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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting, July 3, 2004
SUNLIGHT AND SHADOW by Cameron Dokey is the latest retold fairy tale in the ONCE UPON A TIME series from Simon Pulse. It tells the story of Mina, the daughter of the Queen of Night (Pamina) and the Mage of the Day (Sarastro). Mina has lived with her mother for almost sixteen years, but, on the day before she was supposed to be returned to her father so he could choose her husband, he steals her away ahead of schedule. He wants to force her to wed the man of his choosing, when all she wants to do is follow her heart. The story swtiches viewpoint sometimes by chapter and sometimes by paragraph. Cameron Dokey does a good job of giving the characters distinct voices, so that I only got confused about the point of view once. The POV switches between: Mina: The daughter who wants the freedom to choose her husband, and to stay with him once she has done so,
Lapin: Mina's best friend and the Queen of Night's faithful servant,
Tern: the prince who follows Lapin's bells to his true love and faces trials to win her,
Statos: Sarastro's right hand man and Mina's intended husband, and
Gayna: the orphan girl that Sarastro raised as his own daughter and who now has to face the fact that she will always be second in his affections. Dokey weaves an enchanting spell around the reader. Her writing is as engaging as always, sometimes tongue-in-cheek funny, sometimes serious, always magical. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales. The only fault I can find with it, is that it is too short, and I think a few things are rushed. Still, it's a must-read book.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A House Divided, November 14, 2004
As I loved the two previous fantasy titles by this author (Beauty Sleep, & Storyteller's Daughter)it was with much anticipation that I cracked open the first pages. A consecrated moment!
Once again Cameron Dokey has served up a delightful mélange of fantasy, myth & fable as a fresh story. Inspired by Mozart's `Die Zauberflote' (The magic flute), she has crafted a newly emerging world, and a warring dynasty. Title of first chapter: A House Divided.
The fantasy sweeps you away whilst the touches of whimsy and quick humor remind that this is a book for young people, a book to grin at, before moving on in the grand adventure.
The first chapters dwelling on details of Mina's life, growing with a companion, beautifully described & fleshed out `Lapin', her relations with her mother (Queen of the Night). Sarastro, (Mage of the Day - dad) has raised another girl in his palace and Mina feels very displaced in his affections.
When she is untimely wrenched away by the father she has never seen or known one is able to properly experience with her the high emotions which rage.
In a brilliant departure from the standard, the man who ought to be the "villain" of the piece, Sastro, who in the original story was a Moor & evil, Dokey has given him compassion, and humor, and an ability to see his own flaws, and in the end; redemption.
Occasionally the humor jarred, but on the whole it was a welcome addition and helped on to feel that the hero wasn't such a dull character.
The biggest plus is the authors ability to write every detail, every nuance or happening so evocatively that one is swept away by the majesty of her words.
Shorter than anticipated, and perhaps ending at a pace a little more sprightly than the epics I am used to, this is a small book, no more than 184 pages - a nights reading. Short and sweet? Pretty much.
It's a book I will read again, and I'm sure on the second read I won't gallop through it, anxious to devor, but will take time to savor it more fully.
Who knows, I might need to readjust my review.
If you enjoy fantasy books (as I'm sure you must) or even if you are just a fan of Cameron Dokey's other books, you are guaranteed to like this one.
Kotori Nov 2004
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Her Love Was Trapped Between Night and Day..., July 15, 2005
Even though this was a fascinating story, it would have been much better had it been longer, or at least long enough to explain confusing concepts to the reader. As it was, not all the details were sorted out well and the storyline occasionally jarred.
I liked the way the alternating view points allowed the reader to see the story from all angles. But there were times when the action was too slow or too fast. For example, the trials mentioned on the book cover took the space of only one chapter, while the unnecessary history of the bells took up two.
I thought Mina, the heroine, was a rather dull character. Although she was intelligent, it seems as though Dokey tried too hard to make her perfect. Her lover, Tern, was just as dull, and although he sported some humor at times, it was sometimes jangled. I was much more interested in the relationship between two supporting roles, Lapin and Gayna, my favorite (properly flawed) characters, or even the Queen on Night and Mage of Day, than the obvious, boring, predictable romance between Mina and Tern.
It was nice to see that the "villains" (Statos and Sarastro) were not truly evil, black-hearted people, but just like everybody else: wanting the best for themselves and doing what they think is right for others. And their actions were well-justified. I think the story would have been more interesting if the characters and intentions of the villains had been better developed.
I wish the author had spent more time on this book, for although it was truly awe-inspiring, there were many underdeveloped subplots and flaws in character development. Overall, the entire story needed developing, but as it is, it is still nearly satifying, and I do not regret taking the time to read this novel.
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