Customer Reviews

Of Drag Kings And the Wheel of Fate

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fiction has a way of opening up new worlds to us, exposing us to characters from all walks of life, and even changing our attitudes. Susan Smith's Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is one of those rare books that does all of the above and does it superbly. Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is a novel about family, not the family we are born into, but the family we choose as adults. It is a book about the courage to be who you are, about the choices we make, and the honesty to follow through on those choices. Smith has invented a story that is full of love with intense characters who along the way discover parts of themselves for the first time.

Dr. Rosalind Olchawski, a professor at a university in Buffalo, New York, is newly divorced when she is taken to a drag club by her best friend Ellie. Taryn is a young, bold, sexy butch performing at the club, and when Ros and Taryn have a chance encounter after the show, the pull is overwhelming to both. Their tension is immediate, and we are captivated by the possibilities. Rhea and Joe, who are lovers, are Taryn's extended family. Rhea, fiercely strong and stubborn, is slow to accept Ros into their circle. She has her reasons, but are they valid or is she just being selfish? Joe, the family's protector, is the most accepting of Ros. He understands the family dynamics best because of his unique perspective as a transman. He acts as the cohesive bond that helps the characters' interactions evolve, moving from the past through the present to the future.

Smith's writing style has a poetic rhythm that is enjoyable to read. She uses parallels throughout the book to advance the novel and help the reader identify with the dilemmas her characters are facing. At one point she compares Ros' relationship with Taryn to Ros' brother's marriage to a non Christian Indian woman. Both prefer partners with characteristics different from themselves. And both have had to overcome similar obstacles as well as prejudices with the choices they have made.

Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is a novel that makes a difference. It is filled with understanding and respect for the varied forms that love takes. It discards standard definitions of family, love and gender. Smith's story reminds us that people cannot be put into neat little boxes. Life is fluid and changing, and as Smith so succinctly conveys to us, we must be too.

Don't ignore this author! Why? Because I think that Susan Smith is on the cusp of great things. Technically proficient, but not muddled in dry or tedious narrative; yet not a post modern of the short, fiery nuts and bolts variety that so often leaves you wanting more and never delivers, here we have a writer that has grasped the voice for an age. Smith delivers verse in a smooth balance of what's important to retain from the great writer's of the past, while infusing it with right amount of the contemporary to keep everything flowing smoothly.

But technical ability has never been what makes a great author, and never will. With Smith there is so much more. Without feeling it necessary, but doing it anyway, I caution anyone not to disregard this book on the grounds that it has a Lesbian premise. Smith has crafted a love story that goes beyond gender and their related stereotypes, to tell a tale that is beyond the sum of it's parts. The building of the romance, sex, and the trials and tribulations that plague any relationship are handled deftly and are so convincing that anyone will be drawn in and held captivated. If you happen to be a gay reader, then the more powerful it will be for you because at last you have found a writer who isn't in the business of trivializing Lesbian experience.

And speaking of convincing. This writer's descriptions of Buffalo, NY, where the story takes place [of all places] brings to life the people, neighborhoods, parks and back alleys that comprise the setting in such vivid detail it left this reader wanting to go there to see it, and look up these people to see them for real! Frankly, that hasn't happened since reading about Savannah, GA in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

But I digress somewhat. Loathe for me to leave you with the impression that this book is a mere love story. It's Not, and it's within the context of the larger picture Smith reveals what makes her shine as a creator. Buffalo, the supporting characters, even the principle characters, to some extent, exist as the vehicle to introduce a tale about magic, karmic cycles, and ultimately, the breaking free of the bonds that restrict life and living and move people toward real personal freedom. As the plot develops, the principle characters find themselves trapped in a cycle of Karmic fate that spans thousands of years. As their romance develops and complications arise, it becomes evident that there is something greater at work, spiraling their burgeoning love downwards towards a perilous fate beyond their control.

This is why Smith is a writer not to be ignored. She effortlessly slides this overarching Karmic thread into the story and brings to light the force of magic that works behind the scenes of the characters' lives. Smith discards the prevalent and overdone Hollywood vision of magic borne on the wave of glowing blue orbs and yellow and red projectile laser beams. She presents the sort of magic that is found in the Mundane, like the Zennist who pursues the spiritual through the simple yet profound observation of nature and the living, whole heartedly, in the present moment.

It's obvious that Smith knows her Joseph Campbell backwards and forwards, and like he understands that the magic of the ancients was the realm of dance and theatre. Anyone who doubts the history of magic in that context need only open any book on the Salem Witch Trials and look to see what activities drove the religious leaders into accusations of Satanic Frenzy. At the top of the list will be dancing in the woods. The Christian leaders knew that ritual dance was the provenance of Pagan religious ceremony, and to squash dancing was to smite Paganism forever. They were successful. Lost was the last vestige of Pagan magical practice in western society, and dance today has been reduced to the mere activity of night club activity, or "a good time". But Smith goes back to the Ancient Greeks for her material, and the vehicle of her magic is Theatre. Single-handedly, she revives a segment of Pagan magical experience that is a vital source of knowledge for today's world. The karmic forces build to the point of boiling over and there is only one way to save the characters love from ultimate destruction. Their ultimate goal is to break from any outside force that controls them, and move only where they can happily reside -- embrace of their own free will. But to say anymore is to give too much away.

So where am I going with this? The bottom line is that Susan Smith is a writer to watch out for because of what she brings to the table of literature. Reading her, you will see how expansive and rich is her knowledge of her subject matter. But that's only a part, what's significant is what makes her unique. Smith brings her personal vision of the world to the fore. Her knowledge of the ancients, magic, world religion is brought forth in vided reality, all within the guise of a romance story that is thoroughly, and lovingly presented. This book is a work of fiction, and as such it's meant to entertain, which it does without measure, but the beauty is that as it entertains as it oh so subtly teaches. Watch out for her, what's' to come could only get better.

I was pleasantly surprised when reading this book which is definitely something different in the market of lesbian fiction.

The story and the skilled writing of the author captivates and leaves one with the urge to read it again,

cause you are left with the feeling that if you read it a second and a third time you will see things you haven't noticed before.

It's not just another love story or a story between two people with an age difference. There is so much more to it.

I really appreciated this book and can't wait for the sequel,

anxious to find out if the author was able to write with the same magical skill again.

I read the first edition of this book a few years ago and have recently enjoyed the newest edition. Smith has created colorful, interesting characters to tell this great Uber story. Instead of the typical successful professionals depicted in other novels in the genre, she delivers Taryn, a young Drag King who lives in a house full of witches, and Rosalind, a young professor who has not earned tenure.

I loved the underlying romance. It was love at first sight for Taryn and Rosalind. This happened in spite of Rosalind's recent divorce and lack of previous attraction to women. However, I was a little confused about Rosalind's problems at school. She was called in to her department head's office for supposedly cavorting with a student (ie., Taryn - who isn't a student at all), but there is never any closure to this issue. In fact, Rosalind seemingly exacerbates the situation by enthusiastically bidding on, and winning, Taryn at a local charity auction.

One shortcoming of the book is the characters don't have much depth. The reader is supposed to have a general knowledge of the lives of Xena and Gabrielle. I suppose this device is meant to give Taryn and Rosalind dimensionality. It certainly works if you're a fan of the show, but there is a gap if you're unfamiliar with characters.

An enjoyable read, this book is recommended for a weekend evening home alone with a pot of coffee and a box of biscotti.

Finally, a lesbian book with a somewhat new twist. The characters are well developed and you seem to feel what they feel.

Good writing and a plot that keeps you interested. A few typos, but nothing so bad that it's distracting.

I look forward to more from this author.

I am a huge fan of hir writing, the final edited and published version of this text is outstanding! It is an intimate exploration two people discovering themselves through the venue of relationship. I heartily recommend it. Full of humor, romance, insights and magik, this book is certain not to disappoint!

This is a beautifully written story of love between two unlikely woman; a divorced 33 year old Enlish professor and a troubled, volatile 20 year old butch tattoo artist. The book is also populated by a richly drawn cast of characters such as a witch, a transexual, a drag queen.

People of all sexualities should enjoy this book; its themes are universal and anyone who likes fine writing and an absorbing story will be captivated.

Prior to buying and reading this published version of the Wheel of Fate I'd been a fan of the online version. I was pleased to find differences and additions to the online version, though I question the necessity of some of the choices made. That shouldn't make anyone hesitate to run out and read this book, however. This is one of the most literate, the most magical, the most textured books I've had to pleasure to read. The only complaints I have are really nitpicks and pet peeves. I have a hard time imagining how anyone could dislike this novel. It's a singular experience, a well-crafted and profound urban fantasy.

Set in Buffalo, a land of borders, Rosalind is a professor who doesn't know why she's lived such an even-keeled existence until she meets Taryn, a young drag king performing at a local club. Suddenly Rosalind's life gains color and texture as she is drawn into the life of this artist and her quirky family and becomes centered in her own existence, changing the lives of those around her, from her own slightly confused family, to that of her newly adopted family.

There's an odd push/pull between the prose being preachy and pretentious, and absorbingly unflinching and earnest, which ultimately draws you in to the magic it weaves. In fact, this book is full of a seductive idealism which enchants you. The mysticism and symbolism that are woven throughout lend magic to the tale, and help the reader accept relationships' beginnings and endings that in the harsh light of the "real" world might seem abrupt or unbelievable. The idea of these characters and their world as created by the author is a vivid one, and you owe it to yourself to open your mind and take this wonderful, original, and well-constructed journey.