Mistress of the Catacombs

The Isles Series

Mistress of the Catacombs is the fourth novel of the Isles series (following Lord of the Isles, Queen of Demons, and Servant of the Dragon). The series features a kingdom of islands and a system of magic that reaches its peak every thousand years. Unfortunately for residents of the Isles, this rising of magical power tends to bring chaos and evil. With a new peak approaching, the heroes and heroines attempt to reestablish the rule of the Kingdom before it is too late to face the onslaught. The Old Kingdom itself fell into ruin a thousand years earlier when fleets and islands sank in a cataclysm of unleashed, uncontrollable magic.

The series focuses on two pairs of siblings who come from a simple pastoral island and come into royal power. Garric and his sister, Sharina, learn that they are descended from royalty, and Garric is named Prince of the Isles. Garric attempts to unite the Isles under the banner of the Kingdom. He also has an advisor in his mind—the ancient King Carus, who died in the cataclysm of the past. Though not of royal blood, Ilna and her brother Cashel, are Halflings—not of the diminutive type but of the magical type. Cashel is a gentle giant—his size balanced by his experience as a shepherd. Ilna is a seamstress who can weave magic with cloth and rope. Expanding on the original quartet are Liane, Garric's love interest, and Tenoctris—a sorceress from the past with much magical wisdom but little magical power.

The Story

This time around, Tisamur—an Isle in the southern region—is rebelling against the re-establishment of the Kingdom. Prince Garric, the current true ruler of the Isles, moves to stop the rebellion. His benevolent intention is two-fold: to continue his consolidation of the kingdom, and—more importantly—he has reason to believe that the rebels are mere tools at the hands of evil wizards or magical forces too terrible to behold. But before they can begin, Garric, Ilna and Cashel are all magically pulled into separate worlds. With no time to waste, Sharina, Liane, and Tenoctris must prepare the invasion of Tisamur. But they are not alone, because a very important old ally has made himself known to them.

Comments

Drake has a direct style that keeps the plot unfolding and moving. Reading about his mainstay characters is like dropping in on old friends, while the newest supporting cast is interesting as always. Garric teams up with a group of desperate men and bonds in friendship with an ape-woman. Cashel meets the Lady Tilphosa, whose sorceress mentor is far less than trustworthy. Ilna finds herself teamed with a wild barbarian woman who doesn't hesitate to use her magic or her body as quickly as she uses her knife, and without any compunction concerning the consequences. And Sharina finds herself meeting one of her own ancestors in a form she wouldn't have expected.

The plot lines are tightly woven, and as with the rest of the series, they are revealed through the points-of-view of the four original heroes. There are no villains giving exposition. The reader is on the same journey as the protagonists.

As usual, among the cast of humans are a fine cast of monsters and magical creatures. We are treated to giant spiders, armies of lizard men, and hordes of bipedal insects—just to name a few of the obstacles the heroes must overcome.

This story also has a few surprises, and it's good for a story to surprise a reader, as long as the surprise is plausible, and these certainly are.

The Isles are a combination of medieval pastoral communities and the classical city-states of Rome or Greece. Drake's knowledge of ancient cultures and ancient military (plus his own personal combat veteran knowledge) allows him to create a rich tapestry of setting without flinching from brutal and honest depictions of warfare when required. It is these touches that bring out the texture of the characters and their world.

Drake's remarkable ability to unfold the tale entirely through the heroes' points-of-view fails him slightly here. Some important characters fall out of the story. The Pack—amorphous evil gray blob creatures—are never satisfactorily explained. They're dangerous, and they end up being very convenient near the end (not quite deus ex machina, but close.)

One of the most common criticisms leveled against the Isles series is that it is repetitive. Each novel is intentionally formulaic. The four companions get separated, each has his or her own adventures, and then they all dovetail at the end. Drake was asked to write a series, so he did. Drake was not modeling on the current fantasy glut of never-ending stories that span volumes. Each Isles novel stands alone and can be read out of order. It's not unlike picking up a mystery novel.

I would not recommend sitting down and reading the entire Isles series in one sequential pass, because it will get repetitious. But I certainly would recommend reading these novels!

There is forward progression of an overarching storyline – each novel tends to bring yet another island under control of the Kingdom. Though, admittedly, the main characters don't change much after the first two novels, where they go from being simple peasants to attaining their current royal positions.

Summary

The positives of this novel—indeed, of Drake entire Isles series—far outweigh any negatives. If you like your high fantasy with a good dose of authenticity and sword-and-sorcery sensibility, then grab yourself Mistress of the Catacombs (or any of the other Isles novels) and enjoy!