Voice of the Gods

[sawyl]

It's taken me a year to achieve closure, but I've finally read Voice of the Gods, the last book in Trudi Canavan's Age of the Five trilogy.

Following Auraya's resignation from the White Council, the Gods cast around for a replacement. Determined not to repeat their mistake, they select a slavishly devoted priestess called Ellareen. When Ellareen uncovers a plot by the Pentadrians to convert members of the Circlian religion, she heads off in ruthless pursuit, dragging Auraya's former adviser Danjin with her.

Mirar the Dreamweaver's founder, having fled south to the domain of the Pentadrians, prevails on fellow immortal Emerahl to go to Si and teach Auraya how to shield her thoughts from the gods. While Auraya studies with Emerahl, Mirar finds himself impressed with the Pentadrians willingness to tolerate the atheist Dreamweavers and soon manages to get himself invited to the capital to meet First Voice Nekaun.

Having completed her pedagogic duties, Emerahl resumes her search for a scroll which is supposed to contain forbidden knowledge about the gods. Auraya, newly immortal, is commanded by the gods to accompany the Siyee on a suicidal aerial attack on the Pentadrians but simultaneously forbidden from intervening on behalf of the Siyee. The mission goes horribly wrong and the Siyee are captured, forcing Auraya to do a deal with Nekaun for their safety. As Nekaun becomes increasinly unstable, Auraya finds herself trapped while Mirar, newly arrived in the capital, finds himself powerless to help.

Offended by the Pentadrian attempts to poach their worshipers, the Circlian gods have ordered the White to mobilise against the southerners. Emerahl, meanwhile, has come up with a way to deal with the Circlians but unfortunately it cannot be achieved without six immortals acting in concert, making it impossible whilst Auraya is locked up in Nekaun's dungeon.

While not the best book in the trilogy — probably because it has so many loose ends to tie up — Voice of the Gods is still an enjoyable read with a plot that pushes along with a rollicking pace. Of particular interest is the novel's general attitude to divinity. Most fantasy novels are unashamedly deist, with gods unquestionably accepted as facts of life — the fact that gods are demonstrably real seems enough for most characters and they never seem to ask themselves whether they and their society might be better off if they simply ignored their gods and got on with things on their own. Voice is different. The Dreamweavers, despite being avowed atheists do great good, the Pentadrians, whose gods generally leave them alone and only appear on special occasions, are generally more tolerant than the Circlians, whose gods intervene on a regular basis, routinely directing the actions of their worshipers. It adds a certain piquancy to usual fantasy fare.