Publisher:
Angry Robot, Imprint: Strange
Chemistry
Publication
Date: October 02, 2012
Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.
This
is a sparkling, magical book singing with fresh ideas in a saturated paranormal
YA universe. A strong young female voice, a belting plot, exotic imagery and strange
magic immediately capture the reader and keep the pages flipping.
The
story explodes into being when a determined and wilful pirate girl runs away
from an arranged piratey wedding into an unknown future. Her problems increase
when the scorned clan seek revenge through an unbreakable assassin sent to kill
her. In a night-time desert fight, Ananna desperately uses magic given her by an
enigmatic woman whom Ananna believes she cannot trust. The unexpected
consequences bind the handsome young assassin to Ananna, in an adventure which
crosses seas in search of a forbidden island.
Striking
features of the book include the sensual and exotic imagery and the unusual,
sparkling magic, which is also creepy and scary magic. The binding of the assassin
and victim is a terrific device for plot development and the building of
romantic tension. The immediacy of the writing style is very effective. Like Ananna,
we do not know what kind of magic is happening to us, and who to trust.
Ananna,
as the female protagonist, is satisfyingly determined and courageous (most of
the time). Ananna is handy with a knife or a lie, and has quick hands for essential
thieving. She has great character: as Ananna explains to her prospective
husband, ‘Oh just stop!...Why would I want to marry someone who won’t even
listen to me?..I want a ship of my own, not yours.’
This
wonderful, magical story unfolds in a desert setting. We feel the cold harsh bite
of the sand in the wind; the rich smells and colours in the night markets, and the
uneasiness inherent in the slipping, sliding shadows which could so easily
become something both corporeal and menacing. With Ananna, we feel alone,
desperate but determined to find our own way.
This
story is filled with vivid, individual characters, immediacy of action and
great backstory. Cyberpunk elements add a strange contrast in the desert scenes:
‘The creatures stood there for a long time, creaking and heaving and letting off
smoke.’
I
particularly love the unusual magic: ‘The thing crawled across the sky, long
thin strands like a ghoul’s fingers’, and ‘..he spat out a word in a language
like dead flowers, beautiful and terrible all at once.’ This is Ananna discovering
a type of magic: ‘As I worked, I sang in a language I didn’t know; the words
sounded like the babble of water over stones, like rainfall pattering across
the surface of a pond, like rapids rushing through a canyon.’
In
the beginning, this story could have been the one I’d wished I’d written; however,
the narrative is unable to sustain the fire, pace, imagery and ideas of the
first third. Our heroes’ journey, while interesting, could perhaps have been
more dramatic – I’m sure the author considered whether to have them cross her pirate
father’s path and experience her mother’s magic– perhaps in sequels we will see
this, but in some ways the reader is set up for a drama which does not then
take place. Ananna is a pirate; the reader wants more pirate action, battles
and lore.
Swearing
and curses are always difficult to get right in an imagined world. In this
case, the author chooses to use conventional swearing, ‘bullshit’, which jars in
the exotic setting. The invented prayers and invocations are far more appealing:
‘…still there, thank Kaol and her sacred starfish.’
The
last section re-engages with and echoes the earlier creepiness, although again does
not quite hit the gripping suspense and sheer wonder of the new magic of the
first sections. Our heroes are possibly saved too early in the final settings,
which defuses what could have been an explosive climax, given this author’s superlative
powers of strong voice, evocative imagery and strange magic.
Overall,
this book is highly recommended for anyone who loves YA paranormals – it really
shines above the general. Sequels will be anxiously awaited, promising unusual
and dramatic adventures with a most engaging protagonist.
