Huso follows The Last Page with a disjointed narrative. High King Caliph Howl of Stonehold has been reading the ancient Cisrym Ta, a tome that holds the secrets of the past. His wife, Sena Iilool, has been credited with raising him from the dead, and becomes the focus of a cult. Taelin Rae, an official’s daughter from the southern realm of Pandragor, wants to found a branch of the church of Nenuln in Stonehold, and sees Sena as a blasphemer. Caliph must deal with plague and threats of assassination as well as Taelin’s attempts to destroy Sena. Obscure and invented terminology reinforces the disjointed nature of the novel. The setting is a fascinating, if sometimes unwieldy and jarring, combination of classical fantasy tropes and advanced technology The novel is at times reminiscent of Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun and will appeal most to readers who like to think hard about their fantasy. Agent: Paula Guran at Guran Literary Services. (Aug.)
