I was somewhat worried when I started this novel that by its end, I would know far more about barrel making (cooperage) than I ever wanted to know. Unfortunately for Kharl and fortunately for me, Kharl's life goes to hell in a handbasket and he must abandon his business. No more barrel making! Yay!
Still, Modesitt treats his main character rather roughly. His wife is executed, he is given a lashing, his taxes get raised to an outrageous amount, his sons abandon him, and he experiences the wrath of a corrupt nobleman. He spends time as a beggar, hoping that a ship, captained by a maybe friend, will come in before the Watch finds him. If he got boils, he'd be equal with Job.
Strangely, I liked Kharl better than most Modesitt protagonists, despite his lack of emotion about all that has happened to him. He's very typical of the main characters in this series: stoic, hard working, steady (to the point of being boring), with concealed talents and very firm values that he refuses to compromise. He is told by two or three people along his journey that he must discover his purpose and find himself.
This story was much less plodding than most in the series. A fair amount of time is spent on a ship, so there's a fair bit of nautical jargon that I could have done without, just as I quickly tired of all the barrel staves at the beginning. But at least it wasn't a military tale, so there was a great deal less “Yes, ser"-ing. Blessed be.
The ending was somewhat surprising, as Kharl seems to pull a rabbit out of his hat, suddenly stronger and better than had been hinted earlier. But I should have expected it, it is part of the pattern this author uses. A determined self righteous man, overcoming an unjust system.
Book Number 444 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
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