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Alchymist (The Well Of Echoes book 3) by Ian Irvine
01/04/2004 . Source: Sue Davies 
pub: Orbit/Times Warner. 690 page enlarged paperback. Price: £12.99 (UK), $29.00 (CAN). ISBN: 0-84149-233-7. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.OrbitBooks.co.uk and www.TimesWarnerBooks.co.uk
Back to the war-stricken place that is Santhenar. Times are indeed desperate and so are the people. The long war against the lyrinx looks likely to end in defeat for the humans. Their reluctant allies, the Aachim, are still wary and look down on humans as the inferior species.
The Scrutators are developing more and deadlier magic that they believe will destroy the lyrinx. Neither side has many endearing qualities. The lyrinx are condemned because they eat the humans after battle. The humans are ruled by a dictatorship of Scrutators who care nothing for the individual as all efforts are made to win the war.
The Aachim are isolationists who despise humans and lyrinx alike but make a reluctant bond with the humans as they make their final stand. Small wonder then that the individuals caught up in these catastrophic events whilst trying to do what they believe is right for their species are swept along by the tide of events. Tiaan is still in trouble. Although her back is mended, she is still trying to escape the tar pits at Snizort at the beginning of 'Alchymist'.
Meanwhile, Xervish Flydd has been stripped of his Scrutator's status and condemned to slavery for his part in destroying the node at Snizort. Joined by Cryl-Nish, who has been condemned by his own father, it looks like a quick death by exhaustion and starvation for them. Irisis, one of their only friends, has escaped taking unwilling companions. They, too, are to be hunted down.
Ullii, the Seeker and briefly Nish's lover, finds she is alone and pregnant. She blames her erstwhile travelling companions and events conspire in such a way that soon she vows vengeance on all their heads. There are some true heroes emerging from this tale. They all undergo a learning curve that is painful beyond measure.
Like the flesh forming tanks of the lyrinx, this is a grotesque parody of life's lessons. Talk about growing up! These people suffer all the emotions of being close to death at any given time. They live at the very edge. For all the magic and power involved, it is simply about people making choices. They choose duty, good, evil, right and wrong.
As in life, the choices are not always clear but still have to be made. Often, the vastness of the landscape and the spectacle dwarf the human protagonists but Irvine will always bring it back to the individual and the impact they have. All the characters from the previous two books return and they twist and turn upon the hook of the novelist. Just when you think things could not get worse, they generally do.
It will make you grateful for the quiet life you lead. Once again, the physical descriptions and plotting is excellent with the narrative neatly leaping between the different stories as they converge to conclude the story.
The finale is a gripping and nasty nail-biter that will leave you dry-mouthed and begging for the final instalment.
Sue Davies 
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