Review of Those Above by Daniel Polansky

It's fair to say George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire was (is?) a watershed moment in fantasy publishing. A large chunk of the genre's titles which have emerged in the aftermath of A Game of Thrones explore his use of more realistic/less archetypal characters and quests for power. High spoken elves, pipe-smoking hobbits, and the immutable honor and glory of kings were put to bed in favor of Machivellian anti-heroes, hard truths, and naked egoism. Embracing this grimdark style and spinning a tale of his own is Daniel Polansky in Those Above (2015).

Those Above is set in a world where humanity's power has been quashed by a group of four-fingered immortals called Eternals whose strength and speed are no match. The four-fingered live at the peak of a tower-city called The Roost while the five-fingered humans in the five levels below slave to provide them food and water, heat and home. They pay no mind to the lands beyond where humans war among themselves, in essence securing the power of the immortals. Little do they know, however, rebellion is forming at the lowest reaches of The Roost.

Those Above is told through the viewpoints of four characters. First up is Bas. A hardened general known as the god-killer, he could just as well be a whiskey-drinking, cigar-smoking street criminal for all the empathy he exhibits to the soldiers who fight for and against him. Second is Eudokia, a former beauty now an elder lady of power, she secretly pulls strings in an attempt to influence the movement of war and rebellion in the human world. Thistle is a poor streetpunk living in the Roost's fifth level. He and his gang look for trouble in the dark alleys and streets each night, that is, until a mysterious man makes him a job offer he can't refuse. And lastly is Calla. Human slave, she spends her days in luxury, serving the Eternals on the second level of the Roost. On a walk in the lower levels one day, she has her faith in the Eternals shaken in ways that have repercussions for everyone.

To cite the novel's strong points, Polansky's nails a grimdark tone. The dialogue is sharp, cynical, rude. Thistle spits attitude like a streetpunk should, just as Eudokia manipulates power in subtle ways. The scenes are edgy, unflinching from graphic details, and move at proper pace. And the characters have enough nuance to suspend disbelief—to buy into the story and setting. In terms of prose, style, and edge, Polansky gives the reader ever reason to keep reading.

Yes, Those Above reads extremely well. But its one and primary challenge is underlying plot motivation. Each of the four main characters have clearly defined lives and directions. What isn't clear is why they are the focal points, what they might be headed towards, and what the ultimate stakes are. Polansky erects large signs what these reasons could be. The series title is “The Empty Throne”, i.e. maybe a human should be sitting the throne? The Eternals are clearly malevolent overlords. They treat human life like little boys treat ants. An overthrow seems necessary. But Polansky never, at least from my perspective, properly motivates this. It's a constant assumption, not a stated factor. To make an unfair comparison, throughout A Song of Ice and Fire George Martin makes it clear that the Red Keep is up for grabs. In Those Above it's assumed.

In the end, Those Above is a nice, chunky story that, while struggling to establish series' stakes, nails character, authorial voice, and a proper grimdark tone. Great micro, so-so macro. It's quite possible readers in 2025 are unaware of the novel. Be aware this may be one worth looking back to despite the plethora of titles on the market today. Likewise worth awareness is that Those Above is first volume in a duology, a finished duology. Those Below completes the two-books series in consistent, satisfying fashion. Review to come.