Brondt Kamffer

I'd like you to imagine for a moment Macbeth blended with an Old Testament, henotheistic, my God-is-better-than-yours battle. Cool, yes? I thought so. And that's precisely what The Wars of Gods and Men delivers.

The Wars of Gods and Men follows three main characters, Eboric, Ayren, and Kolrig, through the creation of, destruction of, and re-creation of an empire, that mirrors a meta battle between warring Gods. If micro-scale political fantasy is your idea of "Oh yes! Give me more!" this is the book for you. If humans flailing about, unsure of their place in the winds of destiny makes you happy, pick this book up.

If you're familiar with Macbeth, you'll recognize one of the major plot threads, betrayal, destruction, and tragic endings for the traitors. But that's not all that's going on in here. The War of Men is but a micro version of the War of Gods, which we get hints and glimpses of, but never see in full. The tantalizing glimpses of what is going on beyond the human characters are well-rounded enough to keep the readers happy, but mysterious enough to maintain a nice tension to the tale.

Now, many of us are familiar with Christian fantasy, where the writer draws a made-up world with a Messianic figure and a message that looks awfully familiar to just about everyone raised in the West. The Wars of Gods and Men is a sort of twist on this. I'd call it Jewish fantasy, because the war of the Gods aspect looks a whole lot like the Old Testament. A Prophet foresees destruction of those who do not follow his God. He and those who believe with him are persecuted for their faith. Miracles abound as the Prophet puts those other godlings and their worshipers in their places. There's even a mist that kills everyone who happens to be outside of their tent when it creeps into camp. Cenred, the Prophet, might not be an exact match to any specific OT Prophet, but the parallels (down to his bald head) are certainly there.

I'll admit I was very pleased to see that. Pretty much, if there are five great influences on Western literature, the Bible and Shakespeare are, if not the top two, then definitely on the list. So, put them together, execute it with grace and dignity, and wrap it up with a spin on nation building, and well, I was a happy reader.

Speaking of grace and dignity, this was a tidy little book. Characters are rounded and three dimensional, their motivations clear, voices distinct, and actions true to their personalities. (I might have wanted just a tad more depth on Kolrig, but the somewhat brief moments of his inner life fit the character's lack of introspection nicely.) Though this is the first book in a series, it stands alone without any problems. The story arc is complete in and of itself, while still leaving room for continuing adventures. Description might be a little minimalist for some readers, but I'm not much of a visual processor, so the lack of intricately wrought description didn't bother me at all. I had a pretty good idea of what everything looked like, and I didn't need page upon page of description.

So, all in all, I was quite pleased with The Wars of Gods and Men. I'll happily recommend it to anyone who is looking for a twist on a familiar tale.… (más)

One of the pitfalls of being a reviewer is the annoying little critic's voice that lurks in my head while I read. The voice tends to comment on everything in the book, both good and bad, and distracts me from the story. But this is also how I know when I like a book: the little voice goes silent. When reading Brondt Kamffer's book, The Wrath of Kings and Princes, that annoying voice fell silent most of the time. Unfortunately, it reappeared at the end of the story.

The Wrath of Kings and Princes tells the story of Childe Cern, a rebellious young man who doesn't want to grow up to be a king like his father. In fact, he doesn't want to grow up at all. But when he reunites with a long-lost childhood friend and falls in love with a mysterious woman from the country, Cern discovers that he not only can follow his father's path, but that he must.

This is a complex book, full of multiple story lines and flashbacks. But Kamffer handles the different threads with such ease that the reader is never lost. The complexity also makes the book very entertaining. Unlike some fantasies which move slowly, Kamffer's book is never dull.

The author is an excellent story teller, and his characters are multi-faceted and interesting. The romance is also wonderful. It's sweet without being syrupy, and adds a nice sparkle to the rest of the book.

One of the best traits of this novel is the tension at the end. The buildup is wonderful, and by the last forty pages, the book becomes nearly impossible to put down. But, unfortunately, that's where the trouble sets in.

(Warning: possible spoilers)

Generally in a novel, the climatic scene comes at a time in which the hero or heroine face an impossible challenge, and in order to resolve the tension in the book, the hero must conquer whatever problems he faces. It is here that the reader learns what the hero is really made of.

While Kamffer does an outstanding job of creating tension, the resolution is very disappointing. Neither the hero nor the heroine ever take control of the situation. Instead, the main characters fall to the ground and let fate take over. There is, quite literally, a deux ex machina. When the final, dramatic scenes plays out, the reader is left scratching her head and wondering what happened.

Kamffer is a gifted writer with an ability to create a complex novel that captures the reader's imagination. Unfortunately, this ability was marred by a very weak ending that ultimately spoiled the narrative.… (más)