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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely Fantasy - Poignant Love Story, May 3, 2005
This review is from: Gossamyr (Paperback)
Since childhood, Gossamyr de Wintershin a half faery, half mortal young woman knew that she would one day, in place of her father Shinn, rule over all of the fee in the Glamoursiege faery realm. Being only half faery, Gossamyr felt the snub from the true fee and also knew that she would only be accepted after she was wed to a fee of her father's choosing, and even then....she would never be more than half faery. She trained as a warrior and thus thirsted for a way to prove herself worthy of the impending honor.
A dangerous succubus, the mysterious Red Lady resided outside the enchanted land in her lair in Paris. This succubus was enticing the fee to her then would drain them of their essence. Upon the fee's death she would capture the last of their glimmer which would then release the murderous revenants that found their way back to the Enchanted land to wreak havoc. Because Gossamyr didn't have the Glamour of the true faery, but the wit and the fighting ability of a warrior, she was able to convince her father to let her travel to the Otherside, to take on the Red Lady and thereby save `her people'.
Back in the land of mortals, Gossamyr is impressed with the lure of the Otherside and has hooked up with a traveling companion who tempts her mortal half. He is a mysterious mortal - a soul Shepard - who has his own agenda as he seeks his own truths. In her quest to save her people, Gossamyr learns truths about herself, her lost lover, and her father that will inalterably alter her world forever.
*** This was a very good story, though I admit finding it a tad difficult to get into. I thought more than once to put it aside as I was very confused by new terms and words used in the text, but as I became familiar with Hauf's writing style, it swiftly captured my interest as the action adventure and romance kicked in. One caveat that bears mentioning is that I had read a description on the book, stating a blending history and fantasy for which I didn't find that much in the way of historical detail. On the other hand, for the pure enjoyment of a beautifully presented fantasy tale with a memorable and likeable heroine; fascinating secondary characters; along with a poignant love story that will have you reaching for tissues throughout the last couple of chapters, this is surely the ticket! --- Marilyn, for (...)---
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good plot, wierd execution, October 28, 2005
This review is from: Gossamyr (Paperback)
I read "Gossamyr" on the plane while I was away on business, so I was forced to finish it or stare mindlessly out the window. It wasn't bad. It's got a good storyline and interesting characters, and it's not so obvious as other Luna books I've read.
I had trouble getting into the author's world, though. For example, the slang creation bothered me. (Bone? Why not just use a different, easily recognizable word instead of creating something sort of useless to the story and then having to explain it?) It would be one thing if it was a different language, but it seemed sort of pointless.
I also hadn't read "Seraphim" so I realized, as I got through the book, that I was missing some obvious character connections that were revealed. However, I wasn't sufficiently intrigued by "Gossamyr" to want to run out and pick up the first novel in the series.
Not my favorite Luna book, but not one I would want to throw out the window either.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
beguiling fantasy, April 27, 2005
This review is from: Gossamyr (Paperback)
The world of faery has known peace for a very long time but now the realm's very existence is threatened by the Red Lady, a faerie banished to the Otherside (the mortal realm). She is stealing the essence of faeries who stay too long in Paris controlled by English King Henry and his soldiers. Shinn, leader of Glamourseige knows that Gossamyr, the half mortal-half faery, is the only warrior who can defeat The Red Lady because as a female she is not susceptible to the lure of the succubus.
Although she lacks wings and contains only the glamour from her years of living in faery, she crosses to the Otherside with the help of Shinn. She meets Ulrich who participated in a fairy Dance and lost two decades. His wife remarried and a dragon killed his daughter. He hopes to bring her back to the mortal world because he has an alacorn (a unicorn's horn) and when he gives it back to its owner he gets one wish. The pair teams up, helping each other when one gets into trouble. When she learns the truth about her origins that Shinn kept from her, Gossamyr's priorities change although she remains determined to save faery by defeating THE RED LADY.
GOSSAMYR is a beguiling fantasy that blends elements from many genres to produce a work that will enchant readers who will place it on their keeper self to reread when they want an uplifting experience. The protagonist is an amazon warrior in a besieged Paris who battles a succubus, her ex-lover, and wins the heart of a mortal who is on a quest of his own. Michele Hauf has the magic touch that she imbues in her storyline.
Harriet Klausner
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