strange and random happenstance

Back in the before times, 2019 to be exact, someone, and I wish I could remember who so I could profusely thank them, asked me if I had read Jacey Bedford's Rowankind series. I had not and promptly bought the first book, Winterwood. And then the weirdest thing happened, Jacey Bedford emailed me. This never happens. This weird synchronicity where you buy a book and then out of nowhere the author emails you. Well I had magic to thank for that, Regency Magic! Jacey had heard about Regency Magic from Heather Rose Jones, the author of the Alpennia series who had participated in Regency Magic previously in 2016 and again in 2018. Jacey's Rowankind series had just been completed in the fall of 2018 and was wondering if I was interested in reviewing the series for Regency Magic. Um, of course I was! And on August 25th DAW set me the trilogy. Why do I know that date so specifically? Because another weird occurrence happened, one might even say it was a strange and random happenstance. On August 30th Carnival Row dropped on Amazon. The wonderfully Noir Steampunk show starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne enthralled me, but the character of Sophie Longerbane played by the actress Caroline Ford keep triggering something in my mind. I knew her from somewhere and IMDb wasn't helping. And that's when I put two and two together and realized she was on the cover of Jacey's books as Ross Tremayne! A fact that Jacey confirmed with the photographer shortly thereafter. All this just goes to show that it was fate all along that I'd pick up this series and fall in love with this wonderfully off the wall series with pirates, I mean privateers, and magic and Fae and goblins and history and I swear, just pick it up and be swept away by Ross's adventures. Because as fate has decreed, and by fate I mean DAW, I happen to have an extra copy of Winterwood and will be giving it away on Instagram this month!

Question: When did you first discover Jane Austen?

Answer: I was very late to the party. We had to do Northanger Abbey at school and though I didn't hate it as much as I loathed Dickens, I don't think it was taught very well. It took me a while to get over the way literature was presented in school. I didn't read Pride and Prejudice until I was in my early thirties. And then, of course, there were various movie or TV adaptations. It might have been the BBC version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehrle that reminded me to read it again. It seems to be shown pretty regularly, I did like the 2005 Matthew Macfayden film. There were some superb moments. The country dances were authentically sweaty and the Bennett farmyard suitably muddy. I loved the scene where Mum and the girls are lounging about and somebody sees Darcy approaching. The panicked flurry to tidy up both themselves and the room is manic and then by the time Darcy walks through the door they are all sitting primly as cool as cucumbers. Lovely.

Question: What do you think Jane Austen would think of her impact with so many literary offshoots, from parody to pastiche?

Answer: I think she'd be quietly amused by most of it, though probably a bit perplexed about the zombies.

Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Answer: The story ideas and the characters come from my own head, but the worldbuilding accretes as I dig deeper and deeper into the history of the period. I can't say that my inspiration comes from any one source. I have a mish-mash of images floating around in my brain that eventually gel into something tangible. When I'm researching, I tend to dip in and out of history books, and I spend a lot of time on Pinterest, collecting pictures of everything from costume and ships to pots and pans and to architecture. It all comes together gradually. The characters and the situation tend to come first and the worldbuilding second. But then the worldbuilding affects the story, too, so it's all interdependent. Even while I'm writing, I'm still researching to add authentic detail. You can't be sloppy on the history just because the story contains magic. It took me ages to research who commissioned the red coats for the British Army, and then to find out where they were made (and by whom). Goblin tailors in my book, but I needed to do the research to achieve verisimilitude, and write about a little Goblin sweatshop in London's East End.

Question: What makes the early 19th century mesh so well with magic?

Answer: It's a really interesting period: the Napoleonic Wars, George III's madness, the Industrial Revolution, bread riots, the age of sail, the echoes of the French Revolution which really put the wind up our politicians. They are frightened of the common people rising up, especially any of them imbued with magic. It's easy to slide magic into such turbulent times. For instance, in my Georgian trilogy (Winterwood, Silverwolf, and Rowankind) we eventually meet George III in the last book, and discover that his madness has a magical origin. Since no one really knows the actual cause (I believe Porphyria has been discounted, now) it's quite easy to offer a logical magical explanation.

Question: The world building and system of magic varies greatly in the regency fantasy genre, how did you go about creating yours?

Answer: I wish I could tell you that I had it all worked out in advance, but I didn't. It grew organically because my heroine, Ross Tremayne, a cross dressing privateer captain, ended up on the high seas, almost by accident, when she eloped with Will Tremayne in one of her father's ships, a lovely tops'l schooner. Will died in an accident so as the book opens Ross has been widowed for four years and she's captaining the ship in Will's stead, supported by a crew of barely reformed pirates. They have letters of marque from the Crown to hunt down and capture (or sink) vessels supplying the French. Ross has weather magic, but her natural element is the land rather than the ocean, and so she's pulled in two directions. Her land-magic develops when Ross first encounters the Green Man and the Lady of the Forests, and realises that her newly discovered younger brother, originally believed to be half-Rowankind, is really half-Fae. This lets me bring in elements of British folklore and magic: wolf shapechangers (don't call them werewolves, they hate that!), kelpies, hobs etc. Land magic. Though my books are set in 1800 - 1802 (the long regency) I don't do balls, and my characters are a million miles away from the ton. They are mostly dealing with problems while keeping clear of the law.

I use settings suggested by my historical research. I have Ross, Corwen and some of the crew being chased through a deserted off-season Vauxhall Gardens by a pack of Hellhounds conjured by the villain, Walsingham. I've used a lot of authentic detail for that (with the help of detailed contemporary maps) and then when they escape to their row-boat on the Thames, they have to run the currents under London Bridge - which was like going over a waterfall with a six-foot drop, as the 'starlings' protecting the bridge piers, narrowed the river channel. I really enjoyed writing that scene.

Question: If you had to choose between writing only period literature or only fantasy literature, which would win?

Answer: I'm not sure I could separate the two. It's true that Regency Romance is my guilty pleasure (I love a Bridgerton-type book) but I don't think I could write something that was just historical. I would end up bringing fantasy and/or adventure into it somewhere. And ditto, if I set out to write a fantasy, it would have elements of history in it, whether it was Georgian or generically medievaloid. I'm currently writing a YA fantasy book that takes place in the modern world and in the lands of Faerie. There are historical aspects to it. My most recent published book, The Amber Crown is set in an analogue of the Baltic States in the 1600s.

Question: Be honest, have you ever dressed up in Regency clothes just to pretend for a moment you are in the past?

Answer: No. I can pretend without the clothes There were some try-on costumes in the Jane Austen Museum in Bath when I went there for research, but they were so obviously easy-on reproductions that I hadn't the heart. I was hoping to have a go at getting into a genuine period dress with its ties and pins (not a real historical one, but one made to the same pattern at least) however these were elasticated so a bit disappointing. I take my hat off to the people who do proper costuming, using real historical patterns and ensuring all the detail is authentic. I can sew, but I don't have much time for it these days.

Biography:
Jacey Bedford is a British writer of science fiction and historical fantasy. She is published by DAW. Her Psi-Tech and Rowankind trilogies are out now. Her latest book, The Amber Crown, came out in January 2022. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic, and have been translated into Estonian, Galician, Catalan and Polish. In another life she was a singer with vocal trio, Artisan, and once sang live on BBC Radio4 accompanied by the Doctor (Who?) playing spoons.

Jacey's Social Media:
Website
Blog
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Twitter
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Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alpennia, Carnival Row, Caroline Ford, Georgian, Heather Rose Jones, Jacey Bedford, Pinterest, Pirates, Pride and Prejudice, Regency Magic, Ross Tremayne, Rowankind, Sophie Longerbane, The Amber Crown, Winterwood

Mother of Souls (Alpennia Book 3) by Heather Rose Jones
Published by: Bella Books
Publication Date: November 29th, 2016
Format: Kindle, 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Luzie Valorin grew up in a family of musicians. When she married she thought she had put that life behind her but the untimely death of her husband forced Luzie to make some difficult choices. She could have run off to the bosom of her family in the countryside but instead she turned her home into a boarding house for theatrical souls. Though opening her house to strangers didn't make ends meet as she had hoped and she supplements her income by teaching piano lessons and doing copy work for her father's old friend, the great classical composer Fizeir. All this just to honor the memory of her dead husband and send their two boys to his old school. The only joy in her life is in composing. She writes little musical pieces to help her students. Whether it's for more confidence or to showcase their current abilities, it brings her joy. She even got up the courage to show Fizeir her work, but he broke her a little when he said he didn't think much of it. But he is willfully "blind" to Luzie's talents as she will painfully learn. She doesn't have just talent, she has the ability to create magic from her compositions. And to think, Luzie would have never known if Serafina hadn't come into her life. If a room in her house hadn't become available and Serafina wasn't in need of a roof over her head. Serafina changed everything.

Serafina Talarico is the daughter of Ethiopian exiles who settled in Rome. Her life was happy until the death of her mother. So many things changed, but what forced her into the arms of Paolo was her interfering sister-in-law who wasn't just domineering, but didn't want any Ethiopian taint in her life. Paolo seemed the perfect choice of husband, he was going to teach Serafina about the mysteries she could see but couldn't perform. Soon his displeasure with his wife's inabilities leads him to spend much time abroad while Serafina takes comfort in the arms of his cousin. Though everything changes for Serafina when she stumbles on the notes of Margerit Sovitre and sees a kindred soul. Throwing caution to the wind she journeys to Alpennia and joins Margerit's inner circle hoping to achieve a mystery that will capture the happiness she experienced in her mother's presence as a child. But she knows Margerit's hospitality can only last so long with Serafina's continued frustration at being unable to perform the simplest of miracles. Therefore she takes a room at Luzie Valorin's boarding house and is shocked to find that the composer is unaware the she is creating magic with her compositions. Serafina encourages Luzie's composing and leaps at the opportunity to help shape an opera whose magic might effect more then these two lonely hearts who've found each other.

Mother of Souls is the first book in Heather Rose Jones's Alpennian series that I feel achieved it's full potential. With each book building off the previous volume everything started to click into place over time and here with the larger cast of characters there was a better balance than just the two previous couples featured. The narrative no longer felt constricted by only four viewpoints and there was a wonderful blending of talents and interests, from music to printing, mysteries to sorcery, religion to godlessness, Alpennia to the rest of the world, here we have a Bloomsbury set for Alpennia. We have artists and free thinkers, a family, a tribe is being created. All these women who felt like they fit into society like a square peg in a round hole come together in salons and aren't crushed under foot by the patriarchy. Seeing as this series is Ruritanian lesbian romance a lot of inference can be made about educated women and their sapphic ways and at times it strains credulity and feels a little stereotypical especially given the previous two installments, but to these niggling criticisms I say that one, it's romance, and two there's Luzie. I should say Luzie and Serafina because I really like how their relationship forms and eventually ends. They are a different kind of heroine. Both have been married, both have been thrust into a new world that they aren't sure will accept them, but both have amazing resilience, and both end up in a place you wouldn't expect them to. That I think was the best part of Mother of Souls, the unexpected.

Yet among all these characters there is a strong theme of female empowerment running rife. This book is a rallying cry, as is the opera Luzie writes about the female philosopher Tanfrit who is only remembered through her connection to the male philosopher Gaudericus! Women have been told to be quiet for far too long! Men are always keeping us down and taking credit for what we do and when that can't work just erasing us from history. I literally can not think of a woman who won't identify with Luzie's relationship with the composer Fizeir. Here is a man that needs her and his need leads him to purposefully insult her work which he obviously thinks is worthy because he passes it off as his own all while she hero worships him. Who hasn't been taken advantage of by a man in power in one way or another? To be told you are "less than" just so that they can keep you in line and keep themselves on the top of the heap. At times I was just filled with rage for Luzie and her situation. She has real talent and has been kept down by the male status quo. While things are still far from equal I really don't know what I would have done if I had been raised in a time when women and their education were frowned upon. To not be allowed to read and learn? I shudder at the thought. Which is why Margerit's founding of the female academy named after Tanfrit is such a wonderful counterpoint to Luzie's journey. Here is a place where women and education is prized and that makes me immensely happy.

What also makes me immensely happy is the expanding of what is considered "magic" in the Alpennian world. The first book Daughter of Mystery dealt with thaumaturgy and The Mystic Marriage dealt with alchemy. These are both "sciences" that were practiced in medieval times. Yet the thaumaturgy we see here is very specifically on the religious mysteries end of the spectrum and the need for devotion to God. Which is why the introduction of alchemy in the second book was cunning in that it can be learned by non-believers and was paving the way to a new magical system. We were slowly moving away from God and looking for a "word other than miracles." In fact it's very clear with all that is happening that "[t]here was more magic in the world than could be encompassed in Margerit's theology." I nearly cried for joy that Margerit was dinged a little. I am such a strong non-believer that I rebelled at a world where only the prayers of certain people were answered and this was what "magic" was. I am not joking that I DID cheer when Margerit's partner Barbara said "[s]ometimes I think we need a different word than 'miracle.'" Sing it sister! Non-religious magic is here to stay! And how is it here to stay? In Luzi'e music. Yes, you could argue that originally music was a strong part of religious devotion, but I'm not going there because I finally have magic unencumbered by the church! Music, to me, has always been magical. Theater even more so. Therefore combining the two is a rare form of magic. Just look how much Hamilton changed our world and it's easy to see that in this world, as in ours, music and performance can change anything.

Though I wouldn't be me if I didn't have something that annoyed me to no end. So Antuniet Chazillen, one of our two heroines from The Mystic Marriage is now a royally appointed alchemist and one of our Alpennian Bloomsbury set. She actually has REAL power. Power that I feel could be used dubiously, but that's an issue I had with the previous volume, not this one. Antuniet also is obsessed with her family's legacy and therefore despite having the Vicomtesse de Cherdillac as her life partner she is determined to have a child. She plans to go about this in the regular fashion, think of it as a 1800s sperm bank because she's so not the type to marry some man just to have a child, leaving Jeanne in the process. But she's so obsessed with her reputation, and here I scratch my head because come on, she lives with a woman and is doing magic, that she decides to fool everyone as to how she became with child. She decides to claim that she created a homunculus because it's the second great act of alchemy and she is THAT GOOD! Excuse me!?! WTF!?! This is so counter intuitive. Antuinet is actually an alchemist and she is resorting to the tricks of charlatans? My mind boggles. I have a real problem with people who have abilities, doesn't matter what kind, artistic, whatever, who resort to "alternative methods" to achieve what they want. Because it isn't fair! It's like plagiarism, you are getting credit for something you didn't do. Nope, nope, nope. Plus, just as an aside, wouldn't people see the baby and be like, nope, not what a homunculus is supposed to look like? No? Just me. As always. But then again... "When a mystery works with nature and not against it, it's hard to distinguish truth from fraud."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alchemy, Alpennia, Bloomsbury, Composer, Daughter of Mystery, Hamilton, Heather Rose Jones, Homunculus, Lesbian, Magic, Mother of Souls, Music, Opera, Regency Magic, Reglion, Ruritanian Romance, The Mystic Marriage

Ever since I first did Regency Magic three years ago I have been determined to keep it going as long as I could. The problem is that, in my mind, not enough people are writing in this very niche genre, so authors, get on that won't you? Therefore I had to take a hiatus last year... a dark time in which I was hunting, searching, begging people for suggestions. I actually was harassing people on twitter for some recommendations, that's how low I sank. I even did an article for RogueCart talking about my love of this genre hoping against hope that someone would give me some more suggestions. Some leads panned out, some didn't, I was even keeping my fingers crossed that authors previously featured would release the next book in their series, but in the end fate intervened. I'm sure almost everyone knows about V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series, the bestsellers lists don't lie. I though was not one of those people. So how DID I finally learn about this series? In my book club instead of spending the majority of our meetings arguing about what the next book should be, and yes, this is something my mom's book club did the few times I went and it drove me crazy, we are more enlightened, we leave it up to fate. Every member writes down on a piece of paper the book they want to read and we throw it in a hat and a book is randomly drawn. Last spring while I was hoping my choice of Sense and Sensibility would be picked instead we got the rogue element of fate doubled in that what was pulled out of the hat was "Current Bestseller" on which list I can't remember, but it was the final book in V.E. Schwab's series, A Conjuring of Light.

Seeing as whose choice this was isn't a masochist, he let us do the first not the last in the series, and thus I started to read A Darker Shade of Magic. I rarely read blurbs for books I'm reading for book club, because I just know I'll read them. But about five minutes into A Darker Shade of Magic I was posting on our Facebook page that I was beyond excited because little did we know that we had picked a book that was Regency Magic! And in that moment I had hope, as well as a lot of joyful shouts and maniacal laughter that my friends would be introduced to this genre. But my hopefulness was not just of bringing back Regency Magic to my blog but that maybe, just maybe, I'd find more books. As it turned out I did! I found tons of new books, though the two month extravaganza will wait for next year, this year it's just for April and it's just three authors, one of which, Heather Rose Jones, has been featured before because she added another book to her series as I had hoped for, see above! As for my new authors, obviously there's V.E. Schwab, but also the lovely Kelly Jones whose book Murder, Magic, and What We Wore debuted last fall and is a delightful addition to this genre. I hope you are as excited as I am to dive back into Regency Magic. I can't wait for all the delicious reading I have ahead as I continue to read the books for this month and start on the books for next year!  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Conjuring of Light, A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, Alpennia, Heather Rose Jones, Kelly Jones, Mother of Souls, Murder Magic and What We Wore, Regency Magic, Shades of Magic, V.E. Schwab

The Mystic Marriage (Alpennia Book 2) by Heather Rose Jones
Published by: Bella Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2015
Format: Paperback, 264 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Antuniet Chazillen has been living in self-imposed exile from Alpennia. She longs to go back to Rotenek but that isn't an option. Even if she were to return no one would take her in. Ever since her brother was executed for treason and her mother committed suicide anyone bearing the name Chazillen has been ostracized. The driving force in her life now is to show the world that not everyone bearing the name Chazillen is worthless. To this end she has devised a plan with a rare alchemical text she found in Prague. If she can master the book's recipes to create precious gems of power she could present them to Alpennia's ruler, Princess Annek, and prove she can be of use to the crown and regain her standing. But wanting and doing are two very different things. Not only is her work hindered by a lack of funds, but she is being chased across Europe by someone who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the text she found. After she is discovered in Heidelberg she realizes that she must return to Alpennia earlier than she had planned in order to live long enough to restore the tattered shreds of her honor.

Jeanne, the Vicomtesse de Cherdillac, is a social butterfly. Flitting from party to party and lover to lover. Yet lately the petulance of these young women who rotate through her bedroom isn't as entertaining as it once was. And then one night Antuniet appears at her door. They knew each other peripherally years ago before Antuniet's hasty departure. It intrigues Jeanne that of all the people Antuniet knew in Rotenek she chose her. But Antuinet's only other option was her cousin and Jeanne's former lover Barbara, and somehow going to Barbara would have been too much for her pride to bear, and Antuinet has always been proud. In fact all the bedraggled Antuniet asks of Jeanne is help in securing a patron so she can continue her alchemical work. Jeanne tries her best but finding money for a dubious trade for a disgraced outcast tries even her formidable skills. But Jeanne won't abandon Antuniet, she will stick by her as she mends her flirtatious ways and develops a tendre for the alchemist. Though returning to Rotenek didn't dissuade Antuniet's malevolent shadow. Soon enough the protective Barbara and her lover Margerit, the crown's thaumaturge, come to Antuniet's aid as well. But Antuinet and her heart are vulnerable. Will she be able to repair her reputation and find love, or is it all too late?

Sometimes book series don't start out as series. The author writes a tale and for some reason or other the characters won't leave after the denouement. Whether it's their inability to leave the author's subconscious as they keep chatting away or rabid fans salivating for more, sometimes a stand-alone morphs into a series. It feels like this is what happened here. The first book set in Alpennia by Heather Rose Jones, Daughter of Mystery, focused on Anuniet's cousin Barbara and her lover Margerit. They had their story and got their happily ever after. There was an ending and it felt final. Yet here they are again getting into new adventures and new scrapes. You're probably wondering why I'm pointing this out. I should be happy at their return not dwelling on the whys. But I'm dwelling. I find this book's setup problematic. The thing is, if you are going to write a series in such a way that each volume has the secondary characters stepping forward into the limelight, the previous volume's characters need to know enough to take a step back. They aren't the focus anymore. Only someone forgot to give Barbara and Margerit this message. It makes sense that they would appear, Barbara and Margerit's actions in the previous volume having had such an effect on our two new heroines. But did they have to take up at least half of the narrative? I felt that this gave short shrift to Antuniet and Jeanne. It was THEIR time to shine, and they felt secondary.

I think this problem comes down to the fact that this book is stuck in the middle, and sorry, not sorry, for getting that song in your head. And by middle I'm referring to it's length. It could easily go either way. To go shorter, really pare down and omit Barbara and Margerit almost completely. This would give you a shorter, sweeter story. Yet I am not included in this direction. The Mystic Marriage has such court politics and machinations it's like a Ruritanian Game of Thrones. So make it like Game of Thrones! Make it a thousand plus pages! Don't just have four characters POVs have more. Have Anna, the little alchemical assistant have her say! Have Barbara's little country cousin have a chapter or two. Make this book the doorstop book to end all doorstop books. Make it the epic it wants to be! I just feel like there's so much I'm missing in this world, the details of a dress, the architecture of an alchemist's laboratory. So much is hinted at but then never developed further. I talked about this with Daughter of Mystery and how the writing felt elliptical. Here I was happy to see more time spent on the smaller details, such as the refining of the precious gems, but seriously, I craved even more. It's rare for me to say make a book longer, and editors today seem to only want books short and sweet, but The Mystic Marriage needs to expand to reach it's full potential. It needs to be fired a little longer.

What really helped me to connect to The Mystic Marriage more so than the previous volume was I felt the arcane elements were easier to understand. Thaumaturgy and the working of miracles still feels a little beyond my keen. I don't quite fully understand the process and I felt that the mysteries were left lacking definition and therefore left me a little cold. Fluctus this and fluctus that... it would help to understand a little better what fluctus even was in my humble opinion. But alchemy. I'm on far stronger ground here. Whereas we can question if miracles and magic ever really did happen, alchemy DID. I'm not saying it worked, but I'm saying that it was studied and was an accepted "science" of the time. Even if your only exposure to alchemy is the Philosopher's Stone in Harry Potter or the more detailed chemical marriages in Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy, you have a grounding in it so that you are more easily able to understand what Antuniet is up to than what Margerit was. What I found particularly interesting from my point of view was the crossover of the alchemical practices and how it relates to things such as metalwork. I haven't done metalwork in many years but crucibles, flux, fire, all that I used is here used in similar yet different ways and I found that fascinating.

But it wasn't just the alchemical work itself that intrigued me, but the outcome. Antuniet was making stones, well gems really, that would have influence over people. So my first thought was, if this is the actual case with alchemy people have every right to fear it! Before I'd only ever heard of the Philosopher's Stone, which was used to increase your life, and turning lead into gold. But the work that Antuniet does is basically used to control people. Say what!?! Alchemy is basically rohypnol! Antuniet even worries that one of her stones set in a ring is responsible for Jeanne's feelings towards her. If Antuniet is worried about this how can she, in good conscience, give this power to the crown so that they can basically control their ministers? I can see the benefit for helping people with health issues, but to actually CONTROL THEM!?! I really have issues with this concept. It's taking away free will. It's like in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season six episode "Dead Things" when The Trio use a Cerebral Dampener to make any woman their willing sex slave. It's not just wrong it's a violation of basic human rights. While you could say at least Annek's counsel "knows" the rings do something, I don't think she told them the whole truth... This just brings up a LOT of the more negative connotations of what "magic" can do. Is it even right that Antuniet made these influencing gems?

Which brings me around to the whole alchemy not really be respectable. Well, if you're controlling everyone's free will I'm not surprised alchemy has a dubious reputation! Of course it's hinted at that most alchemists are charlatans, but still, if Antuniet's morals were a little more lax, dear god! What I'm getting at is that question I wondered in the previous volume as to the acceptability of magic and witch hunts. I really like that Heather Rose Jones came back to this because I felt this was something that needed addressing. So yes, witch hunts do happen! Evil magicians are run out of town. The only reason "mysteries" and thaumaturgy are acceptable is because they have the cloak of religion giving it respectability. Which has an interesting counterpoint in the relationships of Antuniet and Jeanne, and Margerit and Barbara. Margerit and Barbara are accepted as a couple because of their eccentricity and status, whereas Antuniet and Jeanne raise eyebrows because Antuniet used to be respectable and one of the society that is now looking at them askance. Just like the veneer of religion covers a multitude of sins, so does the right combination of eccentricity coupled with title and wealth. The lower down the social ladder, the less acceptable it is to be an "other." You could in fact say that Jeanne and Antuniet face their own witch hunt with the lesbian backlash. The marriage of the mystical and mundane controversies just goes to show all the levels this book is working on. But don't worry, luckily love conquers all as long as you are willing to fight the good fight. Love wins.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Alchemist, Alchemy, Alpennia, Daughter of Mystery, Harry Potter, Heather Rose Jones, Lesbian, Mysteries, Philosopher's Stone, Regency Magic, Rotenek, Ruritanian Romance, Thaumaturgy, The Mystic Marriage, Treason

Daughter of Mystery (Alpennia Book 1) by Heather Rose Jones
Published by: Bella Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 264 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Margerit Sovitre is in her first season. Though she'd rather be spending her time on scholarly pursuits in Rotenek than dancing in the summer playground of the rich in Chalanz. But she's never even been to Rotenek. Never walked the fabled streets of the University there. She's spent her life in Chalanz with her Uncle's family, always feeling out of place except for those rare moments talking to her cousin Nikule about the University and forming unrealistic dreams. But all that might be about to change. Her enigmatic godfather has arrived in Chalanz early. There are rumors about a duel that made it desirable that he leave Rotenek early; but more pressingly it is obvious he is dying. Margerit knows that she has a small inheritance coming her way that might get her out from under her Uncle's power, but during his last days on earth she forges a connection to Baron Saveze and he leaves her everything that he can; which is quite a lot. No one knows why he did this. Was it a whim to anger his nephew Estefen who inherited the title and has spent his life borrowing on his expectations? Was it to give Margerit the life she always wanted? Whatever the reason it upends the lives all those connected to the Baron, in particular Barbara.

Barbara is also an enigma, even to herself. But then again the Baron loves his games of secrets and shadows. She was raised by the Baron to be an Armin, a bodyguard with special skills and rights. Though female Armins are rare the Baron got away with this breach in tradition by his eccentric lifestyle. But they had an arrangement, when he died Barbara would learn her name and gain her freedom. Instead he has given her to Margerit and insisted that she remain with his goddaughter until they are both of age. What at first seems like an unholy punishment soon becomes a new way of life as Barbara becomes close to the scholarly Margerit. Margerit's fortune means that she will be able to have the life she dreamt of, with Barbara's help. While maintaining the appearance of a respectable heiress for her family's sake she can studying to her heart's desire. Though the money is a temptation to desperate men, and there is none more desperate than Estefen. Moving her household to Rotenek, Margerit starts studying the mysteries all while playing the game of disaffected debutante. Though as time goes by her scholarly side keeps asserting itself. Will her studies put her in even greater danger? It's lucky she has Barbara to protect her, even from herself.

Ruritanian Romances are tricky. They have to strike just the right balance of realism and suspension of disbelief. Couple this with worldbuilding that has an alternate history that is not clearly defined and you're stuck with a book that you're struggling to connect to. The main problem I had was this disconnect between Alpennia and the rest of Europe. With the religious practices and the magic that takes the forms of mysteries appealing to the saints Alpennia has a very distinct and unique culture. Yet there are constant references to mysteries written elsewhere, like Lyon in France. So how exactly is the world outside Alpennia different from the world of our history books? Alpennia being at one and the same time a part of our world yet outside of it how are we to grasp onto what has actually changed in our world for the alternate history angle? There seems to be a distinct lack of creating a framework for the worldbuilding in which we'd be given the information when we need it most. While this could be done to have us form a bond with the characters first and the world second, you can't understand what the characters are going through unless you know the world they live in.

I almost feel like Daughter of Mystery was at a disadvantage by being a Ruritanian Romance. I have too many questions that are left unanswered, whereas if Alpennia had been in an entirely alternate world that mirrored our own, then I would certainly have less questions. But it's not just the Ruritanian aspect I have problems with. Heather Rose Jones has an odd way of writing that adversely affects the worldbuilding. Her writing is very elliptical and what she is omitting isn't for clarity's sake! It's like she just didn't want to write about something and decides to skip it. And what she skips seems like some rather important stuff. For example we spend all this build-up to Margerit's ball she's throwing in Chalanz only to not see a single moment of the ball. And this example is just a throw-away example, it's not necessary to the world like many of the omissions are. When she arrives in Rotenek I felt at sea. As for the academics? I kind of just let it flow over me and took in what I could. Because to balance her sparsity she occasionally goes for the massive info dump. This is almost worse than nothing, because then you know there's all this stuff you should remember but it was presented in such a way that you have no chance in hell of remembering a tenth of it.

For all the worldbuilding issues I did come to like the world, despite it's imperfections. The truth is, if you're looking for the "Regency" of it all, you're not really going to find it here. Instead, in true Ruritanian style, we have intrigue and high romance and royalty worthy of the House of Medici or The Musketeers. There is this old fashioned feel to it that harks back to the Renaissance, when learning was a vocation, and I really found this fascinating, in the same way a Patrick Rothfuss book is. The truth is Daughter of Mystery doesn't really coalesce as a book until we reach Rotenek and we're in this medieval town with duplicitous scholars and scheming courtiers. Though again, what is almost the most perfect section of the book is brought down, not this time by the structure, but by how the court intrigues ensnare Barbara. For the first time in the book I was furious at Barbara. Yes, you can see why she's doing what she's doing, but her motives aren't explained properly to Margerit and it looks as if the court has turned Barbara's head. I mean, yes, you could say, as if anything could turn Barbara's stubborn head? But it seems to be done just to make us doubt the connection and love our two heroines share. It feels like a cheap shot. Yes, Barbara can navigate this world expertly, but that doesn't mean she should.

This being "Regency Magic" though the magic of it all matters. I can definitively say that not another book I've read has handled magic in this manner. Not only does that make Daughter of Mystery unique, but fascinating as you delve into the magic system. Because the magic system isn't magic, per se, it's faith manifested as miracles. But it's also not as reliable a system, as shown through Margerit's studies. Not every prayer is heard. Mysteries are complex and a word replaced could change the intent and instead of protecting an entire town only the relics of a long dead saint are protected. It's a capricious system that is itself mysterious. Learning with Margerit we see what works and what doesn't, we are with her on her journey as she systematically learns how to work mysteries. I also just like the idea that magic is referred to as mysteries, because they are both about deception and illusion. But as seems to be the case with this book, now I have more question I need answered. For example, religious persecution. Witch hunts were often done in the name of faith, so in this Alpennian world are witches outcasts? Because usually people who see visions aren't treated that well... so what's the stance? Also, is it because of the mysteries that religion is still such a strong force? Because I'd expect the church's hold to eroded a bit by now. Perhaps The Mystic Marriage will answer some of these questions for me...

But the "mysteries" ie, magic, aren't the only mysteries in this book. And these other mysteries are much more problematical. While yes, I could have liked a better understanding of the mysteries of the church, they at least weren't pedestrian and predictable. They actually had some mystery about them. As for Barbara's mysterious past... well, Poirot would have been laughing to think that anyone would have found it not patently obvious. Barbara isn't a dumb woman. She is in fact very smart and has a lot of cunning to go along with her other more physical skills. To think that she has spent years and years with the answer under her nose makes no sense. Yes, she worked for a secretive man, but would she really rely on his word that one day she would know as good enough? No, she wouldn't. It just doesn't make sense. It's literally a mystery to me! It doesn't make sense that the only reason she looks into her own mystery is because of the threat it poses to Margerit. I don't think she needed love to have her face her past, her own natural curiosity should have done that. As for the mystery as to whether they love each other, I will answer with duh. While yes, I could say that these contradictions make Barbara more human, instead I'll say it makes her fickle and Margerit did have every reason to worry about being left behind. So yes Barbara, you inadvertently knocked this book down, and for someone so graceful I find that quite shocking. Also you're not mysterious, you're just eccentric.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alpennia, Armin, Daughter of Mystery, France, Heather Rose Jones, Inheritance, Lyon, Magic, Medici's, Musketeers, Mysteries, Poirot, Regency Magic, Religion, Ruritanian Romance, The Mystic Marriage, Worldbuilding