Rebel by R. J. Anderson
Jan. 27th, 2010 10:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
No ordinary fairytale ...
Linden’s cage glowed with fiery heat, burning her fingers when she tried to cling to the bars. She fluttered helplessly in mid-air, wing muscles aching with the effort, knowing that she couldn’t hover much longer before her strength gave out – and that the moment it did, she would die ...
Set 15 years after Knife, R. J. Anderson’s second novel focuses on Linden, the youngest fairy in the Oakenwyld (a tree that houses an all-female colony of fairies). Now married to Paul, although Knife helps protect the fairies their magic continues to fail and the colony grows weaker. Queen Amaryllis uses the last of her magic to send Linden on a quest to find others of their kind who can help them to recapture their power.
Initially clueless as to how to fulfil her quest, Linden’s salvation comes through Paul’s teenage cousin Timothy. Troubled about his religious faith and missing his family (missionaries in Uganda), Timothy feels that there is nowhere for him and so runs away to London with Linden in tow. There they quickly discover other fairies – even male ones – but these fairies have none of the Oakenwyld’s morals and all are in thrall to an Empress, who compels them to rob humans of their creative powers. If Linden is to help her people, then they must find the means to defeat the Empress, a task that puts both her and Timothy in mortal peril.
There is a very mixed feel to this novel. At times, it promises a dark and tense read – the political troubles of the London fairies and their various factions is intelligently depicted and well thought out and there’s a nice parallel with the political troubles within the Oak. However there are also periods when it takes a more winsome, innocent tone, with Linden’s view of the world in particular being overly simplistic.
Christian beliefs are emphasised within the text and while these tie in with Timothy’s character and his personal dilemma, much of the time it comes across as sermonising and is heavy handed in comparison to the metaphor of the Great Gardener.
Timothy is difficult to sympathise with. Sulky, moody, inarticulate as to his personal dilemma, he is often rude to Linden. He is redeemed through his love of and gift for music but it is tough going. Linden is his opposite, driven by a certainty that everything will be okay, her naïveté is at times irritating and frequently relies on others to help her.
Although the resolution to key mysteries can be guessed early on, the book finishes with the opening for a sophisticated and exciting third volume in ARROW.
The Verdict:
Given how good Knife was, it was perhaps inevitable that REBEL would fail to meet expectations. The slightly uneven tone and a main character I found difficult to sympathise with prevented me from fully engaging. That said, the political complexities and a promise of darker and troubled times to come is one I look forward to with relish.
Linden’s cage glowed with fiery heat, burning her fingers when she tried to cling to the bars. She fluttered helplessly in mid-air, wing muscles aching with the effort, knowing that she couldn’t hover much longer before her strength gave out – and that the moment it did, she would die ...
Set 15 years after Knife, R. J. Anderson’s second novel focuses on Linden, the youngest fairy in the Oakenwyld (a tree that houses an all-female colony of fairies). Now married to Paul, although Knife helps protect the fairies their magic continues to fail and the colony grows weaker. Queen Amaryllis uses the last of her magic to send Linden on a quest to find others of their kind who can help them to recapture their power.
Initially clueless as to how to fulfil her quest, Linden’s salvation comes through Paul’s teenage cousin Timothy. Troubled about his religious faith and missing his family (missionaries in Uganda), Timothy feels that there is nowhere for him and so runs away to London with Linden in tow. There they quickly discover other fairies – even male ones – but these fairies have none of the Oakenwyld’s morals and all are in thrall to an Empress, who compels them to rob humans of their creative powers. If Linden is to help her people, then they must find the means to defeat the Empress, a task that puts both her and Timothy in mortal peril.
There is a very mixed feel to this novel. At times, it promises a dark and tense read – the political troubles of the London fairies and their various factions is intelligently depicted and well thought out and there’s a nice parallel with the political troubles within the Oak. However there are also periods when it takes a more winsome, innocent tone, with Linden’s view of the world in particular being overly simplistic.
Christian beliefs are emphasised within the text and while these tie in with Timothy’s character and his personal dilemma, much of the time it comes across as sermonising and is heavy handed in comparison to the metaphor of the Great Gardener.
Timothy is difficult to sympathise with. Sulky, moody, inarticulate as to his personal dilemma, he is often rude to Linden. He is redeemed through his love of and gift for music but it is tough going. Linden is his opposite, driven by a certainty that everything will be okay, her naïveté is at times irritating and frequently relies on others to help her.
Although the resolution to key mysteries can be guessed early on, the book finishes with the opening for a sophisticated and exciting third volume in ARROW.
The Verdict:
Given how good Knife was, it was perhaps inevitable that REBEL would fail to meet expectations. The slightly uneven tone and a main character I found difficult to sympathise with prevented me from fully engaging. That said, the political complexities and a promise of darker and troubled times to come is one I look forward to with relish.
