The White Tribunal

In many ways it's as strong as her other books; in others, her style has almost become a trope. The strength of this book lies in its descriptions of the realities of being imprisoned, in isolation, and the ways in which the human mind copes. She also delves very well into obsession/addiction and the ways in which power is itself the ultimate drug.

This book is loosely based on the Spanish Inquisition with a bit of Volsky's magical realism throw in. The time of the wizards is past and in their place is a White Tribunal that exists to ensure that magic does not get out of hand. In the time since the Tribunal was created to the book's timeframe, about 100 years, the latest priest of the White Tribunal has begun seizing estates and show more bringing people to the torments that he has dreamed up to enable their "confessions" to working magic.

Again, the subject matter could not be more relevant: Salem, MA; the Inquisition; the Hollywood Blacklist; and the idea of an enemies list are all the undercurrent that she brings to light in her brilliant way of capturing her characters' psyches. What is not quite as astounding from her past books is the way in which the demons who control the magic are explained. It almost feels that she wrote herself down a path, came up with an idea of another plane co-existing with ours, that is the source of magic in this world. Except that the demon that makes magic happen in our world has supplanted the true deity that the White Tribunal worships and so there is chaos on the Astral Plane. That explanation was a little too pat for me and could possibly have been better developed. But again, the re-envisioning of various times of trials was very well done. show less

Surprisingly good, I thought. Few of the characters, including the protagonist, are likable, and much is left unexplained, but even with those drawbacks, I found myself eager to keep reading and discover how it would end. I also thought there was some not-too-preachy commentary on vengeance and justice.

A fun little story, showing the personal toll that revenge takes. It is set in a world where religious orthodoxy condemns rich landowners, so the church-state can acquire the lands in retribution.

In a single torturous chapter, young nobleman Tradain liMarchborg loses his family, wealth and freedom. He is sentenced to a lifetime in a hellish prison. By chance, he escapes after growing up in the prison, and devotes the remainder of his life to revenge. This was a gripping book, but Tradain’s methods of vengeance are ridiculously intricate and convoluted.

The first half of the book moved along nicely, if slowly. Then the end just sort of went 'thud' and lay there like a dead fish.