Gignomai metโOc is the youngest son of a once-noble family that, decades ago, fell out of favor and was exiled from the Empireโs capital to a remote and comparably primitive colony established 70 years before the start of the novel. The metโOc family is really twice isolated, as it lives on a plateau separate from the rest of the colony, with which it lives in an uneasy kind of not-quite-peace. While Gigโs older brothers Luso and Stheno have their own responsibilities around the house, Gig has enough free time to get into trouble, including the occasional illicit trip to the colony, where he learns more about how the colonists perceive his family and meets with his friend Furio.
The Hammer has an interesting structure, as itโs divided into 4 sections: โSeven Years Before,โ โThe Year When,โ โSeven Years After,โ and โFive Years Later.โ The first two sections, while quite important, are really long prologues for โSeven Years After,โ which takes up most of the book. The section titles refer to an initially mysterious event that changes Gigโs life completely and sets off the main plot of the novel, but it isnโt until late in the book that we find out what this actually was โ although perceptive readers may be able to figure some of it out much earlier. As most of the motivations for Gigโs actions derive from this life-changing event, it takes a while before you really understand whatโs going on, but luckily The Hammer is so well written that itโs a pleasure to read, regardless of when you pick up on the central mystery.
K.J. Parker has the same gift for smooth, easy-flowing dialogue as Lois McMaster Bujold. The characters always sound realistic and never resort to lecturing each other in full paragraphs. In fact, the rest of Parkerโs prose is just as good: The Hammer is simply a blast to read, expertly paced and full of surprising and occasionally funny twists. Thereโs an odd contrast between the almost cheerful tone of the story and the eventual, much darker revelation about the event that sets off the main plot. K.J. Parker has also mastered the art of showing characters rather than describing them: you learn everything you need to know just by observing their actions without needing the author to spell things out for you. Sounds simple, but itโs amazing how few authors pull it off.
The setting of The Hammer is intriguing, despite โ or maybe because of โ its being only vaguely described. The world seems to be on the cusp of an industrial revolution (or more correctly, on the verge of re-discovering pre-industrial techniques and scientific advances that were lost in an unspecified past). While the main political intrigue, which led to the exile of the metโOc family, happened well before the start of the novel, there are many tantalizing hints of whatโs currently happening in the capital (called โHomeโ) and the rest of the Empire. Complicating matters, there are also some mysterious indigenous people living near the Empireโs colony. The Hammer is one of those novels that suggest there may be many more stories to be told about its world, and I for one would jump at the chance to read them.
Reinforcing this impression is the fact that several of the side characters are so fascinating, and have such an interesting story arc, that they could easily each have been main characters in another novel. The stories of Luso, Furio, Furioโs uncle, and especially Gigโs father are just as captivating as Gigโs, despite the fact that (aside from Furio and to a lesser extent his uncle) they happen mostly off-camera. It would be tremendous if K.J. Parker were to write another novel set in this fantasy universe, but focusing on the life of Gigโs father before the start of the story.
As for the main character, Gig is a great choice: heโs mischievous, driven, and has a fascinating, analytical mind. There are some sections from the points of view of his friend Furio and Furioโs uncle (the involuntary mayor-by-default of the colony), but Gigโs the real star of the story. The final sections of the novel lead to a number of difficult questions about morality and exactly to what extent the end justifies the means. Youโll end up reconsidering much of what youโve read before (e.g. the way Gig protects some of the familyโs chickens) in an entirely different light, making this a novel that very much rewards a second reading.
Put all of this together and you get The Hammer: an entertaining but deceptively deep fantasy novel that should win K.J. Parker many new fans. Highly recommended.
I can’t wait to read this!
for some reason I’ve never read a K.J Parker book. I get the feeling I probably should.
Aside from this one, I only read “Purple and Black” – and I loved it. I’m definitely planning to read more by this author soon. Apparently the Engineer trilogy is excellent too.
And I loved Blue and Gold.
Kindle sample downloaded! I’m looking forward to it.
I hope you enjoy it, Linda!
PS It’s nice to see your books available again (electronically, at least) – I read and enjoyed a couple of your SF novels in the 90’s.