Hey all,
My friend lent me this book a couple months ago and I just recently finished. I thought that the cover (by Kevin Murphy: a guy on a cliff-top above a stormy castle) represented the innards of the book rather well. The art itself is well-done, dramatic, dark, deep...but really, those pale green wings that look as thought they've been stuck on artifically? I thought the same of some aspects of Berg's story.
Her writing is very readable (feel free to skim the first couple of paragraphs), told from the point of view of Seyonne, currently a slave to Prince Aleksander, formerly a sorcerer committed solely to good. The magic system was a bit odd, if still acceptable, but the fact that Seyonne has wings simply boggles my mind. He's already established as a powerful sorcerer; did she really have to add this slightly corny touch? Add to this the bad guys of the book: demons, who care only for causing chaos and suffering. Rather one-dimensional.
What wasn't one-dimensional was her characterization. Even the minor characters are vivid and play critical roles in the plot. As for the major ones-- When we first meet Aleksander, he's a rich, powerful, clever (and he knows it, and makes sure everyone else does too), and spoiled heir to an empire that has conquered other nations, including Seyonne's. Toward his new slave he holds nothing but indifferent contempt. This changes, however, and soon he captures our sympathy, as well as Seyonne's, who must struggle out of the apathy he learned was necessary to survive as a slave.
Frankly, I think that the title refers to *this* transfomation, that of Aleksander from haughty prince to a decent man, and that of Seyonne from miserable slave to something more (I won't give that away). The ending was heart-stoppingly beautiful. Read it to watch the relationship between the characters, which compelled my interest far beyond the events of the plot.
Keep it real....
My friend lent me this book a couple months ago and I just recently finished. I thought that the cover (by Kevin Murphy: a guy on a cliff-top above a stormy castle) represented the innards of the book rather well. The art itself is well-done, dramatic, dark, deep...but really, those pale green wings that look as thought they've been stuck on artifically? I thought the same of some aspects of Berg's story.
Her writing is very readable (feel free to skim the first couple of paragraphs), told from the point of view of Seyonne, currently a slave to Prince Aleksander, formerly a sorcerer committed solely to good. The magic system was a bit odd, if still acceptable, but the fact that Seyonne has wings simply boggles my mind. He's already established as a powerful sorcerer; did she really have to add this slightly corny touch? Add to this the bad guys of the book: demons, who care only for causing chaos and suffering. Rather one-dimensional.
What wasn't one-dimensional was her characterization. Even the minor characters are vivid and play critical roles in the plot. As for the major ones-- When we first meet Aleksander, he's a rich, powerful, clever (and he knows it, and makes sure everyone else does too), and spoiled heir to an empire that has conquered other nations, including Seyonne's. Toward his new slave he holds nothing but indifferent contempt. This changes, however, and soon he captures our sympathy, as well as Seyonne's, who must struggle out of the apathy he learned was necessary to survive as a slave.
Frankly, I think that the title refers to *this* transfomation, that of Aleksander from haughty prince to a decent man, and that of Seyonne from miserable slave to something more (I won't give that away). The ending was heart-stoppingly beautiful. Read it to watch the relationship between the characters, which compelled my interest far beyond the events of the plot.
Keep it real....
