Tue 4 Dec 2007
This is the second of Vance’s three-book Lyonesee series, which while published as three separate books, so far feels like a single novel telling a large tale through a number of smaller stories.
The structure, style, and tone of The Green Pearl are essentially identical to the previous book, and contain the same satisfying mix of ironic narration, fairy-tale like tone, and rather adult characters and themes. Vance is, as my friend at Dawn Treader Books remarked, a master prose stylist, and I’d agree that the overall style of the book is what is so compelling — its mixture of language, tone, and place are unique and work quite well.
The focus here is mostly on Aillas, now king of Troicinet and an increasingly larger portion of the Elder Isles. Aillas is almost the archetype of a just ruler, and his actions throw him into stark contrast with Casmir, his rival and father of Suldrun, with whom he fathered a child and later killed herself. Aillas is increasing his power, and despite the theoretical truce agreed to by Casmir, it is clear that a major conflict is inevitable. Meanwhile, Aillas plans are threatened by the Ska (Vance’s fictional ancestors to the Vikings), who have invaded the westernmost kingdoms of the Isles), and those he loves by Casmir’s machinations.
I find it tedious to summarize complex fictional plots so I won’t do so here. But Green Pearl is as satisfying and pleasurable as Suldrun’s Garden, and I’m eager now to move on to Madouc.