That's a wrap!
Nov. 9th, 2008 07:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calzephyrI polished off book 4 in Tamora Pierce's Immortals quartet and again it did not disappoint. Daine gets her man, meets her father and the kingdom of Tortrall is safe again (until next time of course!). It doesn't matter how many times this same story gets told, it's all in the telling. One of the underlying themes in this volume is leaving your parents behind as you grow up, which was quite likable.
I also finished The DarkAngel trilogy
The last two books are A Gathering of Gargoyles and The Pearl of the Soul of the World, which I both finished handily in a few hours. The second book in a trilogy is often tricky, since it's a mere continuation of the beginning and end, but it does not disappoint. Aerial, who has freed Irrylanth from being a darkangel, finds herself set upon another task. According to another part of Ravenna's rime, she must gather the six protective lons for six regions of the moon. It's made much more clear that the series takes place on a terraformed moon btw - Oceanus is earth, I believe. The lons to me seem vaguely like avatars of Vishnu - each is meant as a steed for Irrylanth's brothers.
The rime puzzles her, so she decides to go back to her former home to consult the Sybil of Orm. As with any hero's journey, it is full of new friends and new dangers. One of the most intriguing parts of the book is when she is waylaid by the suzerain of Pirs and discovers her true heritage. To an adult reader, there were some things that were a little predictable, but whew, I was not entirely prepared for the ending!
I liked the last book a lot, and found the ending satisfying, although many Amazon reviewers did not. Aerial still had not gained the full love of Irrylanth, because as long as the White Witch still lived, she had a hold over him. Aerial had discovered that she is Irrylanth's cousin, and his other cousin, Sabr, also fancies him. The book begins with Aerial lost in the tunnels under the City of CrystalGlass, or the big dome where Ravenna became a recluse (domes on the moon, I love it!!). With the help of some subterranean dwarves, she makes it into the city and undergoes a transformation unknown to her. It turns out that the White Witch is actually Ravenna's daughter, and, with the help of the pearl, can become Ravenna's heir.
This was the most interesting part of the book, as it hinted at the Moon's past and the fate of earth. I got a kick out of the Ancients' vehicles being called fiery chariots ;-) While an epic battle rages between the forces of Irrylanth and the White Witch, Aerial tries to fulfill the duty that Ravenna has given her - if the White Witch can see truth in the pearl, she can be redeemed and be the steward of the Moon. Because it is often harder to write a villain's part, they are flat, but in the short space of time of the White Witch's portrayal, there's a pretty convincing backstory for her evil. Unfortunately she is unable to see the truth and the pearl is broken, Ravenna's memories and knowledge scattering.
Irrylanth saves Aerial, able to finally love her now that the White Witch is dead, but Ravenna still lives on in pearlstuff in Aerial, which sounds a lot like some sort of nanotechnolgy. If the Moon is to thrive, it needs a steward, and ultimately it has to be Aerial since the White Witch died.
I can see why so many readers hated the ending. We tend to like happy endings, but Aerial isn't a stock fantasy heroine. I think she is a far more realistic one. For example, she loves Irrylanth with all her heart, but he isn't able to return her love. Who hasn't been there and done that? It would seem that Aerial came so far and did so much to be denied this love, but isn't is true that women often go to great lengths for love and never see it back? Poor Irrylanth, whose whole life has been fubared by the White Witch, is at least able to feel a great loss for Aerial as she rebuffs him. I guess that would be the another theme - often mere mortals are playthings for the gods.
It seems too that the Amazon reviewers overlook that in the end Aerial has the enduring love and friendship of Irrylanth's original 13 vampyre brides whose souls she rescued (they are turned into parts of her crown at the end) as well as the loyalty of Erin, a girl she rescued in the second book. Should more be read into these female relationships? I'm not sure, but Aerial's destiny is not a lonely one.
I would not mind seeing more books about the Moon, although it seems unlikely. The little gems of history that Pierce tosses is what I found so unsatisfying!
I also finished The DarkAngel trilogy
The last two books are A Gathering of Gargoyles and The Pearl of the Soul of the World, which I both finished handily in a few hours. The second book in a trilogy is often tricky, since it's a mere continuation of the beginning and end, but it does not disappoint. Aerial, who has freed Irrylanth from being a darkangel, finds herself set upon another task. According to another part of Ravenna's rime, she must gather the six protective lons for six regions of the moon. It's made much more clear that the series takes place on a terraformed moon btw - Oceanus is earth, I believe. The lons to me seem vaguely like avatars of Vishnu - each is meant as a steed for Irrylanth's brothers.
The rime puzzles her, so she decides to go back to her former home to consult the Sybil of Orm. As with any hero's journey, it is full of new friends and new dangers. One of the most intriguing parts of the book is when she is waylaid by the suzerain of Pirs and discovers her true heritage. To an adult reader, there were some things that were a little predictable, but whew, I was not entirely prepared for the ending!
I liked the last book a lot, and found the ending satisfying, although many Amazon reviewers did not. Aerial still had not gained the full love of Irrylanth, because as long as the White Witch still lived, she had a hold over him. Aerial had discovered that she is Irrylanth's cousin, and his other cousin, Sabr, also fancies him. The book begins with Aerial lost in the tunnels under the City of CrystalGlass, or the big dome where Ravenna became a recluse (domes on the moon, I love it!!). With the help of some subterranean dwarves, she makes it into the city and undergoes a transformation unknown to her. It turns out that the White Witch is actually Ravenna's daughter, and, with the help of the pearl, can become Ravenna's heir.
This was the most interesting part of the book, as it hinted at the Moon's past and the fate of earth. I got a kick out of the Ancients' vehicles being called fiery chariots ;-) While an epic battle rages between the forces of Irrylanth and the White Witch, Aerial tries to fulfill the duty that Ravenna has given her - if the White Witch can see truth in the pearl, she can be redeemed and be the steward of the Moon. Because it is often harder to write a villain's part, they are flat, but in the short space of time of the White Witch's portrayal, there's a pretty convincing backstory for her evil. Unfortunately she is unable to see the truth and the pearl is broken, Ravenna's memories and knowledge scattering.
Irrylanth saves Aerial, able to finally love her now that the White Witch is dead, but Ravenna still lives on in pearlstuff in Aerial, which sounds a lot like some sort of nanotechnolgy. If the Moon is to thrive, it needs a steward, and ultimately it has to be Aerial since the White Witch died.
I can see why so many readers hated the ending. We tend to like happy endings, but Aerial isn't a stock fantasy heroine. I think she is a far more realistic one. For example, she loves Irrylanth with all her heart, but he isn't able to return her love. Who hasn't been there and done that? It would seem that Aerial came so far and did so much to be denied this love, but isn't is true that women often go to great lengths for love and never see it back? Poor Irrylanth, whose whole life has been fubared by the White Witch, is at least able to feel a great loss for Aerial as she rebuffs him. I guess that would be the another theme - often mere mortals are playthings for the gods.
It seems too that the Amazon reviewers overlook that in the end Aerial has the enduring love and friendship of Irrylanth's original 13 vampyre brides whose souls she rescued (they are turned into parts of her crown at the end) as well as the loyalty of Erin, a girl she rescued in the second book. Should more be read into these female relationships? I'm not sure, but Aerial's destiny is not a lonely one.
I would not mind seeing more books about the Moon, although it seems unlikely. The little gems of history that Pierce tosses is what I found so unsatisfying!
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Date: 2008-11-09 10:05 pm (UTC)And I didn’t read the rest of your entry. I don’t want to be spoilt! I’m still reading The Dark Angel, just finished the part where the Equustel dies, made me so sad! Now I’m torn between drawing that and finishing my piece of Caribou and Reindeer!
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Date: 2008-11-09 10:26 pm (UTC)Yeah, that part of the Darkangel really got me. It was just so unexpected. I thought Aerial would just fly back on him! I think done right, the whole series would make an excellent movie or two :-)