Lyonesse: Suldrun's Garden

Jack Vance

1983

In the large Bay of Biscay in the long ago of the world lay the Elder Isles.

Once under a High King, the lands are sundered and petty kingdoms rule each island separately for their own benefit and all dreaming of reuniting the lands under their own rule.

Most arrogant and wily of these was Casmir of Lyonesse. Building alliances with other rulers of renown, he is able to threaten the only other kingdom of note Troicinet. But while strong on land, Casmir has to concede the seas to Troicinet whose ships patrol the waters with the efficiency and mercy of sharks!

Thinking to isolate Troicinet, Casmir looks to the neighbouring kingdom of South Ulfland. But there are two border forts in his way. One easily taken, the other never taken by assault or treachery.

But Casmir has a daughter, Suldrun by name. Out of favour with both parents since her birth, Suldrun had been left to her own fancies, so that when her father demanded she marry the duke Carfilhiot, she threw defiance in their faces. Embarrassed beyond hope of calming, the duke retreated to his high castle and Casmir exiled his daughter to her garden until she should die.

Not unhappy to be locked away Suldrun spends her time wandering round her small demesne until she is rescued from this fate when a shipwrecked sailor is washed ashore in her rocky bay.

Recognising in him the only man she could truly love, she makes up her mind to escape from her prison. But the priest who married them was treacherous and betrayed the pair to her father. His daughter is banished back to her garden and her lover condemned to Casmir's deepest oubliette, for he recognised the heir to the throne of Troilance.

In their intimacy, Suldrun and her husband had got her with child.

With the help of her old maid, the babe was hidden away only to be stolen by the fairies. In despair at the way her life seemed fated not to bring her happiness Suldrun hung herself.

But her love was still alive and he soon freed himself to go in search of his son and revenge against those who had wronged him and his.

Will he be able to succeed against those who would see him fail?

This is written in the High Style, deliberately reminiscent of the old sagas. Unlike JRR Tolkien with his Lord of the Rings, this is firmly rooted in the historical reality of our own World (mostly anyway). Specifically in that period generally known as the Dark Ages when the Angles and Saxons were rampaging throughout Britain, and Christianity was replacing the Old Religions. Casmir and his people know magic is still in the World, but has had it's day and the Magicians are a race apart.

All in all a nice book and the first in a trilogy: Suldrun's Garden; The Green Pearl; Madouc.

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This is part of the Fantasy Masterworks series.

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