Okay, here we go!
The Darkest Wand is a fantasy novel by Benjamin Archambault. This review is based on a reading encompassing three sittings in a single day.
Benjamin Archambault brings us the tale of Aimee, a young thief with an uncommon destiny. I am well aware this sounds very generic for a fantasy story - a young orphan raised by a curious old man, destined to play a role in saving the world - let's be honest, the basic idea isn't terribly original.
This makes it all the more extraordinary that The Darkest Wand is such a compelling entry into the genre. As best I know, this is Archambault's first work of fiction. Nonetheless, he has captured the essential elements of the genre and managed to wrap tired old cliches in a fresh story with characters and ideas more engaging and original than most in the genre.
In this review, you will see no mention of his plotting or pacing. Suffice it to say his plotting is superb and his pacing is very good (a bit too much exposition here or there, but that is a prerequisite of the complex storyline), but speaking at all of the story would rob it of its surprising depth.
Characters
Rather than cardboard caricatures of people's roleplaying characters, Archambault brings us a small but charming cast of people that feel real. Although descriptions of appearance or background can come across a bit stilted, Archambault has the rare gift of humanizing his creations. From the candy shared by an elderly gentleman to a roguish innkeeper, even the most incidental of cast members are accorded a proper introduction and a few moments in the spotlight, and the book is the better for this attention. It is clear that Archambault put a great deal of thought into each character he chose to include, and the attention he lavishes on each individual enhances the plot by confusing the lines between the important and unimportant people met throughout the book. (I have a specific example in mind, but spoilers must be avoided!)
Dialogue
The speech Archambault gives his characters is perhaps the strongest point of his writing. I refer not to dialects (intentionally or not, the single attempt at a dialect given in the novel is quite amusing, the odd spelling alone gave me pause and I admit to trying to pronounce the sentences in my head) but to the interplay between characters. Fantasy writers, particularly in their early books, will frequently engage in ridiculously overblown and dramatic speech, or for the sake of exposition have their cast completely break character to build an artificial question and answer section. Archambault skillfully dodges this trap, and even in the lengthy exposition sections gives his characters unique vocal mannerisms and has them react completely in character to any revelations given, which makes these expositions interesting rather than unbearable. In normal dialogue, the speech between characters is quite natural, falling into that easy back-and-forth that is so difficult for even expert writers to precisely duplicate. I wondered on several occasions how much time was spent perfecting the dialogue to make it flow naturally.
Action
The action scenes are eminently serviceable. Although they are not the high points of the book (I admit, I chiefly read Salvatore for his decadently drawn-out melees) they do nothing to detract from the quality of the story and show occasional flashes of real skill. One notable battle taking place in a village is an excellent example of how to write an action scene - Archambault balances action, plot exposition, and character development, and then continued nonstop to a stunning plot twist that left me absolutely reeling (perhaps the strongest writing in the entire book took place in that forty or fifty pages). The stealth based scenes were imaginative and descriptive, and gave a skillful glimpse into the art of a medieval thief.
Originality
Alas, in the world of fantasy, everything has been done before. If I choose to pick nits, the same is true of Archambault's work. The setting is quite generic, and nonspecific - I believe regions were mentioned at a few points, but a handful of towns and a castle are the only areas that receive any real description, and these are taken straight from any fantasy game or story. I thoroughly enjoyed the story itself, but nothing about the world captured my attention and made me eager for new tales told in this land. I would hope any further works by the author attend to this problem and give his world a more concrete and easily recognizable feel.
However, the magic that Archambault presents - from its mechanics, to its purpose and nature - is quite unique. Although no specific element (such as the heavy emphasis on wands) can be pointed at as an original creation, Archambault was obviously inspired by many popular works (including a pair of real surprises) and fuses them effortlessly into a construct that feels unique. It has been said that when enough ideas have been borrowed, the product is original, and this is true. I am not attempting to cast aspersions on Archambault for the inspirations that drove him - nothing is stolen from another work, and he leaves an unmistakable stamp of his own upon each topic.
Content
I attempt to include this in every review. This story deals with some very dark themes, and has several scenes of graphic violence. This story is not appropriate for children, and I would expect a PG-13 rating if it were ever made into a film. There is no sexual content or strong profanity, but nonetheless this is not a children's book, it is aimed at an adult or YA audience. This book has no explicit religious content, but members of certain faiths will find it strongly allegorical. This book depicts a character stealing in a positive light, but makes the inherent moral conundrums clear. This book does not condone violence, despite containing violence.
Thank You
Well done, Mr. Archambault. I shall look forward to reading your next book!
