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Book Review: Acacia
I read this almost a month ago now but never got around to reviewing it. I'm not sure why I've delayed so long. I found it to be a very enjoyable read for any fan of epic fantasy.
The beginning of the novel sets an assassin from the tribal Mein working his way toward the heart of Acacia, the kingdom that rules the known world. As we get to know the king and his children, we have a sense of impending doom throughout the beginning of the novel, and I don't feel like I'm giving anything away when I say that this is fulfilled. Between the king's assassination and the quick victory of the Meinish armies and their allies, the royal children are sent into hiding in separate directions to learn what they'll need to reclaim the kingdom.
Not, of course, that the king's plan--or the later plans of his children--work out exactly as any of them would hope. The world Durham creates is a dense and complex one, where idealism comes constantly in conflict with hard reality and steely-eyed pragmatists. Neither the Acacians nor the Mein are wholly sympathetic or unsympathetic--the enemy almost seems to be civilization itself and the compromises it makes in the name of order and peace.
Ultimately, it's this depth that is the appeal of any epic fantasy, and this is the true here. I can't say it's a perfect novel--the pacing at times left something to be desired, for instance--but it was good enough that I look forward to future volumes.