Let me first address some of the above reviews whose writers have apparently been deeply offended by this book. It is true that, for most people, this book is not a "leisure" book. That is, it's not one of the quarterly, mass-produced formula books that we now expect from such writers as Mercedes Lackey, Robert Jordan, et al. Most of the reviewers above appear to have gotten halfway through 'Magic of Twilight' before realizing that this book was not what they wanted. However, if any potential reader bothers to peruse the book before purchasing or reading, they will notice a foreword describing the various cultures and languages that influenced the setting, as well as an appendix with a glossary explaining all the names and places that are supposedly unpronounceable (unless, of course, you know anything about any European languages (and why do so many people seem to be bothered about the pronounceable-ness of a word that they don't actually have to say out-loud?)).
Anyhow, my point here is that if you look before you leap into a book, you're much less likely to be overwhelmed or caught off-guard. If you do find yourself in the position of the above reviewers, it's more helpful if you say "I was expecting X, but discovered Y" instead "God this sucked and it was boring and I can't be bothered with nomenclature!"
Now, on to the actual review:
Simply put, I loved this book. As has been said before, it is not a Tolkeinesque fantasy world of elves and dwarves, but instead one populated entirely by humans. What I really loved about it (and other people seemed to hate, I suppose) is that the world was well thought out and detailed. While I was reading this book, it felt like I was traveling to another country. The various European influences, in nomenclature as well as cultural affections, theology, architecture and more, are easily seen and masterfully woven to give the reader a real sense of what it means to be a part of this society.
The author facilitates this by presenting each chapter through the viewpoint of a different character. Of course, the main characters receive several chapters while more minor characters receive only one or two chapters. This mechanism does wonders for the "tourist" effect of the book, ensuring that you get a chance to compose your own viewpoint of the world from various elements of each character's view.
This technique also facilitates the twisting of the plot. It's exhilarating to turn the page to the next chapter and find that it's "told" by a character who has so far appeared to be antagonistic, inscrutable, evasive, or otherwise intriguing. Farrell also uses this to good effect by establishing the motives or allegiances of characters that would otherwise be questionable, and therefore harm the integrity of the story.
One of the things I liked best about the book was the main locale, the city of Nessantico. Reading the book, you can tell that Farrell has put a lot of effort into making the city feel like a living entity, almost in the way that Joss Whedon envisioned the spaceship Serenity as "the 10th character" on the much-mourned Firefly television series. Reviewers who complain that the main character, Ana, is boring and uninspiring are really just missing the point: Nessantico is the main character, not Ana, nor anyone else.
'Magic of Twilight' brings in enough magic and fantastical elements to fulfill my appetite for escapism, but not so much as to make the suspension of disbelief a chore. It focuses on theo-political intrigue to really engage me mentally, while including just enough of the life-or-death adventure and action to make it viscerally appealing. This whole well-balanced system is set in a world that is lovingly detailed and thought out, making it a solid, cohesive story. In this way, at least, Farrell is like Tolkien, who knew much more about his world than could be written before he even wrote about it. Nothing contradicts, and everything is believable within the setting.
'Magic of Twilight' is like the love child of a political intrigue novel and a history textbook, whose nursemaid was a fantasy adventure. I mean that in the best possible way. It combines all my favorite elements from each of these sources.
One last thing that I imagine turned off more than one reader, however, was the sense that the story was incomplete. Of course. The story of a history is never finished, and this installment leaves the reader on the cusp of a breakdown of Nessantico's long rule over the surrounding region. There is so much about the world that we don't yet know.
Luckily, there are more Nessantico books coming. I can't wait.
