This is a novel about the levels of understanding in the world. In a fine conjunction of medium and message, this concept is reflected in both the narrative style and in the topics of discussion. So, as we read, we often find ourselves wondering what a character meant, while the character is wondering the same thing about someone else.
What appears to be true at one level turns out to be completely off base when we find out what’s really going on. Honour means different things to different people. Reality is as malleable as reality in the land of the fey.
This is a story about the development of a psyche, and the strength of the writing is the author’s ability to take us into the mind of a developing character, to understand and feel how her perceptions of the world shape the person she is about to become.
The author doesn’t always carry it off, for several reasons. In the first place, not everyone is as good at reading the subtext of a story or a real-life situation. (If you had trouble with the first paragraph of this review, you’ll see what I mean.) The author is an expert, but sometimes the intricacies of the game leave us feeling that it’s all rather opaque. Secondly, not everyone is interested in quite as much introspection, and many readers will find it overdescribed, beautiful as the description may be.
And last we come to the issue of variety. A well-structured novel takes us through several peaks and valleys of emotion, brought on by a number of different conflicts that intertwine to create the overall weave. This story starts with a sword duel and ends with a sword duel, and the rest of it takes place pretty much in the main character’s head. It’s beautifully written, but unrelenting.
This “too much of a good thing” problem is especially true of the main sex scene, which, creative though it may be, goes on for far too long. Erotica becomes in danger of being pornography when you find yourself getting tired of it.
The bottom line is that the strength of this writing leads to its weakness. The description of physical world and internal turmoil is beautifully written, but the success of a novel depends on the other elements that, in this case, are minimized to make room for description.
I am at a loss who to recommend this book to. The theme of bullying is usually appreciated by a Junior-High readership, but the graphic erotica makes the writing inappropriate for this age group. I guess this is a “read-it-but-don’t-tell-your-parents type book, aimed at a female audience.
(4 / 5)