bookofdays

Trejaeran Muirel and Qynhelein Reoder are twin heirs separated and placed in the care of good families when their parents, the king and queen of the realm, die at the hands of a treacherous uncle. The tragedy is orchestrated by Ciardha, an ancient being who has found a way out of her earthbound prison. Building a magically possessed army known as the Damanta, Ciardha begins to take her dark revenge on the world of Tiralainn.

But the twins are far from safe. It is foretold that one of the heirs will defeat Ciardha to restore the Kingdom. Sixteen years later, the Damanta finally succeed in discovering the whereabouts of Trejaeran and Qynh. Their adoptive families are slaughtered. The two narrowly escape. And events begin that will unite dwarves, elves and humans in a fight against Ciardha's dark army.

Sara Reinke is an author to watch. To attempt a fresh telling of the universally recognized story of Middle Earth is a challenge that would give pause to even the most seasoned writer. Yet she pulls it off. I had fun comparing her elves to Tolkien's, the Arthurian hints were a treat, and the experience of walking down a familiar road that kept mutating into something never before seen made me a fan.

The plotting in this book was solid. Reinke's talent for telling a story through dialogue: amazing. Even her narration was better than I would have expected for her level of experience.

Some exceptions?

The use of Gaelic throughout the book was an unusual choice that may make the read difficult for some. It worked for me, though. I appreciated the effort Reinke made.

I also noticed her characters consistently reacted to fear and pain. Overall, this was a great choice. It made both antagonist and protagonist seem more real. But I did sense the author's hand in places. If I had to put a finger on it, I would say she used the same descriptive words for a number of different characters (eyes flew wide, whimpered, etc). This can be confusing to a reader and often results in the blurring of character identity.

One big criticism. Sara Reinke missed an opportunity to make this book soar. The world of Tiralainn is but a sketch. I understand this was an editorial choice that accomplished two things: it streamlined the book, and it supported the choice to tell her story through dialogue. Yet the emotional impact Reinke could have made and the richness she could have infused into the novel would have been worth the extra struggle. In a work as sweeping in scope as Book of Days, the land deserves to be a main character.

This is the most talented new writer I've come across in some time. With a great editor on her side and some hard work in the problem areas mentioned, Sara Reinke could be formidable.

Clayton Bye, gottawritenetwork.com

September 23, 2006

copyright © 2006 Clayton Clifford Bye