An Author Who Never Fails to Please

Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this whole series, and here in the 4th book are some of my favorite scenes. In some ways, it is my favorite book in the series. (Not in every way, I mean to say, but close.)

A slightly magic pseudo-Austen Regency novel, it has the same nice touches found in the previous books--a light tone, a deft hand with language, a real-seeming setting, and likable characters, along with pretty good action in a fantasy version of 19th Century Europe. It probably has more action than previous books, especially in the beginning, when Jane and Vincent are attacked by pirates near Venice, and in the end, when we have a heist story with illusions, nuns, a puppeteer, and Lord Byron... but not as much action in the middle.

It's a fun plot. Jane and Vincent are robbed at sea, left destitute, "helped" and then framed by the same crew for a series of swindles (while being robbed of their own money!), then are trapped in poverty on the island of Murano with no one to help them get by. Meanwhile, they're trying to figure out how to embed a new kind of glamour in glass, which is what drew them to Murano in the first place.

The part where they have no money and have to struggle is kind of a drag, though.

As we saw in book 3, Vincent gets knocked down and gets glum, and I don't love that part, especially as it carries on for awhile. I like it when he gets his energy back and fights to fix things. That's when we get to the heist part of the story, and IMO we could have skipped about 100 pages and gotten right to that.

The action in the end is good fun, and the story ends in a satisfying way. And despite my criticisms, I enjoyed reading this book. I like hanging out with these characters in this setting; I like the feel of the time and place, and the gentle tone of the whole series. Yes, the action has actual stakes, but somehow the story feels cozy and pleasant to me. YMMV.

Looking for book 5. :)

View all my reviews

Where I Esteem the Author and Admire the Series

Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am enjoying this series by Mary Robinette Kowal, and I like each book more than the last. (It doesn't always work that way, you know.) So, obviously, this is my current favorite. And I really hate Vincent's dad.

This is not a gritty series, but for a Jane Austen-type novel it presents us with a surprising amount of the real world--more romance and sex, more awareness of poverty and injustice, more action and danger. (Plus fantasy elements!) It is a mix that works well, even with the gentle tone that pervades the whole, like sitting down to a charming tea with finger sandwiches that bite back.

Of course, it is an interest in characters that makes it work. That's also what makes each book a little more engaging, IMO; I care about them more as I know them better. I enjoyed seeing the younger sister get involved in this story, and I was very indignant on her behalf when family and other forces tried to hold her back and disregard her feelings. That's how the author gets ya--she makes you care. :)

I am fond of the author's style. (I admire it; I highly esteem it. Austen joke.) Her prose has a bright clarity that makes reading effortless while still evoking a Regency flavor. As with so much art, the hard work is making it appear so simple and elegant.

Recommended for those who think Regency fantasy sounds like a good idea.

I mean, who doesn't? Come on.

View all my reviews