Customer Reviews

A Rumor of Gems

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

 

 

If you loved Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, and enjoy the books of Arturo Perez-Reverte (odd combination, I know), I think you'll really enjoy A Rumor of Gems.

The characters are fully drawn, realistically imperfect, eccentric, and very likeable. The style of characterization is what most reminds me of Perez-Reverte's books (Flanders Panel springs to mind). The combination of familiarity and strangeness of the setting/background is what reminded me of Neil Gaiman's books.

The magic itself is not the usual, and the author lets the reader discover what it's all about alonside Lucinda, the female protagonist.

This is the author's first full-length fantasy for adults, and I hope she'll treat us to many more. And I hope the jade dragon returns in at least one of them!

Steiber's first venture into the world of adult fantasy is impressive. Rumor of Gems captivated me from the first line, as did the definitely quirky but deeply realized heroine, Lucinda. Unlike much adult fantasy fiction this book revels in depth of character--the plot emerges from Lucinda's own troubled past--and that of Alasdair, the hauntingly romantic and reluctant and definitely sexy hero of the tale. The story opens with gemstones appearing everywhere...in people's pockets, on the streets, in nooks and crannies of the houses of unsuspecting citizens of a modern river town with definite medieval ambiance. The mystery of the why and "wherefrom" of the gems immediately ensnares the reader in a web of magical happenings. The adventuresome action-filled tale certainly piqued my own interest in gems...as well as in the fate of the extraordinary characters...perhaps the most loveable of which is a perceptive and delightfully wiley tiny jade dragon. At the end of the book I found myself longing for a sequel.

A Rumor of Gems is a great new fantasy novel by an excellent writer. I can't get enough of this book. Like most people, I didn't want it to end. I felt as if I have been in Arcato now.

The main story is about Lucinda, who finds herself on a journey as she discovers more about herself and helps her friends. There is romance, adventure and lots of fun.

The story has a wonderful cast of colorful characters. The gemstone theme throughout the book is so cool. Gods wander the streets among humans, shape shifters cause trouble. With so much going on, it was a lot of fun to read.

I highly recommend this and I hope there will be a second book set in Arcato. I can't wait to go back again.

In the city of Arcato, strange things are happening. People find gem stones lying about. A young boy is killed mysteriously. Shadows are not benign. The gods are restless. And tricksters are loose. Five people are caught up in an ancient struggle, some with powers to fight back, some without.

Lucinda de Francesco and her friend Tyrone Dessaline work together in the garment business. She has an eye for antique fabrics and he has an eye for changing them into marvelous garments. Sebastian, a newcomer to the city, seduces Lucinda, although she struggles against it. He is a man of secrets. On Carnival Night, Tyrone offends Ilyap'a, a storm god, and his life is to be forfeit. Add the murderous intentions of the boy Michael and their lives forever become hopelessly intertwined.

Meanwhile, Alasdair, a cearu, or type of holy man, is the one who scatters gems throughout the city. Having seen as much of Arcato as he wants, he prepares to leave. Yet once he meets Lucinda, he tarries. He and Sebastian are enemies, he wants to help Michael, and he wields the magic of the stones to find the real villain whose depradations increase.

These characters, and more, come alive in this story of magic and people struggling against forces they don't always understand. The premise is original, the language is often lilting, and the colors are vivid. This story and this world are not the usual fare.

Heroine Lucinda lives in a world like ours, except that gods are real and all the various gemstone lore is literally true. Her boss and friend Tyrone dresses up like one of those gods, incurring the god's wrath, and endangering his life. She meets Sebastian, a shapeshifter, who enlists Eros's aid in seducing her.

Meanwhile, there's Alasdair, who has such an affinity for gemstones that they follow him around and are always falling out of his pockets, etc. He's there because something evil is loose in the world and he's trying to stop it. It's already affected the young boy Michael, and Alasdair is trying to rescue him.

Oh, yes. In addition to gemstone magic, gods, and shapeshifters, there's also a bit of time travel.

I'd complain about stuffing so many disparate fantasy elements into one story, but I've seen it done elsewhere to good effect, and I was intrigued by the various concepts, though I'd really have liked there to be some sort of connection between them. The gemstones had nothing to do with the gods, which had nothing to do with shapeshifters, which had nothing to do with time travel. It was almost like a few separate stories mashed together.

Unfortunately, and this is a problem with a lot of fantasy novels, the worldbuilding took the form of long discourses, mostly in this case about the properties of various gemstones. I got the disconcerting feeling that I was in a gemstone infomercial, because every time I'd start getting involved in the story, it would stop and I'd get another lecture on another gemstone.

Even the time period seemed confused. I know from the book jacket that it's supposed to be a contemporary fantasy, but the feel of the story is more like a swords-and-sorcery kind of fantasy, except that characters do have a few modern conveniences like telephones. They don't seem to have cars, though. And when Lucinda goes into the past, there's almost no difference at all. Certainly, nobody notices anything unusual about her.

But even that I could have tolerated if I'd liked the characters. Lucinda is distinctly unlikeable. She's a bitchy, promiscuous man-hater. Promiscuity I can handle, but not when it's as mean-spirited as it was with Lucinda. I read plenty of erotica and sex-scene-filled romances. But Lucinda was just crude.

Worst of all, though, was that there was no change. She learns some things, but nothing that changes her. She warms up to one or two individuals, but that's not even close to being the same thing as learning not to be so nasty in general.

And what really, really made me throw the book against the wall, especially because I kept reading until the end hoping it wasn't true, is the book's message of intolerance, bitterness, and never forgiving anyone.

As a crystal lover, just the title of the book caught my attention. Reading it, I was hooked. This lady knows her gems and she uses them brilliantly in this first fantasy novel! Interesting characters, intrigue aplenty, almost verging on magical realism, Rumor of Gems is a must read for those who like strong women characters, mysterious sorcerers, their fantasy mixed with reality, and a new world (Arcato) to visit and relish. Can't wait for the second novel in the series to be ready - soon, I hope!

As one of the reviews on the back of the book stated, steiber's prose IS flawless. The words flow as a magical stream. Love it!

I have never read fantasy before. This book is magical and wonderous. It held my interest throughout and made me want to look up more about the gods and gems on the web. I can't wait for the sequel.

The city of Arcato is under some sort of mystical siege. First magical gemstones began appearing with the potency to cast spells. On top of that the ancient port city has become a place teeming with gods and other mythological creatures pretending to be humans only to vent havoc on the locals while time is multiple with varying epochs coexisting in an interactive spiral.

As chaos rules the city, human Lucinda de Francesco detests males whether they are god, shapeshifter or mortal as she wants no one to dictate to her how to live and yet she still thirsts for true love. She is especially wary of antiques dealer Sebastian Keane, who obsessively courts her in spite of her acrimonious rejections of him. At the same time; eleven years old Michael Fortunato has apparently become a killer because someone seems to have used the power of a gem to control the lad. Could that have been a God, a rogue shaman like Alasdair or even the sentient miniature dragon gemstone?

The weird city and its supernatural cast that includes the thinking gems and most humans are well rounded and solid so that the audience believes in what is going on inside of Arcato. However, the heroine on the other hand pontificates on her life slowing down an exhilarating plot that moves on all cylinders when Lucinda is not musing about the shortcomings. Fans of strange fantasy tales will appreciate this fine story wondering whether the preadolescent is a killer, a victim of a gem, or set up by one of the Gods.

Harriet Klausner

I am a big fan of adult fantasy and this book has quickly become one of my favorites! The story is enchanting and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.