|
David Jordan
, April 23, 2018
(view all comments by David Jordan)
Despite being a long book that required my quick assimilation of a lot of unfamiliar history, folklore, and culture, this was a particularly enjoyable fantasy novel that captured my attention early on and sustained it throughout. The author's ability to create a relatively new world (though, helpfully, one with a lot of historical similarity to our own) is impressive. The story is compelling and kept me riveted all the way to the end, and though I thought I could imagine how things would play out, I was surprised and pleased with the conclusion. If I had to quibble with anything that I found less than satisfying, it would be the author's depiction of female sexuality. With several fully-realized, fascinating female characters, you'd hope that depictions of relationships between characters wouldn't seem so informed by typical male fantasy-style lust. No such luck. I often found myself thinking that the females in the story were portrayed as equal to the male characters in intelligence, resourcefulness, and action. Then their clothes would come off and all that fascinating characterization would disappear in juvenile sex fantasy.
Overall though, a very satisfying and entertaining historical fantasy.
|