It is not often that I get engrossed in reading a book series that spans over as many volumes as James E. Wisher’s Portal Wars. All too frequently would I lose interest once I get past the second, third, perhaps fourth installment of any series.
Now, having finished volume 7 of 8, this is all the more intriguing for on reflection Portal Wars’ plot is rather simple, and its characters behaftet (tainted) by cliches – what else would you call it if the Lady of the dead who dresses top to bottom in black introduces herself as Lady White – are at best moderately rounded and developed. Hell, and even the protagonist makes me more hate than love him, after all, amongst other horrors, he causes a holocaust on an island result in the horrific death of all its inhabitants.
The premediated murder of 50,000 innocents does not exactly endear him to me; that the name of the mass murderer is Otto Schenk doesn’t help either. Blame me if you are so inclined if I am going a bit ad hominem here but that name reminds me a bit too much on one of them German concentrations camp commanders of WW2. And yet, despite it all, I just can’t bring myself about to completely and utterly detest the man. You see he always manages, if just barely, to justify his even largest scale, cold-blooded murders. I must admit his reasoning and justifications works on you until finally, well, I have to admit you got to give him the benefit of doubt. He might, just might be right.
Some of you readers might judge Otto Schenk a bit harsher and perhaps feel so offput by the protagonist that you just throw the book(s) or phone (as in audiobook) in a corner – completely understandable.
However, if you decide otherwise you might just be in for a treat. There is challenge and exploration that even the great Odysseus would appreciate. Intriguing questions about human nature are tackled, if only tangentially, and there is Empire-making on a grand scale.
Otto Schenk’s world is one of medieval cruelty but also the wonders of magic. If you got the stomach for it you might very well be in for a treat. ( )