RECORD OF LODOSS WAR – THE GREY WITCH (BOOKS 2 & 3)

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RECORD OF LODOSS WAR – THE GREY WITCH (BOOKS 2 & 3)

August 23rd 2010 00:28

Category: Graphic Novels/Comics

Publisher: CPM Manga
Story by: Ryo Mizuno
Artwork by: Yoshihiko Ochi
Translation: Laura Jackson & Yoko Kobayashi
Retouch & Lettering: Dan Nakrosis & Dano Ink Studios
Design: Vanessa Satone
Cost: AU$3.50/US$9.99

Lodoss is an island that finds itself embroiled in turmoil, the evil emperor of Marmo, Beld, once one of the six heroes who defeated the God of Evil has turned his eyes towards unifying the island. Unfortunately his particular policy of unification involves invasion, conquest, war and general mayhem and misfortune for anyone who is not one of his vassals or minions. A man who according to the sagas and poems lost his soul in the struggle against the God of Evil Beld is very much the driven leader seeking to trample over all opposition in his goal of unifying the various lands and kingdoms of Lodoss; under his banner. Unlike modern day politicians he doesn’t have to rely on a fear campaign to achieve his goals, he is what one could consider the embodiment of fear itself and so he invades the southernmost land of the island, Kanon, establishing a base there from which his armies can relentlessly march into battle against those who would dare oppose him.

Unfortunately though his other schemes and plans have leaked to the forces who can potentially oppose him and his efforts to have the King of Allania assassinated is foiled by a band of six adventurers. Six adventurers who initially had not known just what it was they were getting involved in until they were right in the thick of it, by that time though they realised just what the heck was going on. Still in spite of preventing the assassination the King of Allania was loath to mobilise his men and march forth, he had no idea what the other lands were doing and whether r they would take it as a sign of aggression on his part. People are so distrusting nowadays. So our heroes elect to head to the kingdom of Valis, whose king was like Beld one of the six heroes of legend. En route to Valis they suddenly find that once again they’re in the right place at the right time.

When I was reading this particular story I was taken by the fact that it was very much like a computer based RPG or a table top Dungeons and Dragons adventure. In fact it got me to wonder whether much of the dialogue came from the author having run a session of D&

and used that as his inspiration to his creative process. Possibly I’m drawing a long bow here but having been an avid player over the years the similarities are amazing and there for those who are gamers to see. So in its format and presentation the work already has the potential to capture a good sized demographic, fortunately though it doesn’t just rely upon appeal to gamers. It has a fairly compelling storyline that would appeal to a much broader audience which gives it a bit more oomph than just catering to D&

fans.
Unless you’re a post modernist a story that involves the eternal struggle of good versus evil, ancient magic’s and deep long seated intrigue coupled with amazing hubris is bound to hook any fan of fantasy fiction. This kind of saga is precisely the meat and drink that a good fantasy tale is based upon and Record of Lodoss War (ROLW): The Grey Witch has it all in spades and then some. With these two books we are introduced to the character of the Grey Witch herself, the key antagonist really who only had a brief appearance in the first book. Now she is revealed here in all her glory and her origins are as strange and surprising as her motives behind the machinations that she has orchestrated for so many years.
It seems that back in the day, roughly five hundred or more years prior to the events in these works, Lodoss was home to a Kingdom of Sorcery, a kingdom whose sorcerers were so skilled in their craft that none dared to challenge their reign. Dragons were their servants, they manipulated magic in much the same way as ordinary people manipulate string or pastry, so potent was their mastery. Unfortunately like all such realms catastrophe happened and it all came literally crashing down. Cities that hovered in the skies above fell like the proverbial lead balloons, savages invaded the land and within five years all that remained of the legendary Kingdom of Sorcery were ruins and whispers of a half forgotten epoch. This kind of background is a stock standard must have for any fantasy work; there is always some ancient realm of magic and wonder that falls either to invaders or hubris. Middle Earth has Numenor; the Forgotten Realms novels have ancient Netheril and the Dragonlance Chronicles has the Kingdom of Istar just to name a few examples.
So ancient kingdom and a witch who seems to be capable of wielding the power of this ancient kingdom, all mixed in with the fact that said witch is able to draw upon the divine magic only known to the priests of Marfa, Goddess of Creation. An intriguing enigma, although for those who have read the previous volume in the series the reason why Karla, the enigmatic Grey Witch is able to wield Marfa’s powers swiftly becomes apparent. As the drama unfolds it swiftly becomes apparent that Beld is much manipulated as manipulator, his agenda that he agreed to undertake at the behest of a dying comrade, has been twisted to suit not only his ends but that of the Grey Witch. She has been there at the very start, back in the days when the War against Evil was fought and saw how her own agenda could be best served. Like a skilled puppet master she has woven circumstances to fit her plan, letting others like Beld and his minions think that they were dictating the course of events.
If you enjoy a good gripping yarn full of action, heroism, defiant resolve and heart rending tragedy then ROLW: The Grey Witch I’d say would be right up your alley. Be warned though, even though this story is fairly self contained it does lead onto other stories set in the Lodoss universe as far as I can tell.

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