Growing Up Literary

Occasionally, even though I know I should be reading new things, I re-read books that I find really enjoyable. Naamah's Kiss, by Jacqueline Carey, and indeed, Carey's whole Terre d'Ange series, are such books. And since Naamah's Kiss isn't mine but borrowed, and I know that eventually I will need to bring it back, I read it again. And there was nothing to be done except that I needed to read the Kushiel books again, too. I've now run out of those that I have in my home, and I needed something to read until I banished enough laziness to go to the library, so I picked up Exile's Honor by Mercedes Lackey. I own many of Lackey's Valdemar books, because for a long time they were my go-to fantasy books. They were fun, the characters were believable, and the stories were entertaining. Which is why I was SO distressed to realize that I may, in fact, have outgrown them.

The two series, Kushiel's Legacy and The Heralds of Valdemar, are similarly flavored. They are roughly historical fantasy, although Kushiel emphasizes the history and Valdemar has a stronger vein of magic. The main characters are usually strong women, in an elite profession, and political intrigue is a main component. I did not realize until today that Carey is essentially Lackey for grownups.

Carey's prose achieves a sophistication that Lackey doesn't, but I don't mean to say that Lackey is a less talented writer; she is writing for a younger crowd, and her stories are less layered. Carey has a larger cast of characters for whom each role is more clearly defined. Lackey is less concerned with the complexities than Carey, and as such, the Valdemar books are easier to follow and easier to read. Her characters are more transparent and easier to understand; they lack the necessity for further motivation than what's on the surface. Which made them good, easy comfort books in high school, but slightly boring now.

I feel kinda like when I moved from Tamora Pierce to Mercedes Lackey - it is weird to figure out that I am no longer an author's target audience. The good thing, though, is that there are ALWAYS more books to pick from. And I look forward to discovering where I'll go from Carey.

But I'm not in a hurry to get there, because I've still got four of her books to re-read.

Elves and Whores

I have a bone to pick with Laurell K. Hamilton. Yesterday, I sat down and read Swallowing Darkness, the (seemingly) final book in her Merry Gentry series. The thing about Hamilton is that, under all the gothic adjectives and fantasy landscapes, she is not actually a very good writer. She describes her characters very vividly, which is great, but she tells the reader the exact same things about each character every time we see them. Which is not so great. She's also fallen deeper and deeper into the "Mary Sue" trap with every book; Merry started out with some interesting character traits and flaws, but with every book the plot made her more and more magical and beautiful and irresistible and immortal and perfect, and now she's boring.

I think the worst thing about Swallowing Darkness, though, was that there were absolutely no surprises to be found within the pages. Hamilton took no risks when wrapping this story up; things that had been blatantly stated in earlier books came to pass exactly as prophesied. People died!... But then they came back. Vengeance was wreaked!... Like you knew it would be. The bad guys were defeated soundly, but in a way that Merry got exactly what she wanted without sacrificing anything (one bad guy plot did NOT get wrapped up, much to my consternation, which is why this only SEEMINGLY the final book). It was nice to see it end so well for characters I like, but it was also mind-numbingly boring.

Hamilton is an okay writer for teens being exposed to urban fantasy. Yes, teens, because even the sex in these books is tamed by an almost medieval vocabulary; there is a metaphorical fog that descends so that it's not nearly as graphic as it might first seem. But for older and more experienced (or at least more discerning) readers, well, we need to find something more substantial and interesting.

So, what do I suggest? The Kushiel's Dart series, by Jacqueline Carey.

Kushiel's Dart is an alternate history meshed with fantasy about what is essentially our France. The history gets mixed up way back at Christ's crucifixtion, when his blood mixed with the tears of Mary Magdalene and the earth get mixed up and result in the earth-born deity Elua, who is a little bit angel, a little bit god, and a whole lot of lust. Seven of God's angels leave to follow him, and these eight father a nation of peoples who are all a little bit god-touched. The motto of Terre d'Ange is "Love as thou wilt," and yes, it means exactly what you think it means.

Phedre is the heroine of these novels, and man is she an interesting woman. She's raised to be a servant of the love goddess, essentially a hugely expensive courtesan, but she's also raised to be a spy. Therein lies the intriguing parts of these novels: they're about love, but they're also about plots within plots, wheels within wheels, and what happens when those plots are unraveled.

Hamilton's political intriue is childplay when compared to Carey's subtle and intricate workings that take place across pages and continents. If you're hankering for some royal scheming wrapped up in a nice packaging of eroticism, read something with substance; don't settle for hollow fairy tales.