REVIEW: A Journey of the Heart by Catherine M. Wilson

A Journey of theHeart by Catherine M. Wilson
Publishing information:eBook (Kindle Edition)
Publisher: ShieldMaiden Press, 1^stOctober 2008
ISBN 10: 0981563627 (Paperback)
ISBN13: 978-0981563626 (Paperback)

ASIN:B001MBUDNA
Series: WhenWomen Were Warriors
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer:Kathryn

Blurb:“In Book II of thetrilogy, Tamras’s apprenticeship as a warrior isn’t turning outquite the way she expected. Her unconventional choices lead to hercrossing swords, almost literally, with Vintel, the war leader ofMerin’s house. She finds herself embroiled in a power struggle sheis doomed to lose, but the loss sends her on a journey that willchange her destiny and decide the fate of her people.”

AJourney of the Heart follows on directly from the end of TheWarrior's Path, and things begin to change for Tamras. Her friendshipwith Maara continues to develop, and we learn more about thewarrior's mysterious past. The plot itself develops much more in thisvolume too, as the antagonist becomes clear and more prominent, andwhilst it still retains the biographical form of the first novel, anend goal becomes visible in this one, giving the story a little morefocus and pushing it in a new direction, but also raising questionsas to how Tamras will get to that point and claim her birthright.

Oneof the major themes in this volume is motherhood and its manydifferent forms and interpretation, but largely the focus is more onadoption and the loss of a parent or child. We're treated to views onhow blood relations aren't the only requisite for being a parent andchild, but also an exploration of how the absence of a mother or theloss of offspring can affect a person. These discussions are justsome of those that happen, with others revolving around love,symbolism, spirituality and even the use of a sword, and aside fromoffering interesting views, they also cement the relationshipsbetween characters. When Maara talks to Tamras about the use of asword, as an example, it adds to the teacher/student dynamic betweenboth characters, yet when the topic of motherhood comes up theinteractions change. It's subtle, but it works very well.

Ido have a criticism or two for this book, however. Some of thediscussions between certain characters sometimes feel as if they goon for a little too long and I found myself beginning to skim readsome parts, meaning I had to go back and re-read parts to find thesingle word that I missed which returned the context to the followingparagraphs, but this may also have been because I jumped into thisalmost as soon as I'd finished the first book. Another small problemI had was that the erotic scenes, whilst vivid and sensual, seemed toread a little similar. There are three or so times where Tamras isintimate with two different characters (not at the same time, I mustadd), and the names could be swapped with – mostly – littlechange.

Myreview for this book is shorter, and that's because it's been harderto write. A Journey of the Heart is more of the same, and whilst itfinds more of a focus and the pacing increases, it's really nothingmore than that. The characters are largely the same, although theydevelop through the pages, and a lot of the action continues to takeplace in some familiar areas. I don't think it takes away from thebook, but nor does it seem to add to it. If anything, it adds to thefeeling that this is one long novel split into three parts (somethingconfirmed, perhaps, by the chapter numbers following on from theprevious volume).

Therecommendations from my previous review still stand – this will begreat for anyone into fantasy with a historical basis or an emphasison relationships. I must warn readers that it is a direct follow onfrom the first book, and as such this volume is not a jumping-inpoint.

Plot:9/10
Characters: 8/10
Style: 8/10

Overall:9/10