Nancy Baker (1) (1944–)
Autore di Kiss of the Vampire
Per altri autori con il nome Nancy Baker, vedi la pagina di disambiguazione.
Serie
Opere di Nancy Baker
Chrysanthemum Shadows 1 copia
Opere correlate
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Data di nascita
- 1944
- Sesso
- female
- Nazionalità
- Canada
- Breve biografia
- Nancy Baker blames her life-long love of horror and fantasy fiction on the first horror story she can remember: The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter. She dabbled in rock and roll (writing lyrics and singing in basement bands during her university years) before switching to writing fiction. She made her first professional sale in 1988, to Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone magazine and has subsequently published 3 novels. She is at work (slowly, very slowly) on her fourth – which she claims has no vampires in it. By day, she makes her living as business manager for a large Canadian magazine publisher. She is happily married and has neither children nor cats.
Utenti
Recensioni
A Terrible Beauty di Nancy Baker
3.5 Stars
The Euskalans are a matriarchal society that must pay tribute to the Fey every year at a faire. Teresine was a Deshiniva slave girl in Jayasita when she escapes by stowing away on the boat of the Euskalan’s ruler’s daughter, Sarit. She becomes extremely close to the ruling family. Teresine’s, and her family’s, story unfolds from there.
I can’t really say anything else about the story without giving too much away. What I can say is that this isn’t an action story or even a quest narrative. It’s simply the story of Teresine’s life and how her interactions with the Fey cause unforeseen consequences for her family. The only thing that even makes this a Fantasy story is the inclusion of the Fey, though it is a different world with many vaguely Asian elements. If anything, I found the combination interesting. However, the story itself was a bit predictable, the main issue was too easily resolved in a very uncontroversial way despite the issue’s extreme controversy in reality, and the pacing was slow. Also, I got the impression that the matriarchal society was “superior”. Even though the Euskalans did seem to have a better life, especially compared to the life that Teresine lived while she was in Jayasita, the only power that the men seem to have is that they are able to choose their partners. They don’t have any power within the government, and though the women’s choice of whether or not to have a family is an admirable aspect, I don’t agree that any form of society where the genders aren’t completely equal is superior. The Euskalan society is just a reversal of gender roles with the added benefit of a lack of double standards in regards to sex and relationships. It was believable, but not Feminist.
Because of this book’s emphasis on the women’s story, a female-centric part of a much larger world, and a plot that reads like a Lifetime movie, along with the fact that men don’t have much of a voice, I can only recommend it to those who prefer that type of story and/or brand of “Feminism”.… (altro)
I can’t really say anything else about the story without giving too much away. What I can say is that this isn’t an action story or even a quest narrative. It’s simply the story of Teresine’s life and how her interactions with the Fey cause unforeseen consequences for her family. The only thing that even makes this a Fantasy story is the inclusion of the Fey, though it is a different world with many vaguely Asian elements. If anything, I found the combination interesting. However, the story itself was a bit predictable, the main issue was too easily resolved in a very uncontroversial way despite the issue’s extreme controversy in reality, and the pacing was slow. Also, I got the impression that the matriarchal society was “superior”. Even though the Euskalans did seem to have a better life, especially compared to the life that Teresine lived while she was in Jayasita, the only power that the men seem to have is that they are able to choose their partners. They don’t have any power within the government, and though the women’s choice of whether or not to have a family is an admirable aspect, I don’t agree that any form of society where the genders aren’t completely equal is superior. The Euskalan society is just a reversal of gender roles with the added benefit of a lack of double standards in regards to sex and relationships. It was believable, but not Feminist.
Because of this book’s emphasis on the women’s story, a female-centric part of a much larger world, and a plot that reads like a Lifetime movie, along with the fact that men don’t have much of a voice, I can only recommend it to those who prefer that type of story and/or brand of “Feminism”.… (altro)
I really found this a good angle for vampire fiction. Unfortunately although I was able to borrow the sequel from the library I'm still looking for my own copy.
It's been a while since I encountered a book that I consciously found myself trying to read more slowly, because I just didn't want to find my time in the author's world to be over... but 'Cold Hillside' did this.
In presentation, I was reminded a bit of both Pauline Gedge and Guy Gavriel Kay (two of my favorite authors). Like those writers, here Baker eases us into a lovely, culturally rich, but sometimes harsh world. The story encompasses both the higher echelons of court politics and those quotidian dramas and decisions that can mean the world to those they affect.
There are two narrators, Teresine and her great-niece, Lilit.
Lilit is a typical teenager - willful and rebellious. She can't understand why her mother is so opposed to her going to the annual Fair, the one time when the people of her country see and trade with those of Faerie. But now that she's become an apprentice jewelry-crafter, her mother's word is no longer law. Lilit's trying to find her place in the world as an adult - but a drunken encounter at a tavern with a handsome young man who coyly hints at having a trace of Fey blood may lead to Lilit having to make adult decisions sooner than she was expecting. Her society has very harsh rules and customs concerning the Fey, which give her choices greater weight.
Teresine is treasured by Lilit, who loves her like a grandmother, but the past has always been something the older woman has refused to speak of. In her chapters, we learn what happened to her as a young woman. Sold by her parents into slavery, she escapes as a refugee and is brought north, 'adopted' as a confidante to the heiress to the throne. With difficulty, Teresine negotiates a new life, new customs, and the politics of a new land. And once, her position leads her to a dangerous obligation: a venture into the forbidden court of the Fey.
This is a rather slow-moving, deliberate book. Information is gradually revealed, carefully presented. The characters are finely drawn - I found myself fully involved in the lives of these two very different women, separated by generations and life experiences, but bound by bonds of love and blood. The depiction of Faerie is truly fey - magical and alien - and threads of Faerie entwine throughout the story, but the main focus remains the very human decisions that Teresine and Lilit must make.
Beautiful book. Highly recommended.
Many, many thanks to Netgalley and ChiZine for the opportunity to discover this author. As always, my opinions are unaffected by the source of the material.… (altro)
In presentation, I was reminded a bit of both Pauline Gedge and Guy Gavriel Kay (two of my favorite authors). Like those writers, here Baker eases us into a lovely, culturally rich, but sometimes harsh world. The story encompasses both the higher echelons of court politics and those quotidian dramas and decisions that can mean the world to those they affect.
There are two narrators, Teresine and her great-niece, Lilit.
Lilit is a typical teenager - willful and rebellious. She can't understand why her mother is so opposed to her going to the annual Fair, the one time when the people of her country see and trade with those of Faerie. But now that she's become an apprentice jewelry-crafter, her mother's word is no longer law. Lilit's trying to find her place in the world as an adult - but a drunken encounter at a tavern with a handsome young man who coyly hints at having a trace of Fey blood may lead to Lilit having to make adult decisions sooner than she was expecting. Her society has very harsh rules and customs concerning the Fey, which give her choices greater weight.
Teresine is treasured by Lilit, who loves her like a grandmother, but the past has always been something the older woman has refused to speak of. In her chapters, we learn what happened to her as a young woman. Sold by her parents into slavery, she escapes as a refugee and is brought north, 'adopted' as a confidante to the heiress to the throne. With difficulty, Teresine negotiates a new life, new customs, and the politics of a new land. And once, her position leads her to a dangerous obligation: a venture into the forbidden court of the Fey.
This is a rather slow-moving, deliberate book. Information is gradually revealed, carefully presented. The characters are finely drawn - I found myself fully involved in the lives of these two very different women, separated by generations and life experiences, but bound by bonds of love and blood. The depiction of Faerie is truly fey - magical and alien - and threads of Faerie entwine throughout the story, but the main focus remains the very human decisions that Teresine and Lilit must make.
Beautiful book. Highly recommended.
Many, many thanks to Netgalley and ChiZine for the opportunity to discover this author. As always, my opinions are unaffected by the source of the material.… (altro)
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Statistiche
- Opere
- 6
- Opere correlate
- 3
- Utenti
- 494
- Popolarità
- #50,038
- Voto
- 3.8
- Recensioni
- 16
- ISBN
- 30
- Lingue
- 5