Book Review: Mists of Everness

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Mists of Everness     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
John C. Wright
Class/Genre:   Fantasy
Series: Chronicles of Everness # 2
Tor, Mar 2005, $25.95

For a millennium, the Waylock family has served as vigil guardians at the dream gate Everness to insure that evil never enters this world. However, the malevolent forces are mounting their strongest assault in centuries with the goal to take over the reality world of those awake. The current gate guardian Galen Waylock, who was forced too young to take over when his father abandoned his post, has fallen into a coma (see THE LAST GUARDIAN OF EVERNESS).

In the Pentagon, Azrael de Grey, who is an important government official, performs summoning rites as part of his plan to take control first of the Everness gate, next the evil forces of the dream world beyond the gate, and ultimately both planes. The evil begin penetrating into this world with an epic sea battle rivaling World War II in the Pacific as the US Navy skirmishes with wraiths and krakens. Apparently, in spite of Galen’s sire returning to aid his son, Azrael has succeeded in bringing apocalypse now.

MISTS OF EVERNESS, the sequel to the fun THE LAST GUARDIAN OF EVERNESS, is an amusing epic fantasy with religious overtones. The satirical story line concentrates on spoofing the Books of Revelation and Daniel. This serves as a two sword of Damocles with plenty of humorous exciting scenarios, but none of the characters except somewhat Galen’s cousin (a wheelchair bound Nam vet POW of the evil forces) fully developed. Instead the key players are ironically overwhelmed by the lampooning of converging religion and fantasy. Still well written and thought provoking, John C. Wright provides an interesting tale for fantasy readers who enjoy cutting edge satire starring flatlined heroes and villains.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner