Appointment with Death - Agatha Christie

★★★★★★★★★★ (8/10)

Agatha Christie is now my go-to author if I wanted to be very, very dizzy at the end of a novel.  That's not to say that I don't like her mysteries (as you can tell by the rating I gave this novel), but I end up feeling as though I've been physically turning in circles by the time I find out whodunit.

In today's mystery, everyone is in Jerusalem on vacation.  An American family and a family friend, a French psychologist, and a British young lady (a recent graduate with a degree in medicine).  The strangeness begins when Sarah, the young graduate, notices that the American family, the Boyntons, are a bit peculiar.  All of them, except their mother, are very tense and wear pained expressions, as well as the fact that they seem to follow their mother's orders as if she were their military commander.  Sarah is disturbed by the Boyntons' behavior and attempts to befriend two members of the family, Carol and her brother Raymond, but their behavior is so erratic, Sarah can't seem to make heads or tails of their situation.

So, we find Sarah, the psychologist Gerard, and two new characters on an excursion to Petra (I'd love to go someday).  Sarah wants to forget the family and enjoy her vacation, but this is not to be.  When their group arrive at the camp for Petra tourists, they find that the Boyntons are already there. This is when the fun begins.  After everyone's comments on the strange behavior of the family, and the evil, commanding personality of the mother, what should happen, but that a servant in the camp should find Mrs. Boynton dead!As luck would have it, M. Hercule Poirot is a guest of a Colonel who is staying nearby, and he is asked to investigate the death.  The psychological means that Poirot uses to determine guilt and innocence always astound me, and I can only imagine that Ms. Christie must be the most brilliant author, with endless research resources. She uses a great deal of scientific evidence, and the tiniest of details to compose her mysteries so that no matter who I am convinced the murderer is, it turns out to be a person I hadn't even considered. 

This is no exception.  I'll try not to give away too much, but my original conclusion was that the eldest son, Lennox, was the murderer.  I had nothing to go off of except the fact that he was so apathetic, I didn't think that Poirot would initially suspect him.  I was wrong, but it was both confusing and amazing to go through Poirot's thought process to get to who the real culprit was.  It seemed like he accused each person, one at a time, first solidifying their guilt, then proving their innocence.  As he moved from person to person, I kept imagining that this next person would be the murderer, only to be disappointed as he explained why they were innocent and then explained the guilt of the next person.  It is his way of putting forth his information that makes me dizzy.  He keeps bringing in the same facts, under new lights.  I will think that I know every possible piece of information, and then I'll be sent spinning as a new perspective comes about.

Agatha Christie mysteries are probably books everyone should read, whether because you like mysteries or because you just like good books. I haven't found another mystery author as exceptional as Christie at keeping me guessing up the the very end, and the solving of each mystery wraps up everything very neatly, and explains things in such a way that the resolution is quite clear.  It's also charming that in her Poirot mysteries, it seems that everyone has heard of him, making it feel that I'm the only one left out.  Then again, I'd rather not be in a situation where I'd need to meet him, because then I might become a suspect!

The Gentleman Poet - Kathryn Johnson

★★★★★★★★★★ (7/10)

This one was interesting.  When I read the back of the book to get an idea of what I was getting myself into, I didn't realize that it gave away one of the more intriguing mysteries of the plot: that one of the castaway characters is William Shakespeare. I supposed that there are enough pointed hints to figure out who he is (he goes by the name of Strachey instead of Shakespeare), but it would have been more fun to guess about him instead of know from the start. Other than that, I found that The Gentleman Poet was a great read that brought together history, fiction, and the mysterious figure of William Shakespeare.

The story actually focuses on a young serving girl, Elizabeth Persons.  At the time of the shipwreck, Elizabeth is 18 and has gone into servitude to save herself from a life on the streets as a prostitute in London.  When the novel begins, she is accompanying a rich, elderly woman, Mistress Horton, on a voyage that Horton helped fund to bring new settlers and supplies to the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.  It's easy to see, and very easy to believe, that Elizabeth doesn't like her position.  I found out later that until a year before, she lived with her mother and siblings in London running a shop, but the plague killed her family, and left Elizabeth in poverty.  So, used to a free life, Elizabeth has a hard time swallowing the grumpy orders of a bitter old lady. 

Unfortunately for all aboard, a lengthy and brutal storm hits their flotilla, and after a frightening battle, and after everyone believes they will all drown, the storm dies and their lone vessel, the Sea Venture, finds a haven in the Bermudas.  The problem here is that all of the passengers, including the sailors, have a fear of these islands.  They've been told stories about the Bermudas being inhabited by witches, evil spirits, and cannibals as well as violent wild beasts.  However, this horrifying image is not what these people find.  Instead, they find themselves in a veritable island paradise: there is plenty of easily caught wild game, vegetables, herbs and spices, and raw materials to build shelters and a new ship.  Still, their main focus is to get back on track and make their way to Virginia. 

The bulk of The Gentleman Poet takes place on these islands.  Elizabeth, still in servitude to Mistress Horton, must try to keep up with the most ridiculous demands.  Horton, whether mad or just trying to maintain whatever air of power she may have had, seems to believe that life will continue to be civilized and that she will be able to have all of the things that she'd had aboard ship and at home.  Such things as freshly laundered clothing, complicated and multi-course meals, furniture, servants, and the like were all part of her list of demands, and Elizabeth is hard put to meet all of them.   To keep her sanity, Elizabeth starts to collect wild herbs on her walks around the islands, and strikes up a friendship with the aging Will Strachey (I would imagine that he seem in his late forties or so, but he's never given a definite age).  He acts as a father figure, as Elizabeth's own father died many years ago, and gives her both advice and a confidante.  Will even acts as a bit of a matchmaker for her, though she seems to not want that kind of interference.  So life goes on for the reluctant islanders, and although work on a new vessel continues, dissent and mutiny threaten to keep them all marooned.  Before they can escape, the colony sees an execution by gunshot, a murder, desertion, drunks thrown in the stocks, and other public punishments.  The Bermudas may be a paradise, for those who understand how to enjoy it, but the group dynamics change drastically the longer they spend alone with themselves.

The historical note explains that this was a real event: a ship named Sea Venture did wreck in the Bermudas, a man named William Strachey did keep records of their time there, and the group did make it to Virgina.  Johnson points out that, though it is unlikely, it is possible that Shakespeare could have been part of that voyage.  There are gaps in his personal history where he seems to drop out of all knowledge, only to pop up again with a new play, or some new bit of information.  Also, this novel, as well as Strachey's account, is remarkably similar to Shakespeare's The Tempest.  A ship wrecks, the survivors are left to fend for themselves, love blossoms, and after much toil and many trials, there's a happy ending and all is well.  There are a great many differences between the two, but the likenesses between the play and historical accounts are striking.  Strachey's account apparently was published some years after Shakespeare's death, but if he was on the voyage, or just had access to Strachey's records, it would help to explain where Shakespeare got the idea for such a magical and miraculous play. 

Apart from my big, giant summary, a lot goes on, and Elizabeth's transformation from serving girl to a woman named Miranda who is a famous cook is a joy to read.  Shakespeare's part is very small, and although it's impossible to know if this character is true to his actual persona, I like to imagine him this way.  I think the seven stars is a bit low, but I'm sticking to that decision for various reasons.  I did like The Gentleman Poet, and I will read it again, but it just didn't give me enough feeling to get a higher rating.  Maybe the next read through will earn it another star.

The Sleeping Beauty - Mercedes Lackey

★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)

For anyone who's bored with "normal" stories based on traditional fairy tales, The Sleeping Beauty is the cure for that boredom.  This novel is a complete mish-mash of common fairy tales, but they are pieced together so cleverly that I can't help but laugh when I read it.  Comedy, tragedy, quests, and spells are only some of the wonderful things that fill The Sleeping Beauty.

First off, there isn't actually a Sleeping Beauty, at least not in the Disney sense.  The Sleeping Beauty is about a princess named Rosamund, who lives in a tiny, but rich, kingdom with her father.  Her mother has died, and Rosa has grown up more or less on her own.  The whole kingdom, Eltaria, is helped by a Godmother, Lily, who is in charge of keeping control of the magic in the kingdom as well as advising the king. Everything seems picture perfect, aside form the impending war with another kingdom who wants Eltaria's riches for itself, until the Tradition decides to interfere. 

The Tradition.  From what I understand, the Tradition (capital "T" intended) is basically a mindless magical force that exists in Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms books.  Its sole purpose is to find people whose lives seem to match a fairy tale structure and force those people to live out the fairy tale, whether they want to or not.  This includes all fairy tales, the ones with happy endings and the ones that end in death. The Godmother has some sway over the Tradition, but the best way to stop it from taking over a person's life is to trick it. Luckily for Rosa and Eltaria, the Godmother is very clever, but it will take a lot of work to keep Rosa from being killed or living a miserable life due to the Tradition's powers.

To aid in the comedic sector of The Sleeping Beauty we have two princes: Leopold and Siegfried.  These are fantastic names, and I liked these characters before they were likable. Leopold is a charmer: he's handsome, witty, and good with compliments.  Siegfried is a nice big beefcake: he's tall, muscular, blond, and very sweet. Both of them are trying to escape from their fates, and are in Eltaria to do just that. Leopold was banished from his home for being too popular.  His brother, next in line to be king, did great things and planned to do more for his people, but no one knew of his efforts because he was a very quiet and family-oriented person.  This brother paled in comparison to Leopold, and Leopold's father thought it would benefit the crown prince if Leopold were out of the picture.  Leo has to make his own way, and tends to do that by falling in love with princesses whose fathers pay him to leave.  Siegfried is facing a terrible fate: if he can't find a way out of it, he'll be forced to wake up a warrior maiden (who, coincidentally, is his aunt), and from then on horrible things will happen, including his own death.  But it's all very funny and makes a lot more sense if you read the novel.

So, The Sleeping Beauty is a slightly misleading title, but the twist at the end brings that particular fairy tale into play, if only for a little while.  Rosa is kidnapped yet again, but not by the person you'd expect, and he, along with the Tradition's help, tries to force the "Beauty Asleep" path on Rosa.  Of course, the villain is foiled in his attempt, and there is a happy ending, but it's much more interesting than a simple happily-ever-after, and a good deal more entertaining.  I couldn't stop laughing when I got to the end, but when the novel did end, I was happy and completely satisfied.  All that I want to do now is read Lackey's other books of the Five Hundred Kingdoms!

Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)

Nearly everyone I know has either heard of or seen the film version of Bridget Jones's Diary, with the interesting casting of Colin Firth (forever THE Mr. Darcy for me) cast as Bridget's Mark Darcy. However, I haven't met anyone who'd read the book, or at least, no one had ever told me they'd read it. Imagine my surprise when I find this in a closing Borders (yay for discounts!), and think to myself, "I liked that movie, I guess I should read the book."

I loved it! Bridget really does have some strange and interesting problems in her life, but the way she deals with them is what makes me like this novel so much. At the beginning of each entry, she's keeping track of something, but the items change depending on what's happening in her life. For instance, she is obsessed with her weight, but after being dumped, gives up keeping track because she doesn't think it's worth it anymore. At one point, she starts counting how many fruit smoothies she drinking, or how many lottery tickets she's purchased. It's fun to see what's important to her, and how her priorities change based on the emotional turmoil in her day to day life.

But Bridget's life is full of drama; slightly unrealistic, but completely hilarious drama. She has a boyfriend, gets dumped for thinner woman, gets called "squashy" by a younger man, her mom becomes an international thief with her lover from Portugal, makes blue soup (really), and still manages to come out at the end of the year with a comprehensive list of how many calories and cigarettes she's gone through. It's a wonderful mess of horrible things, and all of them somehow relate to her weight.  A strange episode was when she finally got down to her goal weight, only to have friends ask her why she looks drawn, flat, and tired.  This is a good example that the way we see ourselves is NOT the way others see us.  Her friend Tom even told her that he liked her better before she lost the weight, because she was herself.

So, a roller coaster of ups, downs, breakdowns and breakthroughs, Bridget Jones's Diary is almost a self-help book. She faces problems that real women face (weight issues, relationship fears and woes, family problems, friendship troubles, etc.), but Fielding gives Bridget the courage and fortitude to get through it all, even when things are really difficult.  Fielding also includes bits of actual "self-help" in the form of the books and articles Bridget and her friend Jude read.  Jude starts Bridget reading Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and together they learn about Feng Shui, and various ways to try to improve mental stability.  Not everything worked for Bridget, but her attempts are like a never-ending trial and error, the way most people have to do things. 

Very happy with this book, and looking forward to reading The Edge of Reason.  I've read other diary-form books before, but this one is so much more than a simple recounting of daily activities.  Bridget Jones's Diary is really Bridget's life with nothing left out and nothing (overly) exaggerated.  If it weren't for the fact that Bridget is fictional, I'd feel kind of a bit awkward for reading it because there are personal things about Bridget (her pregnancy scare) that I wouldn't want people to read in my diary if I had one.  But luckily for me, Bridget isn't real, and I can read books "written by her" as much as I'd like!

Merlin's Harp - Anne Eliot Crompton

★★★★★★★★★★ (5/10)

I'm as big a fan of Arthurian legend as the next person. Tales of Arthur, Lancelot, Gwenevere (and the various spellings thereof), the Round Table (not the pizza), and chivalry almost make me wish for that long ago time when life was very different.  When I came across Merlin's Harp, I thought I'd find an interesting read about a well known legend.  There was a comparison on the back to The Mists of Avalon, a book which I really enjoyed, so I bought this novel hoping to be as enthralled.  Unfortunately, I was not. 

Although Merlin's Harp is very well written (two thumbs up for writing style), the plot is what took away stars in my rating.  It can be difficult to rewrite a legend, especially one like this that as so many variations and detailed elements.  I liked where Crompton was taking the novel, but the plot was too jumpy for me, and, as stated in previous posts, I don't do well with slow movers, and Merlin's Harp was pretty slow.  For instance, I was almost halfway through the novel before the story made it into Camelot.  I realize that Crompton deemed it important to explain how the Fey grow up and become who they are, but I can only read about Counsel Oak and the apple trees so many times something before I expect something interesting to happen.

I did enjoy the mysteries about the Fey.  According to Aefa, one of the main characters Niviene's friends, no Fey ever knows who his or her father is. Even Niviene knowing that she has a brother, and growing up with him is an unusual thing amongst the Fey.  Niviene herself does not know who her father is, and for most of the novel, she doesn't particularly care.  There is also the question as to who is Fey and who is Human.  Several times, Niviene questions whether some of the people she meets are completely Fey, completely Human, or some of both.  She is never sure about her own brother; she believes him Fey as a child, but when they are grown, and he becomes Lancelot (a twist I was excited about), Nivienve thinks that he must be half Human because of the emotions that he shows, but her mother dies before she ever has the thought to ask. There are other aspects about the Fey that I liked, but I'll leave them for you to read, if you'd like.

Scenes such as the ones with Morgan le Faye were really annoying.  I think it would have been easy enough to leave out part of the legend that did not affect Niviene or her life, but Crompton wouldn't do it.  I suppose that Compton needed a way to introduce Mordred, but this was just ridiculous.  Morgan was never mentioned before this scene, and she is mentioned in passing maybe once or twice afterward until Arthur's death scene.  She seems to just pop in and disappear for a while, which isn't how to original legend goes.  It would have been easier and more conducive to the plot if Morded had just showed up in Camelot with Merlin one day.  Instead, there is a battle that's not even a fight that takes maybe 10 pages, before Morgan is soundly defeated by a song, and the Merlin and company take Mordred.  They just leave Morgan behind: no magic to seal her away, no dire warning, nothing to keep her from taking revenge.  She just accepts it.  It's silly!

There are some nice things that Crompton adds to the legend of Arthur, but I think I'd rather watch the painful 1967 musical Camelot, than read the pieces of Merlin's Harp that I didn't like.  I think, however, that I can just skip those scenes and enjoy Niviene's perspective about what happened.  If you'd like a hilarious, non-musical, Arthurian tale, I would suggest the TV mini-series Merlin. It focuses more on Merlin's view of how Arthur rose and fell, but it's just as interesting as the legends that focus mostly on Arthur himself.

Pride/Prejudice - Ann Herendeen

★★★★★★★★★★ (7/10)

Whew! I think I need a fan or a breeze after reading this book.  Needless to say, Pride/Prejudice was not what I was expecting.  From the back cover description, I was thinking it would be more along the lines of a retelling from multiple points of view, picking up on things that Austen could only hint at.  I was completely wrong, and what I actually read was a complete surprise. 

So, think Austen's Pride and Prejudice if it had been written as a bisexual, erotic-but-courteous 19th century romance novel, and you get the general idea of what Pride/Prejudice is.  It's almost difficult to imagine Mr. Darcy as an immensely passionate lover until you finish reading this novel.  Everything that would have been improper for a female author to pen during Austen's lifetime, comes out here.  However, given the laws in England in that time, I don't think that most of this would ever have been written for publication then in the first place.

To start, Darcy and Bingley are lovers in every sense of the word.  Herendeen's reasoning for this comes from Bingley's dependence on Darcy's opinion in P&P. Austen makes it very clear that Bingley turns to Darcy for support/approval, so Herendeen takes this a step further by putting the two men into a pseudo-ancient-Greek mentor-youth relationship.  Darcy being older, has taken Bingley under his wing, but the two have also developed romantic feelings for each other. So, Bingley looks to Darcy out of respect as well as love, while Darcy looks out for Bingley for the same reasons. Yet, at the same time, they both fall in love with incredible women: Bingely with Jane, and Darcy with Elizabeth.

However, Darcy, being the arrogant brute we all love, is the jealous type, and Bingley's attachment to Jane fuels his jealousy, adding another reason to keep the young couple apart.  In addition to Austen's original qualms for Darcy to not approve of Bingley's choice, Herendeen adds jealousy and possessiveness.  It's really very cute to see the way Darcy and Bingley are together in private; they almost dote on one another like a newlywed couple.

Meanwhile, Darcy isn't the only one with a non-platonic friendship.  Herendeen's view is that Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas's friendship stems from more than them being of like minds.  In this novel, the are also lovers.  Herendeen gives Elizabeth a little of Darcy's jealousy and possessiveness when Charlotte decides to marry Mr. Collins. Lizzy doesn't want to lose her friend or their field activities, so she is angry with Charlotte to the point of cruelty.  Not only is their relationship different, but Lizzy's relationship with Jane is different, too.  They are still as close as sisterly friends can be, but Jane is more animated and doesn't hesitate to disagree with Lizzy.  There are times when Jane actually becomes angry, which you never see in P&P.  Jane and Lizzy also face a kind of estrangement after they marry their respective suitors, which I won't spoil the surprise for.

Which leads me to another aspect about Pride/Prejudice that I really like. Herendeen puts imagination to better use by adding a lot about what might have happened after the weddings.  This novel doesn't stop when the two sisters wed, but goes on to the honeymoon and children, friendships and hardships.  It's nice to see what another person thinks went on after the original story cut off.

There is absolutely more to the story than all of this, but I don't want to give away the juicier details.  I think I'll leave off with this: if you take out most of the gratuitous sex scenes, it's a lovely novel that makes for an entertaining alternate P&P.

Stardust - Neil Gaiman

★★★★★★★★★★ (4/10)

I am uncommonly depressed. This is quite possibly the most disappointing book I have ever read.  I watched the film version of Stardust and was impressed by it; it was funny, well scripted, and I loved every minute of it.  That being said, I think that the screenwriters did a better job writing Stardust than Neil Gaiman did.  I heard so much about Neil Gaiman and what a fabulous writer he is.  I have no doubt that he is a talented writer, but Stardust is not an example of it.  If he were to go back and rewrite it, I would defintely try to read it again, and hope there were significant expansions.

I refuse to make comparisons with the film, so my post shouldn't be biased by horrible snips of "this didn't happen in the movie," or "I wish this part of the movie had been in the book."  I disliked the novel for its own merits, or lack thereof.

To being with, I felt that Stardust could have been twice as long, telling the same story.  I wanted it to be longer, with more detail, and more time spent on each of Tristran's adventures. (I hate that name, too.  There was no reason to add the extra "r." It just makes it harder to pronounce.)  I felt like I was seeing the images in fast forward, almost as though parts had been skipped.  I even checked to see if the novel I had in my hands was an abridged version (it wasn't).  The best way I can describe this feeling is that the story flitted. It flitted from one scene to the next without really fleshing out what was happening. The plot is intriguing, but the novel seems to be just a bare bones version of what Gaiman is capable of. 

Now on to character development.  This is one thing that makes me truly sad when I read novels.  All the characters seemed very flat: Tristran had one emotion, the star was bland, and even the witch just kind of simmered instead of boiled.  Tristran is an idiot, completely and totally, and he stays that way throughout the story.  At the end, there is a lot of blather about him having grown, being taller than his father, changed physically, but he's still really just an idiot.  The star was absolutely right in her first judgment of him.  The star was more like the lump of rock she is in the sky than a living character.  It's understandable that she is angry when she first meets Tristran, and I hoped that her sass and fire would continue, but it doesn't.  She becomes almost complacent, and docile, and boring. She's just kind of there as a necessity to move on with the plot.  She doesn't "shine."  And the witch.  You expect a witch to be cruel, ugly, and malevolent, just because that is the stigma that goes along with being a witch.  It seems logical, but this witch is simply determined.  Even then, her determination only goes so far.  I felt that she gave up too easily, and her acts of magic to get to the star weren't very witchy.  She turned a boy into a goat; big deal.  She turned a chariot into an inn; ooh, scary.  She killed a man; that's just run-of-the-mill witchery. Gaiman never really makes her truly evil, and that left something wanting in the villain department.

Another problem is that everything was a little too easy.  Tristran just happened to run into a hairy little man with a magic candle that got him to the star quickly.  The star and Tristran just happened to stumble across and save a unicorn who can carry the star.  These two end up on a cloud and just happen to be rescued withing minutes and treated like honored guests. Tristran just gives up Victoria without a second thought (given that he's in love with the star, but he didn't quite know that).  The witch just meekly accepts that she won't be able to get the star's heart, and goes home. Stardust is full of "just's" that come without any real effort.  The only thing that can really claim some trial on Tristran's part is that he burned his hand getting away from the witch in the mountains, but even that doesn't pain him for very long. 

I'm going to stop bad-mouthing this novel now for two reasons. 1) I don't want to talk about it anymore, and 2) I should at least try to say something nice about it so that someone else can read Stardust and disagree with me. 

Nice things.... I liked that Tristran had a perfect sense of direction in Faerie; it made it very convenient for traversing a new world. 

OK, I'm done now.  I just can't continue, and I would like to say that my reaction to Stardust  is the reason libraries exist, and I'm happy that I borrowed this instead of buying it.  I'm sorry to anyone who like Stardust, but I just didn't, and I don't think I'll be changing my opinion.  This, in no way has prejudiced me against Mr. Gaiman, and I look forward to reading another of his works in the future.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - N.K. Jemisin

★★★★★★★★★★ (8/10)

To start off: a big thank you to Yulia and Samin for giving me this as a birthday gift!  Who doesn't love a book as a present?

Now on to the real business.  The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is quite amazing.  For a first novel, it was really detailed, interesting, and absorbing.  It took me a couple chapters to figure out what was going on, who was who, and why things were happening, but after that, I sailed through it and was very satisfied with the ending (which is unusual for me with fantasy/sci-fi novels). If nothing else, Jemisin is an expert at unexpected twists, and each one left me thinking that this woman is a genius with a plot and making me have to catch my breath because I didn't believe what was happening.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is centered around Yeine, a girl around twenty years old (not quite twenty) who is the leader of her matriarchal people, the Darren. Her mother has just died, and she's been summoned to the capital (of the country, union, continent?), Sky, by her grandfather, where she is to learn that she has been named and heir to the "throne."  I have to put that in quotes because Yeine's grandfather is not a king; he's just in charge, and the ruling family, the Arameri, are not considered royalty. They're just very, very powerful.  Yeine hopes that by going to Sky, she can help her people, and find out who was behind her mother's death.

Once Yeine understands that she is never to return to her home, Darr, she finds herself in a cruel battle for power against the other two heirs: her cousins Relad and Scimina.  There two are not people I would want to rule a nation (or whatever the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is).  Scimina is cruel, heartless, and deathly ambitious.  Relad is a drunk, not nearly as cruel, but his selfishness makes up for that.  They both care more about power than anything else, and considering that the winning heir must kill the person closest to them to gain power, that's something that works for them.  Contrarily, Yeine is rational, brutally honest, and compassionate.  She is by no means weak, but she cannot comprehend the terrible things that the family has done in the name of "peace" and their god, Itempas.  Her position is one which she does not want, but cannot escape.

The gods, the Enefadeh, are a completely different matter.  I think it would take too long, and take away some of the excitement of the story, to explain them entirely, so I'll try to not be too detailed.  There were originally three gods: Itempas (light), Nahadoth (dark), and Enefa (everything in between). For multiple reasons, Itempas killed Enefa and imprisoned Nahadoth and his children in human form, and made them servants to the Arameri. The character of Nahadoth is especially engaging because of the way he is constantly changing.  He is almost never the same from one moment to the next, because he embodies wildness and change, but this is what makes him unique and also part of what draws Yeine to him.

Needless to say, the Enefadeh want to recruit Yeine to their side to help regain their freedom and punish Itempas for his evil deeds.  Yet, even if she allies herself to them, Yeine has no guarantees that they will keep their end of the bargain.  Her life is on the line, and she must trust her instincts to make things right again.

I'm excited to read Jemisin's other novels in this Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms and The Kingdom of Gods.  I expect great things from her and I don't think I'll be disappointed!