The most important reason I read a novel is to be entertained. Keaen, by Till Noever is a wonderful, fun fantasy romp you'll find tough to put down. A first novel, it shows Till Noever's promise through its focus on character development, action-oriented pacing and enticing hints at a larger, richer story behind the events at hand.

Armist and his half-sister Tahlia are destined to continue the traditions of the Covenant; Armist as his father's successor, Tahlia as bride to the baron most beneficial to her father's political aspirations. The problem is neither wants to do that. As might any unhappy rebellious children, they make a break for it. They have no plan beyond a visit to Armist's grandfather if they can manage to get across the country. Realistically they know they have very little chance of permanently escaping their preordained roles but they want a little more time before they concede to the ways of the Covenant. They have no idea help and support for their courageous decision begins even before they get out of the castle. Pandrak may be magice to their father, Hain, but his greater loyalties lie elsewhere. Beyond the castle, forces unsympathetic to the Covenant willingly aid the determined pair.

Soon, Hain's weaponsmaster, Caitlan, partners with Pandrak to help the fleeing young people. While pursuing his students he meets a woman. Ailin is the most unlikely ally of them all.

When the running is over and the Covenant undermined, Armist and Thalia are poised to takeover the rule of Keaen and work to create a new and better life for everyone.

Keaen kept me reading because it is an energetic, well told story. The cast of characters doesn't require a huge list of Dramatis Personae to refer to at every turn. It isn't a 'fat-fantasy' filled with extraneous description and pretentious philosophizing. Till Noever had a story to tell; he got down to business and told it in a clear, confident, very readable style that carried me effortlessly from chapter to chapter. It was easy to be patient with the couple of faux pas that marked him as a talented writer still smoothing out rough edges.

The first aspect of the story I felt could have been better handled was the foreshadowing. Till could have been more subtle as he laid the ground work for his plot surprises. I wish I'd been as surprised as the characters were when life changing secrets were revealed. Fortunately the revelations were well placed to keep the story moving. I had little opportunity to dwell on my own lack of surprise; rather I was reminded that it's not where you are going but how you get there that makes a trip most memorable.

A second nit-pick I had is best explained in The Turkey Lexicon (http://www.sfwa.org/writing/turkeycity.html.

"Call a Rabbit a Smeerp": A cheap technique for false exoticism, in which common elements of the real world are re-named for a fantastic milieu without any real alteration in their basic nature or behavior. "Smeerps" are especially common in fantasy worlds, where people often ride exotic steeds that look and act just like horses. (Attributed to James Blish.)

While I prefer to characterize what I noticed as minor oversights, not "cheap tricks", there were "smeerps" in Keaen. Among them what I presumed were types of wildflowers or grasses - fask and hypher. I can't be sure what they were because they were never described. Nor did I ever learn what a Noquos tree looked like. Such "smeerps" were but minor details in the grand scheme of things, but they reminded me Till is still honing his craft.

Far more important than these minor quibbles are the well realized characters. I was particularly charmed by the relationship between Caitlan and Ailin. There was no doubt he was smitten right from the beginning; but he never lost his core personality as a weaponsmaster; their growth into a couple played out smoothly and enhanced their individuality in ways only being love can. Clearly Till considered their personalities carefully from the outset; they continued their personal growth consistently as their relationship matured.

For those who wonder why I'm not telling you about Armist and Thalia, well, that would be giving away too many key elements of this fine story. They are as well realized as Caitlan and Ailin, and meet their challenges convincingly, learning as they go what it means to survive on the run and make difficult decisions.

Keaen unfolds over the course of weeks, not months or years like many fantasies. The pace was well matched to the time frame; significant events moved the story forward at a rate that kept my interest high from start to finish. The characters are never traipsing on the road for weeks at a time!

It wasn't only great characters and good pacing keeping me intrigued from chapter to chapter. Adroitly arrayed hints that the world Armist and Thalia know may once have been very different are slipped in here and there. The mysterious and feared elecs that inhabit the wilderness may be far more mysterious and intelligent than commonly believed. Devices used by the Covenant hint at knowledge the average person - and perhaps even the most privileged - hasn't a clue about.

Till Noever's Keaen is fun to read. You don't need an encyclopedic memory to hold its characters and events in your memory. Its trim 350 pages have plenty to dig your teeth into without taking over your reading time for weeks on end. The story is well crafted; the characters memorable.

As of this writing, there is nothing to report concerning a sequel to Keaen, but the story is full of future possibilities I sincerely hope find their way into Till's future writing plans. I'll be keeping a keen eye out for whatever he does next; I know it will be good.

Synopsis
Across the natural divide provided by the Myrmidic Woods and the River Tor, Keaen and Tergan eye each other with an enmity as old as history. At the court of Keaen, Pandrak, the emissary of the magices of Skele, strives to fulfill his assigned duty: to ensure the survival of an ancient Covenant between the ruler and the people. But Pandrak is a man with divided loyalties.

In the city of Keaen, opposition to the Covenant is gathering strength. Would-be-revolutionaries are preparing for action, and at Castle Keaen, Armist and Tahlia are being readied for their assigned roles: Armist as his father's successor; Tahlia as bride to one of the provincial barons. Unwilling to submit to their fates, Armist and Tahlia flee the castle, threatening the stability of the nation. But when they learn the truth about their origins, they realize that the only way to go forward is to turn back.