Diana Wallace Peach has just released her latest series (The Shattered Sea) which made me feel guilty that she’d managed to produce another couple of books while I was still failing to crack on and talk about her previous epic. I’ve been meaning to write a comprehensive review of the Rose Shield tetralogy (one more than a trilogy, in case you were wondering) for ages but things kept getting in the way, not least the amount of time it took to read them in the first place; this is a substantial story (over 1200 pages in total) but I promise you that there’s no padding. I was tempted to frame it in the context of one young girl’s rise from poverty and disfigurement to Power and Influence but it’s much more than that. It’s set in a world on a knife-edge that’s about to undergo a series of changes both internally and externally with questions of succession, invasion, occupation, injustice and revolution. And it’s into this maelstrom of competing interests that Catling is thrown.
We first meet our heroine as a toddler on Darkest Night at the water’s edge; her self-interested mother is attempting to file away the child’s facial birthmark but there are other powers at work. A ghostly presence induces a half-blood river worker to submerge the wounded child into the luminescent water – and that’s where the magic begins to happen.
A key element in Diana Peach’s stories is the very limited use of magic. These are clearly fantasy tales (although this is bordering on science fiction due to the human population being the ancestors of space-farers who have settled an alien planet) but the magic is given very clear boundaries and usually restrained to just one specific theme. In the Dragon Soul stories it’s dragons, in Sunwielder it’s a magical amulet, and so on. This allows much more attention to be given over to character development and world-building, two areas in which DWP excels. The people are real, the environment is vivid and the issues facing them cover both the mundane and the catastrophic.
There are different societies within the story: city-dwellers of Ellegeance; the maritime culture of the Cull Tar; and the native inhabitants of the planet who are relegated to the outlands of swamp, rivers and wolds. Then there’s the individual strata of those societies, clearly shown in the Ellegean cities – the privileged and powerful reside at the top, the destitute at the bottom, with social mobility strictly limited. As with any human civilisation, particularly those with huge disparities between rich and poor, a couple of other elements come into play: a criminal underworld and religion, both exerting a grip on those with little or no hope of escaping their grim existence.
The leaders of this world are also revealed to the reader: some are callous and cruel, others determined but undermined by age or gender. Some believe they have to act to protect a status quo that is no longer tenable. And this brings us to the magical ingredient that runs through the books. The waters of the planet have a natural luminescence that contains elements of the world’s own consciousness and allows, in certain circumstances, trained initiates to emotionally control the people they can see. These Influencers are used to control the masses within the individual city-states that make up the kingdom of Ellegeance, and are beholden by oath to the realm. This provides not only the main thread of the story but provides one of the faultlines that shatters the kingdom into conflict: these powerful Influencers implicitly have to decide what is good for the kingdom as their foremost decision and that over-rules all other oaths to their Guild and to their leaders. So, politics a-plenty. I told you her world-building was good.
So, what’s the deal with this girl, Catling? The first book in the series focuses on her childhood and her realisation that she is immune to Influence, thanks to her dip in the magic water whilst wounded. Her birthmark is similar to a rose pattern across one half of her face, hence the series title of The Rose Shield, but for much of Book One it truly is Catling’s ‘Bane’. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the revelations but suffice to say that books Two to Four deal with her late teens and adulthood and a significant increase in power and vulnerability. There are bleak times ahead for Catling and her friends, but the world is changing. Serving those in high office, Catling has to fight to live her own life while the Kari, the spirits of the planet, subtly manipulate her into being the right person, in the right place, at the right time to force change. But change comes at a cost.
One cost that DWP is keen to explore in her writing is the impact of man’s actions on the environment. A seasoned campaigner in her own neighbourhood of Oregon against industrial projects that threaten the pristine forests of the north west USA, in the Rose Shield series she uses the Kari to speak for the planet against the abuse the natural world is suffering at the hands of the invading, uncaring alien humans. Both Catling and her best friend Whitt experience life with the native Farlanders and Fenfolk and rely on them to escape from man-made peril and connect with the true nature of the world.
A glorious fantasy full of hardship and tenderness, alongside touches of humour that act as counterpoints to a great deal of death and destruction, D. Wallace Peach has once again scored a hit in an epic tale that raises questions about the world that we live in, how we treat others and what we’re doing to our own planet.
Great review! I enjoy the social commentary that lies beneath the surface of Diana’s writing. I had these on my ‘to read’ list but I may just move them further up after that write-up! (they still have to wait until after my uni reading list for September, though!).
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Thanks Cheryl! I had the honour of beta-reading Catling’s Bane and couldn’t wait to read the following books to find out what happened next. A really enjoyable series that has lots of shocking and exciting twists and turns.
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Thanks so much for the kind comment, Cheryl. Nick’s review had me grinning! Uni does have a way of interfering with reading and writing for the pure pleasure of it. I hope you have a great semester, enjoy your classes, and someday get to this series. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Nick! I caught a glimpse of this while on vacation and didn’t have my computer to respond. What a wonderful, thorough, kind review. I am speechless and so delighted that all parts of this series came together for you and made sense. And you were part of its journey. I’ll never forget our discussions about made up curses. Lol. I’m not officially back on the blog yet, but I will reblog this, of course, in the next few weeks. Thanks again, my friend. You made my summer! ❤
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Haha, no worries my lovely fantasy friend. Actually, that sounds like you’re a figment of my imagination and you’re clearly not! Glad you liked the review, just sorry that it took so long for me to get it written up. Enjoy the rest of your vacation! 🙂
(I was tempted to put some Ellegean profanity in here, but no, I’ll keep it clean!) 😉
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I’m back. Wading through 400+ notifications. Yikes! Thanks again for the awesome review. 🙂
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This is a great review Nick. Most reviews aren’t very helpful or interesting enough to let me know if I want to read a book. This review leaves no doubt that I would enjoy reading this series. Thanks!
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Thanks Brad! I wanted to review it as I was still reading it but had to rein in my enthusiasm and be a bit more rational – plus, I wanted to do it justice without littering it with spoilers! 🙂
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Thanks, Brad. I’m so glad Nick piqued your interest. I love the thoughtful and complete look he gave of the series. I hope you enjoy it if you get the chance. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Jordy’s Streamings.
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Thanks so much for sharing the review, Jordy. Nick was very kind to me. 🙂
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My pleasure Diana. Look forward to reading them, the sound awesome!
Jordy
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Wow! Reviews of the entire collection. This is wonderful. I love Diana’s work. Hugs.
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Thanks Teagan! Yeah, I thought it would be better to review them as an entire series rather than individual books as you get a better appreciation of the whole story arc and the themes at play.
Yep – Diana is tops! 🙂
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Can’t beat it, huh? All four books reviewed. I like these comprehensive reviews because the series is a reading commitment! Hopefully now a reader can see that the whole lot is worth it. Lol. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek. 🙂
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LOL, I never had any doubt. But I do agree. Nick is clearly a treasure too. 🙂
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A fabulous review of the entire collection.
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Thanks! I hope it makes you want to read them, if you haven’t already done so! 🙂
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Thanks so much for checking out the whole review, Robbie. It was a treat getting all four books reviewed! Nick was a trooper. Happy Writing!
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Wow! An author has to love having their entire series reviewed. Congrats to Diana. I’ve read several of her other books and am always enthralled by the worlds she creates. Her writing is so vivid, and her characters are mesmerizing. I can fully understand the high praise she has earned here!
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Thanks Mae – yeah, I love Diana’s work and she’s continually honing her craft, producing believable characters in wonderfully rich worlds. 🙂
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I know, Mae, all four books! I am totally spoiled by this review. Lol. Thank you for the kind comment and for the support for my books. This community of authors is something else. 🙂
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Wonderful review Nick, I came here via Diana’s re-posting. I was not a big fantasy reader until I stumbled into Catling’s Bane and disappeared into the whole series. I agree Diana is a wonderful writer and world builder. I also think this particular series would make great movies. Pauline
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Thanks Pauline, you’re very kind. I wasn’t a huge fantasy fan either, to be perfectly honest (I’d dabbled with a bit of Anne McCaffrey and read the Lord of the Rings but generally preferred the wise nonsense of Terry Pratchett) but after discovering Diana’s short sci-fi story I wanted to read more of work and then thoroughly enjoyed her fantasy books; Sunwielder blew me away! Yes, I kept imagining what this series would look like on film and even had some ideas of the type of cast (Idris Elba as Jagur and Helen Mirren as Vianne, although he needs to be a bit older and she a little younger)!
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Ha – you went further than me with the casting – they can do great things with makeup. My mind was alive with visual images – and I was wondering what Peter Jackson would do with it…….
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Yes, New Zealand would have been a good setting down in the southern mountains, perfect for Peter Jackson 🙂
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You two are too funny. 🙂
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Ah, I love all these converts to fantasy, Pauline! My job here on Earth is done. Lol. Thanks for the lovely comment and support for my writing and books. And movies? Wouldn’t that be fun!! I think I’d faint. Lol. Have a wonderful day, my friend. ❤
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Wonderful review and overview of the series! Congrats, Diana and thanks for sharing, Nick.
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Thanks Bette, much appreciated! 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Bette. I’m feeling very spoiled today. 🙂 Have a wonderful evening and Happy Writing!
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What a fantastic review! So thorough and thoughtful. I love the story about working on the fake swear words. Once they catch on, they may become mainstream!
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Thanks for stopping by at Nick’s to read the whole review, Molly. I actually still do use some of the made-up swear words: “butt-herder” and “sock-fondler” come to mind (they’re relatively mild). Ha ha. Aaah, what fun that was figuring them all out. Happy Writing, my friend, and have a great evening. 🙂
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Thanks Molly 😀
The problem with the original swear words was that they weren’t all fake – some of them had quite strong and unpleasant connotations this side of the pond! 😉
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Much as I love sci-fi “minced oaths” — Battlestar Galactica and Firefly were known for them — I’m glad my own fiction takes place on contemporary Earth and I get to invoke the wide range of colorful expletives we’ve spent centuries developing!
Congrats, Diana, on another stellar review. Doesn’t it feel great when someone gives your work a careful read and a considerate review?
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Thanks Sean, Diana’s works are definitely worth spending time on 🙂
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Thanks, Sean. It does feel great and to have all four books wrapped up in a review is even better. I’m honored and grateful to the core. Keep writing away, my friend, and we’ll be reviewing your book!
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A most fabulous review. Diana is an amazing writer. And it seems the themes in the story aren’t far off the current times.
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Thanks Debby 🙂
Yes, Diana has a particular skill in holding up a mirror to real life and reflecting it into her work.
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Well said! 🙂
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Funny how you say that, Debby. I can’t seem to write without commenting on the present, but I think fantasy like a lot of fiction has to focus on universal human challenges to be relevant. It has to be relatable. Anyway, thanks for much for the visit and the wonderful comment. Happy Writing!
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Thanks Diana. And believe me, I do a lot of commenting on the present! Lol 🙂
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This was a wonderful and comprehensive review. I read Diana’s recently published The Shattered Sea and i can say that her world building and character building is just as exceptional as you say. Her storytelling is unique.
But…. now i’m curious about those cuss words…
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Thanks Jina, I’m glad you liked the review. 🙂
I’m not sure I can divulge the original profanities as it may shock and embarrass! If you do a search for UK profanities you’ll get an idea of what was in the original draft. They might sound a little quaint and innocuous to others but Brits / Irish / Aussies / Kiwis would be just a little surprised if you dropped them into a conversation!
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Haha, cuss words are usually the first thing i learn in a language.still i managed to shock a few whenever I’d use a metaphor that was totally normal in a language but not in another.
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You have an entertainingly filthy mind. I like that. 🙂
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yup. And occasionally – as i’ve been told – evil too.
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😮
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It’s funny how the swear words worked out… and lucky, Jina. I’m so grateful to Nick for helping me to get them right. I didn’t want them to be overly offensive and detract from the character’s sense of humor, and some of them apparently were. Thanks for the visit and the lovely comment about The Shattered Sea books. You’re a champ for reading and reviewing them. 🙂
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Hello Nick! Wonderful review of the series. Diana is a very talented writer and I love her style. Congratulations, Diana! Thanks for the reviews, Nick!
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Hi Vashti! Thanks for reading, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by 🙂
Yeah, Diana’s tops – really takes a lot of care with her characters, their motivations and their environment.
PS – you’ve got an awesome name, you should be a character in a fantasy or SF book! So many more syllables than me…
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Ha, ha! Thank you for the name compliment. I write fantasy too. I did name a flower “Vashti” in a story once. It was a pleasure to meet you and visit your blog. 😀
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Thanks so much for stopping by to read the rest of Nick’s review, Vashti and for the kind comment. I was certainly doing a happy dance when I saw the review and had to share. Have a great weekend and Happy Writing!
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You’re welcome, Diana. It’s my pleasure. Happy weekend and writing to you too!
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks for sharing Nick’s review, Anita and Jaye Marie. 🙂 You put a grin on my face this morning. 😀
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Glad to help!
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What a superb review! I’ve got all of Diana’s books on my TBR list, and I’ve been itching to start Caitlin’s Bane. Your review has upped my intrigue. And congrats to Diana! World-building, limited magic, and my favorite, a sentient planet (makes me think of Anne McCaffery’s Petyabee series). Thank you for such an in-depth and enticing review!
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Thanks Julie! I hope I’ve done Diana’s books justice and that you enjoy them as much as I did. 😀
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Thanks for stopping by to read Nick’s review, Julie. I was pretty stoked to come across it. I think you’re the second person to mention Anne McCaffery’s series. I’ll have to pick that one up. I hope someday you get to crack those pages. It’s amazing how much time all this writing business takes… just wait until you’re published. It gets even crazier! Ha ha.
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Nice to meet you, Nick Rowe.
Congratulations on the sparkling review, Diana!
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Thanks Jennifer! 😀
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Thanks for the visit and the congrats, Jennifer. Nick honestly made my week when this review showed up and I was thrilled to share it. Have a great day and Happy Writing!
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Excellent review! I’m definitely going to check out this series!
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Thanks Suzanne! They’re definitely worth a read 🙂
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Thanks for taking the time to stop by and check out Nick’s review, Suzanne. I hope if you give the series a try, you prove him right and enjoy the series. Have an awesome week. 🙂
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Same to you!
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