Customer Reviews

Deathweave

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I tried to read this book a few years back and simply could not get into it. However, I picked it up again after reading a paper titled "150 Years of Mary Sue" and found more enteratinment in analyzing why the story does not work than I did in the story. Mary Sue or Marty Sue (for the male version) was first given an identity in media fan fiction. She is usually an avatar for the author in the story. If female she is incredibly gifted, attractive and successful. She overcomes horrendous odds in reaching her goal. Sometimes this works, this time it doesn't.

How does Arden fit the Mary Sue stereotype? Well (and this this backstory not a spoiler), she is raised as the only female in a monastary after her father's death. The Abbott becomes a second father to her and she is taught both meditative techniques and martial arts. Everyone at the monastary just loves her. After leaving the monastary she becomes the first female in the Imperial Guard and the bodyguard to princess Jessa.

Arden of course is also psychic, armed with just her katana, she sucessfully fights off repeated attacks by trained assassins, and manages to make a couple of guys fall in love with her.

When the book begins Princess Jessa is escaping from the planet of Glory because she fears to share her mother's fate if she remains. Jessa's mother, the Emperor's concubine, is addicted to a substance called Live Weave. Arden gives herself up as soon as Jessa is gone and is imprisoned for six years which gives her a chance to practice her meditation and something that sounds like Tae Bo. She was sentenced to execution soon after her capture, but somehow the people in charge never got around to doing it. Now they need Jessa back and Arden is the person they want to send after her.

Mary Sue? You bet. Probably the author should be cut some slack if this was her first book but this is about her fourth so there's no mercy on that score.

Recommendation: Don't bother.

Cary Osborne does a very good job of showing Arden as a person with very human failings. She shies away from thinking about difficult topics, doesn't fully think things through (who of us does?), and always wants to think the best of those around her. This leads her into trouble when she trusts the wrong people, misjudges those who might help her, and stumbles into more trouble than she can really handle.

The one complaint I have is that Jenna, the princess, is more a peice of the background. This is also true in the sequel, Darkloom. Jenna has the potential to be a very multi-faceted character and I would like to know more about her as well.

I really liked this book, Arden Greenfell is looking through different planets to find the princess, but this woman is always in action using "Lifeweave" to try to figure out the future ahead. she has to watch her back, because everyone isn't always as they seem.

I particulary like when Cary Osborne refers to Earth as "old Earth".