Fiction Reviews
The Tower of the Tyrant
(2025) J. T. Greathouse, Gollancz, £16.99, trdpbk, 590pp ISBN 978-1-399-61783-3
There is much to like in this secondary-world fantasy from J. T. Greathouse – which treads a nice line between the usual trappings (a map! four appendices!) of the genre and a spirit of gentle revisionism befitting the third decade of the twenty-first century.
The scholar and wizard Fola wanders the world on an extended field expedition from her home in The City, searching for the ghosts of the First Folk in order to learn their secrets. Blessed with peace, longevity and powers beyond the ken of normal people, the people of The City are seen as saints by some, demons and tempters by those who follow the Mortal Church (who are the kind of not-Christians in fantasy novels who give both Torquemada and John Calvin a bad name).
Fola and her four-armed bodyguard Colm follow reports of ghosts to the remote kingdom of Parwys, where King Elbrech has latterly thrown himself to his death from the topmost tower of his castle, claiming that unquiet spirits have driven him to this most drastic of steps.
A good soul, but motivated also her own desire to learn if this is connected to the First Folk, she offers her help to King Elbrech’s heir, Prince Owyn and forms an uneasy alliance with his druidic mother Queen Medrith, But Owyn is young and vulnerable; not only have the Mortal Church bought influence among the nobility of Parwys, but they have sent a small inquisition to investigate the hauntings themselves, as a potential precursor to a full takeover.
Parwys is also very much the kind of kingdom where strange beings like half-gods exist in the forests and exert dominion over the people who live there. One such malignant shade – a raven spirit - was tamed a long time ago and resides in the body of a young woman who is part of a travelling show in town for the coronation of Prince Owyn, watched over in loco parentis by a magical swordsman.
In typical fantasy fashion, these different threads collide to powerful narrative effect. Rather than a swift occult investigation, Fola has become enmeshed in lethal local politics. Has she gotten in over her head?
The Tower of the Tyrant is highly recommended if you gravitate towards literate, thoughtful, character-led fantasy with a well-considered sense of magic and hefty doses of intrigue and danger.
Most of the clichés associated with the genre are avoided and the characterisation is top-notch, with Fola and Colm making for a leftfield adventuring duo, while Llewyn (the aforementioned magical dad) will strike a chord with any nervous parent of a teenager, possessed or otherwise.
Had I come across this novel probably anywhere up to my late twenties, I would have taken it to my heart. While my tastes have changed somewhat, I can very much respect the craft on display from the author here.
My only criticism would be that it is a slow build – there is an injection of excitement early on in a chapter set in the woods of Parwys with the aforementioned raven spirit, but thereafter it settles down again. A little more urgency would have pleased my jaded palette.
Overall though, have at it, fantasy fans! :)
Tim Atkinson
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