Another Review

Strangely, The Dog of the North continues to attract more attention in the US, where it's not formally published, than in the UK. Here's what Library Journal.com has to say:

On the way to her wedding in the city of Croad, Lady Isola is kidnapped by Beauceron, the Dog of the North, whose allegiance lies with the Winter King of Mettingloom and whose personal ambition is to conquer Croad. In the city itself, a lowborn youth named Arren grows to become a valorous knight with a destiny that far surpasses his birth. Many stories combine in Stretton's richly woven tapestry that depicts a land of fractious city-states and the lives of the people who affect the world's direction.

VERDICT Combining a hint of Renaissance Italy with a Shakespearean gravity leavened with touches of humor, the author of Dragonchaser and The Zael Inheritance has created a vividly detailed world that should appeal to fans of David Drake, Midori Snyder, and George R.R. Martin.

Can't complain at another 'Shakespearean', or a comparison with GRRM. Nice to see a nod to the humour too!

Given that most of my fan mail (not a huge sample size, admittedly) comes from Germany, it may well be that I am less popular at home than in at least two overseas markets.

The Dog of the North crosses the pond

My attention was drawn today to the following very favourable review of The Dog of the North in the US Publishers' Weekly. It's hard not to be satisfied with with a starred review that characterises the atmosphere as "almost Shakespearean".

The Dog of the North Tim Stretton. Macmillan UK/Tor (IPG/Trafalgar Sq., dist.), $14.95 paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-330-46083-5

Debut author Stretton skillfully chronicles court intrigue in rival city-states in this unique fantasy tale. Arren is a young boy taken from poverty and brought into the Lord of Croad's household. Beauceron, the Dog of the North, is a vassal of the Snow King of Mettingloom and obsessive in his desire to capture the city of Croad. Each plot line moves adroitly through themes of love and revenge toward a surprising climax. Stretton adeptly uses courtly, carefully structured discourse and Italianate names and places to evoke an almost Shakespearean atmosphere, providing hints to Beauceron's identity but never giving too much away. This cleverly plotted fantasy mystery is full of intelligent dialogue, enthralling characters, and dramatic world-building that will hold readers' attention to the last page.