Orion Shall Rise combines action-adventure fiction with serious characterization. Thus, on the one hand, Iern is a popular hero, the Stormrider, with a price on his head, but, on the other hand, his wife, Faylis, supports and lives openly with Iern's mortal enemy, the usurper, and commences divorce proceedings, alleging cruelty, infidelity and desertion. (p. 194) Iern had to desert to avoid arrest! We can imagine later popular accounts, falsifying and whitewashing his wife's role, transforming her into a traditional heroine. I cannot remember from previous readings whether they later reconcile.
Iern's former drinking companion, Plik, initially thinks that he is unable to help the fugitive, then has a moment of realization:
"It blazed in Plik." (p. 193)
But Plik proposes to approach the Norrmen who, we know, have worked behind the scenes with the usurper, Jovain. I use the term, "usurper," although Jovain has been voted in as Captain by the Council of Seniors - but only a bare majority, with guns at his back, after lying about a threat that his intervention has allegedly prevented.
Does Domain politics in any way resemble current politics?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
But I do consider Jovain a usurper! He only became Captain of Skyholm by intimidating that narrow majority of the Council into voting for him by the threat of force. I don't think anyone of the Seniors truly believed his lies about preventing a coup.
Yes, Domain politics does resemble how politics can happen in real life. Such as in how Cromwell seized power (to cite an example from UK history).
Ad astra! Sean
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