Review - Darkwar... As Strength Goes.

 
Image Credit: Night Shade Books

As strength goes.

    That's something that we hear a lot in Cook's Darkwar trilogy. From Doomstalker to Warlock, and Warlock to Ceremony, Marika's lesson from the Ponath sticks through. And it shows.

    Marika is the main character and centerpiece of Cook's science-fantasy series. She is from a feline race called the Meth, and grows up in a sector of the planet that has been restricted technologically. If it sounds a bit like The Hunger Games, it is. In that respect only. The comparison stops there.

    Being raised by a band of hunters who are averse to anything they don't understand, like mental powers in the form of a spirit-guided telepathy, Marika finds herself in a bit of a conundrum. Exploring these talents has the potential to save those she loves from her village, but also could result in further examination by those who are already concerned that she could be the "Doomstalker." This Doomstalker, or Jiana, is something of an anti-messiah of the Meth mythology that is called such because of the destruction she leaves in her wake. Darkwar explores whether or not Marika will find herself fated to become this "Jiana," or if she can break free of this destiny. But perhaps fate is a little more nuanced than this.

The Good

This is a tough review for me.

    Glen Cook is my all-time favorite author. Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, and Bernard Cornwell all hold special places in my heart.

    But Cook takes the cake.

    That being said, this trilogy was a tough one to get through.

    I think that the good parts of the trilogy probably have to do with watching the character arc of Marika as a whole. We get to see her from her very beginnings as a young pup, to the end of her days as a senior Meth. During that time, she goes through heavy transitions and learns a lot about life, her people, and herself. I should caveat by saying that this by no means implies that she is likable. She is not. Perhaps for the first book and a half she was, but Marika makes decisions that continue to disappoint and push the reader away from sympathizing with her plights.

    As usual, Cook's style is phenomenal. It isn't going to be like The Black Company or Garrett, P.I. There aren't those in-depth moments where we get to really walk in the shoes of someone like Croaker or Garrett. This is a third-person tale that jumps ahead, by years at some points, and can read almost like a history book for the Meth. A well-written one, though.

The Bad

The narrative for the Meth can be a tough sell in terms of engagement. This has nothing to do with Cook's style, which I already praised, but more to do with the fact that this culture is hard to care for. A lot of this has to do with the strong lore that Cook has built around this race, essentially an alien one, that are not meant to really be super identifiable with humanity. Because of this, the motivations of the Meth can come across fairly callous. Something like cold calculus, but sometimes even the ends don't justify the means.

    On top of that, Darkwar can be a little convoluted. Even with the time jumps, there are also a lot of moments that feel like filler. Really, Marika? Fighting again? It's the repetitive nature of some of this structure that can leave the book feeling like a bit of a slog.

The Truth

While it pains me to say it, Darkwar is probably my least favorite Glen Cook series by a wide margin. It is tough to get through, and if I wasn't already a Cook fan when I picked it up I'm not sure if I ever would have grabbed anything else by the man. If you're a die-hard, go for it. But if not... There are a lot of better places to start.

6/10

Better than Some

Want to check out some amazing Cook material? The Garrett Files will scratch that itch.