Shared worlds got me into reading fantasy. It started with the various Greek myths while eventually moving on to Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms tie-in fiction. (I didn’t know anyone that played Dungeons & Dragons; so, I was stuck reading only.) But it’s been years since I stepped back into any novels of shared worlds. Recently, I read and reviewed Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Redemption’s Blade without knowing that it was a shared world setting. As it became available, I read Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson, which takes place in the same world shortly after the events of the first book. I admit to being hesitant to start this book because different author means different narrative. I really enjoyed Redemption’s Blade and the world it introduced. It’s a world big enough for multiple people to play in, and I commend the author for stepping into someone else’s sandbox. That’s a special kind of courage that I wouldn’t have. While I enjoyed Salvation’s Fire, it didn’t live up to the shadow its predecessor cast.
TL;DR
Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson is an enjoyable if confusing return to the world of Guardians and Yorughan. Recommended to those who liked Redemption’s Blade but put some time and other works between the two readings.
From the Publisher
The thrilling new fantasy adventure from the world of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Redemption’s Blade
The Tzarkomen necromancers sacrificed a thousand women to create a Bride for the Kinslayer so he would spare them in the war. But the Kinslayer is dead and now the creation intended to ensure his eternal rule lies abandoned by its makers in the last place in the world that anyone would look for it.
Which doesn’t prevent someone finding her by accident.
Will the Bride return the gods to the world or will she bring the end of days? It all depends on the one who found her, Kula, a broken-hearted little girl with nothing left to lose.
Story
The previous book ended with the Guardian Wanderer questing after the world’s missing gods. This book takes up that quest with a too large cast of characters. Our favorites – Celestaine, Heno, Nedlam, Heno, Ralas, Deffo, Dr. Catt, and Fisher – return. Ms. Robson introduces readers to new characters Kula, Lysandra, Wanderer, Bukham, and, last but never least, Tricky. The characters coalesce into a group, then split the part, and then return together for an epic if rushed finale. Wanderer is in search of the gods, and Lysandra, the Kinslayer’s Bride, is accidentally loosed upon the world. But for what purpose?
Like Redemption’s Blade, Salvation’s Fire is a quest novel. Each of the characters is after something with poor Celestaine, Heno, Ralas, and Nedlam along for the ride. Seriously, this group just can’t catch a break, which probably suits them as they can’t sit still either. The core party meets at one of the best pieces of scenery from the previous novel: a forest that is perpetually on fire with the spirits of the forest tormented by the flames. Ms. Robson puts her own touch on this setting, and I found it quite effective. Along the way, we stop in at Ilkand and Nydarrow as we head north to our final destination.
The story confused me. I understood that the goal was to find the gods, but the how never got fleshed out. This volume seemed more like a way to show off the cool geographical locations and peoples rather than an action driven plot. It meandered, took its time getting to the reason why it was a story, and then rushed the ending. I didn’t understand where the story was going until over halfway through the novel, but then the final battle, climax, and denouement all occurred in the last five percent of the book (per my kindle app). The unevenness meant I really struggled to get into the story, and it failed to keep me glued to the chair until the last quarter of the book.
Characters
Between the new set and the inherited characters, I preferred the new. They were more interesting and fun. Tricky was my favorite after her eventual introduction, and I found myself looking forward to her chapters. Kula and Lysandra made great additions to this world, and I’m sad that the Tzarkomen are no more. That people and their ways have deep potential for fascinating stories. Their nation was truly strange and, if I had my way, explored more. Of the inherited characters, Heno and Ralas shine. Heno’s character starts as traitor/resistor (depending on your perspective), and his arc has been how he deals with what he did under the Kinslayer. This arc continues and is explored more here. Though page time isn’t dominated by Heno, we get a look at some of his demons and see him strive for the better.
In the last book, I loved Dr. Catt and Fisher the best, but here, it’s Ralas and Tricky that shine. Their interactions through music, magic, and subterfuge interested me the most. I still don’t know what to make of Tricky. How complicit was she in the Kinslayer’s crimes? And yet was she responsible for bringing Heno, Nedlam, and Celestaine together? Tricky is an entity all her own, and Ralas is our surrogate for traveling with her. What a trip it is. For me, these two make the book. The third installment should be four characters only, Dr. Catt and Fisher on one storyline with Tricky and Ralas on another.
Nedlam had some interesting character moments here. Again, her character didn’t get much page time, but solid work happens when she does. She is becoming more interesting with each installment. Bukham was bland. He didn’t do much for me. This is possibly because the others were so great. Celestaine, in this book, was overshadowed by the last. This characterization didn’t live up to the first book, and it’s possible that is being unfair to this installment. If so, I’m okay with being unfair. Celestaine just didn’t seem as compelling this go around, and I believe that’s because she was so fully fleshed out in the previous book.
Shared Worlds
I think the shared world concept works to varying success for Ms. Robson. Her additions, her creations are excellent. They shine, and there are some really weird moments in the novel that I loved. But the material she picked up, didn’t succeed as well for me. For the inherited characters that did work for me, it was because Ms. Robson was starting with less of foundation than the other characters. Celestaine was fleshed out in the previous novel, and her portrayal shows a wide difference between the two stories. My impression might have suffered due to the previous portrayal and differences in writing style.
But it might have also kept me in the book. The pacing was so slow. The journey was pretty and took us to a lot of places at too slow of a pace for me. Your mileage may vary. Until the last ten percent of the novel, I thought this novel was the first of a larger story. I was prepared for a cliffhanger and part two to finish the novel, but the end comes fast and hard. It was partially satisfying but the speed of the end makes me wonder what I missed earlier on.
Conclusion
Overall, I liked the book. I think I might have liked it more if I’d have spaced out the read between it and Redemption’s Blade. The two books are vastly different, but both provide a view into an interesting setting. This book builds upon the foundation that Adrian Tchaikovsky set. The characters and scenery are lovely, and it’s an interesting journey. Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson is an uneven but enjoyable read.