What a stark contrast to Beyond the Pale this is. Where Pale was pabulum, this is savory meat. Where Pale was a chip into an unplayable lie, this is a hole-in-one.

I found this book whilst rummaging around in the basement, looking for something to read. I had never heard of it before, and so I assumed that it was a book my wife Julie had bought long ago. But when I asked her, she had no recollection of it.

So I don't know who bought it or where it came from, but I want to thank whoever left it there for me to read.

While Wrath of Ashar isn't the best fantasy novel I've ever read, it's certainly a strong contender. Unsurprisingly, Wrath is the first book of a planned trilogy, which itself is titled The Kingdoms. Unlike Beyond the Pale, I'm going to do my best to find the sequels. Why? Because Wells can write, and write well.

True, much of what happens in the book is predictable, but this is because Wells makes no attempt to hide what he's doing. Two forces are at work to control the world: Ashar (who appears to be some sort of god) and the Lady (ditto, except goddess). They make no appearance in the book, however -- they act through human or human-like agents. And no reason is given for their battle, other than Ashar wants to overthrow the eponymous kingdoms.

But hey, that's OK. What we get is a story with all the great fantasy elements to it, and none of the clichés. That means swords and sorcery, people and politics, and no damn elves or dwarfs. The politics are straightforward, but there's enough to keep the plot going.

And Wells keeps it moving along at a steady pace. The story never gets bogged down anywhere; the scenes are intercut skillfully so that, just as you start to think about another character elsewhere in the story, Wells jumps right to him. There's Ashar's side, with an evil sorcerer and his flunky, raising a horde of nomad tribes to take over The Lady's side, which has a sisterhood of spellcasters guiding and helping the Kingdom's warriors. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Herbertesque feel to the story, with a Kwizatz Haderach-ish boy-becoming-a-man plot, but it's a far different feel then the borrowing going on in Beyond the Pale.

Overall, the story is a bit male-centric. The women are relegated to magic and healing on the "good guys" side of the plot, and trophies on the "bad guy" side. There is at least one significant point where a woman makes a rather important impact, but all the physical stuff is reserved for the men. Ha ha, no, that's not what I mean.

But it's a great story nevertheless. A good, fun, bouncing ride through a well-developed fantasy world. Now it's time to search the basement again to see if whoever bought this book also bought the sequels.