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crankylibrarian
Dec 22, 2013crankylibrarian rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Good lord. Just as every soap opera about lovers from different social groups is not Romeo and Juliet, not every romance featuring a hardheaded woman and an arrogant, socially superior man is Pride and Prejudice, (are you listening Bridget Jones fans?). Barker is hardly subtle in her hubris: P&P references are sprinkled throughout, even when they don't make sense: why is an honest, good hearted young suitor compared to Wickham? There are charming elements to this story, and a handful of interesting characters: Hirizjahnkinis, Mrs Toristel, Ilissa. But I agree with reviewers who complain of extraneous plot details that go nowhere and add nothing to the story. There are dozens of characters that abruptly appear and disappear, and the lengthy references to Orsian history apparently designed to flesh out this alternate world only drag down the narrative and make it more confusing. A reviewer once cracked that the Phantom Menace felt like watching C-SPAN on another planet; this is like watching the History Channel in an alternate universe. Writers like Tolkien, Zelazny and J.K. Rowling were able to create fully realized universes with characters and histories which were clear, relatable and even funny. Barker is not in that league, nor does she manage the introspection of Lev Grossman's Magicians. The only reason I persevered was to find out whether or not Nora decided to stay with Arundiel, and we don't even learn that, since this overstuffed mess is apparently the first in a series. Oooh, can't wait!!!