Review: A Thumping Good Read Intelligently Done
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2012
Does it get any better than this?  Best Laid Plans is the second book in incredible series by D. P. Prior, Cadman's Gambit being the first.  It promises to be a 5 book series and all I can say is Wahoo!  There is no second book slump here - the story just keeps getting better and better.  It is hard to believe because the first book was so intelligently and beautifully written that the author could tell a story that was better - more lush characterization, human foibles, plot twists and turns, rich use of language and amazing battles - but he did it.  My favorite characters, and there are many, are Deacon Shader, a conflicted postulate and knight who fights for good over evil, Captain Podesta, a smuggler with a heart of gold who loves his crew like family, Shadrak, a homunculus assassin trying to do the right thing because of his Mother, Sammy, a 10 year old boy who has lost much of his family and becomes a Dreamer who talks to Gods and their offspring.  There are too many to list here.The story continues surrounding the statue of Eingana - everyone wants it because it has the power to either unweave the world and recreate it, or protect it.  It depends on your perspective.  The statute was broken into 5 pieces to make it harder to reassemble.  Then the pieces were hidden across the world with trusted men to insure survival.  As the story opens,  war is brewing and two of the statue pieces have been stolen by an evil liche named Cadman who owes a soul to a demon and is being tracked by Sektis Gandaw - the most powerful tecnochrat in all the known worlds.  Cadman wants the statue for himself so he can rule the world and be immortal cleanly without resorting to feeding on humans to sustain himself.  This would make him happy.  Sektis Gandaw wants to unweave the worlds and recreate them in his image.  He has been living since the 1500's and has created life through genetic crossing, so he just wants to start over again - Gods included.  Sektis thinks he know best.  The Huntsman, Deacon Shader, the Ipssissimus and the rest of the Elect want to stop them, Shadrak too.  If the liche or Sandis Gandaw get the statue then life would be over.  War ensues, strange bedfellows are made and the outcome is astonishing to say the least.All I can say is that if you like a good thumping read I recommend this book and the one before it.  It doesn't matter whether you like fantasy or science fiction, this is simply reading at its finest.  You would be losing out if you miss this.  Derek Prior, you are a master storyteller.  Thank you !