Review: The Standard-Bearer’s Oath (Sarbotel Rising) by Daniel Zeidler
When Ilse vra Celeres takes an oath, she does not intend to break it. Not even to follow the king’s final command!
Meetings that take place in dark ruins either mean enemies are coming to kill each other, co-conspirators are up to no good, or rebels are trying to avoid detection. Varyk D’terris, the young king of conquered Sarbotel and leader of the resistance within the capitol, is not up to anything nefarious. But he is conspiring with General Acrisius, the leader of what remains of the rebel Sarbotel Royal Army in the Sarbian countryside, to do something rather drastic.
Sarbotel was conquered by a mysterious Tyrant using Dii magic fourteen years ago. The Dii are an alien race akin to demons and their powers put humanity’s to shame. Mankind’s allies, the Guardians, have long been absent from the world of Seuthes: this world is home to the kingdom of Delraak, the Plarian Empire, and the now-oppressed kingdom of Sarbotel.
But Varyk has learned that one of his rebels – the princess of Delraak, who has been fighting with the Sarbotel City resistance most of her life – has caught the eye of the Tyrant. Ilse vra Celeres has been in the city since she was five, but Varyk made a promise to her mother to keep her safe. With the Tyrant eyeing her, the only way to do that is to send Ilse away. But the young princess isn’t going to take that lying down….
The Story
Anyone who believed that Ilse would be content to go back home to Delraak soon learns the young woman has very different ideas. She has lived among and fought alongside the Sarbians for fourteen years since the Imperator of Delraak has refused to send aid to Sarbotel. It is thought that he has refused to send aid because he believes his daughter died with her mother when the city fell, but his decision greatly upset the Delraakai who were in the captured municipality – including Ilse.
Thus, Ilse gave her word that she would return to help liberate the Sarbian capitol and she meant it. Instead of having a pampered princess on their hands or a lady who wants to go home, the Sarbian resistance soon finds they have a young telepath who has made up her mind.
However, Ilse is not stupid, nor so stubborn that she will not see reason. Varyk entrusted her with the method for activating a device that should stop the Tyrant. It is just a matter of getting back into the city, sneaking past said Tyrant and his guards, and activating it in time to kill the man. Such a plan will take considerable work to pull off, but Ilse is determined to accomplish it.
When one of the fabled Guardians – Heldron – returns out of seeming nowhere, things become even more complicated. Because the Tyrant is not the only one interested in Ilse vra Celeres, and neither are the Delraakai. The Dii like playing games and Ilse is such a very interesting piece on this board….
The Characters
Ilse is a Joan of Arc-type character. She is stubborn, resourceful, a good leader, and bold, but rather naive when it comes to the world around her. Having been raised in a city at war it is not hard to see why she would be somewhat ignorant of the wider world even as she remained determined enough to get her way most of the time. That does not make her perfect, however, as she can and does make mistakes.
Of particular note is that Ilse’s combat prowess is not a main issue in the story. Several characters need to remind her that while her heart is in the right place, she does not have the experience to go up against certain enemies no matter her skills. The fact that Ilse listens to this advice even when it annoys her makes her stand out from among many modern-day heroines.
General Acrisius comes across as a tired man trying hard to make sure his resistance does not fall apart. Balancing politics with the needs of his nation almost tears him in two and he is not happy about everything he needs (or believes he needs) to do to keep the Royal Army able to fight. Heldron, a Guardian who has returned to Seuthes, strikes a similar balance (albeit with a sense of humor that still rises to the surface easily) as he tries to protect the Seuthians and figure out how his people could have been infiltrated by the Dii. The two play off one another well and make good mentor figures within the story.
The World
Seuthes is a complex world, and the rest of the galaxy is implied to be just as interesting. The Guardians and the Dii have magic-empowered technology, allowing them to travel “thru-space” between worlds. But Seuthes itself has been reduced to a Medieval level of magical science and technology for quite some time; although remnants of the Guardians’ original tech can still be discovered, using them isn’t possible for most Seuthians. Both the Dii and the Guardians are different from humans but where the Dii are alien, the Guardians are long-lived and very powerful humans. With the war between these two races at a stalemate, the Guardians desperately need to refill their ranks...something Seuthes might be able to help them with, if they aren’t destroyed first!
Politics
None.
Content Warning
There is a lot of head-hopping or, more accurately, head-flowing in this novel as the point-of-view shifts from character to character even within the space of a few paragraphs. If that is something a reader dislikes then this book is not going to appeal to them, but for others, getting the hang of the rhythm makes it an easy read. There are a few messy deaths and kills in the book but none are dwelt on or described in a graphic manner. Restless dead and not-so-dead possessed soldiers also appear as, while the Dii are comparable to demons, they are not explicitly demonic and may take control of people with their magic.
Who is it for?
Sarbotel Rising will appeal to the middle grade and YA audience, so anyone looking for a gift will want to take notes. The story is smooth and the wonder of it is sure to capture younger readers’ imagination very quickly. Older readers who want a fun story in a fantasy/sci-fi world with high (but not astronomical) stakes and engaging characters are also sure to like this novel. Fans of psionicist characters who want more tales with cultures built around telepathy will particularly like Ilse and the Delraakai, as they all have telepathic powers and use them regularly in ways that would make Andre Norton proud. Readers who want to sink their teeth into a tale where magic and technology are all but indistinguishable will also love the book, as space travel and spells blend together beautifully in this setting. For those who want some tasteful zombie action that the kids can read too, this novel has what they seek, with absolutely no chance of nightmares!
Why buy it?
It’s a good book and a relaxing read in a well-thought out world – and it’s child-friendly, too! Those are rarer than hen’s teeth these days. Why let such a gem escape when you can grab it now?