I've always been a very meat and potatoes type of fantasy reader. I tend toward the 'sword and sorcery' genre. I love Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, the Lord of the Rings, Conan, and the Fionovar Tapestry. If someone recommends a good fantasy that doesn't fit into the sword and sorcery style, I'll certainly read it, but I might not seek one out on my own. Given that, I was very pleasantly surprised with Vincalis the Agitator. Plenty of sorcery but nary a sword in sight.

Wraith is a child of the Warrens, cities of docile, almost comatose humans, kept in such a state by the addictive Way-fare. With the help of a young wizard, Solander, Wraith escapes the Warrens for the magically infused empire of the Hars Ticlarim. When he learns the fate of the people in the Warrens, Wraith decides to dedicate his life to free his fellow Warreners.

What more need be said? I don't think you need to be fed any more of the plot. There is more to it, of course, but I don't feel the need to tell you the story. Instead, I'm telling you to go out and get this book. You won't be sorry.

The characters in the book are both complex and believable. They do the same stupid things that people have been doing throughout time, and also act with the same inspired genius we expect from our heroes. Even when characters are being downright evil, they are believable. The obsession and egotism of some of the characters may remind you of individuals you know and detest. When they make mistakes in judgement, the reader might cringe, but will certainly recognize human error.

The heroes are not super-human or even extremely ethical. Wraith, in his incarnation as a freedom fighter/terrorist, is the most ethical and moral of the characters, which is at it should, given that Wraith is the hero. He is, however, not perfectly moral and certainly not perfect, and thankfully so. I'm not a big fan of the perfect hero. Wraith, and the other real heroes--Solander and Jess--are good and capable, but are not super. They are wonderfully, intelligently and sympathetically human.

These fully realized, well developed characters exist in a fully realized and well developed world. The society, history and even festivals of the Hars Ticlarim are illustrated with detailed artistry. I knew the rooms in which the characters lived and worked, the restaurants in which they entertained and the places in which they worked. The contrasts and differences are noticeable not just between the cities of Hars Tirclarim and the Warrens, but even between the Aboves and the Belows, or the city of Oel Artis, in the skies and Oel Maritias, under the waves.

The plot is as intricate as the setting. Wraith's plan to free the Warreners and end the evil secret of the government of the Hars Tirclarim is not the standard martial endeavour or quest. The setting reminded me, in turn, of pre-Revolutionary France and Nazi Germany. The plot to reveal the secret and the plan to end the horrifying actions of the Hars Tirclarim seem similar to the actions of those opposed to the Ancien Regime of France, those who led the initial Revolution. The secret of the Hars Tirclarim, and the accepting ignorance of the Empire's inhabitants reminded me of Nazi Germany. Wraith's plan is both naive and subtle, showing an endearing optimism but also a sharp intellect. I found the opening a little slow in unravelling, but this, I think, was necessary. The reader needs a strong foundation in the characters and the setting in order to fully appreciate and understand the action as it unfolds. I finished the last 150 pages in one night. I, quite honestly, couldn't put it down.

Holly Lisle's writing style is direct and rhythmic. While not terse, the authorial voice is certainly not verbose. This book could have been overblown, perhaps double its size, in another's hands, but those extra words would have been exactly that, extra words. Ms. Lisle offers up descriptive and emotional narrative without becoming overwrought or infatuated with her own story.

This novel is a little bit fantasy and a little bit science-fiction. The characters are strong, the plot is intriguing, and the action is well-paced. This is not a story about elves, dwarves and quests. It is, however, very much a fantasy novel--a novel of the fantastic. Readers of either genre--of any genre really--will enjoy this story.

I have to admit that I have not read the Secret Texts Trilogy, but I think I know what I'll be looking for in my local bookstore next time I visit.