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| Feature Review #4 | |||||
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| By "not all that original", i mean
that this is a book that reworks popular forms and themes and produces
a comfortable read which, if it offers few real surprises, does not
disappoint, either. The reader who finds some of this book's underlying ideas of interest might want to sample some other books that explore similar concepte, such as: The idea of a land where stories come true has been around for a while; an excellent previous usage of it is Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle (the book, not the anime film; the two really have very little to do with each other). As in this book, where there are some stories that a Godmother fights with all her might to prevent from coming true; Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett's hilarious "Diskworld" novel explores in some depth the concept that there are some stories that shouldn't be allowed to come true. And so on. The rather explicit sex that some reviewers find themselves startled by didn't come as that much of a surprise to me; this is, after all, a Harlequin line, and they (in particular), and the whole field of light romances in general, have been moving more and more in recent years toward sex scenes that are at least as exlicit as would be found in under-the-counter hardcore pornography of the 1960s. A highly enjoyable read if you don't expect anything startlingly original or life-changing -- most Lackey fans will enjoy it; certainly, i enjoyed it more than i did Exile's Valor, the latest "Valdemar", as you'll see if you check my review of that book. {I mentioned Terry Pratchett and his "Diskworld" books above; early in this book the alert reader who is familiar with that series will notice a neat and affectionate tribute to it.} The cover -- did i mention the cover? It's cheesy. Very cheesy. Schmaltzy, even. Those used to the pretty covers that DAW usually give's Lackey's books may be taken aback. Luckily, a cheesy cover doth not, in ths case, a cheesy novel portend. |
