. With its interesting characters, strong world-building and involving plot, most readers should find a sequel most welcome. ( )

According to the blurb by Orson Scott Card on the book jacket, "This is the golden age of fantasy, with a dozen masters doing their best work." That's an awfully bold statement, but one that is not entirely without some support. Epic fantasy authors such as Martin, Gilman, Brett, Lynch, Erikson, Redick, Farrell, Baker, and Novik (just to name a few) are indeed weaving exceptional multi-volume tales that are setting an awfully high bar. At the same time, revisionist writers such as Mieville, Morgan, and Abercrombie are testing and (at least in Morgan's case) exploding the accepted boundaries of the genre. It may not be a true golden age of fantasy, but there is little doubt that it is a rich and vibrant time.

Having set those metrics, the question is whether Scholes lives up to the hype. I think it is difficult to say definitively after only one novel. Some authors (without naming names) came out of the starting gate exceptionally fast only to bog down in writer's block or what might be called, albeit indelicately, writer's diarrhea. That being said, there is little question that Scholes tells a compelling narrative and introduces a number of interesting characters. Some of the supporting cast come dangerously close to stereotype, but that is an inherent risk in epic fantasy. The multi-narrator structure is not my favorite, but seems almost obligatory these days. Thankfully, he does not fall into the trap of including too many narrators, which can be both annoying and distracting.

The story is one that will be familiar, at least in its broad outlines, to fans of speculative fiction. In a post-apocalyptic world (yes, there is a subtle hint of science fiction lurking around the edges of the book) science and technology have been jealously and judiciously guarded by a monastic order known as the Androfrancine Order. When their golden city of Windwire is destroyed by a long-lost "spell," the survivors must struggle to find a path for rebuilding what has been lost and forging new alliances. For nearly 400 pages, we follow the paths of two possible "Popes," a Gypsy King, a young Androfrancine novice, a crafty banker/spy-master, his consort daughter, and others in their struggle. There's politics a-plenty, as well as some rather complex plotting that teeters on the edge of being just a little too cute. But it ends in satisfying enough fashion, bringing the story to a close while leaving enough open for the inevitable sequel.

Bottom line: definitely worth the read and bears watching to see how it develops. One complaint: I got tired of reading "Whymer Maze" again and again and again. Yes, this is all very complicated. Yes so is a maze. Yes I get it. ( )

It’s been some time since I read any epic fantasy; I stopped because it was all starting to sound the same to me. Lately, though, I’ve been on a quest for the quirky, the original, the off-beat. I’m tired of clichés and predictability, comfortable as they sometimes are to read.

Fortunately for me, Ken Scholes seems to be of the same mind. Lamentation, the first book of The Psalms of Isaak, while partaking of the spirit of traditional epic fantasy, gives the old tropes a new spin. Perhaps it is because his book partakes as much of science fiction as of fantasy (his book could as easily be a far future version of our own Earth as it could be a totally invented world); perhaps it is simply because he has a terrific imagination and a writing style to match. In any event, Lamentation was a pleasure to read.

The book begins with the destruction of Windwir: “The city screams and then sighs seven times, and after the seventh sigh, sunlight returns briefly to the scorched land.” A nuclear explosion? Something else? It is not possible to tell in this world where science seems to be indistinguishable from magic, and deliberately so, apparently the province of a religious order that seems much like a far future Catholic Church (as much as it seems like a far past Catholic Church, the Church of the Dark Ages when it preserved knowledge from total destruction). The destruction of the city leads to war between different kingdoms, each of which blames the other for the city’s annihilation. We know from the beginning who is truly responsible, but we do not know the motive except that the destroyer seems to be mad.

Scholes tells his story from the viewpoints of four characters, skipping from one to the other throughout the book. The device works well, for it gives us information we need to know what’s going on, while preserving secrets from characters who cannot know certain facts.

Rudolfo is the classic hero of the tale, a gypsy king who leads the Ninefold Forest Houses. But Scholes is not content to make him tall, handsome, brave and true. Instead, Rudolfo keeps Physicians of Penitent Torture on hand to “treat” miscreants with salted knives, and he watches them work while he dines sumptuously. At the same time, he treats women with dignity and grace; works to preserve the world’s knowledge when Windwir’s great library is destroyed; and is enormously skilled as a warrior and a dignitary. In addition, there are forces operating to make him what he is of which he knows nothing, making his life a tragedy and making him, to some extent, a puppet: but to what extent?

Our heroine is Jin Li Tam, a woman of great resourcefulness, but who is as close to a cliché as any character is this novel comes (and that is dangerously close, I regret to say). Despite her Asian name, she has characteristically Western features, and those of a fashion model at that, including every adolescent male’s dream of red hair and big breasts. And, of course, she is exceptionally skilled in bed, and of course she falls in love with the hero almost at first sight. At least Scholes has also chosen to make her cunning and, at least to some extent, ruthless.

Neb is a survivor of the destruction of Windwir, an acolyte of the religious order that ran the city. He is in his mid-teens, the son of a member of the order (and therefore technically fatherless; the members are supposed to be celibate, apparently, but that vow also appears to be dishonored with some regularity, so boys like Neb are not unusual). He becomes attached to Petronus, lately a fisherman from a village not far from Windwir. Petronus is drawn to Windwir when he sees to tower of smoke rising from the city’s destruction; we gradually learn why, as he assembles and manages a work crew that buries the dead of the city.

The plot involves the war between Rudolfo and his allies and Sethbert and his allies for control of what remains of Windwir and the Church. As mentioned above, we know from the outset that Sethbert has caused the destruction of Windwir. But Sethbert is able to manipulate the powers that be in such a way as to create doubt about who was truly responsible, and the result is war. Who joins with whom is surprising to many, including the allegiance of the mysterious Marsh King. The role of the financier to the Church, Vlad Li Tam (Jin Li’s father and Petronus’s boyhood friend), is also crucial to the outcome of the war.

This is not, however, so much a book about battles as about politics and political manipulation. That is why I found it so fascinating. The strategy, the history, the skills of the players, the personalities – everything is detailed carefully and colorfully, and the book is full of surprises. While some aspects of the ending of the book are never really in doubt (as with most fantasies), others came as a shock, and suggest that there is much, much more to be told in the four volumes of this saga that are yet to come.

And there is so much that I have not told you about Lamentation: I haven’t mentioned Isaak or his fellow mechoservitors; I’ve barely touched on the Androfrancine Order; and there is way more to the Marsh King than I’ve suggested here. This is a rich story indeed, beautifully told. ( )

"Lamentation, the debut novel by accomplished short story author Ken Scholes, has been receiving a lot of buzz recently and is already being talked about as possibly the best debut of the young year. While I agree that it's a worthy effort, I'm not sure it's the debut of the year...In spite of this, Lamentation is a very enjoyable read."

Read the Rest of This Review at Speculative Fiction Junkie ( )

I'm always a little wary when reading books that have all sorts of over-the-top quotes from other others, amazing pre-press reviews, etc. It just raises my expectations too high, and then I feel all let down.

This book totally deserved it all. Not only did it pull me along so tightly that I stayed up all night to finish it, but I actually felt *satisfied* with the ending, which is all too rare with the first book in a series. Characters across the book are developed in depth, not just one or two with the rest cardboard prop-ups. The world is both familiar and intriguingly different. While the book covers many of the same themes as most post-apocalyptic fiction -- distrust of science, religious resurgence, secret cults and conspiracies, and fiefdoms with competing ideologies -- enough twists and turns and new sparks are thrown in to create a story that is wholly engaging.

Oh, and did I mention the robots? :D ( )