FANTASY REVIEW: The Alchemist in the Shadows - Pierre Pevel

Release Date: 16/09/10

BOOK BLURB:

Welcome to Paris, in 1633, where dragons menace the realm. Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful and most feared man in France, is on his guard. He knows France is under threat, and that a secret society known as the Black Claw is conspiring against him from the heart of the greatest courts in Europe. They will strike from the shadows, and when they do the blow will be both terrible and deadly. To counter the threat, Richelieu has put his most trusted men into play: the Cardinal's Blades, led by Captain la Fargue. Six men and a woman, all of exceptional abilities and all ready to risk their lives on his command. They have saved France before, and the Cardinal is relying on them to do it again. So when la Fargue hears from a beautiful, infamous, deadly Italian spy claiming to have valuable information, he has to listen ...and when La Donna demands Cardinal Richelieu's protection before she will talk, la Fargue is even prepared to consider it. Because La Donna can name their enemy. It's a man as elusive as he is manipulative, as subtle as Richelieu himself, an exceptionally dangerous adversary: the Alchemist in the shadows ...


REVIEW:

Having read the original novel by this French author, I really enjoyed his Dumas style alongside his characters, who whilst flawed, did their best to follow their own codes of honour. It’s stylistic, it has a flowing script and, to top it all off, it has dragons thrown in. What Pevel does well, and probably what helped him win the David Gemmell Morningstar Award, is his dialogue, its got ton’s of formality that help place the characters into the timeline and backed up with emotional content that has added to the mythos that he helped establish back in the Cardinal’s Blades.

Finally add a thrill seeking roller coaster of plot twists and you know that it’s an adventure you’d best hold onto. Of my concerns with the original, this one does bring the dragons more to the fore in this offering which adds new layers and helps explain why they really had to be there as the original story laid the background, this one adds more context. A well written piece and I can’t wait for the final part.

INTERVIEW: Pierre Pevel

With the success of Andrzj Sapkowski in the David Gemmell Legend Award, it's gone to show that Fantasy Fan's are more than willing to give foreign authors a swing of the broadsword.

Backed up by Gollancz's mission statement to increase the options of foreign authors from 1% to 5% this year has brought us recently Pierre Pevel, one of the premiere Fantasy Authors in France today. In his first offering we have a touch of Dumas blended with the mystical elements of Dragons and Magic which is sure to be a hit with fans the world over so we thought it was high time that we crossed swords with him to find out a few things from how he gets his idea's to his must own books...

Falcata Times: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?

Pierre Pevel: Good question. Frankly, writing is more or less the only thing I know how to do. So from that point of view, writing was an inevitable choice for me. On the other hand, I don’t really feel a need to write. More a need to invent stories and tell them. I could be quite happy writing scripts for cinema or bande dessinée. But regardless of that, I do try to take pains with matters of style.


FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?

PP: The first time I was actually paid for a text I wrote. It seemed like a very good deal to me.


FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?

PP: I’m not very confortable writing short texts. I’ve only written two short stories in my whole life. That’s all. In my opinion, writing a short story only proves that you can write a short story.


FT: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?

PP: I write historical novels in which fantasy intervenes. The Cardinal’s Blades is a cloak-and-dagger novel… with dragons. I wrote it with the idea that the reader would start on page 1, read the whole way through, and in the end have the feeling that it was too short.


FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?

PP: Uhh… That’s pretty much what I just did, isn’t it?


FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?

PP: Everyone’s personal library should include The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. That’s a must. Other than that, I never miss a new novel by James Lee Burke.


FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?

PP: I don’t start writing until I know the story and the characters down to the smallest detail. In order to do that, I write an extremely elaborate script. That takes me several months. In fact, I consider that I carry out two jobs. First, that of a scriptwriter, when I imagine the story. Then that of the novelist, when I recount it.


FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?

PP: To relax, I play with one of my game consoles, I watch TV series, I read, or I play with my cats.


FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?

PP: My soul is pure and without blemish. All of my pleasures in life are virtuous and laudable.


FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)

PP: I have cats. Three of them. And they’re just like any cats. A human character who had a cat’s personality would be unbearable, but that might be an idea that’s worth pursuing…


FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?

PP: Marciac. He’s wily, courageous, a gambler, a drinker, a womaniizer and… in love.


FT: How similar to your principal protagonist are you?

PP: I don’t think I resemble my characters in the slightest. They are much, much braver than me. And I don’t possess any of their talents.


FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?

PP: My passion for TV series has certainly influenced me. The narrative techniques employed in modern series are highly effective, and I try to find literary equivalents in my writing.


FT: Where do you get your idea's from?

PP: I shut myself up in my office… and I search for them.


FT: Do you ever encounter writer’s block and if so how do you overcome it?

PP: I sometimes have trouble imagining a given turn of events in the plot of a novel. The only way to overcome the obstacle is to keep on looking and looking until I find THE right idea that unblocks everything. But once I’ve finished the scenario, the actual writing of the novel usually advances at a steady pace. For me, sheer laziness is a much bigger danger than blank page syndrome.


FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?

PP: My days are all more or less alike. I wake up at noon. I work in the afternoons until evening. And I return to work after midnight. I get to bed around 3 am and I read until I fall asleep.


FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?

PP: I don’t generally listen to music much, and certainly not when I’m writing, or even thinking. I need complete silence.


FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publishing field when you were first getting started?

PP: I believed that a book’s success depended solely on its quality. And I also believed that the work was basically done when you finished writing the book.


FT: If music be the food of love, what do you think writing is and please explain your answer?

PP: Writing is a painless way to earn a living. And you can even derive satisfactions from it other than financial gain.


FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?

PP: The sequel to The Cardinal’s Blades has already been published in France. I think the title in English will be The Alchemist in the Shadows. I can tell you that the Blades take up service again to counter a threat to the French throne and that an old enemy resurfaces.

FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?

PP: Wikipedia, Playboystore.com, Amazon.co.uk, Gamespot.com, Menstyle.fr.


FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.

PP: I learned my craft all on my own, by practicing it. There’s no secret involved. In order to write well, you need to keep on writing.


FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?

PP: From the moment you’ve been published, you know your work will be judged. If you find this intolerable, you should seek another line of employment. The most annoying sort of bad reviews, in my view, are the ones that seem to lack sincerity. Other than that, I recognise that everyone has the right not to like what I do. I’d rather receive good reviews than bad ones, but they don’t stop me from sleeping at night.


FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?

PP: It’s a lonely job, and it’s a lonely job.

FANTASY REVIEW: The Cardinal's Blades - Pierre Pevel

BOOK BLURB:

The Cardinal's Blades is part historical novel, part old-fashioned swashbuckling high-action adventure, and part classic fantasy. S Pierre Pevel has woven some of the best-loved fantasy tropes - musketeer-style adventuring, daring swordsmen, political intrigue, non-stop action and dragons - into a stunning new fantasy series. Paris, 1633. Louis XIII reigns over France ...and Cardinal Richelieu governs the country. One of the most dangerous and most powerful men in Europe, Richelieu keeps a constant, sharp eye on the enemies of the Crown to avoid their assassination attempts, thwart their spies and avert their warmongering. But he's up against people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even going so far as to forge alliances with France's oldest and deadliest enemies. Spain, and the Court of Dragons. The nobility keep tiny dragonnets as pets; royal couriers ride tame wyverns, and lethal man-shaped scaled dracs ropam the country. But the power rising from the Court of Dragons is anything but mundane; the Black Claw sect draws on dragons as they once were: ancient, terrible, utterly merciless ...and poised to move against France.Faced with the growing threat from Spain, Richelieu summons Captain la Fargue, an exceptional swordsman, devoted officer and brilliant leader. If he's to turn aside the Black Claw's schemes, La Fargue and his legenday company of swashbucklers and rogues must be persuaded to once again risk their lives, fortunes and reputations for Richelieu, and for France. It's the biggest challenge yet for The Cardinal's Blades - and they'll need to be sharp ...


REVIEW:

If you love Dumas and want a fantasy take on perhaps his most famous set of characters in a fantasy setting then this is the tale for you. Written by a Frenchman and translated for the first time into the English Language this story is going to be something either you’ll love or hate. It’s evocative, its addictive but perhaps most of all it’s a flavour of a country that only someone with intimate knowledge of the secret back passages alongside sights and smells can deliver.

That said, one thing that might annoy English readers is the constant use of French words within the text. For example instead of saying Knight it uses Chevalier and whilst many will accept place names as something as standard, when you’re getting titles alongside “Noms de Guerre” and place nicknames, it can make the whole thing a little confusing as the nuances of the French language can be lost to those not used to the subtleties within.

Other than that it is extremely well written, the translation beautifully handled and goes to show how much Gollancz believes in this author. A true sign that well written fantasy translates the world over as well as allowing the reader a tale that brings to the fore the might of mankind’s courage against the darkness faced by those who hide in shadow. My final niggle is in regard to whether Dragons were required or whether this would have been better as a historical fiction piece as I felt that they really didn’t add much to the piece other than to take it into the fantasy genre. An interesting quandary and from what I’ve heard from friends who are already looking forward to the second novel in the series, definitely one that is worth pursuing.