Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: ROC; 1 edition (11 Jun 2009)
ISBN-10: 045146270X
ISBN-13: 978-0451462701
Copy: Bought in bookshop
Reviewer: Cara
From the back of the book:
For the Darkborn, sunlight kills. For the Lightborn, darkness is fatal. Living under a centuries-old curse, the Darkborn and Lightborn share the city of Minhorne, coexisting in an uneasy equilibrium but never interacting.
When Balthasar Hearne, Darkborn physician, finds a pregnant fugitive on his doorstep just before sunrise, he has no choice but to take her in. Tercelle Amberley's betrothed is a powerful Darkborn nobleman, but her illicit lover came to her through the daytime. When she gives birth to twin boys, Balthasar realises that they can see - something unheard of among the Darkborn.
Two days after the birth, men arrive in search of the children. Balthasar is saved only by the intervention of his Lightborn neighbour - and healed by the hands of his wife, Telmaine. Soon Balthasar finds himself drawn deeper into a web of political intrigue and magical attacks as an ancient enemy of both Darkborn and Lightborn appears in a new guise, while Telmaine must confront a power she can no longer keep sheathed in gloves - a power she neither wants nor can control.
Darkborn is the first in a trilogy and also the first fantasy novel by Alison Sinclair who has previously written four science fiction books. The background is that the people in this world were cursed by a mage, Imogene, some 800 years before and divided into two distinct and separate societies, Darkborn and Lightborn. The Darkborn cannot go into sunlight and are blind; instead of sight they have another sense called 'sonn' which is similar to the kind of sonar used by bats. They revile all magic and possessors or magical abilities tend to live on the fringes of their society. The Lightborn, on the other hand, live in the sunlight and embrace magic. There is little interaction between the two societies and while they both live in the city of Minhorne it seems to be an uneasy co-existence.
Balthasar, a doctor, is catapulted into a world of conspiracy and intrigue after he finds the heavily pregnant Tercelle Amberley on his doorstep. She gives birth to twin boys who were fathered by a mysterious Lightborn figure. Afterwards, she returns to her life and powerful fiancée, leaving the twins to be hidden away by Balthasar’s sister. While this is happening, Balthasar’s wife, Telmaine, is spending time at court with her aristocratic family. She is hiding a secret, that she is the possessor of powerful magic which would cause her to be ostracised by society should this become known. Here she meets the enigmatic Ishmael di Studier, Baron Strumheller who has come from the border region where he watches for any incursion by the enemy, the Shadowborn, another, malevolent, product of the mage Imogene’s curse.
The first third of the book is taken up with descriptions of the main protagonists, who all share in the narration of Darkborn. The complex society, with it’s hierarchical structure and defined social roles is beautifully described. Although blind, the Darkborn have sonn to guide them, however, I found this ability took me some time to get used to. Once I had adjusted though, it became a fascinating way of perceiving the world. The events surrounding the birth of the twins, which lead to Balthasar being seriously assaulted and the kidnap of his daughter by two unknown men set the scene for Ishmael's involvement with the Hearne family. He helps Telmaine heal her husband using her magical abilities and investigates the kidnap of their daughter.
I found the middle third of Darkborn dragged somewhat. At one stage it seemed that a love triangle was being set up between the three main characters, which jarred with me. Ishmael and Telmaine had a strong connection from their first meeting, yet it was clear that she had a deep love for her husband, having gone against her family’s wishes to marry him. However, it became clear that it was their magical abilities that that drew them close rather than any romantic feelings. Balthasar, however, has a close, yet undefined relationship with his Lightborn neighbour, an intriguing woman, Floria White Hand, an assassin of the Lightborn royal court. She appears on the periphery of the central plot, however, as the next book in the trilogy is Lightborn, I think we will see more of Floria in the future.
Darkborn can be read as a standalone novel as the main strands of the plot are neatly tied up in the final third. There is an additional arc, however, that concerning the Shadowborn, enemies of both Dark and Light. This look set to continue in Lightborn and beyond to the concluding book in the trilogy, which is enough to make me interested in following the series through to the end. I enjoyed the style of writing, being descriptive without excessive detail. It was interesting to explore a society where sight is replaced by a sonar-type sense and so a lot of detail which I would normally expect – physical appearance, colours etc. are not relevant. I found Darkborn to be imaginative and clever, yet marred by a plodding middle third. This flaw, however, has not put me off wanting to read more.
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Style: 6
Overall 7
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar