Title: Majestrum: A Tale of Henghis Hapthorn
Author: Matthew Hughes
Publisher: Nightshade Books
Date: 2007
Grade: B+
I first heard about the Henghis Hapthorn series when the second book, Spiral Labyrinth, came across my desk at work. I thought the premise sounded fascinating, so I tracked down a copy of the first book, Majestrum, which I review here.
In the Henghis Hapthorn books, the universe is shifting away from an era that can be explained by science and rational deduction to one that can only be grasped and influenced by intuition and magic. As a medieval-era nerd, I was instantly fascinated by this premise, since it would obviously indicate that the middle ages were another magical age, with the reverse shift taking place during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Henghis Hapthorn is specifically important because he has been accidentally introduced to this new magical age early. Hapthorn, at the beginning of the first book, is a well-known “discriminator,” (basically a private investigator) on far-future Earth. However, just before the start of the book, he had been kidnapped and held captive by a wizard who was using a pocket of magic that had seeped through from the coming age. Hapthorn was rescued, but this rescue involved interdimensional travel that partially converted him into who he would become once the cosmic shift to magic took place. Thus, the artificial intelligence (basically a very advanced PC) that helps him in his investigative work has become a monkey-like familiar, and Hapthorn himself is split into two personalities: himself, the rigorously logical PI; and the self he is meant to become, the intuitive wizard.
In Majestrum, Hapthorn has only very recently returned from his kidnapping, and is in the process of trying to find a way to organize his mind to accept and live with his suddenly fruit-loving computer and his emotional, intuitive other self. Before long, he is engaged in two successive cases commissioned by two high-ranking members of his society. These cases appear to be very different, but odd connections begin weaving them together in ways that both Hapthorn and the reader have difficulty grasping, until at last all is revealed in the end. The first case has a very classical fedora-wearing-PI-beat-pounding premise, while the second begins to veer into recognizably fantasy-esque territory. It’s difficult to get more specific than that without being too spoilery, but I can still share a few additional thoughts below.
On a technical note, I found Hughes’ placement of his first chapter to be absolutely fascinating. When I first began reading, I kept flipping to his “other works” page and the front and back covers, trying to make sure that I was really coming in at the beginning of the story. It’s pretty ballsy having the kidnapping and psychological transmutation of your main character occur before the curtain even rises. And yet, when I look at the form of the book as a whole, it’s clear that this back-story is indeed unnecessary, and that opening the book with Hapthorn declaring that he is going to simply ignore his AI’s new form is actually an elegant introduction of the character’s inner struggle throughout the book. I am curious if Hughes first introduced Hapthorn in a short story (perhaps included in The Gist Hunter and other stories, which I see listed under other works?) that gives this background, or whether it’s just one of those instances of a writer knowing information that doesn’t need to be elaborated extensively. In any case: well done, Mr. Hughes. I tip my hat.
On a story and character level, what I found most compelling were the problems and fears associated with Hapthorn’s position as a man literally straddling two eras. Unsurprisingly, his initial intention to “simply ignore it and get on with [his] life” is being constantly breached. His AI suddenly needs food and sleep, and begins to develop emotions and the ability to lie. At the beginning of the book, Hapthorn’s alter-ego is mostly only active when Hapthorn is sleeping, but as time goes on, he gains strength, and Hapthorn begins to need his perspective in the course of the casework. Most of his problems with the AI are merely funny or inconvenient, but to have something as intimate as a personally built and customized computer suddenly develop its own will and personality—and to know that you can never go back to what it was—would still be an unsettling experience. Particularly when you know that far from being an isolated occurrence, this is a phenomenon that will actually accelerate as time goes on. This discomfort, and this equally uncomfortable foreboding, are mirrored and intensified in Hapthorn’s struggle with his other self. The idea that you will, in time, be subsumed by something that is you and yet your opposite is profoundly unsettling, and Hapthorn’s attempts to soldier on, to make allowances, and yet maintain the upper hand are mesmerizing. I would recommend the book on that count alone, though I found the cases to be entertaining as well.
My main complaint with the book actually stems from this conflict between Hapthorn’s two selves. As it becomes increasingly clear that PI Hapthorn needs wizard Hapthorn’s help on a case, rational Hapthorn begins to sulk. Not only is this unattractive in anyone, particularly a first-person narrator, but it leads to him going into denial and making some stupid decisions. This is not quite as bad as when characters are dense simply because the plot says so; Hapthorn certainly has plenty to sulk about, and the specific circumstances only highlight those reasons. But I still felt that given what was at stake, and given Hapthorn’s usual ability to make smart if unpleasant decisions, he could have at least saved the pity party until after the crisis. In a way, it almost feels like the reverse problem: Hapthorn does stupid things because they wrap up the character arc, even if they don’t make complete sense in the context of the plot.
My other quibbles are fairly minor. I wasn’t sure if the Osk Rievor subplot was wrapped up as well as I would like, but I have a tendency to read books a tad too fast the first time through, so I place that shortcoming mostly on myself. I also felt that there were a few places where exposition was needlessly repeated. This was nearly always in an instance where a new character had been introduced who really did need to know the given information, but since the ground had already been covered, I’d have been fine with a summary.
Overall, this is a fun book with some neat psychological reflections for a little more depth. Recommended.