DeVries, Peter
WISTRIX DONN: THE MYSTERY & THE MIRACLE
Peter DeVries
Bohemian Ink Publishing 2004
Hb 370 pages
ISBN
0-9726051-3-4
Are you one of those readers who does not like a spoon-fed story? The first half of this book read like Greek to me: the author delights in ensuring the word "mystery" in the title has genuine meaning. WISTRIX DONN: THE MYSTERY & THE MIRACLE is a curious fantasy where the reader first has to figure out what's going on before understanding the solution to the plot's mystery. As for MIRACLE, I think that word could easily be replaced with "magic." WISTRIX DONN is a sword and sorcery tale with heavy emphasis on the sorcery. The first half of the book has a flavor similar to JRR Tolkien, and the second half feels more like a video game--lots of characters and lots of action going different directions. If you're an affection-ado of mixed races--dwarves, etc.--and quests, then this is a book you might want to consider.
"Wistrix Donn" is a place, a "glass house" of immense proportion where people are disappearing. Noetic and Ontic are Eldresse, humans who have been "touched" by gods and have "ceased to age and (are) endowed with gifts of talent." Noetic is "The Miracle," and Ontic is "The Mystery." Their combined magics are awesome, and very much needed for the changing times of their world.
Anryss is a sildin prince sent to solve the mystery of the Wistrix Donn. When Anryss disappears, his brother Pallin sets off in search of him. Meanwhile war foments at home in Keylon, both from the outward threat of dwarves at the border and the internal pressures of the greedy jockeying for political power.
And then you have Honn, Corann, Lok, and Gonch who are utgards--neighbors of the trolls, nearly as large and better armed--who seek a living beyond the expanding Ehrdra-Lute (dwarven empire). Corann and his brethren fall in with the other characters, and after several bloody adventures, eventually investigate the magical Wistrix Donn.
The world-building in WISTRIX DONN is stupendous, almost too detailed to make sense at times, but very carefully wrought. The characterization and plot are good, but I do wonder at stories where the characters' basic human needs (stopping to eat, etc.) are not often mentioned--the story would feel more real that way. Also, I have seen better copy-editing, but there weren't so many typos as to be distracting.
Sample of the text #1: "A voice came to the prophet and offered words of guidance: 'Go to the Sinn-Oll-Tydell. Prepare for yourself a place whereby you may adequately accept and direct the phoenix. Follow it until the death. Scoop the fledgling from the ashes. Prepare it to fly, lest the beast devour it before maturity be achieved. These things shall be your tasks. Be diligent, for the phoenix is falling. Soon nothing will remain but the ashes of death. Though the ignorant will weep, you have been shown the future. As surely as it falls, so shall it rise. Falling blue, it will rise green. In its death, there lies the essence of mystery. In rebirth, the miraculous is experienced. Meditate you on these things, for soon the time shall come.'"
Sample of the text #2: "Ontic shook her head and pointed with complete calm to the port side of the ship. The sailors looked and a surprised scream sounded. Two legs could be seen going overboard. Trailing behind the unfortunate sailor was an enormous coil of scaly, green armor. 'The Nix!' The Nix was one of the oldest creatures on earth and--according to legend--was the favorite of her master, Nicor. In a shower of mist, three serpentine heads exploded from the ocean's surface. The crew scrambled for weapons. Clumped together at the stern, they prepared to defend the ship from the Nix. 'She's grown,' Ontic commented. 'You may have to do something.' The necks of the beast were as long as the mast and twice as thick. The hypnotic eyes and long fangs gave it an appearance similar to a snake. A horn protruded from the top of its nose. Noetic shook his head. 'If our suspicions are true, action may be more harm than help.'"
Once I got into the story, I enjoyed it, and I am curious to find out what might happen to the surviving characters in future volumes.
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