![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterA College of Magics: I liked it, and I think I will like it even more when I reread it. It took me a while to get used to Greenlaw and to Faris in particular, but by the end of the book, I greatly liked her. The book itself is set in a sort of alternate Europe with magic and with some addition countries (Galazon, etc.). I liked many things, like the bomb-hat, and Jane in her sartorial glory (I have decided I kind of want to be Jane), and Tyrian ("glove to my hand" sniff). And Faris. I started out not quite knowing what to think of Faris, but by the end, I definitely liked her. I liked how she needed responsibility most of all. Stevermer I think also nicely sidesteps the entire Cinderella-esque fairy tale; while Faris gains a great deal more power than anticipated (by her, but probably not by the readers), she doesn't magically transform into some glorious beautiful being, despite Jane's clothing advice. And while she does manage to save the world, it's at high cost to herself.
Very high cost. And the love story proceeded nicely without overshadowing everything or being too unbelievable. Quibble (with spoilers): I almost wish the author had let Tyrian remain dead. It would have absolutely broke my heart, but it's a bad sign when he is shot and my first reaction is: So when and how is he coming back? And as a total romantic sap, I agree with the decision, particularly after Faris has lost Galazon in her heart, but part of me wishes that authors didn't do this so often. It makes the deaths much less tragic and much more of a plot point, and then that makes the subsequent resurrection much less of a surprise. That's one thing I like about George R. R. Martin. When he kills off people (and does he ever!), they stay dead. Very, very dead. Or if they don't, it's a very, very bad thing. Small thing I liked was how Faris stuck to her guns in the not getting married thing -- reminded me of Susan in Freedom and Necessity.
Links:
-![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
rilina's review
When the King Comes Home: set in the same world as A College of Magics, but I think it takes place before College... I spent a few moments wondering if Ludovic Nallaneen was in Faris' portrait gallery, but I don't remember, and by that time, I'd already returned College. It's an interesting take on the Arthur mythology, and I particularly like how her trilogy of people sort of manages to avoid some of the misunderstandings that annoy me the most about the Arthur legend. Good King Julian the 4th is Arthur and I can't remember the names of his queen and knight. Anyhow, through necromancy, Julian is called back along with his knight, and much chaos ensues in the kingdom. The thing I liked the most about this one, though, were the descriptions of Hail's training as an apprentice to an artist -- grinding colors and preparing canvases and everything. Apparently this is something I'm interested in, because I quite liked that bit in The Portrait too. Maybe I should go read Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Hail's obsession with an artist of Julian's time ties in with the plot... I don't know. The climax of this book didn't quite hit me like that in A College of Magics.
Very high cost. And the love story proceeded nicely without overshadowing everything or being too unbelievable. Quibble (with spoilers): I almost wish the author had let Tyrian remain dead. It would have absolutely broke my heart, but it's a bad sign when he is shot and my first reaction is: So when and how is he coming back? And as a total romantic sap, I agree with the decision, particularly after Faris has lost Galazon in her heart, but part of me wishes that authors didn't do this so often. It makes the deaths much less tragic and much more of a plot point, and then that makes the subsequent resurrection much less of a surprise. That's one thing I like about George R. R. Martin. When he kills off people (and does he ever!), they stay dead. Very, very dead. Or if they don't, it's a very, very bad thing. Small thing I liked was how Faris stuck to her guns in the not getting married thing -- reminded me of Susan in Freedom and Necessity.
Links:
-
rilina's reviewWhen the King Comes Home: set in the same world as A College of Magics, but I think it takes place before College... I spent a few moments wondering if Ludovic Nallaneen was in Faris' portrait gallery, but I don't remember, and by that time, I'd already returned College. It's an interesting take on the Arthur mythology, and I particularly like how her trilogy of people sort of manages to avoid some of the misunderstandings that annoy me the most about the Arthur legend. Good King Julian the 4th is Arthur and I can't remember the names of his queen and knight. Anyhow, through necromancy, Julian is called back along with his knight, and much chaos ensues in the kingdom. The thing I liked the most about this one, though, were the descriptions of Hail's training as an apprentice to an artist -- grinding colors and preparing canvases and everything. Apparently this is something I'm interested in, because I quite liked that bit in The Portrait too. Maybe I should go read Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Hail's obsession with an artist of Julian's time ties in with the plot... I don't know. The climax of this book didn't quite hit me like that in A College of Magics.