18 Followers
24 Following
altheaann

altheaann

Currently reading

A Creature of Moonlight
Rebecca Hahn
Saffron And Brimstone: Strange Stories
Elizabeth Hand
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
Lois McMaster Bujold
Snow in May: Stories
Kseniya Melnik
The Ill-Made Mute  - Cecilia Dart-Thornton Although it's definitely not "serious" literature, I couldn't help liking this book. A mix of original high fantasy, Celtic legend, and escapist romance come together in a dazzling – if not all that substantial – mélange.
A youth, face hideously scarred and bearing other marks of violence, is found unconscious and brought to Isse Tower, a Stormrider's outpost. Deformed and ugly, and suffering from amnesia, the youth is reviled and works as a drudge – the lowest of the low. Driven to escape on one of the floating skyships, an adventure is in the offing - involving pirates, hidden treasure, dangerous wastelands filled with fantastic dangers, brigands, and, of course, a mysterious and gorgeous love-interest.
Dart-Thornton's language is full of rich and gorgeous details. The reader gets to know precisely what each character might be wearing, how rooms are furnished, etc. This might seem annoying – but she makes it work. She also works in a wealth of old folktales (with a bibliography of their sources at the end.)