The Light Ages

by Ian R. MacLeod

Book Overview

In a bleak and gritty England, in a fantastical Age of Industry, the wealth that comes from magic is both revered and reviled. Here, an ambitious young man is haunted by his childhood love-a woman determined to be a part of the world he despises... From a new star on the fantasy scene who offers something "truly out of the ordinary,"* this is a literary experience that evokes a moody, atmospheric past-while at the same time speculating on a fascinating...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441010555
• ISBN13: 9780441010554
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 456 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.2" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Victorian gothic adventure

This novel probably fits into the Steampunk genre of science fiction but it is so much more than that. It is a compelling read written to a very high standard; the words wrap you in a darkly brooding Victorian world that is engrossing and at times will tear at your emotions. The atmosphere it evokes makes me think of scenes from H.G.Wells, Tolkien, Philip Pullman. Not a light read but I recommend it highly to anyone who likes good literature, atmospheric writing and a tense adventure tale.

Shoom! Boom!!! ...

Evoking Victorian Era rural and urban England and its persons, politics,culture,and society as it follows the intertwined stories of three childhood friends growing to young and full adulthood through these lands,times,emotions,ideals and many relationships;amidst the magic which underlies it all. Many of us can relate to the experiences brought fully to life in this purely wonderful book. Cited often as Dickensian in its qualities, I also found elements reminiscent of Victor Hugo's sweeping epical works. Much more than the mere fantasy novel, I found this to be a magnificent work of fine literature with words that sing as they are read. I would highly recommend this to anyone , anywhere , anytime. Thank You, Mr. Macleod for a book that was every bit a treasure to find and enjoy!

A much better fantasy book than most

Imagine that at the dawn of the Industrial Age, a powerful and magical substance was discovered that allowed craftsmen to employ spells to charm materials to be stronger and machines to work more smoothly than they would naturally. In The Light Ages, an alternative vision of history unfolds, starting perhaps a few hundred years ago. Author Ian MacLeod introduces his main character Robert Burrows at the closing of the third century of this age of aether. Society doesn't really progress much as those with power and wealth, secure in their position, live off the labors of the workers who mine the magical aether, and suffer its effects. Innovation is stifled, as it really isn't needed, as long as there is a supply of aether to keep the machines running. Problems arise when the aether begins to run out... I had the hardest time getting into this book. The first chapter left me puzzled, with little motivation to go on. My mother recommended it however, and although she has what I consider terrible taste in television programs (she'll watch anything), she has a good eye for fantasy and science fiction. So a month after first picking it up, I tried again. Like the protagonist, the reader is initially muddled and confused by the society in which Borrows finds himself, and the events that unfold. Gradually, more and more of the mystery is revealed, and the connections between disparate people, places, and events all come into focus. MacLeod is an excellent writer, and now that I understand what the story is about, I'm re-reading the book just to enjoy the writing. I don't think the book actually did that well. And if that's the case, that's really too bad; this is a much better fantasy book than most. It is ultimately a pessimistic story, one of revolution and hope, resulting in a new society only slightly better packaged than the old one. It is a caution to anyone who thinks there is some great technological panacea out there, a powerful energetic source that can solve all the world's social ills.

Ridiculously good -- atmospheric, a bit slow, very moving

_The Light Ages_ has the feel of a steampunk novel -- that is, it is set in an England that resembles Victorian (or perhaps Edwardian) England, with magic that resembles rather grungy technology the motivating force in the background of the book. The book is told by one Robert Borrows. Robert grows up in a Yorkshire mining town. The substance mined at this town is "aether", a magical source of energy that is the driving force of the economy and technology of the world of this book. Accidents with aether can cause people to mutate into "changelings" or "trolls", and Robert's life changes when his mother begins to mutate, and also when he meets an ambiguous girl, perhaps a changeling, named Annelise. Robert eventually escapes his home town and heads to London, where he becomes involved in fomenting a socialist revolution. He becomes a "mart", someone outside the Guild structure of England. The Guilds apparently control all the technology, and all the labour. Robert, thus, makes his living via the black market, or by simply stealing, and he also becomes a writer for a revolutionary newspaper. His focus is the injustices of the Guild structure, but all along we are also showed the maltreatment of the changelings.In London Robert also again encounters Annalise, now calling herself Anna Winters. She has become attached to the upper classes, particularly via her friendship with Sarah Passington, daughter of perhaps the most powerful man of the realm. Robert's doomed attraction to the strangely glamourous Anna motivates him to continue to visit her when he can. He is both disgusted by the class inequalities revealed to him, and also of course attracted by the perquisites of the very wealthy -- not to mention such beauties as Sarah and Anna. The book turns, finally, on revelations about the emptiness behind the aether-based power structure of the rulers of England, and an ambiguously successful "revolution". Robert and Anna learn much about their past -- and they are intimately involved with the opening of a new "Age". But the new Age is perhaps not all they might have hoped.I had a complex reaction to this novel. It is for much of its length quite frustrating. The pace is glacial. But it remains absorbing for the excellent writing, and for the fascinating details of life in this alternate England. What really redeems the book is the ending, which I found emotionally wracking, and honest, somewhat surprising, almost but not quite cynical. I was moved to tears -- I think honest tears -- and the final scene is perfect.

Intensely real people in an alternate history

While there's fantasy in this alternative English history, the fantasy is more instructive than entertaining. The story remains dead serious and delves deeper into the motivations of society than sheer realism reveals.We are told the life and times of Robert Borrows, an Englishman in a Victorian age which is influenced by a dark magic. It takes him from childhood as he first rebels against the society he's born into and then as an adult against the basic society. We're given the full story of his revolution and face essential questions which involve the issue of just what the revolutionary is truly revolting against and of the inevitable consequences of such revolt.The story-telling is highly evocative and set against a darkly surrealistic backdrop. Idealism is portrayed along with the traps that go with this idealism. Obsession is looked at and dissected. This novel isn't for Jordan and Tolkien fans, at least not for those unwilling to look deeply enough to see what is real at the bottom of the fantasy.A key point to understanding this book is the protagonist's discovery that his lifetime adversary is merely human and that this discovery is somehow a disappointment. Then comes the question as to just who is the true adversary. This is not a book for fast reading, but more of one to allow oneself to become absorbed in. Highly recommended.