Gentle Mary 01

Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

Ash : A Secret History by Mary Gentle

A new Mary Gentle novel is definitely something to look forward to. They are always well written, often original, and usually difficult to put down. Weighing in at 1113 Pages, Ash : A Secret History proved to be particularly challenging - daunting because of it's sheer size / weight.
Ash is the mercenary leader of a troop of men. Warfare is her life, and we rapidly become engrossed in her daily life of swords, guns and death. And of armour, and the discomforts of wearing it. The reason why she is so successful at her job is that she hears voices in her head giving her military advice. She initially attributes them to the Lord and His Saints, however the true explanation turns out to be something much stranger.
The book is printed to look like a proof copy of a history book, consisting of a number of sections of translated medieval manuscript between which are inserted the text of emails between the book's editor / 'translator' Pierce Ratcliffe, and his publisher. It has to be said that the word translated is a very loose description. I have never read translated Latin as rich as this before. The 'translated' sections contain numerous footnotes which not only explain some of the more obscure 15th century warfare 'technology', but also highlight conflicts between the text and the known historical context. These conflicts are also developed via the discussions occuring between Pierce and his publisher, within the emails.
Having read the first few pages, I was struggling to place the genre. My first guess was a historical text book describing the life of a real life female mercenary in the 15th century - 60 years after the death of Joan of Arc. Secondly, was it historical fiction similar to George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman Diaries / Novels where a fictional character has been inserted into a real life historical context? The third alternative was that it was a pure fantasy - the story set on a parallel Earth where history was slightly and subtly different? However, the email sections neatly keep the story pegged to Earth in the 15th and early 21st centuries. As do the attempts by Pierce to provide a rational explanation for the inconsistencies in the manuscripts and the archaeological dig of Carthage that he becomes involved in. More concerns are raised when books and manuscripts he is using and referring to are suddenly reclassified in libraries as fiction.
By the time I was a third of the way through the book, the plot-lines were becoming decidedly 'unreal' for a history book. Discounting the marble golems, both walking around in the 15th century, and being dug up on the archaeological dig in the 21st century, the real give away was the fact that due to a powerful 'curse' the sun had been covered, and everyone is trying to survive in the dark. Not something one usually remembers from school history lessons.
A large proportion of the book is about medieval warfare, often in graphic terms. The prospect of a further 600 pages of gore was just starting to loom large when Ash was captured and taken off to Carthage. The welcome development of this thread started to favour the third option (alternate Earth), and made for interesting reading - a pleasant change from all the gorfare! By the time two-thirds mark, we have returned to Europe, and a highly graphic section on the Siege of Dijon. This does for 15th century siege warfare what the start of the film Saving Private Ryan did for modern warfare, and the start of the film Gladiator did for Roman warfare. Graphic / realistic examples of why being at the front of your 'favourite' type of battle is not a good idea if you value your life! It is also at this point in the book that the fourth and final explanation for the historical inconsistencies starts to clarify. Decidedly more weird that the other options, it provides a satisfying explanation for all the stranger goings on. Not wishing to completely spoil your enjoyment, I will refrain from spilling the beans. But suffice it to say that this is an ambitious book which is very well written and tells an excellent story. As the back cover says : "this magnificent tale of the gutsy and beautiful mercenary leader Ash will take you on an unforgettable ride through medieval Europe as it never quite was." I have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending it to you - as long as you have sufficient time to give it the justice it deserves!

Publisher: Victor Gollancz
Date: 2000
Pages: 1113 pp
Price: £14.99
Format: Trade paperback
Reviewed by: Rod Cameron
Date Reviewed: November 2000