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The
Life and Times of Rapunzel By
Staci Layne Wilson Amber
Quill Press Fantasy Trade 2003 www.amberquill.com 250
pages ISBN:
1592799353 For
those of you who know your fairy tales, the beginning is familiar...Rapunzel, a
lovely innocent, has been imprisoned in a tower all of her life, with only the
Hag for company. The Hag raises her, teaching her all about the world, and
about the evils of men. Unfortunately,
one can’t simply pass on experience and have it mean anything, and when the
charming Prince comes to take her away, Rapunzel can hardly refuse.
She thinks he loves her, thinks he will show her the world.
It’s not long before she discovers that the cad is already married, and
wants to use Rapunzel as his strumpet. She
runs away, trying to find a decent job. Her
naiveté is her biggest enemy...but things improve when she rescues Hemingway, a
cat who is really a prince. His
sister, the enchantress Siameeze, wants the kingdom for herself, just to spite
her brother. So she has transformed
him and created an edict where all cats in the kingdom must be killed on sight.
So, how is this tiger striped prince going to sneak into the kingdom and
warn his ailing father of the truth? They
must find a way to reverse the curse, and Rapunzel, bright, sweet and always
optimistic, is willing to help. Rapunzel
wants to see the world...and she’ll end up seeing far more than she ever
expected as her journeys take them across their own world...and into ours. Told
to us by the Wizard Argus, this story is a combination of wit and charming
humor. Argus tells the story well,
inserting little editorial comments along the way.
It is he who sets the tone for the story, as well as explaining the
concept of it. See, the people of Othruth have been created by our own
computer magic. This parallel
universe has a full understanding of our world, but is still very much a place
of fairy tales, so they equally accept wicked spells and holograms. This lends to an engaging style of story telling,
adding a bit of light satire to this story about friendship and about not
believing in absolutes (which is kind of ironically cool, since absolutes are so
prevalent in the old fairy tales). Wilson
isn’t too proud to use a few well placed puns...the book is rife with plays on
all things cat...which only added to the charm of the book. For
those who loved Rebecca Lickiss’s Ever
After or William Goldman’s Princess
Bride, this is a definite addition to their to read list.
Forgive the pun, but it’s nearly purr-fect. 5
out of 5 paws Cindy
Lynn Speer, GWN Reviewer June
13, 2003 By Jeanne Allen, Shannah Biondine, Sheri McGathy and Jeanine Berry Fantasy Trade April 2003www.double-dragon-ebooks.com 305 pages ISBN: 1-894841-90-5 This
collection of four short stories has a few things in common: a lady wins
against impossible odds; there is a romantic subplot with each story having a
strong connection to our own world’s past, and each is well written -- a treat
for any paranormal romantic. Isadora lives in a world that is a
cross between Salem during the witch trials and Mad Max’s post apocalyptic vision.
She is a scientist at a time where scientific leanings...especially in a
woman...may well get her the noose. It
is also a time of strange religious fanaticism, where people follow the
teachings of Alder, whose interpretations of the Bible are warped by fallible
memory and a desire for power. Her soul
mate is a mysterious man named Marcus, who brings her treasures back from the
City of Rubble, a place that myth holds was destroyed for its wickedness. She hides her experiments behind the fact
that she also makes soap, but that does not keep Sedgewick, son of the Tribunal
Lord, from deciding that she, is, in fact, a witch.... and his determination to
learn from her. Even though she denies
that she even believes in magic, she knows that she is in trouble...for
Sedgewick will not be denied. Allen
has an interesting concept here...by destroying so much of the world, then
having people, isolated from each other, superstitious, picking up the pieces
the best they can, then revisiting the era of the Witch trails, she shows that
history can, indeed, repeat itself...even when we think we have evolved beyond
such things. The romance between Marcus
and Isadora is wonderful in that it is fueled not only by the passion they have
for each other, but also by a passion for knowledge. In
Jeanine Berry’s Twin Star we revisit
a tale that many of us may have encountered in the Book of Ester...but with a definite twist. Sonneret and her people escaped to Arith in
the hopes of a better life, but despite their peaceful intentions, the Huymans
treat them with contempt. One day, the
king, looking for a new bride, decrees that all the eligible women of the land
be brought to him. Chosen to be part of
the group because of her exotic alien looks, she waits her turn to go to his
majesty’s bed with fear...she does not want to have anything to do with this
arrogant, cruel man. She hopes that he
is disgusted by her alien features and gold skin, that she’ll be sent back home
to her uncle, where she creates the most beautiful glazes for his pots. When she goes to him and their hands touch,
they see each other’s souls...for her, she knows that this man is her soul mate,
and she’s confused, for how can a woman of her race be a soul mate to a Huyman? For him, he sees that she has
mysterious powers, powers that he needs to explore to see what danger her race
possesses. He makes her his life mate,
placing her in a position of power by his side. But a new position does not ease the hatred the Huymans feel for
her kind, and Caemer in particular plots against her. What chance does Sonneret have, with the king’s best friend
plotting against her? Berry
mentions in the end that she plans to set more stories in this new world, and I
can see why. It is an interesting
place...many different races from different worlds have sought refuge here
among the Huymans, and the tensions created by all these people lingering
together, by these different beliefs and prejudices conflicting and clashing,
as in this story, make for tense reading.
The political machinations are well done. In this story, the power of love becomes an almost tangible thing,
for it is only the power of the bond she has with her King and her wit that can
save her people from total destruction.
Just as Ester bravely approaches the king of Babylon in order to speak
for her Jewish people, Sonneret must find the courage to stand up for her
people. An admirable story, I look
forward to reading more adventures on the Gate World. The
next story is Shannah Biondine’s Eidolon,
which takes place in Kokomo, Colorado in 1880.
Haggerty’s main occupation is the stables...he and the man who raised
him, Fitzgill, run a modestly successful livery stable, one of three that serve
the miners of the town. Born with a
clubfoot, he’s not used to women looking him in the eye, treating him like a
man...until he meets Azubah Malet. A
somber woman who carries a mouse named Cat in her pocket, she also happens to
be the new dress-maker for the local bordello...but dressing up prostitutes in
finery is not her purpose in life.
She’s there to win a wager, one she’s been trying to win for years. As Lucifer’s youngest of sixteen
sisters...yes, that Lucifer...she’s a bit tired of fire and brimstone. Lucifer believes that all humans are self
centered, lazy, selfish and greedy...if she can find one human who isn’t, then
he’ll go up to heaven and beg The Almighty’s forgiveness. This
is a strange little story...neat as all get out, but definitely different. As a Christian, I tend to avoid stories
where there are deals with the devil going on...but I truly enjoyed it. Biondine mixes allegory, romance and intrigue
with a good dash of humor to create a story that will make you think about
human weakness and religion. The
final story of the four is Sheri L. McGarthy’s gently sweet Thief of Dreams. Nerys was promised to Gerard Reagan since
her birth, on the condition that he try and win her heart. He’s been at her family’s home for a year,
arrogant, over sure of himself, he’s not won her heart, but pushed it far
away. When Cody, returning from being
fostered to a neighboring Shire meets her at a festival, it’s love at first
sight. He’s gentle, romantic, all the
things that Gerard is not. Her father
shows that the betrothal contract is loosely worded enough to allow her this
second suitor, and whoever wins her will wed her. Cody is far in the lead, taking her to places such as a fairy
ring, which he warns her to never step inside of...or she would be lost in that
realm forever. Their happiness is short
lived, however, when he disappears just a day before their wedding. Now that Gerard is forcing his suit, and she
will have to marry him despite the dreams that convince her that her true love
is alive, she knows that her only chance to save her love is to attempt the
impossible. Even
though Nerys and Cody are not together for most of this story, the love between
them is strong and believable. This
story weaves Celtic faery tales with romance to create a deep, well-woven tale
that could come from the pages of any book of folklore...even though it
obviously takes place on another world.
Magical and lovely, filled with strong characters and fast pacing, this
story will draw any romantic into its enchantment. 4
out of 5 sign posts Cindy
Lynn Speer, GWN Reviewer May 10, 2003Raymond E. Feist Eos, Apr 2003, $24.95, 400 pp. ISBN: 0380977087 High
in the ice capped mountains reside the villages of the peaceful Orosini. Currently, the villagers celebrate the
Midsummer ritual in which boys go out by themselves seeking a vision before
returning to their home as a man. A few
days ago, Kieli left his home, the Orosini Kulaam Village, but so far he has
received nothing except for feeling cold and hungry. He believes he must not return until he sees his vision, but also
realizes his water supply is running low and he will have to act on that soon. Kieli
observes carrion flying over a nearby village.
He knows immediately that a catastrophe must have hit the Orosini living
there. Most likely a devastatingly
deadly attack because the vultures would only be there to scavenge off the
dead, which means few survivors if any to remove the corpses. Realizing that his village is nearby, Kieli
races home hopefully to warn his people or at least to help them fight the
enemy. In his haste, he falls, but when
he regains his footing he sees a hawk perched on his arm. The hawk telepathically somehow tells Kieli
he can act as a protector or seek vengeance.
The lad knows the hawk is his vision and now he is a man, the TALON OF
THE SILVER HAWK. When he arrives at his
village, the sight of the horrible genocide confronts him just before an
assailant severely injures him leaving him to die. A
few days later, a very weak Kieli regains consciousness. Apparently, he is the lone survivor from the
massacre of his village. Only by the
grace of traveler Robert de Lyis finding him has he lived. Talon knows he owes a life debt to Robert
and begins remittance by doing simple chores once he heals. He shows his intelligence and hunting
ability leading to Robert wondering if he is the One in light of the fact that
Talon must first avenge the destruction of his people by Raven and his horde. Returning
to his beloved Midkemia (see the Riftwar Legacy), Raymond E. Feist provides his
audience with a stirring opening gambit in the “Conclave of Shadows”
series. The plot begins with a
delightful sociological look at Orosini society through the eyes of a charming
naive child seeking to attain the respect accorded to manhood. Following the slaughter, the book relocates
to Kendrick’s establishment where the audience meets Talon’s mentors, a various
lot, and observe the learning that the hero receives as he is slowly preparing
for life as a mercenary and trained perhaps for a future quest. Mr.
Feist insures the reader knows what makes the key protagonists tick and how
society outside the mountains operates especially during the Kendrick chapters
as the story line slows down with no epic adventure, but turns into a
fabulously deep character study. Once
the novel switches to the Mercenary stage, Talon goes through a series of
adventures that test his mettle and enable him to step closer to his personal
confrontation with Raven. Mr. Feist
provides fans of his fantasy realm with a cherished first book that hints at
great things in store for the audience. Harriet
Klausner, GWN Book Reviewer 3/30/2003 S.A. Gordon Taconite Runes Fantasy ebook June 2002 164
pages Peter
Hill has always felt the lure of stone, but he’s pushed it aside, lived his
life. When his wife and daughter are
taken away from him by a terrible car accident, the lure is back. After various tangles with hospitals and
hypocritical church members, he finds himself free, traveling up to a place he
finds himself strongly attracted to.
There he finds a stone with runes carved on it...a stone that brings
back memories of a past long ago, when he sailed the seas as a boat wright and
loved a woman named Heidi. Tragedy
parted them, but now, in the present, fate seems to have brought her back to
him, in the body of a young woman named Faith, who also has dreams of the past. Soon, they discover that there was more than
one stone, and soon find themselves on an adventure to unlock the secrets of
their past lives, and the stones that seem to bring it all back One
of the first things that struck me was the reality of the narrator’s
voice. The things he relates at first
are very shocking...the hospital and the community, instead of pulling together
and helping him in his hour of need, turn on him when he finally agrees to take
his wife off life support. Everyone is
being encouraged to see him as a baby killer, for his wife was carrying a
child, and so he soon finds himself jobless, as well as friendless. He is ripe for a new beginning. At other times his voice is very
picturesque, painting images that are hauntingly evocative. Evocative serves a dual purpose...by definition,
evocative recalls the past, and soon, Peter will be doing plenty of that. The
amount of historical research that has gone into this story is also
impressive...many different times come to life. The vivid dreams often paint tragic portraits, as well as giving
us a neat view...because we see several different times. We also feel his themes keenly...so many
terrible things happen, things that seem to cry out for justice. An
incredibly well written, suspenseful book, it is filled with history as well as
mystery, magic and, strangely enough, hope.
4
out of 5 runes Cindy
Lynn Speer, GWN Reviewer April
25, 2003 |