by
Jane Routley
ISBN: 0380781271 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
A delightful novel from a new author, remarkable = for the charming and authentic portrayal of a likable heroine.
Reviewed by David on May 26, 1998
Genre: Fantasy (Demons, Politics)
Synopsis: An 18-year female magic student, left alone after the death = of her strict and humorless adapted father, tries to find a place for = herself in a country full of tensions of political, magical and cultural = struggle.
Full Review: The novel starts with Dion, the 18 year old narrator, trying an illegal = narcotic in her school dormitory, mostly due to being bored out of her = mind.
This novel has a fair share of feminist rhetoric, but handled with = restraint and skill. The young narrator is deftly painted: she is by turn conceited and = apprehensive, rebellious and dutiful, passionate and prim. In all, a well-crafted picture of an intelligent but ignorant teenager.
Left to her own devices after the death of her unloved but respected = adopted father, who decided to make an experiment to determine whether = women can learn magic, Dion is almost desperate to find a place to fit, = and starved for affection.
Dion gets hired by the local ruler, the Duke, to protect his mistress = against magical attack. The young mage is torn between outrage of the = indignity of her charge (her father was quite Puritanical in his = beliefs), and curiosity about the beautiful and experienced Kitten = Avignon, the Duke's mistress.
Dion's journey of self-discovery, her search for love and respect amid = the growing familiarity with her considerable powers is fresh and = well-paced. In the process, she makes friends and enemies, and gets a taste of the = brutality of politics, the intolerance and prejudice against women and = magic-users, and the dangers of necromancy and hatred.
At the end, she learns more about herself and others, she experiences = love and fear, learns respect for others and earns it herself. She wins through, but at a high cost—the classic tale of growing up.
This polished and confident novel does not read as a first effort. Perhaps Routley has published other books outside of the U.S., perhaps = in her native Australia. Whatever the case, this has been one of the most enjoyable novels of the = year. Perhaps the best part is the deft description of the enthusiasm and = pleasure of the narrator as she explores freedom and power during her = adventures.
If you like fantasy, I strongly recommend this book.
Note that the sequel to this book, Fire Angels, has been published.
Overall: 7.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 8; Style: 7; World-building: 6; Originality: 6;
Avon Books, May 1998, Mass-market, 436 pages
ISBN: 0380781271 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com