'Werenight' – Eric Iverson (Belmont Tower)

As a kid, my fantasy reading was directed mainly by whatever I could find cheap in various markets, on various summer holidays. Norwich Market used to have a book stall with what looked like mountains of old books where I'd spend ages trying to get the most amount of books out of the least amount of money... We've all had to do that, one time or another ;o)

I can't quite remember whether it was a market stall, or strange seaside bookshop, where I found 'Werenight' for the first time; it made enough of an impression though that when I saw a copy a few weeks ago, I had to buy it again and I knew it would likely feature here at some point.

What I didn't know, until I did a little Googling, was that Eric Iverson is actually none other than Harry Turtledove. I've never got on with Turtledove's alternate history books (nothing to do with the books, more me not enjoying the sub-genre as a whole) so I can now finally say that I've finished one of his books (two actually, I've read the preceding book 'Wereblood'). Also, 'Werenight' has a very definite end to it so, back in the day, I just assumed that was it and there were no more books in this series. Turns out there's another two books, after this one, that I've never heard of. I'll be tracking down 'King of the North' and 'Fox and Empire' very soon then ;o) Right now though, we're all about 'Werenight' here so lets go...

After an arduous and hazard-filled journey, Gerin the Fox and his two companions, Van of the Strong Arm and the Lady Elise, had finally reached the the fabulous city of Elabon. They hoped to find there a sorcerer capable of vanquishing the evil Balamung, who was laying waste the Empire to the North.

But instead of the solution they sought, they found even greater obstacles than they had previously encountered.

Gerin and Van would have to discover a different method of vanquishing the ravening werebeasts that awaited them at Fox Keep, or all would be lost!

There is nothing that gets on my nerves more than a blurb writer who hasn't read the book; who knows that there are werebeasts but clearly hasn't read enough to know that these appear before Gerin gets anywhere near his castle... Oh well, could be worse I guess. Sorry, 'mini-rant' over ;o)

'Werenight' is only a hundred and forty pages long and has a cover that's very much of it's time. There's also talk of an evil sorcerer to be vanquished so you would be forgiven for thinking that 'Werenight' isn't particularly original (it hasn't given itself much room for originality afer all). I wouldn't blame you for thinking that but I'm here to tell you that your assumption is off the mark 'Werenight' does tread some familiar paths but is a lot of fun and surprisingly thoughtful at the same time.

A lot of this is down to Turtledove's collection of main characters who bounce off each other in all the best ways and are guaranteed to make you crack a smile or two. Rihwin is the best for this (or worst, depends if you like 'Dad Jokes' or not, I do) but they al have their moments and the result is a quest that you can really get behind because you are already invested in the group. No mean feat considering there isn't much space to pull all this off in. Gerin the Fox is our lead, a forward thinking noble who is actively trying to better the lives of his serfs while fighting to hold back the Trokme raiders from the North, and through this, Turtledove invites us to re-examine our notions of what makes a good ruler (Gerin is definitely one of the better ones). Not only this, Gerin's holdings are part of an Empire where the centre of power is too far away to effectively govern, or even really care about, the North. So we're asked to consider then, what is Gerin really fighting for? Or, what should he be fighting for? The answer is a little too simple, in it's execution, but it does give you food for thought in the meantime.

Gerin can be a little too good to be true though, especially in fights where you never get the feeling that's there anything to prove a serious contest for him, even Wolfar in the end. I'd like to have seen Gerin fight Van but that's probably one for fan-fiction... ;o) Turtledove makes up for this by placing Gerin in the some of the most entertaining, and well thought out, battle scenes that I've seen for a long time. The battle of the werebeasts is a glorious set-piece, made all the more memorable for the vein of sly humour running through it that catches you out and raises a chuckle or two. I'd never seen a 'were-salmon' before but can confidently say that they're not made for a land battle...

The ending may never be in doubt but if it's all about the journey, 'Werenight' really delivers. Now that I know there are another couple of books, I'm looking forward to reading more about Gerin and his friends.