Kathryn L. RamageReseñas

"When the Great War began in the summer of 1914, I was a boy of eighteen. Like so many boys of my age, I was eager to go and fight. We saw it as a grand opportunity for adventure, as well as a chance to do a fine and noble thing. Dulce et decorum est ... but none of us believed we would be the ones to die for our country. We couldn't possibly imagine how many of our number would die. We couldn't foresee that we would return to --"

Kathryn Ramage's Death Among the Marshes introduced us to Frederick Babington, gentleman sleuth with a twist. Traumatised by the war (as the beginning of his memoir hints) he had no doubt hoped to find a return to normality -- or at least sanity -- but tragedy still dogged him when deaths among his landed gentry family threw suspicion on all and sundry. In a bid to escape the guilt that had resulted from his 'bungled' attempts to solve mysteries he goes to Abbotshill between Ipswich and Stowmarket to reassure his Aunt Dorothea: she is being pestered by Freddie's cousin Wilfrid and his mother Lydia who dispute she has a right to Abbotshill House.

When Wilfrid quarrels with Freddie too, and it subsequently turns out that he has had altercations with others in the extended family, things look increasingly suspicious when the black sheep of the family then disappears. Has he simply gone away in high dudgeon or has he been done away with? Enquiries by the local police and by Freddie seem to highlight plenty of individuals with possible motives for seeing Wilfrid out of the picture, but until a body turns up no answers can be arrived at. Then a body does turn up, but it isn't Wilfrid's.

As with Ramage's previous Freddie Babington story we are thrown straight in at the deep end. We the readers have two choices: go with the flow or take copious notes. I took the latter route, but wasn't sure that it helped me much. There are detailed descriptions of locations and family kinships, an emerging chronology of events and individual revelations. We'll expect the usual red herrings and misdirections, of course, but like many a good writer of the 'cozy' genre the final denouement will have been clearly signposted if only we had the wit to spot it early on.

But while the author has plotted her story with due care and attention to detail, it's the contexts that make this a lot less of a run-of-the-mill cozy and a lot more than a just competent novella. Placing this case in the early twenties allows Ramage to explore not just the mechanisms of the classic whodunit (as initiated by Agatha Christie with The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920) but the ramifications of casting a generation of young men adrift after the horrors of a bloody and near interminable war. How do they come to terms with civilian life when the whole world has been turned on its head? And what about the ever-present fear of foreign infiltrators and spies, echoed in various novels such as John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) and earlier by Erskine Childers' The Riddle of the Sands (1903) and G K Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday (1908)?

In terms of characterisation there is much to admire here: Freddie is a tortured soul with good intentions, through whose sensitive but driven eyes we mostly see events unfold; Billy his manservant is touchingly anxious about Freddie's recuperation; Wilfrid's mother, the redoubtable Lydia, goes from beastly termagant to almost human for whom we feel some pity; and Inspector Deffords proves to be even more perspicacious than we expected. Ramage has a sensitive ear for the nuances of early 20th-century British speech, only once or twice dispelling the illusion, as when she references 'drapes' instead of 'curtains' and 'rail station' when a British audience would expect 'railway station'; and I should add that 'bi-election' should be 'by-election' (what's known as a special election in the States). None of this of course ruined my enjoyment of a well-crafted tale.

Judging from various vague clues in the text Abbotshill -- with its ruined Hallows Abbey and located on the railway line running north from London Liverpool Street through Ipswich -- is situated ten miles from Ipswich and not far from Stowmarket in Suffolk. Much as I'd like to postulate that it could be based on one model or another -- Creeting St Mary near Needham Market, for example, in an area where there used to be one of a handful of priories -- the exercise is ultimately fruitless.

Postscript After posting this review I found this piece, placed online coincidentally as I was finishing my draft: http://www.klr.wapshottpress.com/2016/06/18/in-search-of-abbotshill/

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The detective with a notebook is a commonplace in murder mysteries, and Death Among the Marshes pays homage to this trope, not once but twice – the investigating police detective brings one out, as does Billy Watkins, the manservant of the main protagonist Frederick Babington. Set in the early twenties, this clever novella also gives specific mentions both to the Sherlock Holmes stories and to the first of the Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). Set in the fictional Norfolk pile of Marsh Hall, seat of Viscount Marshbourne, by the village of Marshbanks, Death Among the Marshes is Kathryn Ramage’s way of having fun with the country house mystery genre while also acknowledging that living in the aftermath of the Great War was no less difficult for many returning soldiers than surviving the actual conflict.

As with the detective the reader may well resort to a notebook to make sense of the complicated relationships and possible motives of the actors in this story. The title refers not to the fenland of Norfolk as one might expect but to the extended family of Marshes, one of whom – Bertie – has been murdered. We soon meet an assortment of cousins, fourteen in all, most of whom can be reliably placed on a family tree, and various parents, uncles and aunts. Frederick Babington takes it on himself to discover the circumstances of Bertie’s death in parallel with the police investigation. He of course finds himself compromised: he was a childhood playmate to most of his cousins, and naturally feels loyalty towards the family. As Inspector Deffords says, “the most frustrating part of investigating a murder among a close group of people [is] no one will tell you anything. They’re all concerned with protecting each other.” But because of the war and the years since he last saw them Freddie starts to doubt each individual’s motives, alibis and, worryingly, innocence.

Freddie is also affected by the fact that Bertie has died at the same spot of the river where his own parents drowned, and is troubled by the spectre of history repeating itself. But he has also to allow for slowly changing attitudes with regard to master-servant relationships (contemporaries find his easy social manner with Billy curious), philandering (women’s status had started to change for the better with the social upheaval occasioned by war) and homosexuality (this was barely more than a quarter-century after the Oscar Wilde trials). Kathryn Ramage’s novella is an intelligent work that perfectly captures the manners, language and attitudes of the period while sustaining the usual expectations for a murder mystery. It’s also carefully structured and detailed so that it’s possible to draw up reasonably accurate maps, plans, timetable and family relationships if one has a mind to treat it as more than a casual read. All in all I found this a convincing work, neither a pastiche nor a parody of its models; and in Freddie Babington, with his faithful friend Billy Watkins, we have an amateur sleuth with a tortured history and a decent character who — dare one hope? — deserves further outings.

The only clue that the author isn’t British is the use of “huff” as a verb: this Americanism doesn’t quite convey what the phrase “in a huff” implies but rather suggests audibly giving a heavy sigh or even a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders. She has however avoided the lazy cliché that lesser writers frequently don’t of prefixing upper class interjections with “I say!” for which we must be grateful.

http://wp.me/s2oNj1-marshes

An entertaining, if slow-paced, fantasy novel. The majority of the novel is focused on the protagonist's coming of age, but the action picks up near the end as otherworldly forces come into play. Looking forward to reading the sequel!

It's wonderful!

A coming of age story between a father and son, with a thick fantasy theme background. The characters are well developed and show great personality in times of romance, loss and excitement.

Dragons are the first image that I think of when I hear the word wizards, but unfortunately there were no such characters in this book. Not that it made it any less exciting and mythical. There may not be any fire breathing dragons, or life altering momentous jousting fights, I still found it quite an interesting read with its coming of age tale between the Wizard and his son as he becomes of age into a lifestyle he never thought he would find himself in.

The Wizards son did not know he was the wizards son or that his future held training and preparation for a life he never saw in his future.

The theme and the book plot was not as entertaining as the characters themselves. I was not as interested in finding out the end of the story, but I was more invested in the characters themselves to find out what was going to happen between them.

I give this book a rating of 3/5

I have mixed feelings about the book, but ended up giving it only three stars.
I really did like the first part of the book. The story is thought out quite well, has a great story line and is well written. I very much enjoyed Ramage's alternate universe, and really liked the characters in the novel. It really looked like a four or even five star novel, but then......
I really, really hated the ending! I was so disappointed by it; the story is exciting and keeps you on your toes, but then it sort of burns out. It almost seems like the author ran out of pages (or out of ideas), and simply wrote down the quickest, easiest ending she could think of. I cannot really imagine the main character, Laurel, just giving up like that.
Such a disappointment after such a great story!

Although this book appears to be a Fantasy novel, it is more along the lines of a coming of age story about the relationship between a father and son. I enjoyed the fact that this book takes place in a alternate earth, but expected more wizard interactions. I actually did enjoy reading "The Wizards Son", although I first had to get away from my expectations of something along the lines of Raymond Fiest. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a different outlook on the old parent/children conflicts.

Jane Austen and H P Lovecraft may once have been strange bedfellows, but the recent trend of re-imagining 19th-century romances as vampire and zombie tales renders this marriage made in hell less surprising. Kathryn Ramage dedicates Maiden in Light to these two authors, though the resulting novel is not the undead romcom that you might otherwise expect. Instead we have here an engaging novel mixing social observation, convincing character development and palpable suspense, all set in an alternate world consistent within its constructed parameters.

Laurel is a fish out of water in the 20th-century yet medieval town that is New York, stuck in a family intent on matching daughters with appropriate suitors while discovering herself a tomboy with burgeoning magical abilities. She is summoned to her uncle's castle of Wizardes Cliff at the eastern end of Long Island where she quickly comes into her own as a sorcerer's apprentice, before her curiosity causes her to stumble on the dread secrets that form all wizards' responsibilities, the stuff of her nightmares.

Maiden in Light is not so much a sequel to The Wizard's Son as a parallel tale, overlapping the times and events of Kathryn Ramage's earlier novel. In some ways the plot is similar: protagonist becomes magical apprentice, gets sidetracked when on an errand away from the wizard's stronghold, is tempted to stray from the chaste requirements of a mage and is tested when Lovecraftian entities from another dimension threaten the world of mortals. In other ways this for me is a more satisfying instalment, in that Laurel is a more sympathetic figure than Orlan (the latter a rather dandified and seemingly weak-willed, vacillating character) and in having the Bennet-like family episodes (where bourgeois manners are lovingly pilloried) balancing the darker sequences involving Laurel's recurring nightmare and the enigma that is her nemesis Alys. But it's unfair to judge one novel against another when it's clear that together they enrich our view of the alternate world of Ramage's Northlands.

Maiden in Light is beautifully written, vivid descriptive passages alternating with well-paced action, poetry intermingling with natural dialogue. Laurel herself is a likeable heroine, strong yet with understandable human failings, impulsive yet given to procrastination, and playful while capable of being ruthless; her story is reminiscent of the Romantic literary legend of Lorelei, a nymph inhabiting a rock above the river Rhine, who siren-like attracts the attention of would-be lovers, though her fate is somewhat different from Laurel's. How the youngster gets to grips with the distractions that life throws at her while attempting to be single-minded about her calling and its associated responsibilities makes for engrossing reading, repaying the investment the reader pays in empathising with her character.

*Complimentary review copy
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The British folktale of Childe Rowland has had a lasting influence on English literature. The youngest of three brothers, Rowland has to rescue his sister and his elder brothers from the King of Elfland following Elen's disappearance, Persephone-like, chasing a ball. With an enchanted sword he manages to track the King to his enchanted castle (also known as the Dark Tower) and defeat him. A few lines from a ballad ("Childe Rowland to the Dark Tower came...") re-appeared in Shakespeare's King Lear, the narrative also furnishing the plot to John Milton's Comus and becoming the inspiration for Browning's famous poem, and finally in the 21st century the elements of plot, name and relationships re-appear, I believe, in Ramage's The Wizard's Son to help elucidate what is otherwise a very puzzling story.

Young Orlan (related to the name Orlando, the Italian form of Rowland) is, on the death of his mother, brought up by a nurse called Ellan as heir to his natural father, the wizard Lord Redmantyl, in a castle called Wizardes Cliff. Here, as Chyelde Orlan, he in due course becomes an apprentice wizard to his father due to his innate magical abilities, learning, for example, how to create and control a magical orb. These elements, along with Orlan's connection with the young woman Alen, have clear echoes of the Childe Roland chante-fable. The general direction of the plot too points to conflict with and challenges to his father, the equivalent of the King of Elfland of the folktale, along with sibling rivalry over his younger foster brother Andemyon, rather as Roland seeks to succeed in rescuing Elen where his brothers did not.

Noting at some length the parallels with Childe Roland (and there are other links with folktale motifs, such as the Sorcerer's Apprentice and the Prodigal Son) seems to me important in trying to make sense of The Wizard's Son. On the face of it, this narrative strand of applied magics is almost incidental to the human tale of a troubled young man who wants to know the truth about his origins, wants to experience and experiment with life while resisting parental constraints, and acts at times as wilfully as any spoilt brat. Knowing that this novel is part of a series and that there is more to be revealed makes it easier to complete this heavy-on-details story of what can be at times an unsympathetic protagonist.

Another pleasing aspect of Ramage's book is the creation of an alternate history of the Western World, one where events have diverged from our history at some point soon after the Norman conquest of England but where magic is a given. The action is set on a barely recognisable Long Island in a 20th century where medieval European customs, beliefs and technologies still hold sway, but with some differences: women, for example, seem to have more equality than their counterparts in the High Middle Ages of our world. I'm not sure that, even with the reactionary Church and State apparatus that Orlan's 20th century is subject to, polities and scientific developments would remain so unevolved, but with someone of Ramage's academic background there is nevertheless the detailed and informed effort that has gone into the imaginative re-creation of chronology, manners and language (the use of the genitive singular in placenames, for instance) to project a consistent view of Orlan's world which I find both impressive and compelling. However, I regret that the map provided is less than useful in pinpointing locations, especially those mentioned but not marked, and in lacking scale and clarity it scarcely adds anything to what a careful reader can't already glean from the text.

There is no doubting that Ramage has achieved a believeable universe where magic is real even if of secondary consideration, and there is absolutely no question that she has successfully peopled this universe with credible if flawed human beings. There is a strong sense, though, that there are unresolved threads which, one must guess, will be picked up and followed in sequels (or even prequels). I'm looking forward to reading them and immersing myself in Redmantyl's world of the Northlands again.

* Complimentary review copy
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-I received this book from the publisher as a complimentary review copy.-

Ramage’s world is an alternate 20th century that has retained the lifestyle and culture of the medieval period. It took some suspension of disbelief to accept that no sociological or technological change had occurred in 600 years, but I admit I was at a disadvantage for not having read the first volume, The Wizard’s Son, which may have provided more history.

The story begins with Laurel, who has never felt comfortable or accepted in her home town of New York, being called for by her Uncle Redmantyl to join him at Wizardes Cliff and become a magical apprentice. Laurel is happy to leave New York, and her adventures at her uncle’s home as she learns the ways of magic and makes friends with the other apprentices make for a delightful and charming read. Things change when she is sent back to New York on a mission for her uncle.

The pace of the ninety-some pages chronicling Laurel’s return to New York is achingly slow, and needed some liberal editing. There is almost no action, tension or drama to break the monotony. When the reason for Laurel’s mission to New York does finally reveal itself, Laurel is hesitant to act, which drags the thing out further. But when she eventually makes her move and the plot begins to go forward again, we are suddenly thrust into a whiplash-inducing chapter that chronicles next ten years of Laurel’s life in a mere fourteen pages! Early in this chapter, a major, life-altering decision that Laurel makes is both perplexing and out of character for her. It also completely changes the trajectory of the plot in a way that is sadly disenchanting.

The novel had some very positive things going for it. The characters are well-drawn and interesting; Lord Redmantyl, especially, was not what I expected (in a good way). The first half of the book, which tells of Laurel’s arrival at Wizardes Cliff and her magical apprenticeship, is compelling. The idea that she might someday have to challenge Redmantyl for his position was also something I looked forward to seeing play out. I only wish that the author had continued on with this story instead of making it appear that she had tired of the whole adventure, and simply wanted to wrap it up.

When I was to receive my copy of Storylandia 2 from the Wapshott Press, I was asked if I would like any other books by that publisher to review. After taking a quick peek at their list of offerings, I selected The Wizard's Son, which sounded the most up my alley. Since I was under no strong obligation to review this book in a timely manner, it sat at the semi-bottom (atop my own book), for me to read when I finally got to it. And got to it I did.

Coming into TWS, I was somewhat jaded by Storylandia 2, which, if you've read my review for it, led me to believe that I would get more of the same (about 5 times more, due to page length). I was wary. However, I was wrong! I certainly hope that TWS is more representative of Wapshott's standard fare than is SL2. I hope so indeed.

To put it bluntly: this book was surprisingly good. It wasn't GREAT, but it was still good.

Set in an alternate history, between the 1930s and 1950s, we are introduced to the child Orlan, recently orphaned, or so he thinks, until he meets his long-lost Wizard dad. And not just any wizard! This guy's the top wizard. Orlan lives with him and becomes his apprentice, but feels that he is not fit for wizardry, as it is a cruel life devoid of human emotions and sympathies, full of war and aggression, and all that rot. So he rebels.

While the story could be considered fantasy, magic plays a very small role in this book. It reads more like a coming of age, or a Bildungsroman, than it does a book about wizards. So, if you go into it expecting ferocious wizard battles with a lot of Latin-y-sounding words, then you'll be disappointed. But if you read it as a book, a sort of prodigal son book, then you may just find it to be enjoyable.

I felt that the book fell short of its true potential, and at times, I strongly disliked the protagonist (for the same reason young Anakin Skywalker is so irritating), but in the end, I felt that the time spent reading the book was not wasted, and was actually well spent.½

I am not ordinarily a ,lover of fantasy fiction, but this novel is rather different. While it does not overtly say so, it seems to be set in northern France and southern England. But I could be wrong. It is set in the twentieth century between 1939 and 1960. However, the place is unrecognizable to the modern eye because the author has carried the Norman conquest of the area in the late 11th century forward to the present and assumes that that rule still continues today. So we have castles, defended towns and lots of armoured soldiers. There are inns aplenty and young people running amok. The country is ruled by dukes and their courtiers.
However, running parallel to this society are the Wizards who spend many years in apprenticeship followed by seven years of practicing their skills on long journeys during which they must remain completely pure. Once that has been completed they pass on to become full wizards.
That is the background to this story. The real story concerns a wizard who has a son by a serving girl in a north French inn. When she dies he adopts the son and brings him up himself in his castle. In time, he apprentices him to learn the wizard’s craft. In the mean time the wizard has another son by a passing actress with whom he has been having a long running affair.
In time Orlan, his first son, is sent to Storm Port. He is taken under the wing of the Mayor and her weak husband. He runs riot with the young of the town. Eventually the Mayor – who trained as a wizard – tries to abduct Orland and kill him. The Wizard of the story appears and, in an epic battle with the Mayor, kills her.
Orlan then leaves his father and goes wandering. He stays with a lesser wizard for a time and then lives with a woman called Alen. They have a daughter and, when Alen is having their second child, she dies because no one can, not even her father-in-law, can help her.
The wizard and his son finally come to terms with one another.
This is a superb novel, beautifully written. Once you have started it, you won’t want to put it down.

The Wizard's Son is the story of Orlan, the son of a barmaid, who comes to find that he's also the son of the most powerful wizard. After the death of his mother, Orlan is taken from the only life he's ever known, to live with his father and begin his training to become a wizard. Orlan faces many of the same temptations and pressures that all teens face. Can Orlan survive these temptations and overcome the demons from his past?

While I did not find this book as a real page turner, I was genuinely invested in the characters. I would love to see the author continue the story in a series of books.

As a very young child Orlan the main character is removed from the world he knows to live with his father the greatest Wizard in the world. This story takes us on the journey of watching Orlan grow in his apprenticeship with his friends and relatives and the paths he chooses to take.

First off I really enjoyed this book. It had that feel of being a great fantasy book about a young wizards journey but dealt more with the actual trials and tribulations any person deals with in life than just magic. From learning to deal with peer pressure and alcohol to youthful love and exploration, but also the responsibilities of magic and power. Looking forward to another book in what I hope will become a series.

Following the posting of my review of Storylandia 1, which the editor of Wapshott press called "fair minded and honest", I received a request to give Wapshott Press another chance. I always intended to do that, but had no idea the opportunity would come so soon. I chose The Wizard's Son because I've long been a fantasy fan, and because it looks so good.

The first attraction of this novel is the lovely cover, with a view of the wizard's castle on the front, done in shades of red and black; absolutely perfect for this novel - but it doesn't stop there. The story synopsis available on the publisher's website set the hook before I ever got my hands on the book. The Wizard's Son is not simple fantasy with a single story arc. Instead it is a complex story that examines several issues in depth through multiple plot lines in the non-linear story. These issues include but are not limited to good versus evil, human nature and self restraint.

This novel does not disappoint, yet there is room for improvement too. While the characters introduced in the early part of the story are nicely developed, those who come along later are a bit flat. For instance, Orlan Lightesblood's wife and daughter are important to him, yet we are not allowed to know them well... Still, we have a tightly woven, well-told story with interesting and believable characters which is well worth the time it takes to read.

Recommended to fantasy fans ages 14 and up. This review has been simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragon Views , Library Thing and YA Books Central.com. The Wizard's Son was provided to me by the publisher free in exchange for this review.

I really enjoyed this book, and I don't usually like wizard books.

The first thing that captured my attention with this particular book was the smell. It was interesting, different from the standard smell of a book. I attribute this to the differences between large presses and the small press that produced the book. However, it intrigued me, and as soon as I had finished the book I was reading upon it's arrival, I began reading in earnest.

The story is fairly unique in the genre of Fantasy, neither being an Epic adventure such as the Lord of the Rings nor exactly a story of learning such as Harry Potter, despite having elements of apprenticship and learning within it. It is a coming-of-age tale, with a well written non-linear structure that allows Orlan, the wizard's son, to move from childhood to adulthood without the narrative being required to jump between interesting points. The setting of the story, primarily the wizard's home and a nearby city, are described sufficiently well, but certain characters have the potential to be much more developed, particularly ones that are introduced near the end. This is especially true of one of the main character's love interests, whose loss results in a major decision for Orlan. The reader is not as in love with this character as we should be, and so it is harder for us to understandt that decision.

The story, despite being well written, doesn't seem to have any one particular story-arc, except the emotions and feelings of the main character. This is what sets it apart from other fantasy works, and although the idea could seem unappealing to some readers, it is a book that is well worth reading. Although it doesn't have a great physical struggle between good and evil, it discusses the issue in great depth, through the different types of magic and the tumultuous opinions of Orlan, in a way that few authors can do. In addition to this it looks at the themes of self-restraint and human nature, both difficult topics that are incredibly well approached.

While not the most addictive book that I've read, it was a highly interesting and enjoyable read, and I look forwards to reading more of the author's work.½