Unrest at the border
The action of the first volume of The Book of the Whole – Northern Border – takes place near the line separating Armekt from Aler. However, it is not just a place separating two states. The former is under the Szerni Ranges, while the Aler Rows dominate the latter. We do not fully learn from the novel what these forces are, but it was they who endowed the inhabitants of their lands with intellect. In Armekta this gift was given to people, cats and vultures. In the second country, however, it found its way to the so-called silver and gold tribes. The former are a bit closer to humans, the latter definitely to wild beasts. However, both are deadly.
Therefore, the border must be guarded by the military. In normal times, it does quite well, however, in the novel, we encounter a situation that is far from what the characters are used to. While at first it seems as though everything has a chance to be ordinary, we realize relatively quickly that this time the threat is greater than what could have been expected. Ordinary people (and cats!) Become embroiled in events greater than any of them could have imagined.
Military and politics
The author quite efficiently describes how politics and the army are intertwined. Power games can influence decisions, and the successes or failures of selected characters can overly significantly determine their future. Feliks W. Kres does not pay much attention to these aspects, but nevertheless presents the operation of the mechanisms well.
The author focused more attention on the presentation of the army itself. It is true that the Armectan empire does not wage great wars, but it must have soldiers, and the Northern border – the only place where the conflict is still smoldering – trains the best specialists. The army includes not only humans, but also cats. The latter are not too punitive, but they have outstanding abilities and are perfect for intelligence work. What’s more, despite the lack of discipline, they can devote themselves wholeheartedly to the cause – but the commander must get used to their specific behavior.
As for human soldiers, both men and women serve in the army. They are divided into three formations – cavalry, archers and axemen. Strong representatives of the cavalry stand out to the fore in the novel, but we also learn a bit about the others. The author could describe the conflicts or competition between formations a bit better, but despite this lack, the book is a good read.
Back to the classics
The northern border was originally published in 1995. For many years, it has been considered a classic among fantasy lovers. After many years, returning to reading leaves something to be desired. The novel is well written and the plot is quite interesting. The presented world encourages us to delve into it. At the same time, something is missing here. It may be a matter of the passage of time, but you don’t read novels with a flushed face. It’s a really decent fantasy, but it seems to be missing something that would make it an outstanding position. Nevertheless, it is worth reaching for this book, and I am waiting impatiently for the publication of the next volumes.
