Fair Rebel

Gunpowder has come to the Fourlands, courtesy of an arrogant but brilliant ex-artist fro the newly acquired island. So now there are muskets and rifles and massive traps packed with enough explosive power to wipe out waves of Insects. Or it would, if at the last minute it wasn't discovered that most of the gunpowder has been stolen. This causes horrible problems at the front, but that's nothing compared to the havoc that ensues when the thieves out the gunpowder to uses of their own. Terrorism has come to the Fourlands.

Brilliant, thrilling, horrifying breakneck action as an ossified social order acting as bulwark against an existential external threat comes under attack from centuries of built-up anger and resentment, harnessed by one show more driven genius consumed with hatred and a desire for revenge. But surely no-one could or would threaten the Emperor himself? show less

I’m not a great reader of fantasy, especially series rather than one-off tomes like [b:Imajica|567704|Imajica|Clive Barker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1333844729s/567704.jpg|1371342]. Yet I’m hooked on the Fourlands novels, because they’re so distinctively and delightfully odd. Each strikes a perfectly incongruous balance between the fantastically epic (war against giant insects, immortality, winged beings) and the resolutely mundane (crisps, workplace personality clashes, managing a drug problem). The world is ruled by the immortal and mysterious emperor San, who took over two millennia ago when god apparently left. He superintends the fight against huge people-eating insects by means of a meritocratic warrior aristocracy show more called the Circle. Those admitted to it after winning a contest become immortal, until someone challenges and beats them at their chosen discipline. This might seem like fairly standard fantasy fare, but there is also the surreal twist that the narrator, Jant, is a drug addict and his preferred poison transports him to another reality. The so-called Shift is a world of appealing visual metaphors and plays on words, filled with creatures like vermiforms, flummoxen, the Elephant of Conscience (invisible, but you can feel it), and The Monogoose. (My favourite would have to be the marzipandas.) This intense weirdness is a mere interlude, however, as ‘Fair Rebel’ largely deals with the domestic consequences of a new super-weapon (gunpowder) that has been developed to fight the endless war against giant insects.

Jant is an effective narrator because he is the emperor’s messenger and thus spends most of his time flying around (literally - he has wings), working out what disaster is happening now. In this case, frustration with the inequalities in society spills over into violence that can no longer be channelled into the insect war. The semi-feudal politics and economics of the Fourlands are cleverly explored, as are the implications of introducing new technologies. This is a theme that I haven’t often seen explored so effectively in fantastical fiction: it’s very difficult to keep magical or quasi-magical weaponry in the hands of an elite. What about all the seemingly invisible people who serve that elite? Perhaps they might want some way to redress the balance? Fantasy worlds with rigid hierarchies are boring; social upheaval is much more fun. Although most of the book is from the perspective of Jant, part of the elite, the lower orders also get their chance to speak, which was definitely a good choice. I found the plot very tense and involving, as Swainston is not shy of throwing in sudden catastrophes with lasting consequences. Aha, perhaps that’s the root of my fondness for this series: there’s a sense of history, of society evolving and changing, rather than unconvincing stasis. At the same time, details of language and description give the world colour and depth, while the action and chase scenes are exhilarating. There are plenty of lovely passages in which Jant swoops around and slices up giant insects with a katana.

On the other hand, it has been seven years since the last Fourlands novel, so I couldn’t immediately remember who everyone was or what exactly had previously occurred. There’s a bit of metatextual awkwardness as Jant gives the reader helpful reminders, however this conceit isn’t used very much. There was a somewhat unsubtle Chekov's Gun situation that meant I was anticipating a twist that indeed eventuated. Waiting for the rest of the characters to catch up (or not) was exceedingly tense, though. Also, to put this in the broadest possible non-spoilery terms, I wondered whether the ending would really go there and indeed it did. I hope there will be further dispatches from the Fourlands, as I’m very interested to find out how these latest upheavals play out. And will Jant be able to replace his leather jacket? show less

Fair Rebel is the fifth novel in the Fourlands Series by Steph Swainston.

Plot:
15 years have passed since the Emperor San and the Vermiform clashed. By now the Fourlands have discovered gunpowder and are ready for a last big strike against the insects. But before they can actually carry it out, it turns out that the gunpowder has been tampered with and has been liberally mixed with sand. This discovery sends Jant, the Emperor's messenger, on a chase to find the culprit and the missing gunpowder - before things are blown up that aren't insects.

Fair Rebel finally returns to the Fourlands (although it wasn't that long of a wait for me because I was a little later in discovering the series, but the last one before this one was a prequel, so show more anyway) and it does so with a bang - quite literally. As usual, I very much loved reading about this world and was excited about the new twist and turns the story makes.

Read more on my blog: http://kalafudra.com/2017/07/05/fair-rebel-steph-swainston/ show less

...I did feel Swainston leaves us hanging a bit in the final chapters of the novel. While one part of the story is resolved, a rather large cliffhanger is left to deal with in the next volume. If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, Fair Rebel is a very good read. It is probably the fastest paced of the Castle novels I have read so far. It is one of those books where you just have to read the next volume to see how the story continues. After four novels, many fantasy worlds begin to feel familiar. There clearly is much more to explore in Fourlands though. I eagerly await the next novel to see what else Swainston has in store for us.

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