Reaching for the Lame Swordsman , I expected a rather simple story about a veteran chasing personal revenge, in a not very “fantastic” universe, that is, one that does not differ much from the late medieval historical realities of our world. Such an image was created in my head by various promotional materials, such as plot shortcuts or the quoted fragments of the text. Once I started to read the content myself, I felt a bit misled – but by no means I was against it, as my surprise was positive.
Reading, we will not immediately come across the topic of mercenary companies and fencing duels. Instead, we will accompany Uther Mac Flann on his first encounter with a mysterious sorceress, a skirmish with forest bandits, and a blood-curdling confrontation with a mountain giant. Yes, that’s where my association with the work of a Polish fantasy named Sapkowski comes from. This impression, moreover, lingered in my mind for at least half of the reading, because the protagonist in the farmyard reminded me a bit of Geralt. He is an elderly, experienced tough guy who does not shy away from the necessary violence, he grumbles a lot and puts a lot of effort into playing a ruthless and bitter cynic, although he is in fact empathetic and equipped with an efficient moral compass. I also saw some connection in the background of the Outsider patch for these characters. The witcher is stigmatized by stereotypes related to his profession and mutations, while Uther’s disability and the associated image of a broken and incapable man, who has irretrievably lost his place in society.
Old ingredients in a completely new dish!
Whether Matera really took the example from The Witcher , or whether the similarities I highlight are coincidental or seen elsewhere, I cannot say. However, this is by no means the only thing that my inner voice suspiciously commented while reading, “wait a minute, I’ve seen it somewhere before …”.
The author often seems to consciously pack into certain cliches of fantasy literature, while in other places he openly refers to a specific work or universe. Does this make his work non-original? Well, to some extent, yes. But does it also make them worse? In my opinion no! As with my false expectations before reading, the whole novel often plays cat and mouse with the recipient.
Many of the heroes look painfully clichéd and one-dimensional at first, but as soon as we start to strengthen this belief, they show themselves from a completely different angle. Some plot threads function in a similar way, which an experienced fantasy reader will quickly classify as hackneyed and predictable – only to be surprised soon by a quite successful twist. An example is the vendetta between Uther and Giovanni Malagrida. We can see the scene of their fight on the cover, while the first chapter suggests that the chase of a lame swordsman after a rival will be the main topic of the entire book, and we will see their spectacular fight only in the finale. However, this does not happen – the duel takes place much earlier, and its effects are completely different than usually in this type of novel.
There are also direct references that could even be called easter eggs . Not without reason I used the name of Lovecraft in the title of the review. At a later stage of the plot of the Lame Swordsman, we will come across a sorcerer summoning a sleeping god hidden under the ocean, awe-inspiring fishmen, and we will hear about a mage-chronicler called Ahmar the Mad, who describes them. For those unfamiliar with Lovecraft’s work, I hasten to explain that it is difficult to find a more obvious reference to the person of Abdul Alhazred, the Mad Arab, i.e. the alleged author of the famous Necronomicon .
To write more is not graphomania yet!
As I have already mentioned, Matera’s novel is really dynamic – the action chases the action, the threads intertwine and smoothly turn into others, it is really easy to soak into Uther Mac Flann’s story. This is, of course, an advantage, after all, the text holds our attention perfectly and basically there are no fragments in it that would be long. However, I must add a drop of bitterness to this sweetness.
The Lame Swordsman ‘s fictional structure is very specifically laid out, which gives the impression that any other author would easily take two or even three volumes to tell the same sequence of events. Characters move around the world map, change parties and goals of their actions. While reading, I found myself repeatedly catching up on the announcement of certain events or points on which the story could be focused, I thought to myself, “Ah, so this is where we are going. I will probably find it at the end of the book, or maybe not until the next part. Nothing could be more wrong! Such “teasers” receive their implementation surprisingly quickly, and something else quickly jumps in their place, which also does not have to wait long for a solution.
But what’s wrong with that? Well, in light of this insane pace, the transformations in the characters seem to be happening too quickly, which makes them less credible. In the world depicted, only days, sometimes weeks, pass, and in the meantime the enemies become friends, then enemies again, and then everything turns over another dumbbell and the same people get completely different roles in a new company. It seems to be somehow justified, as if everyone has their reasons, but soon I began to wonder how many times this and that would change their worldview by 180 degrees before the reading is over.
So what do I want to say? Author, don’t be afraid to sometimes slow down, add a few scenes that do not push the plot forward, but only add “soul” to the characters and deepen their psychological portrait. The Lame Swordsman has in many places some thoughts about the perversity, motivations, and ideals that can lead us in life, and where they can lead us. Matera’s view of these issues can be interesting and undoubtedly adds value to the novel, but its overall message and the potential power of these fragments are blurred, carried away by the rushing current of incessant action.
