Prophecies, omens, visions, supernatural powers (called Boons), rival houses, battling warriors, sly assassins and mad princes abound within the pages of this novel. We feel for the crazed Caspian, a boy driven insane by visions he can’t control and the secrecy with which he must hide them. He was urged by a protective mother to hide his abilities since seers usually went mad. But the secrecy causes her death. Guilt, secrecy and loneliness combine to push him further down the path towards lunacy and the whispers in the court grow louder…
We are then introduced to a girl with the improbable name of Darling. Her family has been a casualty in a senseless war started by a grieving scion avenging a murdered consort. She isn’t interested in revenge; she just wants to rescue her beloved foster father and call it quits.
The war is ridiculous, has gone on for far too long and no one knows how to bring it to an end. While the House Dragon has more or less subdued all of its challengers, it hasn’t managed to smash the rebellion entirely.
This backdrop of a war-torn world makes for instant friction and the author knows when to keep the drama high and when to let it ebb. While there are people constantly training for warfare and assassination, others are growing weary of the game. They snatch moments of peace that look an awful lot like skirmish; they attempt to stifle emotion as a sign of weakness that can’t be tolerated and they strive for closeness in a world that can see their loved ones torn away at any moment. It’s a vibrant mix of tension, character, plot, battle strategy, action sequences that read as if they were written by Jackie Chan and moments of genuine human warmth and tenderness.
I’ll confess that I was reluctant to try this book when I saw Tessa Gratton’s name on the cover. The only other book of hers that I’ve read is “Strange Grace” and I found it so tangled to follow, I could give it only one star. However, this is a book that will have people exclaiming, “Oh, I can’t wait to see the movie!” But, trust me. You have got to read the book first.
We are then introduced to a girl with the improbable name of Darling. Her family has been a casualty in a senseless war started by a grieving scion avenging a murdered consort. She isn’t interested in revenge; she just wants to rescue her beloved foster father and call it quits.
The war is ridiculous, has gone on for far too long and no one knows how to bring it to an end. While the House Dragon has more or less subdued all of its challengers, it hasn’t managed to smash the rebellion entirely.
This backdrop of a war-torn world makes for instant friction and the author knows when to keep the drama high and when to let it ebb. While there are people constantly training for warfare and assassination, others are growing weary of the game. They snatch moments of peace that look an awful lot like skirmish; they attempt to stifle emotion as a sign of weakness that can’t be tolerated and they strive for closeness in a world that can see their loved ones torn away at any moment. It’s a vibrant mix of tension, character, plot, battle strategy, action sequences that read as if they were written by Jackie Chan and moments of genuine human warmth and tenderness.
I’ll confess that I was reluctant to try this book when I saw Tessa Gratton’s name on the cover. The only other book of hers that I’ve read is “Strange Grace” and I found it so tangled to follow, I could give it only one star. However, this is a book that will have people exclaiming, “Oh, I can’t wait to see the movie!” But, trust me. You have got to read the book first.