It's not so much a case of misogyny as it is an inequality in how characters behave. There is an undercurrent of obsession with women and their sexuality, complete with the sexualization of rape and murder. He also seems to suffer from the same sexual discomfort that plagues so many fantasy authors. We also get problems solved by divine intervention whenever things start to slow, which doesn't leave the characters much room to be active. It relies on the same tricks over and over: any time a character is about to give important information to us, there will be a sudden attack or other interruption, as convenient and annoying as the moment when the dying man says "I was killed by. Again, I must agree with Nick Lowe: Wolfe's plot owes more to magic and convenience than good storytelling. His protagonist started off interestingly enough: an apparently weak and intelligent man, which made it all the more disappointing when he suddenly transformed into a laconic, wench-loving buttkicker who masters sword-fighting, finds the Super Magic Thing and follows the path of his Awesome Foretold Fate. He is better than the average fantasy author, but he resembles them more than he differs from them. Wolfe's terms pepper otherwise and unremarkable modern style, which hardly helps to throw us into a strange world. The terms are scattered throughout the book, but rarely contribute to a more pervasive linguistic style, as might be seen in The Worm Ouroboros, The Lord of the Rings, Gormenghast, or The King of Elfland's Daughter. Even those words I wasn't familiar with seemed clear by their use. Then again, after three years of writing stories about Roman whores in Latin, I had little problem with 'meretriculous'.
I appreciated his 'created language' more than most fantasy authors, but I didn't find it particularly mysterious or difficult, because all of his words are based on recognizable Germanic or Romantic roots. The prose of the second book is stronger than the first, but its plot and characters are more linear and predictable. His language and structure serves its purpose, only occasionally rising above mere utilitarianism, and then he rushes to florid flourishes that fall flat as often as they succeed. I would expect any author mentioned in the same breath as Peake to have an original and vibrant style, but I found Wolfe's writing to be simple without being elegant. Few live up to their reputation, but most at least deliver part of the promise. This book had been sitting on my shelf for months, along with other highly-praised works I've been looking forward to, but I bade my time, waiting for the mood to strike. Unfortunately, I was expecting him to be remarkable and interesting. I will give his fans one concession: Wolfe is an author who defies expectations. You can rarely trust the popular market to single out good authors, but you'd think it might be safe to listen to the opinions of other writers (especially an assemblage of Nebula and Hugo winners in their own right).
#Family sought tormentor. they shot wrong series
I will give his fans Wolfe has an almost legendary status amongst fellow authors Gaiman called him 'a ferocious intellect', Swanwick said he's "the greatest writer in the English language alive today", and Disch called this series "a tetralogy of couth, intelligence, and suavity". Wolfe has an almost legendary status amongst fellow authors Gaiman called him 'a ferocious intellect', Swanwick said he's "the greatest writer in the English language alive today", and Disch called this series "a tetralogy of couth, intelligence, and suavity".