Vanity of Vanities

infobox Book |
name = Vanity of Vanities
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Martin Bertram
illustrator =
cover_artist = Julia Dungan & Christy Clemens
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Fantasy
publisher = Tate Publishing
release_date = February, 2006
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 307 pp
isbn = ISBN 1-59886-153-0
preceded_by =
followed_by =

Vanity of Vanities is a novel by Martin Bertram. Set in the 12th century on the fictional Island of Vanar, Vanity of Vanities tells the story of powerful kingdoms brought to ruin by the selfish ambitions of men.

The Land

Vanity of Vanities takes place on the Island of Vanar.

Characters in "Vanity of Vanities"

King Marcus Vortigern of Rorq

Marcus Vortigern, the elder son of Cephrim Vortigern (also known as Cephrim the Stout), was a God-fearing man from his youth. He spent much of his time devoted to study, and as he grew to manhood, he began to take on more of the diplomatic duties of the kingdom; working to foster and maintain good relations with King Lennard II of Devlorn, and with the various provinces of the East.

Now nearly sixty years old, Marcus has sat upon the throne of his father for twenty years. Highly regarded as a wise and temperate ruler, even among those who by tradition hold the kingdom of Rorq in contempt; his reign has thus far been marked as a time of increasing prosperity and peace.

King Reymus of Vanar

Five years younger than his brother Marcus, Reymus is the second of Cephrim Vortigern's two sons. By the age of fifteen years, Reymus had graduated the military academy of Rorq, and by the age of twenty-five, he had risen to the position of General of the Army.

Always committed to his military endeavors, Reymus' skill and passion for the sword excelled greatly beyond that of his peers, and there was little else for which he had time to consider beyond the glory and advancement of the kingdom. It was widely known that he did in fact frequently petition his father and influential members of the court that he should naturally succeed him to the throne of Rorq; dismissing his brother as an overly-studious man, incapable of safeguarding the interests of the kingdom. When King Cephrim on his deathbed confirmed that Marcus would be King after him, Reymus was infuriated and embarrassed. Shortly after, he rallied his loyal following of military commanders and soldiers (over half of the army of Rorq) to Watersmeet and led them by ship to the northeastern coast. For the years that followed, Reymus through his ambition and thirst for conquest forged himself a kingdom greater in size than any other on the island, never again to set foot in Rorq.

King Lennard III of Devlorn

Growing up in the royal court of Devlorn, Lennard III never took much of an interest in political matters. He enjoyed reading the chronicles of the kings of old, and spent most of his youth dwelling in his imagination. By the age of twenty-six, his father had died and he became King in Devlorn.

It was not long before young Lennard found himself overwhelmed with the high affairs of state, but fortunately for him he had found an able advisor in Lord Nathaniel du Bois.

ir Patrick Beoulve

The last of a long family line of prominent nobles of Devlorn, Patrick Beoulve grew up with the finest education and military training available. Always at the top of his class, he quickly earned a reputation for being the best. At age sixteen he joined the army as a Lieutenant after graduating from the academy with honors.

Full of passion to protect his country from harm, Patrick fought bravely in many battles, rising in rank as he did so. After one particularly prominent victory, he was knighted by King Lennard II, and soon after rose to the rank of First Knight of Devlorn. Now forty-five years of age, Sir Patrick continues to server under King Lennard III as the head of the army of Devlorn.

Lord Rodney Deltyr

A dark figure whose past is as mysterious as his cunning ways, Lord Rodney Deltyr rules one of the eastern provinces of Vanar. Once sovereign, Deltyr province was the last to fall to the conquest of Reymus. Now under his authority, Lord Deltyr serves as an active lieutenant of King Reymus in the south.

Once married to the daughter of Lord Edmund Baumer of the neighboring province of Baumer, he has but one daughter. A shrewd and witty strategist, Lord Deltyr often likes to employ unconventional tactics to achieve his goals.

Lord Nathaniel du Bois

A noble lord of a prominent family in eastern Devlorn, Lord Nathaniel du Bois served as a member of King Lennard II's council. Shortly after his death, King Lennard III promoted him to the head position of his council, leaning upon his knowledge and ability greatly to make important decisions.

A political opportunist at heart, Lord Nathaniel enjoys his new position and has accomplished much reform in the kingdom of Devlorn.

* Nathaniel du Bois was named after Nathan Eifert, a friend of the author.

Eliza Deltyr

Born and raised within the walls of her father's castle, Eliza Deltyr is a fair young lady of nineteen years. All of her life she has longed for freedom from the prison of Deltyr Castle; and to find her mother, who had abandoned her with her father as a baby.

With little else to do, Eliza spends most of her time embroidering with her nursemaids. Deep inside, she despises her father for what he is; regarding him as little more than a dungeon rat with power. To him, she knows she is nothing more than a political asset.

* Eliza Deltyr was named after Elizabeth Eifert, a friend of the author.

Jessica DuPonte

Jessica Duponte is the seventeen year old daughter and only child of Sir Stephen Duponte, the First Knight of the kingdom of Rorq. As such, Jessica is well versed in the affairs of the kingdom and its neighbors; though she prefers the beauty and adventure of the outdoors over the hustle and bustle of life at court.

Unbeknownst to her family, she has on more than one occasion taken the liberty to adventure beyond the borders of the kingdom when she was meant to be visiting relatives and friends. Jessica admires her father very much, and sometimes finds herself wishing she were a man; that she might follow after him. Her mother, Lady Marie, is the niece of King Marcus, who himself never had any children. To him, Jessica is like a very close grand daughter.

* Jessica was named after Jessica Burke, a friend of the author.

Joshua

All of his life, Joshua has dreamed of adventure. A strong young man of twenty years, he has lived his entire life working on the family's horse farm. His parents were killed in a robbery when he was very young, and since that time he has been under the guardianship of his uncle, Robert.

The only memories he recalls of his father were times when he introduced him to swords play with small sticks on the farm. That might explain Joshua's life-long passion for combat and chivalry, a preoccupation that his uncle has spent much time attempting to dissuade. When he's not busy on the farm, Joshua enjoys spending time in Kelton with his friend Caleb, who is a member of the 'Fighting Monks of Kelton'.

* Joshua was named after the author's son Joshua, who often goes by his middle name (Aaron). During the writing of the book, the character of Joshua was actually named Martin, but was changed before publication.

Caleb

The son of Raoul, a member of the militia group known as 'The Fighting Monks of Kelton', Caleb has followed the path of his father. Now eighteen years old, Caleb is the youngest of the 'Monks'. He spends the majority of his time either training in combat, studying the Bible, or patrolling the streets of Kelton and the surrounding lands, and keeping the peace.

Caleb enjoys his life of service and hopes that one day Joshua might be officially admitted into the order with him.

* Caleb was named after Caleb Eifert, a friend of the author. Martin also has a son named Caleb, who was also named after Caleb Eifert.

Prince Bradford

The only child of King Reymus, Prince Bradford knew little else but combat and war from a youth. Born shortly after Reymus' departure from Rorq, Bradford's mother died giving birth to him. Now a young warrior following in his father's ways, Bradford is an arrogant chauvinist who likes to indulge himself in all of the benefits royalty can afford him.

He cares very little for anyone other than himself, and hardly even regards his father as anything other than a mentor whose usefulness has since expired.

* Bradford was named after Brad Eifert, a friend of the author.

Literary significance & criticism

Reviews of "Vanity of Vanities" agreed that the story realistic character development. Lighthouse Literary Reviews also noted the amount of depth given to the female characters, saying "Often male authors writing in this time period avoid making female characters really active in the plot, but Mr. Bertram did a wonderful job of exploring female’s roles in this book." [The Midwest Book Review] had had this to say, "Featuring a plot and style which is both intricate and enthralling, Vanity Of Vanities brings a more philosophical understanding of what becoming a praised knight really meant, and the almost inevitable basis of conflict arising from vanity and self-aggrandizement. Vanity Of Vanities is very highly recommended reading, especially for those with an interest in superbly crafted historical novels set in Medieval Europe." Sylvia Cochran of Round Table Reviews wrote this in her review, "The plot gives nothing away, and Mr. Bertram's strategic use of Scripture, i.e. Ecclesiastes, serves further in allowing the reader to not only read about the adventures of young Joshua but to truly feel the atmosphere he is experiencing. The only regret the reader will experience is when s/he comes to the end of the book and the story is finally over; fortunately, a series of Vanar stories is planned and the reader will be able to once again plunge into the world of noble Joshua. A wonderful read!"

# Bookwire Review - http://www.bookwire.com/PDF/bertram.pdf
# Round Table Reviews - http://www.roundtablereviews.com/roundtable/Archives/bertrammartin3506.htm
# Lighthouse Literary Reviews - http://www.lighthouseliteraryreviews.com/March2006Reviews.html#anchor_209
# The Midwest Book Review - http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/apr_06.htm#fiction

=External links=
* [http://www.vanityofvanities.com/vanar.html The Land of Vanar]
* [http://www.vanityofvanities.com/nws_reviews.html News and Reviews]