Mini-Review: Antiphon by Ken Scholes

Antiphon by Ken Scholes is the third book in The Psalms of Isaak series (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) – a planned series of five. In Antiphon things really take off, which means I can’t say too much about it without completely spoiling events in the first two books – which would really be a shame with the way Scholes slowly reveals answers only to leave more questions in their place. Combined with my rather hectic life of late, I’ve decided to keep my review rather short and sweet. This really is a rather good series and something with a bit of different flavor than the usual fair, so I suggest checking my reviews of Lamentation (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) and Canticle (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound).

In Antiphon Scholes continues with his strategy of slowly revealing mysteries and takes it step further by revealing other truths behind mysteries previously revealed as the series continues forward. What you think you know is probably wrong, and with Antiphon probably wildly so. The science fiction flavor to the fantasy of The Psalms of Isaak really comes out in surprising form at the same time that fantasy aspects wrench it up another level. Through this Scholes shows us both what is great and not-so-great about genre as he expands the possibilities of his writing and lets it get away from him in the end.

Frankly, while Antiphon is good, it was a bit of a let-down in quality following Canticle. However I can say that after the events in Antiphon, I have no idea where Scholes is going to go with things, but I’m sure it’s going to be extraordinary. 7.5

Related Posts: Review of Lamentation, Review of Canticle, Ken Scholes Answers Questions Five, Interview (long) with Ken Scholes

Review: Canticle by Ken Scholes

Less than a year after his debut, Lamentation (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound), Canticle by Ken Scholes (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound), the second volume of the Psalms of Isaak five-book series, hits the streets. Simply put, I was impressed with Lamentation and I’m even more impressed with Canticle – this is one of the most notable epic fantasy series out there.

Canticle picks up nine months after the closing events of Lamentation. The Named Lands still struggle to piece themselves back together after the horrific destruction of their greatest city, Windwir, the seat of the now disbanded religious order, the Androfrancines. Just as hope is really finding a foothold, as string of assassinations utilizing long forbidden blood magic strikes the lands. Further instability results as long-laid strategies reveal themselves, and the threat to the Named Lands may be greater than any imagined.

As I discussed in my review, one of the weaknesses to Lamentation is its slow start – it takes a lot of time and effort for momentum and any attachment to characters to build. In Canticle, Scholes is free from the shackles of set-up and it shows. Events start with bloody knives and roll on from there. Scholes’ seems much more comfortable in his writing and at times you can feel his enthusiasm. In short, his writing shows noticeable improvement in Canticle.

Approaching each chapter as a single point of view allows the reader to really get to the larger players of the game – these eight points of view show the variety of the lands and different pieces of the overall puzzle. In Canticle, the feeling of an over-arching puppet master increases, as those who thought they were in charge become further enlightened to their ignorance. More is revealed, yet with each revelation, more questions appear. Always dangling bait, occasionally allowing a nibble, Scholes leads the reader on an irresistible chase, a chase that will continue beyond Canticle.

Where Lamentation literally laments loss throughout, Canticle delves deep into the wonders of parenthood. Throughout Canticle, the wonder, joy, fears and sacrifice of all manner of parenthood underlies everything. A great king’s life is forever changed by the birth of his son – his perspective cannot help becoming centered on that tiny life, and he will sacrifice anything and everything for that wonder. A strong patriarch horrifically realizes that his only weakness is his family. An adopted father is killed, a religious leader sacrifices for his ‘children’, a dead and gone father’s plans and betrayals are revealed, a Queen learns what it means to be both Queen and mother…it all comes back to that very special love and its corresponding fears of parenthood. The religious overtones are present but not overwhelming, certainly not didactic, and tend towards universal truths that all can relate to. This exploration touched me on a deeper level due to my own relatively recent advent into the wonders of fatherhood, helping Canticle stand out even further.

Scholes’ second book, Canticle, shows significant improvement over his already impressive debut, Lamentation. This is an epic fantasy series that all fans should be reading – this is a series that should be talked about – this is something special. The song that is Canticle demands a response, a response that will come in the forthcoming Antiphon, a response that I cannot wait to see. 8-8.5/10

Related Posts: Review of Lamentation, Ken Scholes Answers Questions Five, Interview (long) with Ken Scholes, Review of Antiphon

Interview with Ken Scholes

Ken Scholes is an author I'm seeing mentioned quite often these days. He’s become well-regarded for his short fiction, but it’s the release of his debut novel, Lamentation (US, UK, Canada, my review), that has everyone buzzing and kicks off a planned 5-book series called the Psalms of Isaak. The language used is bold – Jay Lake proclaims that Scholes is poised to “step into the shoes of the late [Robert Jordan]”and Booklist hails Scholes for his “rare gift for inventive storytelling that invites comparisons with the genre’s leading practitioners.” Whatever you think of the buzz, I strongly recommend that you give Lamentation a try – for the record, I really liked it.

As I prepared for my earlier Questions Five interview with Ken, I quickly realized that the questions I wanted to ask just didn’t fit in with the Questions Five format. I’ve generally stayed away from the longer interview (though I collaborate with other bloggers regularly), but this is a case where I felt that a long interview was appropriate. Thankfully, in spite of the rollercoaster ride of Ken’s life these days, he agreed. So, on to the questions…



Neth Space: In your biography, a myriad of past jobs are listed, including sailor, soldier, preacher, musician, retail manager, nonprofit administrator, and label gun repairman. How have these jobs influenced what you want to say in your writing?

Ken Scholes: Good question. I'm not sure how they influenced what I want to say in my writing because the "want to say" isn't usually something I'm aware of until after I've said it. But certainly, the variety of experiences has given me a wide base to draw from. Beyond just how those experiences shaped me, I also draw from them in my fiction. I look back to my time at the merchandising company, where I repaired label guns and assisted the sales team, in my short story "Soon We Shall Be Saunders." My time in the army helped inform "The Night the Stars Sang Out My Name" and my time in the ministry certainly added to "That Old-Time Religion." "The Doom of Love in Small Spaces" has a bit of my day job working for local government showcased in it. These are just a few examples.

I think as writers we tap into all our life experiences when we're crafting fiction. Beyond just our jobs, we tap into the things we love, the things we fear, the losses and gains we've experienced, the people we've loved or been loved by along the way. It all goes into the soup and becomes part of the stories I tell.

Neth Space: With that said, do you want to be a full-time writer? Do you feel that this may limit the life experience that you’ve found so valuable?

Ken Scholes: I do want to be a full-time writer though that's a fairly recent realization. I think there's certainly a trade-off in that transition but ultimately, the writing career is growing fast enough that at some point I'm going to need the time and energy that is going into my day job in order to keep up with everything. And life experiences go much deeper than the jobs we work so I'm not too worried about that. Losing a parent, becoming a parent, seeing an important relationship through troubled waters -- these are all critical life experiences that go on around us regardless of how we spend our workdays.

Neth Space: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Are they?

Ken Scholes: I tend to agree, yes. I think knowing where we come from both as individuals and as a species -- and understanding that history as best we can -- can help us chart a better present and future.

Neth Space: I feel that Lamentation addresses this point in interesting ways – it could be equally interpreted that the fall of Windwir was the result of either learning too much from history, or not learning the ‘right’ lesson from history. How do you feel this old saying applies to Lamentation?

Ken Scholes: I think the Androfrancines learned the wrong lesson from history and at some point, became so focused on the past that they no longer clearly saw the present or the future. They also overestimated their own power and underestimated the power of others.

Neth Space: Lamentation is rich in religious themes and imagery. You were once a Baptist preacher (honesty I had you pegged for an ex-Catholic). How has this experience shaped the book that became Lamentation?

Ken Scholes: Well, it shaped me and because of that, it shows up in my writing and shapes it. I actually studied Roman Catholic history as a part of my BA at Western but the inner workings that we see, for instance in the character of Petronus, are reproduced from my own experience of having served as a minister within the Baptist belief system and then having chosen to leave that role and faith behind in what was a long, sometimes painful process over years. I draw from that both in this series but also in a lot of my short fiction. But then again, I think people are shaped from all of their experiences -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- and writers in particular draw from those experiences in shaping their fiction.

Neth Space: What reaction does the word ‘lamentation’ evoke from you?

Ken Scholes: A song rooted in grief and loss. Sackcloth and ashes. A sense of profound sorrow.

Neth Space: So, how were you lead to Lamentation as the title?

Ken Scholes: To be honest, I can't recall the exact moment that I realized that was the title. I kicked around a few titles: A Lamentation for the Light, A Lamentation for Windwir, but I think the word "lamentation" was already in place the day I started drafting the book. It just sounded right and I knew that a one word title would be strong. Later in the book, there's a point in one of Rudolfo's scenes where it says "and he saw how a lamentation could become a hymn." Re-reading that after I wrote it is what ultimately gave me the final title in the series, Hymn. All of the titles come from terms used in sacred music.

Neth Space: In this more flippant interview you were asked “If Lamentation were a fortune cookie, what its fortune be”. You responded with “change is the path life takes”. Would you please expand on this thought?

Ken Scholes: Surely. It's a precept from P'Andro Whym, founder of the Androfrancines. It basically means "Evolution Happens." Change is the path life takes. Certainly, we see it in the macrocosm of our world and universe. And we see it in our own individual lives, I think, if we have some perspective.

Neth Space: Well I can certainly see how this precept works in our daily lives, as I can see it at work in Lamentation. With that in mind, what are you willing to share about the anticipated evolution of the Psalms of Isaak?

Ken Scholes: Well, it's definitely evolving as I go. So far, the main story arc remains the same as I imagined it though there's potential for a major change in it as my characters grow. I let the details of each book develop as I'm writing it, based on how my characters are growing. I go into each book knowing where they are and where they need to be, then I take them through the experiences I've lined out for them to see how they handle them, how they are changed by them.

And of course, once I've wrapped this series, the world and characters will evolve even further into whatever next story I tell in this place.

Neth Space: So, what is the current progress in writing the Psalms of Isaak? Any updates on anticipated publication dates and when you expect to finish writing?

Ken Scholes: I'm nearly finished drafting the third volume, ANTIPHON, coming next Spring (ideally). CANTICLE's been copyedited and we're looking at an October publication for it. The rest of the series -- REQUIEM and HYMN -- should follow shortly after but my Magic Eight Ball is sketchy on dates given everything else that's happening. Certainly, my goal (and Tor's) is to not have people waiting too long to know what happens next.

Neth Space: That’s quite an ambitious schedule (and selfishly, it’s one I hope you keep).

You’ve mentioned before that you are expecting twins (congrats – that is wonderful). As a relatively new father myself, I’ve been confronted with the reality of just how much of a life-changing event fatherhood is. Do you think you can keep up your current schedule?

Ken Scholes: Thanks -- we're excited about it, though also daunted. I don't expect to keep the schedule quite as well as I've been able to up until now. Then again, I've had a lot of Real Life interruptions. My Mom and nephew both died during my work on CANTICLE. My Dad died during ANTIPHON. So I've been making headway despite some pretty big life events.

I have no real idea of how the twins are going to impact my writing process but I know they will. Still, I'll do everything I can to keep production going. I've cut back hours at the day job and my hope is that I'll wrap ANTIPHON shortly and get a running start at REQUIEM so that most of it is finished before the babies show up.

Neth Space: Wow, it sounds like the last few years have been a pretty rough time for you. I hope they improve.

Fatherhood is a wonderful thing. Just watch that delete button – it’s amazing how fast those little hands can hit the single worst possible button on a keyboard.

Ken Scholes: Thanks. They've been rough years but punctuated with lots of joy and delight alongside it all as we've watched the book take off and as we've watched our family start to grow.

Neth Space: Do you think that this new life experience could radically (or less dramatically) change your vision of the conclusion to the Psalms of Isaak?

Ken Scholes: I don't think it will change my vision for the conclusion but it's hard to say. I think if my vision changes it will be because the characters moved in a new direction and surprised me.

Neth Space: Ken, thanks again for taking the time to answer a few (more) questions from me. Is there anything you else you’d like to add in closing?

Ken Scholes: Not off the top of my head. I hope folks enjoy the story and keep coming back for more.

Related Post: Review of Canticle, Review of Antiphon

Ken Scholes Answers Questions Five

Ken Scholes is an author I expect to hear a lot about. He’s become well-regarded for his short fiction, but it’s the release of his debut novel, Lamentation (US, UK, Canada, my review), that has everyone buzzing. The language used is bold – Jay Lake proclaims that Scholes is poised to “step into the shoes of the late [Robert Jordan]”and Booklist hails Scholes for his “rare gift for inventive storytelling that invites comparisons with the genre’s leading practitioners.” Whatever you think of the buzz, I strongly recommend that you give Lamentation a try – for the record, I really liked it.

Thanks again to Ken for stopping by to answer Questions Five. So, without further ramblings…


In your opinion, should the Pacific Northwest be best known for better beer, better wine, or better coffee?
KS: Well, I like all three but I'd have to go with coffee. I wake up every morning, grind the beans and drink most of a pot while I'm writing.

If Lamentation were a fortune cookie, what would its fortune be?

KS: Change is the path life takes.

How would you interpret this fortune if it were your own?

KS: I'd be prepared for change and embrace it as a part of what moves us forwards.

Please describe one reason why Lamentation would inspire a reader to strip naked and run screaming into the forest?

KS: I can't think of a reason. Apart from the possibility of a swarm of angry bees being drawn to the ink that the book is printed with. Or just some random fetish that causes such behavior.

Why should Lamentation be the next book that everyone reads?

KS: To see if it's the sort of book they like to read; to see if it's the next series they'd like to swim in for four more volumes. Oh, and because we have twins on the way who've already told us (via morse code) that they expect a college education if they're going to cure cancer and bring about world peace.

Related Posts: Long Interview with Ken Scholes, Review of Canticle, Review of Antiphon

Review: Lamentation by Ken Scholes

Lamentation (n): (1) an act or instance of expressing sorrow, mourning, or regret; often demonstrably. (2) a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.

I often find that the titles of the books I read mean rather little – they generally trend towards sounding cool or clever rather than representing anything within the book itself. This makes it all the more refreshing when a book’s title so perfectly fits the text it represents – as is the case of Lamentation by Ken Scholes (US, UK, Canada).

Ken Scholes’ debut novel, Lamentation, begins The Psalms of Isaak, a five-book series expected to be completed in 2010/2011. It follows the reactions of a handful of people after the destruction of the greatest city in the Named Lands, Windwir, and the seat of the great religious order known as the Androfrancines. Leaders of nation-states clash in the disorder of the city’s destruction, witnesses are changed forever, new Popes emerge to claim power, and a potential puppet master’s plan is slowly revealed – or so we think. The political machinations of the players are complex and fluid as the reader struggles to catch up.

As I mentioned above, the title of Lamentation relates very well to the text within. The events of the novel are horrific – the opening scene is the death of a great city, library, and the Androfrancine order. In that respect, the rest of the novel laments this destruction. However, each character has their own lamentation(s) – Neb looses his innocence and the father he wanted to know more, Petros is reluctantly forced back into the life he left decades earlier, Rudolfo learns more of his own roots and deals with other loss, Jin Li Tam laments the loss of her relative freedom and family, Isaak regrets his role in Windwir’s destruction, etc. The entire book is a lamentation about recent events, ancient events and everything in between.

To me a word like lamentation is loaded with religious context – with the Androfrancine order front and center to the events of the book, this context is embraced. The next books in The Psalms of Isaak series are Canticle, Antiphon, Requiem, and Hymn, continuing the religious context and the sense of poetic song with the titles. While Scholes’ prose is more pragmatic and efficient than it is poetic or song-like, it could be imagined that Lamentation is an oral re-telling of long-past events.

Scholes explores some interesting ideas, somewhat in opposition to what is expected. The Androfrancines spent much of their time exploring the wasteland ruins of an ancient (and far more advanced) civilization. This civilization destroyed itself in a horrendous war, devastating much of the world. When the Androfancines and their great city of Windwir are destroyed, it is a fairly direct result of knowledge gained from studying this past – the take-away meaning of which could be ‘those who do learn from history are doomed to repeat it’. The exploration of these implications and how they relate to the future direction of the Named Lands adds a rich layer to Lamentation.

Some other aspects of Lamentation that I enjoyed are the Machiavellian politics and high degree of skillful political manipulation present. Secret languages and codes abound and every aspect of person’s bearing has meaning. While Lamentation does have a few battles, the true battles are political, and the players at work are masters. In fact, Scholes may take things too far – the political maneuverings often seem too intricate, precise and long-reaching to actually be possible. However, this is quickly lost within the skillfully laid layers of intrigue.

My only real complaint aside from the small quibbles mentioned above is the relatively slow start. Scholes lays the groundwork for a five-book series, and it took time for me to connect with any of the characters. None were immediately of interest – but as the book moves forward and layers are unearthed, a strong connection does develop.

As the buzz around Lamentation’s release builds, I’m seeing more and more mixed reviews. People are throwing around comparisons to recent debuts from authors like Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie and others – some with praise, others using terms like hype and over-hyped. My advice is to pick up Lamentation and judge for yourself – I found it to be a powerful new addition to epic fantasy and a series that I can’t wait to read the rest of. 8/10

Related Posts: Ken Scholes Answers Questions Five, Long Interview with Ken Scholes, Review of Canticle, Review of Antiphon