Review of Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells

Ever since I discovered Martha Wells also writes fantasy, I’ve been dying to read more of her back catalogue. Well, clearly Tor Books is reading my reviews and my reviews only because this year they are reissuing Wheel of the Infinite, first published in 2000. Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC.

Maskelle is (was?) the Voice of the Adversary, but when we meet her, she’s essentially a mendicant nun. Rian is a swordsman in exile from his country. The two meet on the road and arrive in the capital of the Celestial Empire. Maskelle hangs out with the spiritual leader of the empire, her boss, and tries to help him solve a mystery that could threaten literally all of existence. Rian tries to make sure Maskelle won’t get killed. There’s intrigue and backstabbing and an evil puppet.

I’m being glib but only because I’m tired tonight, and summarizing the plot faithfully would take more energy than I have. Wheel of the Infinite is definitely a nineties fantasy through and through. From narrative structure to dialogue style to the epic stakes, this is a fun blast from the past. It’s good nineties fantasy, mind you, fairly unproblematic overall, certainly holds up much better than, say, The Wayfarer Redemption….

Like her books before and since, Wells is great at not hitting us over the head with exposition. Rian basically exists to be the guy Maskelle explains things to, but we only ever get just enough explanation to get on to the action sequences. Whether it’s the nature of the Adversary, what it means to be a Voice, or why Maskelle is down bad, Wells plays all her cards close to her chest. Even the eponymous Wheel (not to be confused with that other eponymous Wheel [of Time]) takes some time to come into focus.

In the same way, the plot itself is a slow build. We start outside the city, see Maskelle and Rian meet as the former travels with a foreign acting troupe, and then the actual mystery gets introduced. Maskelle is an interesting protagonist, since she is clearly powerful and proximal to power, yet her disgraced status means she can’t wield all of her power in an effective way. She’s very flawed and human; she’s older than your typical female protagonist in fantasy, which is great; and she gets to have uncomplicated sex and isn’t punished for it!

Rian is a more straightforward character, to the point where he’s barely more than an archetype. That might be uncharitable. He’s just not that complex. He’s heroic but slightly flawed. Wronged by the people he once trusted. Wants to protect the people around him, like Maskelle. Generally a decent dude.

All in all, Wheel of the Infinite is a good time. Like Rian, it’s not all that complex. But a simple narrative is not a bad one. A story well told is worth reading. I can see the seeds in here of the writer Wells has become: from the intriguing magic/religion system, to Maskelle’s grey morality, to the existential threats that lurk in the deepest recesses of the plot. There are shades of Le Guin here, in a good way.

This is well worth picking up if, like me, you are eager to experience more of Wells’s oeuvre. So long as you keep in mind its age, you’ll while away an afternoon or evening or two with this fulfilling yarn.