Tomes of Spellcasting
Tomes of SpellcastingWelcome to the land of mystery, where the impossible is possible, and the improbable the reality. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with magic and meet the souls that wield this wondrous powers.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
Note: cover graphic used with permission from the author.
Title: The Godmother
So goes the fateful exchange between devoted but despairing and disbelieving Seattle social worker Rose Samson and a close friend. Faced with a slew of bureaucratic problems, she knows of no other way to accomplish everything that needs accomplishing...not that she'd quit trying to accomplish everything. However, she doesn't expect help to arrive, and certainly not in the form of one Dame Felicity Fortune, of Godmothers (Anonymous). In short order Rose finds herself facing the impossible: talking cats, a toad with a man's soul, and even a wicked witch! Of course, the dangerously mundane and real imposes itself on her time, what with such dilemmas as a rock star's missing daughter, two abducted children, and a friend who's on her stepmother's and stepsister's hate list. Can Felicity Fortune help change a city as large as Seattle, or is it too late for even enchanted assistance to make a difference?
As you might expect from the title, this book is about magic and fairy tales. The author has skillfully woven into the main plot a number of well-known stories common to any children's collection. You'll see traces of Snow White, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Puss-in-Boots, and possibly a few others throughout the novel, albeit with strange twists more suitable to the modern world. She doesn't quite hit you over the head with them, although opening the novel with "Once upon a time" is rather obtrusive. Still, the story wouldn't be half so enjoyable if you weren't constantly reminded that there are fairy tales playing themselves out in a modern world. You know, I only saw a few bits of the modernized Romeo and Juliet (the one starring Leonardo di Caprio) and didn't really care for it (you can only go so far). This book modernizes the fairy tales in such a way that though they are still the same stories, they are far more presentable and enjoyable than the bits of Romeo and Juliet were (maybe I'm not giving the movie a fair chance, but I'm not going to watch it just because).
One of the main characters is Rose Samson, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author presented her. I would be every bit as skeptical as Ms. Samson was, even considering my (or so I believe) readiness to accept magic as a reality and would probably demand a demonstration, just as Rose did. However, I also enjoyed how she gradually came to accept and reconcile herself to the existence of godmothers. I also liked the portrayal of Felicity Fortune. Even excusing how modern she is, she is still quite enchanting (pun intended) despite the limitations to the amount of magic she can expend on her assignment. Then there's Fred Moran, who seems to be playing Prince to Rose's Sleeping Beauty (you need to read to understand, though I might be mistaken in my assessment). As you might expect, the good guys are almost over-perfect and the bad guys almost totally evil, but in between you have a reasonable mix of good and evil in the other characters.
From what I see of this novel, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough is an excellent writer. I only wish the bookstores in Hawai'i would carry a wider variety of her works (yeah, same complaint as usual), but I'm working on acquiring more of her works. If you like, she's also collaborated with Anne McCaffrey on a set of novels, and those were outstanding!
Looking for something that's no longer here? Check in the Archive to search for it.
Comments? Suggestions? Just click here to send me e-mail. Also, if this review prompted you to read the book, then let me know. I appreciate knowing I made a difference in somebody's life.
Back Home Back to Starfire Reviews
Get your own Free Home Page