Delia Sherman

The most evocative historical time travel story I've read since Connie Willis's Doomsday Book, this is a heartbreaking and compassionate novel about American slavery. I liked so much about it - the evocation of a very specific time and place (1860s Louisiana), the subtle, tricky speculative elements, and the painful, honest portrayal of slavery that's still accessible to younger readers.

The Freedom Maze follows Sophie, a white girl who is sent back in time and mistaken for a slave by her own ancestors. In the wrong hands, this story could have been deeply problematic (and indeed, the tragically enslaved mixed-race girl with lily white skin was a popular, regrettable subject of antebellum American melodrama). But Sherman makes storytelling choices that deliver, in my view, a sensitive and nuanced narrative about racial identity that acknowledges the shared history (and, often, ancestry) of black and white folks.

Highly recommended for young readers and adults alike.… (mer)

Reread, and adjusting the rating a bit. This novel reads like contemporary urban fantasy set in Kushner's Riverside setting. It does a lot to expand the world of Riverside, giving it folk customs and ancient history and a lively academic scene, and I definitely had fun rereading it. But as a narrative it didn't totally gel for me, especially the second time round.

The Fall of the Kings follows the messy romance of a young nobleman who hasn't quite figured himself out and a young scholar who is really, really bad at departmental politics. Their attempts to realize their destinies get tangled up in ancient magic. I liked Theron and Basil an awful lot, but their lack of self-awareness (and self-preservation!) is frustrating. They are both such earnest, clueless guys and as a result they become passive characters, swept along by magic and the engine of the story. I have a notion that Kushner and Sherman didn't have an ending in mind when they started writing, and the plot, while pleasingly organic, lacks the intensity of the other Riverside novels.

That said, after a muddy middle, there was a lot to enjoy in the third act. Theron's swashbuckling art dealer/pirate half-sister Jessica is a delightful character who absolutely works despite showing up late in the game. I found Theron's resolution satisfying as well, even if it's a bit out of left field.

As for Basil, this time round I realized this is a novel about dealing with the legacy of problematic intellectual pioneers, who are brilliant one moment and weighed down with scandal and junk theories the next. I think this is one of the strongest themes in the book and would have liked to see it more in the forefront.

At the end of the day, The Fall of the Kings is a book as messy and fascinating as Basil St. Cloud's scholarship. I wouldn't recommend it to those who haven't read Kushner and Sherman's other works, but it's certainly a must-read for Riverside completists.… (mer)

This book is deceptive. I nearly regretted buying it because the first few chapters seemed contrived and poorly written - but over the summer, I had nothing better to read, so I kept going. I tell my friends now, at least give it until page 75, because that's when I noticed the change. That's when Changeling suddenly went from bad to very good, and it kept me turning the page until the very end. I've read plenty of modern urban fantasies, but Delia Sherman puts an interesting spin on a New York full of fairies, monsters, and gods. The beginning barely hooked me, yet I was sad for it to end!… (mer)