Piers Anthony Review!

The novel caught hold of me and I read it swiftly. Herewith my forthcoming review.

I read The Child of Chaos, by Glen Dahlgren, Book 1 of the Chronicles of Chaos. I have a special interest in Chaos, as the Demon of Chaos appears in a future Xanth novel, written but not yet published. Needless to say—so naturally I am saying it—my take on Chaos is different and much lighter than what is presented in the novel I am reviewing here. But I think we agree that Chaos is at least the equal of all the more conventional figures combined, and is to be treated with respect if not outright fear. Chaos is the original state of the universe, before the domains of Order got established. We see this in Elf Righteous, reviewed above, and in my coming novel Skeleton Key. Fans of the concept of Chaos are welcome to take note. The author of this volume has a comprehensive background in electronic gaming, and is now moving on to writing his own fiction. He is clearly competent in the fantasy genre, and this book shows him to be a formidable novelist in his own right. This is what fantasy fiction should be, though it is so hard-hitting that I’m not sure it is really suitable for younger adults.

In Child of Chaos, the main protagonist—there are several viewpoint characters in the course of the novel—is Galen, who starts as a boy of twelve and ages as time passes. He and his twin sister Myra are on their way to test for service to the religion Charity, along with two friends. They have some trouble with mean spirited bullies, but do get there, and Myra passes the test to become a priestess. Galen doesn’t pass, but there is something odd about him, as if some other force is calling him. Meanwhile the bully Horace uses his ruthless cunning to sneak into the Temple of Evil and take over as its head priest. He then uses similar ugly skills to do the same with the Temple of War. Then he comes after the Temple of Charity, which is when it gets complicated. Galen and Myra fight back, but the outcome is by no means certain. There is a quality of imagination and detail here that impresses me, along with good characterization. This is no ordinary sword and sorcery story. This is another novelist who I think will become more widely known as his skill is appreciated. Look for it August 16.

Piers Anthony