Madouc-Jack Vance novel, book review

Madouc-Jack Vance novel

AKA: Lyonesse 3

Madouc was first published in 1989 as a hardcover fantasy novel.  It is currently in print in a trade paperback edition published by Spatterlight Press.  My out of print paperback edition has 535 pages of text.  Madouc is the third novel in a Vance trilogy called Lyonesse and is also referred to as Lyonesse III.  This is the second time I've read it in recent years, and I rated it a 5 both times.  Lyonesse: Madouc won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1990.  It is pure fantasy rather than science fiction.  I consider it a masterpiece and one of the most engaging and interesting fantasy novels ever written.  I found all three Lyonesse novels to be witty, imaginative, creative and captivating and very highly recommended them. 

The setting is on Earth in the Elder Isles, a string of islands that run from near northern France extending up toward Ireland.  The Elder Isles are divided into ten kingdoms that either cooperate or compete with other Elder Isles kingdoms for survival or control.  Ireland, Britain, Amorica, Aquitaine and Galicia are nearby countries  The time depicted is the Dark Ages.

Madouc is similar to the other Lyonesse novels in that there are many fascinating characters that are well developed, with multiple intriguing subplots, amazing world building, imaginative stories and tales, engaging adventures, and many comical dialogs and situations.  Character development is especially prominent in Madouc which has a major focus on the young, half fairy woman called Princess Madouc.  She was brought to the Lyonesse court because King Casmir believed she was the child of his daughter Princess Suldrun and an unknown father.  When he later learns that she is not his grandchild he does not disclose this to anybody because he wants to marry Madouc to royalty from another kingdom to assist in gaining alliances.  But he finds that Madouc is opposed to such plans just as his daughter Suldrun was.  Unlike Suldrun, however, Madouc has a strong sense of self determination, with a feistiness and vigor that make her a formidable opponent.  She does not become remote and withdrawn the way Suldrun did but strikes out on a quest to find the truth of her parentage and even bravely and cleverly confronts King Casmir in front of royalty from other kingdoms.  In one humorous section she even throws rotten fruit at several people she dislikes.

Madouc's search for her "pedigree" takes her on a fantastic quest that also includes her friend, Sir Pom Pom (She calls him Sir Pom Pom even though he is a stable boy) and his search for the Holy Grail and a stranger they meet named Travante who is searching for his lost youth.  It is a fascinating and adventurous journey of self discovery, bravery and perseverance.  Vance presents a remarkably detailed and creative picture of a fairy world called Thripsey Shee where Madouc meets her mother and engages the assistance of her mother and the fairy king in attempting to identify her father.  After learning that her father called himself Sir Pellinore, she continues on to a dangerous but sometimes comical trek where they encounter two hostile goblin knights riding griffins and a three headed ogre named Throop who lives in a castle.  Throop could know what happened to Madouc's father, might have possession of the Holy Grail and possibly (although the prospects are unlikely) knows the whereabouts of Travante's missing youth.  Even though all three of Throop's heads would rather eat his guests than talk with them, the three heads are intrigued by the offer of gifts so, after discussing it, they decide to restrain their appetites. 

There is much more to the novel, including an attempt to assassinate a king and all out war that involves much of the Elder Isles.  Vance eventually ties all of the subplots, storylines, events and characters together in a fitting conclusion that I found very satisfying.  But all three novels need to be read in order to fully appreciate the whole saga and rereading the trilogy is helpful because there are so many details and so much that happens in these novels. 

The Lyonesse trilogy has incredible world building, many interesting developed characters, intriguing plots, subplots and encounters, brilliant, often witty, dialog, hilarious humor that is cleverly integrated into the drama, a very captivating storyline and an tremendous amount of creativity and imagination.  Jack Vance is truly a phenomenal and unique voice in literature.  I’ve read it several times so far and rate it a 5.  A truly great novel.