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Alanna Morland

Auteur de Leopard Lord

2+ oeuvres 180 utilisateurs 2 critiques

A propos de l'auteur

Comprend les noms: Alanna Moreland

Séries

Œuvres de Alanna Morland

Leopard Lord (1999) — Auteur — 95 exemplaires
Shackle and Sword (1999) 85 exemplaires

Oeuvres associées

Sword and Sorceress XXII (2007) — Contributeur — 71 exemplaires

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Partage des connaissances

Nom canonique
Morland, Alanna
Sexe
female

Membres

Critiques

One Saturday I felt like something quick and cheap and cheesy, and I remembered this book I had picked up at Books & Co: Alanna Morland’s Shackle and Sword. The basic concept, as I understood it, was of a young man sold off into slavery who becomes a great hero; I figured it would be well-written enough for the undemanding mood I was in, and full of sex and fighting. And it was all of that – only moreso. I swear, I thought I had read something else by this author and wasn’t overly impressed: I need to try it again, because this was so much more than I expected. Well-written enough, yes – in fact, very nicely written. Full of sex and fighting, yes – but not explicit; for some reason – the romance-y cover, perhaps – I expected blow-by-blow scenes of both, and there was nary a one of either. The sex and violence was largely left to the imagination.

What’s particularly funny is that I’ve been reading an old blog of “fantasy rants” by someone called limyaael, in which long reading – and writing – of the genre lets loose on the classic blunders – some even worse than going up against a Sicilian when death is on the line. The rants I’ve read so far have involved use of language – English and constructed; treatment of horses; treatment of battles; basically, for the most part, all carrying the motto “don’t write it if you don’t know anything about it”. (Like, for example, don’t have a battalion of Elves loosing arrows in a rainstorm. Just sayin’.) I expected Shackle and Sword to ring every single one of the off-notes discussed in this blog …

It didn’t touch a single one, as far as I could see. The slavery of the main character, Farris, was handled realistically but not explicitly; a lot of the worst of the life he lives under the worst masters happens offstage, only hinted at – and what we are shown is sobering. He is, I grant you, a bit prodigious as a fighter and horseman – but the former can be put down to his half-blood heritage. I liked that aspect; the way he is treated by the fae to whom he is related through his long-vanished father was a very pleasant surprise. The latter above, the horsemanship, is also easily enough explained, and doesn’t insult willing suspension of disbelief. Best of all, Farris doesn’t magically turn into a shining hero at any point in the story. He’s bitter and vengeful, but sensible and loyal; he shows himself in several situations to be not as bad as he might have been, and not as good as he might be. He’s a pretty solid, believable character, in a pretty solid, believable setting.

I liked it. I really liked it. I still dislike the cover, and I’m not fond of the title (which comes from a ballad referenced several times in the text), and wouldn’t have wanted to read it in public with those (I don’t on the whole do bodice-rippers) – but I did read it in one three-hour sitting on Saturday, and it raised a tear at the death of a character. It was a very, very pleasant surprise.
… (plus d'informations)
½
 
Signalé
Stewartry | Jul 11, 2011 |
** spoiler alert ** When his soul is given up to the Dark God by his evil father and he is forced to commit atrocities against the people he's sworn to protect Varian strike a deal with the god he loathes, his people's freedom from his tyranny in exchange for the life of his virgin bride - a woman he barely knows who the Dark One sees as a threat.

What he didn't count on was falling in love with the trader girl he's married and being unable to imagine life without her in it. When he tries to back out ...more When his soul is given up to the Dark God by his evil father and he is forced to commit atrocities against the people he's sworn to protect Varian strike a deal with the god he loathes, his people's freedom from his tyranny in exchange for the life of his virgin bride - a woman he barely knows who the Dark One sees as a threat.

What he didn't count on was falling in love with the trader girl he's married and being unable to imagine life without her in it. When he tries to back out of his deal with the Dark God he is again faced with a difficult choice when both he and the god learn that the young boy he swore fealty to in his youth is now the King - a man he must protect with his life. The God, with higher aspirations than just a simple barony is more than willing to take the King instead of his bride, but then the entire country will be ruled by his evil and Varian can't have that either. So loathing himself with every step he takes his bride to her fate.

What he doesn't know is his bride has been schooled by the Goddess Byela and well prepared to face the evil before her or to die protecting the man and the people she's come to love. Together the two face an evil god and save a nation in this oddly twisted story of love and duty.

The story is filled with subplots galore including relationships with slaves and giving those slaves their freedom. What I didn't understand is that the author was willing to bring us into an odd sexual scene where a slave girl is first with Varian then with his best friend Corven and finally marries a man named Garek who Varian later kills under the control of the dark god while in leopard form - the final straw which pushes him to make the bargain with the Dark God, but ends the book before allowing the reader to share in the loving consummation of the marriage between Cathlin and Varian. Obviously she doesn't shy away from sex, but I feel she invites the reader into the wrong sex scenes and excludes us from the right ones.

Overall it's a thrilling read that keeps you turning the pages until the very end. Definitely worth reading.
… (plus d'informations)
1 voter
Signalé
jdonnelly14 | Jun 2, 2009 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
2
Aussi par
1
Membres
180
Popularité
#119,865
Évaluation
½ 3.6
Critiques
2
ISBN
3

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