[Book review] The Hammer by K. J. Parker

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I suppose that one could say that fantasy novels are the fables for modern adults.  They use magic and strange creatures to cloak the morality plays that typically only belong to children’s books.  Whereas a small child might read “Hansel and Gretel” and absorb the “don’t talk to strangers” motto, novels for adults can’t be that blatant.  Luckily, we have books like The Hammer, which not only explores the idea of vengeance, but it also digs into the issues of community and its responsibilities.

Gignomai met’Oc is a younger son in an exiled noble family.  Lording it over the community that sits at the foot of their plateau, they constantly look towards the day when they will be allowed Home and their exile will end.  While not exactly approving of Gig’s forays into town to interact with “common folk”, the family nonetheless turns a blind eye to his visits.

But one day the visits stop, and when they resume, Gig has obviously changed.  Something horrible has happened up on the met’Oc’s hill, and although Gig professes to want to help the community, there are a few who believe he has less altruistic motives.  What secrets lie in the great house on the hill, and what have those secrets done to Gig?

This novel has less to do with the characters in it and everything to do with how they interact with each other—which in itself tells a lot about the characters.  While there are certainly overtones of a vengeance tale, I found that the more fascinating part of this story concerned the community as a whole.  Gig’s arrival and subsequent actions turn the whole town upside down and force those living there to confront some sticky moral questions.

As a result, the most interesting characters are Gig’s older brother Luso and the town’s sort-of mayor Marzo.  In an effort to keep the peace, the two of them navigate around each other in an attempt to come to agreements without ever letting either get the upper hand.  And each changes a little as a result of interaction with the other.  It’s quite interesting to see how these two men justify their actions as being for the common good.

But despite these two relatively minor characters stealing the scene on occasion, Gig is the one who’s in charge.  Much of the book follows him as he goes about putting his plans into motion.  It’s hard to get a look into his character, as the author manages to play him pretty close to the chest, but that’s exactly what he does.  Gig has a lot of layers to his personality and motivations, and watching those layers gradually exposed makes for some riveting reading.

With this novel being as character-driven as it is, the setting and background are less important.  All of the action takes place within either the met’Oc compound or the town itself, with a few short forays elsewhere.  The principal focus is on the people, and aside from some tantalizing details, there’s not much about this fabled Home or its customs and politics.  But that’s as it should be.  The author is giving readers a portrait of a community as it stands during a small slice of its history, and keeping it grounded in that place was a wise choice.  I’m glad the author resisted the temptation to flesh out cultural details that really don’t need to be there.

Although this novel starts slowly, it soon picks up momentum and begins to swell inexorably towards its conclusion.  Less about action and more about society’s vagaries, The Hammer is a wonderful and thought-provoking stand-alone novel.