Product Description
First [newly revised] edition thus, of the author's first book. [Originally published as a Laser paperback in 1976, then rewritten and published under the title FORSAKE THE SKY by Tor in 1986, the current edition is revised from the Tor edition]. 300 numbered copies signed by Tim Powers, Phil Parks, and James P. Blaylock. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Great Book
My brother gave me this book because I brew beer...inspite of that I read and really enjoyed this book. Great mixture of history and fiction.

Fast fun fantasy
If you like your fantasy to be fun and fast moving then this is the book for you.

Powers has always had an almost frantic imagination. In some books he reigns it in tight and focuses it on single ideas, but in others he lets it all out and throws everything in the melting pot.

So here we get the seige of Vienna, The Fisher King, Merlin, King Arthur, Sigurd, drunken Vikings, and, best of all, it is all tied together through an ancient brewery, where the beer is quite literally "The Food of the Goods."

It moves quickly, but is let down slightly by a rushed ending.

Not Power's best written book, but still great fun.

OK... Worth a Read... But Powers Has Much Better to Offer
The above says it all. The characters were quite intriguing, and you do get a good sense of the historical picture. The story was good, but not first-rate. Way too much graphic violence (for my taste), and a lot of it just didn't seem necessary except that it held to the story line and history of that time period. I am a huge Tim Powers fan and so far this is my least favorite. Read "The Anubis Gates" and "The Stress of Her Regard" instead.

Disappointing
After seeing the positive reviews on Amazon, combined with what appeared to be a very intriguing premise, I was very excited to read Powers' "The Drawing of the Dark."I finished reading it earlier today, and as the 2-star review indicates, was not much impressed with the book and am surprised at the praise this novel has garnered.It has a few significant flaws.

First, the dialogue is very generic and flat.It does nothing to make the reader feel like he (or she) is in 16th century Vienna--where the main action takes place--to say nothing of evoking Sigmund, King Arthur or any of the various other mythical figures and far-away peoples who are involved in the story.It could really be from any fantasy novel, in any setting and does nothing to distinguish the novel, the characters, or the setting from any other fantasy novel.

Second, the characters do not show much depth and appear to have been taken directly from a vault of fantasy novel cliches.There's a wise old wizard who makes a grand show of not revealing what he knows, an evil wizard from the East, and a reluctant hero.None show any significant character depth and all appear to be pretty much typecast.I didn't find anything that connected me emotionally to any character.

Third, the plot does not make much sense.As the Amazon and other reviews state, the story is based around the Ottoman Empire's siege of Vienna in 1529, which is portrayed as the decisive battle between the East and West (the West, predictably, are the good guys).However, by overlaying a fantasy story involving long-ago and frequently pagan heroes and myths on this historical battle, the real political, military and religious factors that led to the Siege of Vienna are mooted.For example, the reader can hardly believe that Odin shows up to defend Christendom or cares about the Holy Roman Empire.So why are the East and West fighting?This is never explained.In fact, this whole dynamic is made even more confusing by the fact that a group of Vikings show up to defend Vienna against Surter and the armies of Muspelheim, which in Norse mythology is located in the South not the East!

The book does has some good points.It moves at a good pace, has some nice moments of humor, and I have to admit that the premise is a pretty neat idea.Had I read it as a teen--before I really new what good fantasy writing was like--I probably would have liked it.But the novel's overall execution is not very good, and it pales in comparison to the better fantasy novels that are available.I would recommend spending your hard earned money on other, better books: Earthsea, Neverwhere, Lud-in-the-Mist, and so on.Perhaps Powers' other books are better.

Beer, Vikings, and Vienna.
Although a fan of Powers for many years, this was the first chance that I have had to read one of the pre-The Anubis Gates novels.

Setting the stage for his long career writing secret histories, The Drawing of the Dark tells the real story behind the siege of Vienna. It does so through the eyes of Brian Duffy-- mercenary, drunk, and one-time lover of Epiphany. When he accepts the job of bouncer at the Zimmermann Inn, home of Herzwesten beer, he has no idea that in doing so he is peeling back the face of the universe that he thought he understood.

Powers keeps ideas that could be seen as cliche fresh through his use of humor, character, and historical detail. There is never a retread feel in one of his books. Last Call is still my favorite of his work, but The Drawing of the Dark is a worthy addition to the rest.

Recommended for people who enjoy steampunk, alternative history, and who are generally fans of Tim Powers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another tale of whimsey by the master
This is the paperback version of the book, but if you want a real treat, get the hardback. Only 300 copies in hardback were ever made, they are not numbered but were each signed by the author. It is a brown hardback, with gold gilt lettering and did not include a dustjacket. It sells for under a hundred now, but will probably sell for three times that in a few years. Yet another whimsical tale by James Blaylock. There is no one like him. ... Read more