| $@%&! level: Low to None “Bedroom” level: Medium-Low (a couple of short scenes) Violence level: Medium-High Back Cover: “If you're from Faerie, Earth is strange. Hauberin, ruler of a Faerie princedom, has never lived an easy life. A young man in an ageless court, and (most shamefully) part human, he has been the target of plots from the day he first ascended his throne. But the curse of a dying foe proves more dangerous than any plot. Hauberin's only chance for survival is to find the key to ending the curse: his mother's father's name. To that end Hauberin must search the world from which his mortal mother came, a world where Cold Iron promises hot death to anyone of Faerie, and even the hint of magic can lead to a fiery end. Caught up in struggles not his own, harried by his curse, Hauberin wonders if this alien Realm will be his doom, if the truth behind that strange and ancient name he seeks will indeed set him free—by destroying him utterly.” |
As far as I'm concerned, this one has it all. You've got the love story, of course. It's even a forbidden love—on both sides, no less!—with all the plot twists and emotional drama that comes with it. But don't think it's all drama. There's plenty of action as well, and lots of movement provided by the great name-hunt, as well as some political intrigue in both worlds. It's also got what I call a brother relationship, although in fact they're best friends instead of brothers. They just care about each other enough to be brothers, which is something I've always found enthralling in any story. And finally, I love shapeshifters. No idea why, but that's the way it seems to work for me. Also, the most impressive thing about this particular shapeshifter is that Alliar is genderless, and Josepha Sherman manages to avoid using gender specific pronouns without ever being awkward about it. Now that's talent!