Janice Y. (jai) reviewed on 8/7/2006 + 310 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

Very original space fantasy novel. Mikk is an alien who was abused and neglected as a baby by his parents. When he becomes a young boy, he is sent to a music conservatory to study, but his abuse makes him quiet and it seems hard for him to learn. While he is there he catches the eye of a visiting performance master (someone who has mastered countless instruments as well as the art of dance, theater and other performance arts). This man decides to take Mikk in as his last and greatest apprentice. Mikk eventually becomes famous and reverred but his fame and fortune cannot help him when he decides to defy a ban on performing a dance of a dead civilization. The punishment for this crime is death. While this book is about art and censorship, it was so rich and full of other things as well, and was very enjoyable to read. I feel like this is a hidden gem: while it won a award when it first came out, it doesn't seem like this author wrote more than 2 books. I count this among the classics and have reread it several times. One warning: there are brief mentions of alien sex and love between two males, but don't let that dissuade you.

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