Julie's Review of Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock

Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock (Kindle edition)

Ridiculously simplified summary: A prince joins a monastery to serve the god Eidon, and to hide from his responsibility to the kingdom. But Abramm is sold into slavery, forced to compete in deadly games for the entertainment of others. Can Abramm find Eidon amidst the carnage of the arena?

Content: This is a Christian fantasy, so you know the hero will come to a knowledge of this world's version of Jesus. It is interesting that His followers are basically given the ability to do light-based magic.

First--and this didn't hit me until a couple weeks after reading--there's an interesting allegory/possible explanation for the fact that in our world, many of the people who claim to be Christians are jerks.  Most fantasies I've read (which tend towards children's fiction, granted), the Christians are great and the non-Christians are evil, so it's a realistic take. (Though darker than I like to see...frankly, it was darker than most secular books I've read, which surprised me.)

As reviews have stated, the main character (called Abramm through most of the book) has premarital sex. I wasn't offended by a young man probably in his late teens being interested in women, but I was shocked he went through with it. I don't think the act is glorified, but I didn't see it condemned here. In fact, Abramm marks it off as the last vow of the Order that he's broken (two others being a vow not to eat meat and a vow not to use weapons). Breaking these other "arbitrary" vows turned out to be Eidon's will, so I don't feel like it was "bad" to break the last vow. Admittedly, reviews indicate the guilt comes up in later books, but I didn't see it in this one.

Finally, as some reviews have said, there is some sexism. I believe there are only three female characters (one very minor)--two love interests for our hero, and then his sister, who has several scenes in her point of view. I don't like how any of them were treated in the book.

It was a bit disturbing to me that the dark-skinned desert dwellers keep slaves, veil their women and treat them as chattel, live in filthy cities, and (per Abramm's sister) eat disgusting food. The Erushites reminded me of the Telmarines of Narnia's The Horse and His Boy, except this book was published in 2003, not 1954. Not all Erushites are bad, but their whole culture is evil, in contrast with the white-skinned heroes'.

(And speaking of sexism and violence, the Erushites are unfailingly hospitable--so much so that when a man comes to visit, he's welcome to sleep with the master's daughters, wives, or slaves (!).)

Rating:

Compelling: 8 out of 10. The book started slow with a lot of exposition pertaining to a sect that is barely relevant for the rest of the book, though it could come up in the rest of the series. What kept me reading initially was the mystery of why the Terstans--the book's Evangelicals--are plagued with madness and eye diseases.

Things pick up as the book progresses. The battles in the arena were overall brilliant--the fights as shows and entertainment, complete with costumes, reminded me of "The Hunger Games," though Hancock's book predates it by several years. Once the Games were done, I lost some interest but had no trouble finishing.

Characters: 6 out of 10. Abramm has a knack for ignoring the obvious, which can be frustrating. Abramm's sister makes almost exclusively poor decisions. Though I know Abramm is the change character, I would have much rather read from the point of view of almost any other characters besides him and his sister.

Shettai, the woman Abramm falls in love with, is an interesting mystery who I felt was never explained. I feel like she was in place almost exclusively to affect Abramm's emotions. Overall, I wanted to see more of the minor characters and less of the main ones.

Writing/editing: 9 out of 10. Technically, the book was quite well-written. Some of the descriptions were over-detailed, but that's standard for fantasy. There are some good lines, such as "An only slightly exaggerated rendition of the latest trends in Kiriathan fashion, it was so copiously trimmed with ribbons and lace he felt like a cloth merchant's notions rack."

Unfortunately, the Kindle version had occasional misplaced dashes in-between words. The chapter advance function did not function properly on my copy, which made reviewing difficult.

Plausibility/believability: 4 out of 5. The plot twists at the end felt kind of rushed, and I thought there were too many of them. Some of the trainers for the Games were bizarrely evil, attacking even those who succeeded in their battles.

However, the world was richly detailed. (Even though I would never want to visit it. Probably not even if I were a man!) There was a lot of thought put into this book.

Positive: 2 out of 5. Yes, Eidon has a plan for the world--or at least for Abramm. But as I mentioned above, this is a dark book. Some of the scenes were terrifying and/or disgusting. Giant flying monsters decapitating people are some of the milder terrors. Also, many who bore the Terstan shield on their chest had terrifying insanity and/or nauseating eye conditions. The book was earthier than I expected, too--within the first five chapters Abramm wets himself, and he spends a good deal of the book either naked or in a loincloth.

Gut reaction: 2 out of 5. It was a compelling read, but I felt a little dirty reading it. Some of the terrifying details haunted me for days. The treatment of women also rankles me, though I know that's not abnormal for fantasy. And it was hard to get into the characters when the ones I liked best were glossed over.


Bonus points: 5 out of 5.


Recommended for: Fans of secular, adult epic fantasy novels who don't mind Christian allegory.

Probably not good for: Catholics (anti-Church content); young teens (too violent); people who admit to enjoying Christian romance novels (the romance is not at all satisfying by Christian romance criteria).

Total Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars

(Disclaimer: I received this book for free on Amazon.com)

What do women in Kinyn wear? Part 3

Here's another dress Nessa wears in "The Healer and the Pirate," sketched by Julie.  It's a fancy dress--a true one-piece garment without a separate bodice at all.  It laces up the sides to flatter the waist. It's made of something we called silk in the book, though it's not actually made from silkworm cocoons. Elves and fairies both make fabric similar to silk, through magic, though it's quite costly--in fact, this dress costs at least two months' wages to a common man. The seams are so fine it's likely it was sewn together by fairies or magic.

The skirt is three fine layers, though the illustration doesn't particularly reflect that. Flowing sleeves are gathered at the elbow.

The undershirt doesn't look particularly feminine.  Interesting; I wonder what the story is behind that...

What do women in Kinyn wear? Part 2

Picking up from last week, here's a sketch that Julie did and Maggie salvaged from having a lavender bodice.

This is another of Nessa's dresses from “The Healer and the Pirate." The bodice has pink summer daisy designs woven in, and there is a slim matching skirt.  With its fairly high neckline and long hemline, it's just slightly reminiscent of something a child would wear to a festival.

The sleeves belong to a separate shift worn underneath the dress. They are gathered at the bicep and wrist and edged with sky blue lace.  The skirt is also edged with lace to match the shift.

In Renaissance times on Earth, lace was incredibly costly, as poor women would work all day to make just a miniscule amount of lace.  In Kinyn, however, several varieties of caterpillars spin cocoons which can be easily pulled apart into lace. A quick dip in vinegar sets the lace, preventing it from falling apart when it's used.

This is actually a ready-made dress, acquired in a clothing shop in a fairly small town. In towns and even cities, women tend to sew their families' clothes, while the wealthy have clothes custom-made for them. However, many towns on main roads--even small towns--have small shops selling clothing for travelers passing through. Ready-made clothes are costly but are often more finely-sewn than their homemade counterparts.

A wide placket in the back of the bodice (not pictured) allows this to fit a wider variety of body types. Nessa is slimmer than the ideal figure in Kinyn, so she can lace the bodice as tightly as it will go.

What do women in Kinyn wear?

Kinyn has a variety of fashions. In fact, Nessa goes through several outfits in “The Healer and the Pirate.” Since Julie likes clothes and Maggie can redraw Julie’s sketches into something nice to look at, we’ll highlight a few outfits she wears over the next few weeks. That will give a pretty good overview of what women (and female elves, Asri, and the like) wear.

This is Nessa's linen traveling dress, the dress she's wearing when Aridin first lays eyes on her. (Read it here!) The bodice is lightly boned for support and laces up the front. It is not purposely constructed to hide curves, nor does it accent them.

The sleeves are sewn into the bodice. The sleeves’ edging--darker green fabric--constitutes the only decoration on the dress. It is overall a simple design, suitable for everyday wear.

The calf-length skirt attaches to the bodice as well. Calf-length is the shortest a "good" woman might wear her skirts, and a good, practical length for farm work. (However, in some places--particularly port towns--a certain type of woman might wear skirts knee-length, or even higher.) The medium-weight material and fullness of Nessa’s skirt allow her maximum mobility. She could even ride astride a horse in it!

Beneath the dress peeks out a long-sleeved tan shift, or chemise, edged with matching fabric ruffles at the neck. Shifts are considered undergarments and are washed more often than overdresses. No woman’s ensemble would be complete without one. This shift is fairly close-fitting, with dark-trimmed cuffs. With Nessa’s ice-white skin, a bleached white shift would be rather unbecoming.

Not pictured are Nessa's brown ankle boots, which lace up the front. Like most villagers, Nessa only has one pair of shoes, and they were created with an eye to utility, not beauty. Wealthier women may have slippers for wearing to special occasions. In a small village like Nessa’s, however, such a thing would be considered ostentatious.

For practicality, Nessa ties back her silver-blue, waist-length hair in a thick braid while she travels.

What kind of government does Kinyn have?

In some ways, Kinyn is like the Amercian Old West, in that there’s not much in the way of formalized central government.  Officially, the Elf Queen Leina currently rules over the world; however, she rarely becomes involved in the affairs of mortals, or even those of fallen Elves. Most towns are governed informally by town elders.

Since the fall of the races, human clans have risen over much of the land. Bandits now terrorize many of the southwestern forests. Pirates rule the seas. Lately, men who call themselves governors have established their authority over certain territories. Instead of following the Savior, these men think only of their own gain. In The Healer and the Pirate Nessa meets someone whose life is about to be altered due to a governor’s selfishness...  But I don’t want to spoil you too much on that.

What kind of magic exists in Kinyn?

There are many kinds of magic and supernatural forces in Kinyn. Elves and a few other creatures can perform spells calling on their innate strength. Some followers of the Savior consider these types of spells wicked, but others believe they are only forbidden for humans. These spells are entirely reliant on the strength, focus, and talent of the caster.

Some creatures, such as Asri, Eaml, and some fairies, have innate abilities which many would consider magic. These powers can be honed, just as a person can learn to cook or farm. These abilities generally work consistently, but overuse can leave the user tired or even temporarily incapacitated.

A third kind of magic is called “dust magic,” which uses magical herbs, powders, and the like. Pixie dust is one example of dust magic, and there are even tales of dust that can heal. Elves sometimes use dust and spells to create magical artifacts. These can be very dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. Artifacts aren't just broken pots. They're magical items of mayhem.

Finally, some would dub spells which call upon the gods a form of magic. Many people in Kinyn call on the gods, and some priests and priestesses are sometimes able to do impressive works in the names of these gods.

Non-believers might argue the Redeemed call upon their Savior for magic, but that’s not really true. Instead, those who follow the Savior petition Him for miracles. The Savior appears to pay no special heed to those in power, nor does He respond to recited spells and incantations. He hears every prayer, but He sometimes answers in unexpected ways. The Redeemed know His power is greater than any magic.

What races inhabit Kinyn? - Asri

Previously, we’ve talked about 3 of the 4 high races in Kinyn: Elves, Eaml and Sespin. Today we’re giving you a very small preview of the final race.

The Asri:

When he bowed his head and closed his eyes, the sun caught the silver highlights in his blue hair. Moments later the light glinting off Nicoli's head covered his body, distorting his figure. The light faded and a beautiful gray winged horse, much slimmer than the ones on the farm, stood where her grandfather had been. His silver mane shone in contrast with his black muzzle and dark, knowing eyes. He spread his glossy feathered wings wide and whinnied to her.

--from The Healer and the Pirate

The Asri (pronounced AZ-ree) served as the guardians of the air but were cast from the skies after the fall of the races. They have skin white as the clouds and hair the color of the sky, with pointed ears. Their frames are often slender and they share the pointed ears of the elves, though longer. All Asri have the ability to change into winged horses but are no longer light enough to live in the clouds. Most are born with other innate abilities as well, which can range from calling to the trees to forcing someone to tell the truth. Their natural lifespan is several times a human’s.

Not many have seen the Asri. Many years ago, the clan split in two; most of them have taken to the mountains and others left the main continent in a great Exodus. You can find out more about them in The Healer and the Pirate!

(Oh, and as an aside, “Asri” is reportedly Turkish for “far out” and “modern.” )