The Belly of the Bow (Fencer, Book 2)

by K. J. Parker

Paperback, 2000

Status

Available

Call number

813

Publication

Orbit (2000), Edition: New Ed, 528 pages

Description

The city of Perimadeia has fallen. Bardas Loredan, the man who was supposed to save it, is now living on the Island - a recluce, living apart from his family in the mountains, with only a young apprentice for company. His life as a fencer-at-law is over. Instead, Loredon spends his days perfecting the art of bow-making. But his isolation will not last forever; and when the Island comes under attack, his skills as a soldier and general are once again called upon. COLOURS IN THE STEEL, Volume One of the Fencer Trilogy, introduced a remarkable new voice in fantasy fiction. THE BELLY OF THE BOW confirms that rich promise and establishes K. J. Parker in the top rank of writers.

User reviews

LibraryThing member jkdavies

Wow! What a kick at the end! I had to say, I thought Bardas had taken the disappointment and second self imposed exile from his home rather mildly, until that twist at the end...
I am not sure about the "magic" used in the book, but I think that is the point...

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LibraryThing member antao

A lot of people think of Parker’s SF as a stuffy, pompous, pastime of snobs and elitist. They couldn't be more wrong. It is massively popular among all classes in SF fandom and if you just “listen” to the music of the human condition, you will probably want more. Sure, someone might go mad,

commit suicide in a number of ways, burned to death of in some manner or other and dies. Sometimes things do work out and villains get what is coming to them and lovers prevail (sometimes). Parker’s fiction is bigger than life and so satisfying and full of everything that makes me want to believe there’s still hope for contemporary SF.

Anybody can impersonate Elvis, that’s the thing. There are many Elvis impersonators, but only one Pavarotti (aka Parker). Try “The Belly of the Bow”, since it lacks the cheesy stage farce qualities of the latest Brett (“The Desert Prince”), or the bizarre pantomime meets mysticism, with lashings of stupid script of “The Firstborn Trilogy”.

I used to feel just a bit lukewarm about contemporary SF, snootily affecting to prefer the vintage kind. That was years ago. Now, I don't think I could read, say, Goodkind’s ''Soul of the Fire” without requiring periodic massage for the sacro-lumbar area. Fortunately we still have Parker who gets on with it, writes above-average SF, as opposed to most of the crap's tedious rambling SF prose of contemporary SF. Hats off to Parker for being able to write characters that we care about (even when they do things out of character as we all do sometimes) . His characters are real people, instead of gods and goblins and wizards (even the so-called “wizards” feel like real people).

If you want to know what “The Principle” is you’ll probably have to wait for the 3rd volume…

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LibraryThing member Fiddleback_

Definitely a second act book.

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