Review – The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
Cale is an acolyte of the Hanged Redeemers, a church of warrior monks tasked with restoring their faith to the world. They are however at war with the Antagonists, whose aim is to corrupt the earth with their foul ways. But there is more to Cale than meets the eye, and when he escapes their monastery, the Redeemers must track him down. Cale knows there is something special about him, but there is even more to him than meets the eye, and that is why the Redeemers will do anything to hunt him down.
Worldbuilding
I’ve read some reviews that suggest this is set in a dystopian alternate historical earth, and while I can see why they might think that, I see it more as a future setting, perhaps after an apocalyptic event that set humanity back a thousand years. There are definitely similarities to Gene Wolfe’s The Shadow of the Torturer, which I read only a couple of weeks ago, so it is still relatively fresh in my mind. There are many similarities to our world – flora and fauna, fir example, any customs, some anachronistic (for the past anyway), and much of it is set in the city of Memphis (as in Egypt, not Tennessee). The Redeemers are a very thinly veiled Christian cult, and are brutal to their acolytes, beating and killing them (building character) at the drop of a hat. The monastery is strikes me as some gothic monstrosity, but I liked some of the touches such as the acolytes having no doors on their rooms so they could not hide their sins. Memphis was a standard medieval town with all its trappings, and the traditional social classes are on display.
Score – 2.5/5
Characters
There is a sizable cast of characters on display. Cale is the protagonist, but there are many others. To be honest, not too many of the characters appealed to me, and they seemed to be either stereotypes or just plain awful people. While growing up in a cruel monastery will no doubt have a negative impact, but I rarely felt invested in Cale’s plight, nor that of his friends. The people of Memphis, at least the ones we saw much of, were almost indistinguishable.I liked the idea that a highborn woman such as Arbelle was expected to treat all men with derision, but the way she simpered and fawned over Cale when they finally got together was a disappointment, The one exception was Idris Idris Pukke, who Cale meets after they escape, and he becomes a kind of guide to Cale as he adjusts to the world outside the monastery. He’s very entertaining, and tells some fun stories, while encouraging Cale to adopt his wayward lifestyle. To add to Pukke, there was a send of mystery as to his motivations, making him even more interesting.
Score – 2.5/5
Plot
At first glance, the plot appears to be hohum – boy and friends leave home and embark on an adventure with world-shattering consequences – but under the surface it appears to be more complex. Cale’s friend Kleist finds a key, which he promises will get them superior food to the standard gruel, but it turns out they saw something they had never seen before – a woman. When they get discovered by one of the Redeemers, they kill him, forcing them to flee. In the desert, they meet Idris, who brings them to Memphis. Initially, they are treated with suspicion (they tried to poas as gypsies), but eventually get to join the army, where Cale starts to make a name for himself. On top of the unarmed combat skills, Cale has a mysterious skill. Due to a head injury that left an indentation in his skull, he knows when and where an opponent will strike. This is useful for a soldier, but he makes some powerful enemies along the way. The big question throughout the book is who are the Antagonists? The people of Memphis know who the Redeemers are, not not the Antagonists. Why is this? Are they even real? When questioned, it turns out Cale knows nothing more about them than they are the sworn enemies of the Redeemers, and he has been plugged with propaganda his whole life. There is a bigger plot at play, that only gets touched on by the end of the book. Kinda makes me want to read book two.
Score – 4.5/5
Writing
This is a well written tale, and is definitely one of the strengths. While the characters aren’t remotely pleasant, the dialogue is good and appears realistic, Descriptions of people and places are well drawn, giving soldi descriptions of each, and maintaining your images of each character/place throughout. The plot is pushed along nicely, and kept under wraps, giving little tasters throughout, though more does come to light as we progress.
Score – 4/5
Personal Enjoyment
I liked some things about this book, such as the plot and some of the worldbuilding, but other parts of it left me flat. There was a solid dose of humour, which is always a big plus for me, and I certainly chuckled out loud at times However, the lack of any real interest in any of the characters, apart from the mysterious Idris Pukke, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a strong job, providing a distinct array of British accents for the characters, as no doubt everyone in Memphis sounds like that.
Score – 3/5
Verdict
Not a bad tale all told, but characters and worldbuilding dropped it a bit.
