WATCHTOWER

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

Elizabeth A. Lynn published the first two volumes of her Chronicles of Tornor series in 1979. Both books Watchtower and The Dancers of Arun wound up competing against each other for the World Fantasy Award with the first volume in the series coming out the winner. The first book provides an introduction to Lynn’s world of Arun, multiple cultures, characters, and the clans, which include the nascent Red Clan of Dancers. The focus of Watchtower is on something that is rare for fantasy novels, for Lynn’s protagonist, Ryke, begins the novel on the losing side of the war.

Immediately before the novel starts, southerner Col Istor has invaded Tornor Keep in the northlands and killed Lord Athor and taken his son and heir, Errel, prisoner. Ryke, one of the commanders of the guard, is expecting a short life following the battle and is surprised when Col offers to make him a commander of the watch for the keep. Ryke agrees because he sees it as the only way to keep Prince Errel alive, assuming Col Istor will keep to his word. Just as a defeated warrior making the best of his situation and serving the victor is not typical, so too is Col Istor atypical of a fantasy antagonist. While Col Istor is focused on dominion over the northlands, he has a plan to slowly conquer them, having studied his adversaries, and he sees the land and culture as something to be adopted, not destroyed.

Lynn provides insight into several different cultures, not just the northern and southern ones, but she shows differences between the various northern keeps based on the personalities of their lords and throws in a valley that is part of the southern civilization, but is trying to remain apart from them as they build a utopian society for themselves, even as the events of the north intrude and force the valley’s founder to head back into the wider world. Moving in parallel, and occasionally crossing, the primary cultures of Arun, are the clans who move on their own terms and serve a useful purpose, whether as messengers or otherwise.

Also significant in Watchtower is Lynn’s treatment of sexuality and gender roles. While Ryke as a heterosexual warrior is pretty much set up, he also seems somewhat asexual, despite an unrequited attraction to one of the other characters. Of more interest is Lynn’s depiction of women in Tornor Keep and the nearby village. Just as Ryke weighed his chances for survival and did what he had to in the wake of Col Istor’s invasion, so, too, did the women, which resulted in Ryke’s sister, Becke, essentially determining that becoming a whore in Col Istor’s keep is preferable to any other fate. Even before Col Istor’s invasion, it is clear that roles for women were circumscribed. Lynn also includes two messengers, members of the green clan, who at first appear to be hermaphrodites, but are later revealed to be something else. They have adopted certain trappings in order to escape the traditional gender roles open to them and Lynn handles their situation with subtlety and respect.

Lynn has built a complex society and it is clear that she required more than one volume to fully explore it. In fact, as Watchtower comes to an end, it isn’t clear that Lynn is going to resolve Ryke’s issues with Col Istor within the confines of the novel, although when she does, it feels as if she gives the resolution short shrift, given the build up to Ryke’s attempts to replace Col Istor with the proper heir to Lord Athor. Despite this quick ending, the novel sets the reader up to open The Dancers of Arun to learn more about Lynn’s world.

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