Commentaires client les plus utiles
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Great Beginning, Now Let's Have A Sequel, Avril 17 2002
Although all of the favorable reviewers seem to agree that this book begs a sequel, it isn't dependent upon one because the conflict is resolved by the end of the story. It's just that the two main characters, Denise Sheridan and Ilaron Highborn, have finally become a team by the end of the book, and the reader just wants to see more of them.This book provided an interesting view of the Unseelie court of Faerie, somewhat different than that of Laurell K. Hamilton or Emma Bull. This is a place of no sun, no joy, no love. Pain and torture are everyday occurances and advancement within the society is through assasination. There is no such thing as family loyalty. It is a much darker and bleaker place than other depictions. Ilaron Highborn is considered to be a heretic within that culture because he has decided to turn away from the Darkness. Even though he renounced his claims to the Unseelie throne, no one believes him because no one tells the truth there. He escapes to the human realm and sets himself up as an art dealer. Ms. Sherman has created an interesting character in Ilaron, and fleshes him out by explaining the adaptations he's had to make to deal with exposure to the sun and the ever-present iron, which is deadly to the Faerie. Denise Sheridan is a curator of Mesopotamian art at a NYC museum, which is a thinly disguised copy of the Metropolitan. She is an annoyance to the museum director who considers her department not flashy enough to bring in the crowds and the money. Her work brings her into contact with Ilaron, and her historical expertise ultimately puts her in jeopardy. While this isn't a romance, per se, there is a growing relationship between Ilaron and Denise based upon two rather lonely people from totally different cultures coming to understand and appreciate the other. Of course, this being an urban fantasy, there other beings involved - the ruler of the Unseelie who is trying to destroy Ilaron, a group of cultists who want to kill Denise, and a released Assyrian/Babylonian Demon of Disease who is set loose in NYC and wants to destroy Denise because she has the knowledge to banish it. Innocents and not-so-innocents are harmed, battles occur, and ultimately one side triumphs. I really enjoyed this book and hope that someday there'll be a sequel.
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3.0étoiles sur 5
Duelling Mythologies never held my attention, Déc 4 2000
This fantasty about a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art --oops, excuse me--the American Museum of Art, and her artsy friend who happened to be a dark elf left me feeling kind of blah. Lamashtu, the ancient Mesopotamian lion-headed goddess is conjured from hell to spread plague on the subways of New York. Denise, the curator and Ilaron Highborn, the dark elf must band together stop her. So far, so good. But another evil dark elf is mixed into the plot, and he and Ilaron duel to the death one dark and stormy night in the Museum. I was disappointed when the author didn't make more use of the Mesopotamian wing of the Museum, with its gigantic winged bulls. For some reason, the duel is fought in the American wing, and then Ilaron and Denise confront Lamashtu on the Museum roof. Yet another demon-god is conjured up to do battle with Lamashtu (talk about 'deus ex machina'). I just felt the author could have stuck with the Sumerian-Akkadian-Babylonian mythology cycle and written a much better, more consistent novel.
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2.0étoiles sur 5
Light read, Aoû 6 2000
Dark, mysterious Ilaron teams up with plucky Denise Sheridan, a museum curator. Through Ilaron, Denise discovers that the worlds she reads about in her beloved fantasy novels may not be completely fictional after all. Ilaron is handsome, strong, wealthy, and he harbors a secret past that no one on this earth could imagine. Once a cult leader fixates on Denise and attempts to offer her as a sacrifice to call an ancient goddess, Ilaron and Denise are thrown into a chaotic, dangerous quest to stop the destruction of this realm. Together they must fight Lamashtu, an arrogant, bored and powerful goddess, as well as Kerezar, a dangerous nemesis from Ilaron's past.
This was a relatively enjoyable read. There is a great deal of humor as both Ilaron and Kerezar struggle in a world full of technology and bizarre pop culture. Denise is interesting enough as the heroine of the story, but she buys into Ilaron's story of his secret identity a bit too quickly to be believable. What you won't find in this book is strong writing or a complex plot. Everything is pretty straight forward and moves quickly toward the predictable climax. SON is probably best suited as a young adult novel; the reader does not really have to guess at anything throughout the story. It's amusing, it's a quick read, and there are moments in the book that are quite enjoyable. Overall, I found it lacking challenge and depth, but if you are looking for something that is quick and light, this might be just the thing.
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