The City in the Lake [Libro de bolsillo]

This is the first published novel by Ms. Neumeier, whom I had the pleasure of meeting recently (we were fortunate enough to acquire a puppy from the family of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels referenced in the author bio).

I agree with the other reviewers that while the book is said to be targeted for young adults, it's an engrossing read for so-called grownups as well. Like any contemporary fantasy story, it has echoes of other works in its characters, storyline, and imagery (I particularly thought I recognized "shadows" of Roger Zelazny's Amber series), but Ms. Neumeier has created a world of surprising depth and complexity for a first-time author.

The prose is naturalistic and immersive, without veering into flowery puff. The story is well-constructed, and follows a satisfying arc that intertwines the journey of the heroine, 17-year old Timou, with powerful forces grappling over the future of the Kingdom - whose heart is the titular City.

It's crisply written - not overlong, which is a wonderful thing in these days when the profession of literary editing seems to be in full retreat. And while there are some adult themes, and some scary imagery, were it ever made into a movie, it would not merit more than a PG rating. I mean this, too, as a compliment. As such, it can be a wonderful introduction to fantasy literature for the young reader - or just a very satisfying way to pass a few days for the more seasoned fantasy fan.

Once in a very great while, I am able to feel privileged to read a masterwork. I felt that way when I read The Riddlemaster of Hed and The Tombs of Atuan. I felt that way reading Rachel Neumeier's The City in the Lake.

It is likely that I wouldn't have found this book, even though I find myself reading even more young adult (YA) fantasy, except that I ran into Rachel at Windycon, and she gave me a copy to read. Frabjous joy!

Oh, boy. From the very first page, I got the same sense of being present at the unfolding of a wonder that I received reading Ursula LeGuin, Patricia McKillip, Peter Beagle, Lynn Abbey and the other great modern fantasists, or Cecelia Holland or Dorothy Dunnett, great writers as well.

I am here to tell you that this is a great book, and it is a wonderful read. It should not be restricted to young adult readers, either. The themes and dimensions of the story resonate well with young adult readers, and also the most adult of us.

There's a City in the lake, beside which a city has been built. As in Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber, this city is more than just a single place, it spans all of existence and is the bedrock upon which the entire universe is built. There is evil in the world as well, and the evil wants to devour the power that is intrinsic to the City.

The evil is personified in a woman, sorceress and perhaps demon. She bears a child to the King of the City, and then leaves, abandoning her son.

There is a girl-child named Timou, fathered by a mage named Kapoen, who decides, when her father disappears, to seek him in the City. Timou has grown up in a small village, learning wizardry from her father, and the customs and culture of a small village from her surroundings. Yet she's different, apart, and sees herself that way.

On her way to the City, and once she arrives, Timou immediately finds herself embroiled in the almost hieratic play that unfolds when the King's legitimate son, the heir to the throne that the sorceress covets for her own, bastard son, disappears, followed shortly after by the King's own disappearance.

The book is extremely visual, and could be a terrific fantasy film.

As the characters move through the plot, they grow and change, in some cases maturing, and in some cases learning who they really are, for the very first time.

I think this is, or should be, an award-winning book.

I think you should run right out to your local bookstore, or jump right onto Amazon and buy it.

Then you, too, can have the experience of wonder and awe at reading what is sure to be considered a masterwork in the future.

Walt Boyes
Associate Editor, Jim Baen's Universe
Active Member SFWA

This is a fantasy novel about a magical Kingdom and what happens when its beloved Prince, heir to the throne, mysteriously disappears while out riding in the countryside. Meanwhile, in a tiny village in a remote part of the Kingdom, a girl named Timou is growing up with her father, a mysterious mage named Kapoen. He willingly teaches her the ways of magecraft, but of her mother, whom Timou never knew, he will not say a word. The Prince's disappearance causes ill effects throughout the Kingdom, even reaching Timou's village, and eventually Kapoen sets out for the City in the Lake to offer his services to the King. When he does not return, 17-year-old Timou sets out after him, and that quest sets in motion the adventures that are the main action of the book.

I haven't read a fantasy novel in years, but I liked this, Neumeier's first novel, a lot. Although aimed at a teenaged audience, it is sophisticated enough for adults to enjoy as well. It contains some violence and cruelty, but nothing gory or gruesome. And although it contains no sex, the subjects of the Kingdom are not ignorant of the birds and the bees; indeed, the first main character we meet is the King's illegitimate son, called Lord Bastard behind his back by one and all. All of which is to say this is no mere children's tale, but a thoughtful and thought-provoking adventure story. I recommend it.