21 February 2002 THE SIGHT by David Clement-Davies, Dutton, March 2002

On the back cover of my advance reading copy of THE SIGHT there are snippets of the praise that was heaped on David Clement-Davies' previous novel FIRE BRINGER. Those reviews included terms such as "riveting," "intricately crafted," "epic proportions," "hurtling ride," and "multilayered animal fantasy."

Similar praise awaits THE SIGHT, Clement-Davies new, riveting, intricately crafted, multilayered, wolf fantasy of epic proportions. Yes, indeed, THE SIGHT is a book that has been well-worth the wait by those of us who held our collective breaths and shed a few tears as we took that hurtling ride through the 500-plus pages of FIRE BRINGER and immediately demanded an encore.

One aspect of FIRE BRINGER that thrilled me was Clement-Davies' ability to place the story in a historic setting and to provide readers with a spare yet vivid picture of that history and setting. In FIRE BRINGER--a tale about deer--that backdrop is the thirteenth century Norse invasion of the Scottish isles. In THE SIGHT, the author has, to my delight, been even more expansive in enlightening me about the historic and geographical setting. We see the towering slopes and small valleys of Translvania, just beyond the time that FIRE BRINGER took place. It was so fascinating, it had me rushing to Google for clarification and further details regarding a place and period of time of which I was quite ignorant.

This had to have been an awfully fun book to write! The author incorporates a myriad of myths and childhood tales relating both to wolves and to Transylvania. Then he adds the lupine equivalent of the significant stories of several major religions, and slips in all sorts of philosophical questions ranging from the meaning of humankind on earth, to how best to raise a child. At one point, as I marveled about a chapter I'd just finished, I thought of the phrase "...everything but the kitchen sink." There is no doubt that you could easily construct a semester course around the themes, allusions, and background of this book.

But do not misunderstand me--this may be a multilayered epic, but it is also a heck of an exciting story. There came a point late in this book where the feeling in my stomach reminded me of some pivotal moment in Star Wars or, perhaps, watching M.J. lead a ten point comeback in the last two minutes of a playoff game.

Beyond that, all I'll tell you about the story is that early on we learn the following verse:

"As a she-cub is whelped with a coat that is white,

And human child stolen to suckle the Sight

From a place where injustice was secretly done

Then the Marked One is here and a legend begun.

When Wolfbane is dreamt of with terror and dread,

And untamed are tamed, prepare for the dead.

For the Shape Changer's pact with the birds will come true,

When the blood of the Varg blends with Man's in the dew,

As the Searchers are tempted, who hunger and prowl,

Down the Pathways of death, by the summoning howl.

Then the truest of powers will be fleshed on the bone

And the Searchers tempt nature to prey on its own.

With blood at the alter, the Vision shall come

When the eye of the moon is as round as the sun.

In the citadel raised by the lords of before,

The stone twins await--both the power and the law.

Then the past and the future shall finally show,

To the wounded, the secret the Lera must know.

And all shall be witness to that which will be,

In the mind of the Man Varg, then none shall be free.

And only a family both loving and true,

May conquer the evil, so ancient, so new.

As they fight to uncover what secrets they share

And see in their journey how painful is care.

Beware the Betrayer, whose meaning is strife,

For their faith shall be tried by the makers of life,

And who shall divine, in the dead of the night,

The lies from the truth, the darkness from light?

Like the cry of the scavenger, torn through the air

A courage is needed, as deep as despair."

Richie Partington

http://richiespicks.com

BudNotBuddy@aol.com