fyvel's Full Review: J. V. Jones - The Baker's Boy
The Baker’s Boy is the first installment of the Book of Words trilogy by J.V. Jones. It is a quirky story that is strongly reminiscent of Tad William’s The Dragonbone Chair.
The Baker’s Boy follows the story of several main characters, with the impression that their lives are all somehow intertwined, with more to be revealed in the following books.
There is Jack, apprentice to the master baker at Castle Harvell. At the castle, he spends his days preparing bread and avoiding the wrath of Master Frallit, the baker. He also works for Baralis as a blind scribe copying texts, teaching himself how to read in the process. Being an orphan, never knowing his father, his mother of unknown origins long dead, he holds much resentment for the normal folk living in the castle who taunt him and tease him about his background. But there is more to him than anyone ever expected…
Melliandra, daughter to the richest lord in the castle, is furious when she finds out that her father wishes to make her queen by offering her hand in marriage to Prince Kylock. Refusing to go along with her father’s plans, she runs away from the castle, hoping to live with relatives of her mothers in a far off city. Her travels don’t go exactly as planned though, due to the scheming of Baralis.
Maybor, Melliandra’s father, is an extravagant lord in a bitter battle with Baralis. The two are bitter enemies, each making several attempts on the lives of the other. Each has their own reasons for wanting Prince Kylock to marry the girl of their choosing. Maybor simply wants to be the father of a queen, but Baralis has a much more insidious plan.
Baralis is the king’s chancellor, and evil to the heart. He is a master of sorcery, but keeps his abilities hidden to protect himself from persecution. Sorcery is not something that is looked upon lightly, as it is considered an evil ability. Baralis fulfills this image, plotting and scheming, playing politics to further advance his standing.
Tawl, a knight of Valdis, is part of a different story, far away from castle Harvell. He has been sent on a journey by the wiseman Bevlin to find a young boy. Having no idea of where to start looking, he wanders the world looking for a boy who is simply supposed to be different from other boys. Tawl is determined to find the boy in order to assuage his guilt of mistakes made in his own past.
Tavalisk, archbishop of Rorn is a master meddler, and a man with a voracious appetite. He has plans of his own and will stop at nothing to go through with them. He hates the knights of Valdis and seeks to destroy them.
Bodger and Grift are two lesser characters that occasionally pop into the story, adding a sense of humor. They are two lowly castle guards, constantly gossiping over ale. Their banter includes many unsavory topics, from which women are the best to have a “tumble” with, to how to cure yourself of unsavory diseases.
The book has several lines of plot, all loosely connected. From Jack’s plight, to Tawl’s mission, to Tavalisk’s constant interference, it seems obvious how it will all come together in the end. There are just enough twists and turns, with interesting enough characters to make me give this book a rating of four instead of three. With a little more originality, it could have been a five. But it is just too reminiscent of The Dragonbone Chair to earn such a high rating. The similarities are quite uncanny, from Jack being so much like Simon, to the similarities between Baralis and Pyrates, along with Baralis’ servant Crope and Pyrates’ servant Inch. Castle Harvell is much like the Hayholt, complete with many secret underground tunnels. Prince Kylock almost perfectly fits the role of Prince Elias, both with a sickly or dead father as King. Even Melliandra compares to Miriamele quite well. It’s just too similar and was rather irritating at points. But still, this book survives on its own merits. The story flows well, there are enough characters to keep things interesting without having too many to keep track of, and there is enough plotting and bickering between Maybor and Baralis to keep things interesting. Overall, The Baker’s Boy is a quick and easy read, and I look forward to continuing with the series with the next installment, A Man Betrayed.
The first novel in a brilliantly crafted trilogy. As the King of the Four Kingdoms lays dying, traitorous conspirators prepare a political marriage to...More at Buy.com
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