The Griffin or the Agate

Night of Madness marks the return of author Lawrence Watt-Evans to the setting of his previous Ethshar novels. The other books are better considered a collection, as opposed to a series, because while all are set in the world that Watt-Evans has created, none share the same protagonist. Familiar characters may pop up occasionally in supporting roles, but each new story is exactly that — a new story. No ongoing sagas, no endless quests to destroy the ultimate evil which always just manages to escape at the very end, no rewarming of tired heroes to placate the masses hungering for comfortable sameness. Watt-Evans eschews high fantasy for tales that may be lighter on action than most but rely much more heavily on characters and their development. The Misenchanted Sword was about a soldier, linked to a magicked blade, and how he must cope with the lifelong ramifications of possessing such an item. The Blood of the Dragon featured as a central character a headstrong boy with no special powers or abilities who is engaged in nothing more than finding a career path. The Spell of the Black Dagger, in which an eavesdropping thief accidentally creates a weapon of outrageous power, shows that sometimes gaining power isn't as satisfying as one might believe or hope.
     Such is the way of Watt-Evans' writings, and he continues the trend in Night of Madness. Magic, with its many permutations and intricacies, has always been a major factor in his stories. His system is a highly detailed hierarchy of the mystical arts, and it proves absorbing. Theurgists are closely allied to the gods, while their counterparts, demonologists, are aptly named for their field of expertise. Witches specialize in healing and empathetic skills, but are limited in power to what they can draw from their own bodies.
     And then there are the wizards. Organized into a powerful guild, they are the de facto rulers of the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars, limiting the power of the overlords while utilizing the best spells, such as immortality and travelling tapestries, for themselves. Truly, none of the other magicks could even remotely compare to them in power.
     Until warlockry appeared one night, coming into being as a fiery object blazed across the sky and buried itself somewhere in the Small Kingdoms. Chosen seemingly by random, people from all walks of life woke up screaming, plagued by horrific nightmares and suddenly possessed of previously unthinkable powers. Some vanish immediately, while others are left to try and comprehend just what it is that they've become. Such is the starting point of Night of Madness, and it loosely follows the events that swirl around Lord Hanner, a minor nobleman caught up in the insanity. As the world reacts to these newly empowered magicians with confusion and fear, the affected struggle to understand and cope with their strange new abilities. Warlocks who were formerly wizards find themselves cut off from their previous powers and ostracized by their guild — a guild which must suddenly deal with a type of magic that can overpower theirs. Even more daunting is the realization that warlockry comes with a price — the more one uses it, the more powerful they get, but the more loudly they will hear the mysterious Calling — an unknown from which no warlock has ever returned.
     Watt-Evans' quirky, off-beat prose is fluid and enticing, as usual. He has a gift for drawing the reader in, for making it easy to care about the character and become interested in their outcome. His players are normal people - they suffer from jealousy, bouts of stupidity, overweening pride — and those looking for mighty-thewed warriors hacking their way to a climactic battle against the forces of evil will be disappointed. Those who enjoy a thoughtful, engaging, well written book will not.  §

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