I could easily write herein that “Gareth L. Powell’s Embers of War is an excellent book," and "that I strongly urge that you should read it!” and that would be an accurate if somewhat short summation of my feelings about the novel. However, such short-hand recommendation would not be doing justice to either the book or Mr Powell – and so - without giving any plot lines away, I shall attempt to give you some better reasons to part with your hard earned money and purchase this extraordinary novel.
Firstly - the book.
‘Embers of War’ is a thoroughly modern book, and that is an important distinction. Too many contemporary sci-fi authors are stuck in the past; which is kind of ironic, considering most of the stories they write are set way, way in the future.
By this I mean, I read a lot of books, and in my own personal opinion, too many authors these days follow a rut in the road, up an ever steepening gradient, laid down by those golden authors of Sci-Fi such as Asimov, Clarke, and Aldiss.
This is not a bad thing, and is no criticism you understand. I myself, having had practically no formal schooling worth a damn; am often asked – “But how then did you learn to write books?” and I always reply with the simple truth of - “By learning from the best!” As an autodidactic this has always worked for me, but I recognise the trap of predictability one can fall into when writing, and all too often when reading a new novel I find that I can already guess the plotline well before I get to the meat of the story, (mainly because somebody – usually one of the abovementioned smartarses – has already been there and done that). ‘Embers of War’ does not possess this failing!
For certain there are a few familiar Sci-Fi tropes contained within its pages. The laws of physics for example, do not give a hoot about an author’s artistic narrative, and these laws must be gotten around with believability for the reader, or the story collapses, becomes just another nickel and dime novel that you can throw away without compunction.
What Gareth L. Powell does, and very cleverly too I might add; is to take the greatest limitation of the Laws of Physics when writing a space opera, ‘the speed of light’, and turn it into a major part of the plot.
I won’t go into detail here; I do not want to spoil your surprise. But you only get a real sense of the power of this intrigue in the second novel (which I am currently devouring) and that in this writer’s experience is new.
The first novel ‘Embers of War’ could stand alone - and does, even if you never progressed to book two, you would be satisfied. But within its cleverly crafted pages, the story sets out a plot which is only ever hinted at, but never explored; even whilst it pursues its current story with thrilling vigour, leaving us thirsting for more. It is a desert in need of hydration and, as I am currently discovering, it is a thirst quickly quenched as book two's plot thrusts you straight into the meat of the story, with something akin to savagery.
What is particularly fun in ‘Embers of War’ (for me that is,) is it that Mr Powell has mastered something so many current author’s fail at - the art of dialogue.
Too often I find characters in modern (and some classic) novels to be stilted in their language, their interactions with others trite or too explanative. It is as though some authors imagine the reader to be too dense to understand, that not every single thing needs to be spelled out. John Steinbeck was a master of this, as was Raymond Chandler.
Mr Powell too avoids these traps with easy grace, and a subtle humour. His writing style reminds me greatly of one of my all time favourite authors, the late Julian May - who sadly passed in 2017; but that is opinion only. What I can say for certain, what is not opinion, is that Gareth L. Powell is a great writer, far better than I, and somebody as an autodidactic I in turn will be learning from.
His prose is easy and loose, yet he olds tight to his story. There is a steady feel of accomplishment to the work that sucks you in. I am particularly pleased by the fact that unlike some, he is not afraid to say the word “Fuck,” when the story calls for it, but never over does the expletives for the sake of shock.
If I had to give ‘Embers of War’ a mark out of ten – and I suppose I really must – I would have to give the novel a 9.5 out of 10. The remaining 0.5 of a mark I withhold, simply because the clever bastard might get big headed if I gave it the TEN it deserves.
Oh by the way –
"Gareth L. Powell’s Embers of War is an excellent book, and I strongly urge you to read it!”
