I’ve read about a dozen books by Tanya Huff, but none as frustrating as Into the Broken Lands. Huff’s new novel straddles the border of fantasy and science fiction. The novel is set in a desolate world where survivors of the Mage War struggle to survive. Six incredibly powerful Mages unleashed death and suffering that still persist in the Broken Lands where the Mage War has lasting effects.
A group of warriors and scholars from Marsan arrive at Gateway, the last stop on the Mage Road to the Broken Lands. There, they add “the weapon” to their party–a mage-created creature with astounding strength and knowledge of the dangers of the Broken Lands.
This quest gets off to a very slow start. The group is stuck in Gateway for 156 pages (of a 452 page book). Finally, the trip into the Broken Lands begins and the group faces traps and weird creatures all along the way. Reality is skewed in the Broken Lands and death is just a wrong step away.
One by one, members of the group get picked off and die from the sinister dimensions of the Broken Land. Huff annoyed me when she killed off the most interesting member of the group so unless reincarnation is an option in a possible sequel, the characters who survive the trip flirt with mediocrity. I slogged through Into the Broken Lands to the end, but it was Not Fun. GRADE: C
There are Certain Dangers in diving into the TBR mounds! I’ve yet to read much by Huff…and, though I know you didn’t mean to suggest this at all, the innocent reader might suspect you’re damning science-fantasy stories (as no fan of Fritz Leiber or Leigh Brackett or Jack Vance or Ursula K. Le Guin on over to Randall Garrett, in most of his best work, would), rather than this specific one.
And here’s the tardy Short Story Wednesday roundup for the last two weeks:
https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2023/02/short-story-wednesday-links-to-reviews.html
Todd, thanks for the link! I’ve enjoyed several of Tanya Huff’s works, but not this one. It took forever to get started and then dragged all the way to the end. But, there might be a sequel in the works…
Cover artist Auerbach did a great job, too.
Todd, Auerbach’s cover to INTO THE BROOKEN LANDS attracted me to the book. Sadly, the cover art is better than the novel.
I suspect from a reviewer not quite as generous as you, George, this book would have received a D or even a DNF (did not finish). That you doggedly pushed on until the end is evidence of your willingness to “take one for the team”. Definitely not a book I’ll be adding to my TBR.
Deb, I try not to use the DNF designation except in rare cases. If I’m going to review a book or CD or movie, I want to experience it all so I can offer a legitimate review. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Tanya Huff’s earlier work. But, this latest novel needed a good editor to cut the tedious chapters and focus on the Quest.
That’s a shame, as it sounded possible and I’ve enjoyed several of Huff’s earlier books, in particular the Valor Confederation series, plus some of her earlier vampire books (the Blood series).
Jeff, I agree with you. Huff has done much better work with her Valor and Blood series. This novel was just long and tedious.
Just checked out a few reviews on this and it got very positive reviews. But I figure if George doesn’t care for it I probably would not either. .
Steve, I was lured by those “positive” reviews, too. But, I found INTO THE BROKEN LANDS a slog.
Maybe it’s just on my device, but over the last couple of days, any time a commentator has more than one word in their name, I’m seeing plus signs (+) instead of spaces. For example, this morning I’m seeing “Todd+Mason”, “Steve+A+Oerkfitz”, and “Jeff+Meyerson”. It’s not a big deal, but it makes me wonder if this is a Word Press thing or an iPhone thing. Anyone else seeing the plus signs, or is it just me?
Just you.
No, I’ve noticed that too.
Jeff, WORDPRESS doesn’t explain its actions. It just makes changes and we lowly humans have to figure out what’s going on. I’m learning how to navigate this new version of WORDPRESS where many of the controls have moved or are hidden. Maddening!
Deb, it’s a new WORDPRESS thing. This software torments me daily and now it’s extending its power adding “+” to commentator names. I’m assuming it’s some sort of anti-hacking device.
Yeah, those funny plus signs appear here too.
WordPress thinks they’re a feature rather than a bug, Wolf…
Test. (I removed the + sign from my default login.)
Test 2.
Now let’s see how long my nonplused nature is allowed to express its default self!
Todd, if you get Purged by WORDPRESS I’l get you back on board!
George, I assume all the plus names had to be approved out of moderation the first time they appeared, as they were not the “same” as the already approved names. That happened on File 770. I took the plus out of my name a couple days ago, but I see it’s back again now. Out it goes again.
Jeff, thanks for the explanation. This “plus” business is something new with WORDPRESS. Anything to aggravate me…and the commentators…