“The Peacock King” is a slowly unfolding epic about a Poet, or spy, in the court of the decadent but charming Peacock King. The Poet has the advantages of mental powers and an unexpected contact at court. The Peacock King has the advantages of wealth, power and absolute control over all he surveys. He likes to collect things, people and magical creatures. Even if it’s against the Law.
The story starts out with the Poet narrating in first person, present tense. He’s a self-described “gunslinger” who carries Arms and is charged with upholding the Law. The capitalization is the author’s. Our Poet is able to project a glamour that prevents others from noticing him, but he forgets to make it universal and gets caught. He can also “catch” a bit of his mind on someone, allowing him to ride along and see through their eyes, but that part of his mind gets caught, as well. I have to admit that at first I found the spy to be a smug, self-satisfied twit. The first couple of paragraphs sound more like a guy bragging to his drinking buddies than a professional spy reporting to his superiors.
Lotus, his contact, hijacks the Poet’s “eye” and the narration. We see what Lotus sees through the bit of the Poet’s mind that is in Lotus’ mind. After Chapter 4 I wasn’t sure who was narrating. I thought it was the Poet, looking through Lotus’ eyes, but the Poet is mentioned by name so the narration may have switched to third person.
Other than the confusion in narration, the writing is quite solid, with enough description to ground the story but not enough to seem odd in first person narration. The conflict of the story starts immediately, as the Poet sees the Peacock King purchasing an illegal slave. From there the pace is very deliberate, almost ponderous. This is not a story to be rushed but savoured. The backstory is filled in using long passages. Not much happens in each chapter but a lot is said, and more hinted. Most of the tension comes from the potentially deadly verbal fencing with the all-controlling Peacock King.
The Peacock King himself is an intriguing character. He’s wearing colourful silks, cosmetics and scent, but they’re like a mask he uses to watch from behind. He can be charming one moment and then dripping with malice the next. If he likes Lotus, then both Lotus and the Poet have an in at court, and a chance of the Poet completing his mission. If not, they could both be dead, or worse. In some ways, it’s like being at the court of the French Sun King. Everyone is playing the role of their lives.
Lotus is a con man and a survivor. He’s trying desperately to catch enough of the Peacock King’s attention to win a place in the court, but not enough to keep him in the King’s eye. He’s nervous – torn between his past and his conscience, and a possible future of ease and comfort.
I’ve read 10 of the available 28 chapters, and, so far, “The Peacock King” is a solid, well-written epic with a small, colourful cast of characters, an exotic world that unfolds slowly, and a lot of verbal fencing. The story moves at a slow, deliberate pace, inviting the reader to enjoy the language. For me, the pace was a bit too slow and the tone a bit too arch to really hold my interest, but I don’t expect that problem will necessarily apply to other people. If you like stories about an unlikely hero trying to survive the intrigues of a decadent court, you’ll probably enjoy this.
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