Another triumph for Tanith Lee!, July 2, 1998
Reviewer: A reader
Until I read this, I was not terribly impressed with Tanith Lee's standalone novels (Electric Forest, Days of Grass, Day By Night). This, however, is probably one of her most imaginative and lush fantasy novels. The tale of lupine sorcerer Kernik/Volk and his dark god, and of innocent slave girl Shaina and her hopeless love for a cursed traveling actor, and how they interact, is engrossing and fantastic. Lee's writing is at its richest and most vibrant here, and the book is magical and totally enjoyable. And while "poetic justice" may be served, it's not done predictably so. If you're interested in checking out Tanith Lee, but don't want to get caught up in a series, this is an excellent place to start.
Reviewer: A reader
Until I read this, I was not terribly impressed with Tanith Lee's standalone novels (Electric Forest, Days of Grass, Day By Night). This, however, is probably one of her most imaginative and lush fantasy novels. The tale of lupine sorcerer Kernik/Volk and his dark god, and of innocent slave girl Shaina and her hopeless love for a cursed traveling actor, and how they interact, is engrossing and fantastic. Lee's writing is at its richest and most vibrant here, and the book is magical and totally enjoyable. And while "poetic justice" may be served, it's not done predictably so. If you're interested in checking out Tanith Lee, but don't want to get caught up in a series, this is an excellent place to start.
I used to want to collect all of Lee's books, but then, some of them are so bad, as witness this one (in fact, many of them, with the exception of the Flat Earth series)...I gave up. Waste of effort and money!
This is a thin book, but packed full of story and emotion. It's like a folk tale, and the ending couldn't have been any different. A must if you like Tanith Lee!
