Books, Yarn, Ink and Other Pursuits

Aug 8, 2012

ARC Review: Ironskin by Tina Connolly

The Book:

It has been five years since the Great War ended, but its tragic victims remain. For those marked by fey curses, the only way to protect others from harm is by encasing the damage in iron. For Jane Eliot, that means wearing an iron mask and having to get by on the remnants of her skills. When she applies for a governess job that alludes to a fey-cursed child, Jane is sure that she can help. What she cannot seem to help is the growing feelings she has for her young charge's father, or her concern about what is happening inside his studio...

The Yarn:

Alternate reality fantasy is a fun read for me, as it can be a terrific look at history through a different lens. In Ironskin, a Great War between humans and fey has dealt damage to England; the country still struggles in its aftermath of lost technology, and war victims try to live their lives with the damage that the fey bombs inflicted.  Jane Eliot has dealt with the fey curse that mars her cheek by doning an iron mask, protecting others from its twisted power. Taking a job as governess to one that is also afflicted, Jane works to help both young Dorie control her powers, as she has worked to control the rage that can course through her -- and others -- without her iron shield. Dorie also works to stifle the feelings she has for Dorie's father, Edward Rochart. It isn't difficult at first, as both Jane's shame at her scars, and concern about Rochart's work, make it difficult to trust him. Rochart's studio is closed to most, but as ugly women walk in, beautiful women walk out. Women as beautiful as fey. Questions abound, not just about Dorie's power or Rochart's studio, but in the truth of how far Jane will go to find true love - and true beauty - again.

Ironskin has been touted as a "Jane Eyre retelling", and I will have to presume that comparison as favorable as I have never actually read Jane Eyre myself - bad librarian!  Even without that, I felt drawn into this Victorian fantasy where fey and human used to work together and where technology existed before the Great War and humans must rely (once again) on coal and steam to power things. Jane's character developed through the entire book, and while sometimes she was frustrating (as heroines in love are wont to be) there was a thread of strength and caring, not only in her relationship with Dorie, but with her sister Helen as well. I will say that the story took turns I was not expecting, and I am intrigued to discover what will happen in the next book.

The Ink:

Title: Ironskin
Author: Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor
Date: October 2, 2012
Read: Print Advance Reading Copy Provided by the Publisher
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Aug 1, 2012

Review: Black Blade Blues by J. A. Pitts

The Book:

Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith, but since that kind of work doesn't really make ends meet, she also works nights as a props manager for her friend's low-budget fantasy film. When the lead breaks her favorite sword on set, Sarah agrees to reforge it so the shoot won't stretch on longer. One of the dwarf extras offers his help, but it seems he has a lot of incredible news for her, like the fact he is an actual dwarf. And her blade is magic. And she is supposed to kill a dragon. Before Sarah can say shape-shifter, things really start to get weird, and fantasy becomes fact as Sarah must go from behind the scenes to playing a very real role of heroine charged with saving the world.

The Yarn:

I was impressed with Black Blade Blues on a couple different levels. Pitts brings Norse elements into the storyline very cohesively. Sarah is a very fleshed-out character from the beginning, strong and sure in her work, but a bit hot-headed and struggling with her feelings. Being told that the fate of the world is in your hands would be difficult for anyone to handle. As a young woman who is a SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) member and who creates weapons for sale at fairs and cons, it would seem logical for Sarah to be a believer off the bat. But she doesn't buy in -- and that resistance mirrors the other thread of her story that goes through the book.

Sarah is a not-out-of-the-closet lesbian in a relationship with Katie, who is quite comfortable with her orientation. Sarah's outward life -- her work, her relationship -- is diametrically opposed to the her childhood belief system. Obviously this creates tension and clashes between Katie and Sarah. So, not only do we get to see Sarah work to believe in her role in the world's salvation, to believe that dwarves and dragons exist, but we also see her struggle with caring for another woman and the feelings she has to process to believe in her relationship with Katie.

Ultimately this is a story about being the heroine who is charged with "slaying the dragon." Sarah has more than just the live one threatening her world to deal with, however, she also has the one created from her fears. Pitts does a good job balancing this urban fantasy with Sarah's struggle to find her sexual identity, and neither storyline overshadows the other's importance. The book is the first of a series, and I have the sequel, Honeyed Words, sitting on my TBR Pile. Probably not for long.

The Ink:

Title: Black Blade Blues
Author: J. A. Pitts
Publisher: Tor
Date: April 2011
Read: Library Mass Market Paperback

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