Lady of Sorrows - reading_fox's review
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1reading_fox
Lady of Sorrows
My Review
Continuing the intrguing blend of celtic fantasy.
Our heroine is still nameless but the story picks up at the end of the last book where she's been transformed into a beautiful girl, surely princesshood is just around the corner. With her regained voice she decides it is time to continue to the King's castle where she can deliver her report about the treasures of Waterstair, and maybe even catch a glimse of her glorious soldier, Thorn. Assuming the identiy of Rohain from the Sorrow Isles (hence the bokk's title) she finds life in the capitol isn't as straightforward as she first thought it might be. They use forks, which she has seen before, but upside down, rather than in their more obvious shovelling mode! And speak in a contrived lingo to exclude outsiders. However she does manage to cultivate a few friends, and while she hasn't met the King in person, His Royal bard - True Thomas Rhymer, is also favourably impressed. Especially when the expedition returns with the treasures of Waterstair. She is also aided by a maid, who finds Our Lady of Sorrows a far less demanding Mistress than any of her previous owners. Although she hasn't yet met her Thorn, all good thigns come to an end, and Rohain escorted by her maid must travel once more amoungst the weight haunted countryside.
The style remains much as in the previous book - occasionally overflowery descriptions of adjectives strung together. And more annoyingly very descrete appearances of characters, the transitions from area to area are huge, and all previous events scarcely mentioned again. This is very annoying as so much more could have been made of, for example, the swanship. We do get a brief update on those who survived the first book, but then they are never mentioned again. The elaborate enhancing of various fairy tale themes continues, although I failed to recognise the significant volcano based one - maybe this is a maori legend than hasn't made it to the UK. There is less of the fae present, and a bit more focus on the human characters, which is is some ways a shame as it is the blending of various tales that made the first book such a departure from the norm. It is enjoyable though.
There are some problems with the ending - the knife is clearly broken upon her exit from the Realm but apparently still completely usable. Also her age: She seems too old in her memories to be mistaken for the slavechild in the beginning of the first book.
A worthy continuation from the first book, perhaps not quite as good, but still enjoyably engrossing, in alight fantasy style.
Feel free to comment:
My Review
Continuing the intrguing blend of celtic fantasy.
Our heroine is still nameless but the story picks up at the end of the last book where she's been transformed into a beautiful girl, surely princesshood is just around the corner. With her regained voice she decides it is time to continue to the King's castle where she can deliver her report about the treasures of Waterstair, and maybe even catch a glimse of her glorious soldier, Thorn. Assuming the identiy of Rohain from the Sorrow Isles (hence the bokk's title) she finds life in the capitol isn't as straightforward as she first thought it might be. They use forks, which she has seen before, but upside down, rather than in their more obvious shovelling mode! And speak in a contrived lingo to exclude outsiders. However she does manage to cultivate a few friends, and while she hasn't met the King in person, His Royal bard - True Thomas Rhymer, is also favourably impressed. Especially when the expedition returns with the treasures of Waterstair. She is also aided by a maid, who finds Our Lady of Sorrows a far less demanding Mistress than any of her previous owners. Although she hasn't yet met her Thorn, all good thigns come to an end, and Rohain escorted by her maid must travel once more amoungst the weight haunted countryside.
The style remains much as in the previous book - occasionally overflowery descriptions of adjectives strung together. And more annoyingly very descrete appearances of characters, the transitions from area to area are huge, and all previous events scarcely mentioned again. This is very annoying as so much more could have been made of, for example, the swanship. We do get a brief update on those who survived the first book, but then they are never mentioned again. The elaborate enhancing of various fairy tale themes continues, although I failed to recognise the significant volcano based one - maybe this is a maori legend than hasn't made it to the UK. There is less of the fae present, and a bit more focus on the human characters, which is is some ways a shame as it is the blending of various tales that made the first book such a departure from the norm. It is enjoyable though.
There are some problems with the ending - the knife is clearly broken upon her exit from the Realm but apparently still completely usable. Also her age: She seems too old in her memories to be mistaken for the slavechild in the beginning of the first book.
A worthy continuation from the first book, perhaps not quite as good, but still enjoyably engrossing, in alight fantasy style.
Feel free to comment:
