Against the Light
Written by Dave Duncan
Narrated by Ralph Lister
3/5
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About this audiobook
The Hierarchy, high priests of the religious order the Light, has installed King Ethan as the monarchical figurehead, ruling both the magical kingdom of Albi and its predominant religion. Scattered throughout the land, worshippers in the old ways of the Earth Mother are persecuted as heretics. And when young missionary student Rollo Woodbridge returns home to Albi, he is immediately arrested for heresy and treason, setting off a chain of events that plunges the land into utter chaos.
The Hierarchy has more treacherous motives, however, and when Rollo is rescued from jail, his family’s home is destroyed—but Rollo and his siblings are left alive. While Rollo tries diplomacy to end the religious and political conflict, his brother and sister swear vengeance. With the hours to deliverance counting down and their lives hanging in the balance, they must decide whether to stay and fight or leave Albi forever in the suspenseful, action-packed Against the Light.
Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan is an award-winning author whose fantasy trilogy, The Seventh Sword, is considered a sword-and-sorcery classic. His numerous novels include three Tales of the King's Blades -- The Gilded Chain, Lord of the Fire Lands, and Sky of Swords; Paragon Lost, a previous Chronicle of the King’s Blades; Strings, Hero; the popular tetralogies A Man of His Word and A Handful of Men; and the remarkable, critically acclaimed fantasy trilogy The Great Game.
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Reviews for Against the Light
21 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The ruling worshipers of the Light Father are persecuting the followers of the Mother, associated with darkness and earth. The followers of the mother have various magical talents. One family with talented children is destroyed; the parents and one brother are killed, the daughter Maddy married off to a laborer, her brother Rollo tortured. Their youngest brother Bram flees and is in hiding for 2 years. They all think the others are dead. Finally, through political intrigue they are reunited, get revenge, and contribute to the kingdom moving forward away from persecution. An intriguing and interesting plot.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Book Review - Against the Light by Dave Duncan Against the Light Dave Duncan Trade Paperback (Advance Reader’s Copy) Publisher: 47North Publication Date: January 24, 2012 484 pages ISBN-13: 978-1612182032 Well-written action-packed high fantasy is obviously Dave Duncan’s forte and he delivers a solid narrative once again with Against the Light. Best known for his Seventh Sword and King’s Blade fantasy series Duncan never fails to entertain with his complex, character driven stories. In my opinion, Mr. Duncan is one of the better fantasy writers of our time. The highest praise that I might give a fantasy writer is that their work reads “real-world.” By that I mean that the story itself feels like it could have actually happened. In Against the Light there are obvious connections to true historical events, most notably the social and political ramifications and religious persecutions of the Middle Ages, and that alone is enough to make it seem real-world. While Mr. Duncan normally develops his characters with great success the characters in Against the Light are not quite as strong as those in his other books. His characters are not as highly-developed, or completely likeable (or hate-able, if that’s a word), nor as memorable as those in previous works. And, the graphic torture scenes may be a little too intense for some readers. They made me feel a little uneasy, and I’m far from squeamish, but perhaps that’s because of the lengthy exposition Duncan gave them. In Against the Light the high priests of Albi hold sway over the powers of religion and magic, a deadly combination to be sure. Followers of the old ways are persecuted as heretics and when Rollo Woodbridge is arrested for heresy the entire kingdom is pushed to the brink of chaos. The arrest affects the entire Woodbridge family and culminates in the destruction of the family home and the deaths of family members. While Rollo’s sister Maddy positions herself socially and politically to avenge the loss, his brother Brat joins the underground resistance, and Rollo works frantically to find a way to save the kingdom and, in the process, the remaining members of his family. While I understand that this type of fantasy – persecution/vengeance – has been done before Duncan’s unique voice, character-driven plots, and real-world correlations make all of his stories stand out in the genre. This is definitely not his strongest story but still entertaining and worth the time, especially if fantasy is “your thing.” Recommended for fans of high-fantasy, underground movements, action/adventure/suspense, and those interested in well-written character driven stories. File with: Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni Series, Raymond Feist’s Riftwar books3 stars out of 5The Alternative Southeast Wisconsin