| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: Low (There's a lot of nudity, and you might say the subject isn't far from people's minds, but there aren't any actual bedroom scenes as such.) Violence level: Medium-Low Back Cover: “Lady Acila has been running her father's keep for as long as she can remember. Her father has always been away at war and her twin brother Briam is a daydreamer, a man obsessed with music and in no way suited to the practical job of managing the keep. But Acila doesn't mind—in fact she is desperate to remain in the secluded safety of her home, for she harbors a dark secret. Acila is a shapechanger—a being feared and despised by the people of her world. But when the keep is besieged by the army of a Lord who brings proof of her father's death, Acila and Briam cannot defend their lands and must flee for their lives. Little does Acila realize as she leaves the only safe haven she has ever known, that she has begun a journey which will bring her to a greater understanding of her kind, and change her fate in ways she cannot begin to imagine.” |
In terms of story-line, it's pretty simple, and there isn't much mystery to the whole thing, which means that it mostly rests on the characters and the adventures. Luckily, the characters are pretty interesting, and the most interesting thing about them is that there isn't actually a bad guy. There are just circumstances and tradition and a problem that needs to be solved, figured out, or got around somehow. Basically, if Acila doesn't figure out how to avoid it, her twin brother is going to be killed by his wife. Yeah, it sounds like the wife is evil, doesn't it? But she isn't, not really, and if Acila can figure out a solution, she's perfectly willing to let that stand. The story really is a series of problems that Acila needs to solve in order to save herself and her brother.
And that's actually the one problem I have with it. It's chock full of strong female characters who are clever and capable, and I applaud that without reservation. The problem is that the one most visible male character, Briam, comes off as nearly half-witted in comparison. He does learn to stand up for himself by the end, and someone does kindly point out to Acila that her brother isn't actually an idiot, even if he's not quite as clever as she is. And the guy who does the pointing out is a strong male character. But it still feels to me a bit like building up the feminine side by tearing down the masculine. Briam is good for sword fighting and hunting and begetting children, and that seems to be about it.
If you can overlook that one issue, it's pretty entertaining watching Acila work her way through everything, and she does come up with some unique solutions, and learns a good bit about herself and the people around her, which completely alters and broadens her view of the world. In the end, it not so much her shape that goes through the most important change—it's her mind.