The Widow and the King

An excellent first novel deserves an excellent followup, and with this sequel to ‘The Cup of the World’, John Dickinson has delivered. The civil war that beset the kingdom in the first book rages on, with kings being crowned and then deposed, towns sacked and innocents slaughtered by those in pursuit of power. Phaedra’s son, Ambrose, is taken in secret to the Widow Develin’s stronghold of learning, where he encounters Chawlin, the mysterious scholar who teaches him swordplay, and Sophia, the aloof daughter of the Widow. Whilst in Develin, Ambrose learns about his heritage and the prophecy surrounding his birth, that he would one day depose of Prince Paigan, the ruler of the other world of undercraft. The concept of power comes under scrutiny here, as Dickinson examines the uncertainties, ambiguities and politics of a society where no role, position or action is carved in stone, but where instead, allegiances are constantly in flux, where sometimes evil is necessary and the lines drawn between truth and lies are indistinct. The book stands up well on its own, but a knowledge of the first would enrich it. Quality of prose and wonderfully marked characters along with depth of ideas distinguishes Dickinson as a writer of great ability, and sets him alongside such writers as LeGuin and Tolkien.