Customer Reviews

Sunlight and Shadow (Once Upon a Time)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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

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.

Okay, I'm going to declare my cultural ignorance right here and now by saying that I know NOTHING about the opera 'The Magic Flute', upon which this book is apparently based. But I DO know a thing or two about good book writing, though, enough to say that this is a compelling, well written book.

If you're the type of person who'd rather drink a bucket of goo than have anything to do with opera, then don't worry. This book is nothing like an opera. There's no fat lady singing, no foreign languages to try to interpret, and no rich women sitting in the dress circle wearing hideous fur coats. Nor will it cost you a month's wages to view it. Rather, this book is unpretentious and accessible to anyone and everyone, young or old.

The author takes a bold chance on this story, by writing each chapter from the viewpoint of a different character, even the bad guy. In lesser hands it might not have worked. But here it works very well indeed, once you get used to it.

This is Mina's story, even though she only writes some of the chapters. Her parents are literally night and day, and don't get along. Her father wishes her to marry someone of his choosing, someone she doesn't like. So in true storybook heroine fashion, she leaves home to follow the song of her heart, and find her own true love.

Of course, she finds him...but as always, the path to true love does not run smoothly, and the two lovers literally have to go to hell and back to prove their love for one another.

This book is like a bag of mixed lollies--sugary, tasty, full of variety and highly addictive! Enjoy!

The plot was a little rushed in this book, I thought, but it was still quite good.

Mina is a girl who has grown up withher mother, the enchantress of the night. She has never even met her father, the mage of the day, since birth. One night, just before her 16th birthday, her father steals her away. Meanwhile, her mother, desperate to save Mina, asks the servant Lapin to use the magic bells. Lapin plays the enchanted bells, and a prince from a faraway kingdom hears and answers the call. Unfortunately for Mina, her father intends her to wed the man of her father's choosing: a handsome, but conceited prince.

Most of the characters had depth and believability, especially the fight between Mina's father and mother. The ending was satisfying, though a little rushed.

Overall, pretty good book. Worthy of all five stars.

Note: If you liked this book, I would also recommend The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, as well as Spindle's End, also by Robin McKinley.

Based on Mozart's Opera "The Magic Flute", Sunlight and Shadow proves that opposites attract, even the most extreme. Born as the daughter of Sarastro, Mage of the Day, and Pamina, Queen of the Night, Mina finds herself always to be in the middle, or a combination, of everything. Her parents have placed Mina in her mother's house until her 16th birthday, when she is to move to live with Sarastro, in order for him to better suit her with a husband. But when Sarastro breaks the agreement and brings her into his realm of Day before her birthday, chaos begins in the realm of Night.

A young servant, Lapin, is engaged to help Mina in her escape. He is ordered to play upon a set of bells that have been in his family for generations, and attempt to sound out the song of Mina's heart. The music draws the attention of Tern, a Prince in a nearby Kingdom, who quickly wins the right of freedom to wander by carving a wooden flute from an ancient oak, and setting on his way to follow the song that is close to that of his own heart.

Meanwhile, Mina has been engaged to Statos, a beautiful apprentice of Sarastro's. They are to be wed the next day, and there seems to be no time to rescue Mina, what with the daughter of the late forester Gayna sent to watch her and the limit of time. But as Mina decides to make her own escape, Lapin stumbles upon Tern, and the Queen's hopes are regained. Until of course, Lapin, Tern, Mina, and Gayna are all captured.

The story has been changed to better fit that of a book than an opera, but the added characters and plots only make it more captivating. It is well written and completely original to the fairy-tale world. Anyone looking for a short story (that has nothing to do with opera) that doesn't mind some mythology-esque characters can read this with enjoyment.

A retelling of the opera The Magic Flute from the Once Upon a Time series. While this isn't exactly a fairy tale, the story is similar enough in feel that I can see how this can fit with the series. Unlike Dokey's other books in this series, S&S does not really add much depth to the characters or their stories. Instead, S&S more or less maintains the "stock character" feel, but takes the basic events and characters of the opera and reworks them in a slightly different direction. The relationships here, both requited and especially unrequited, strike a more emotional chord than the opera's relationships. I enjoyed Dokey's tweaks in this retelling.

What I did not like were the voices she gave to her characters and the style of narration she chose. Each chapter is narrated by one of the main characters with the events of one chapter leading into the events of the next and the narrator's voice switching from person to person, like close siblings telling a story by finishing one another's sentences. This style could have worked really well, and was a nice idea, but the execution was weak and sometimes stilted. The characters' voices were not very distinct, and none were very likable. Most of the characters spoke in what I can only describe as an attempt at wry humor, but came across as more irritating and forced quirkiness. Despite these drawbacks, the book was overall more enjoyable than not and I rate it a good, if not great, addition to the series.

The Magic Flute isn't one of the classic Grimms' fairytales, so I wasn't at all familiar with it and failed to recognise it in the blurb. The story looked intriguing nonetheless: Sarastro, "Mage of the Day", and Pamina, "Queen of the Night", have a daughter who spends her life with her mother until she is 16 - whereupon she must leave to live with her father. The blurb then promises treachery and betrayal when Pamina lures a prince into a deadly agreement to win Mina as his bride.

Cameron Dokey puts a new spin on this story with first-person accounts from different - and very likeable - characters - mainly Mina, but also an orphaned girl who is brought up by Sarastro, Gayna; Lapin, a boy who owns a magical set of bells (not a flute), and Tern, the prince. Through their voices you get a glimpse of how they think and of how fate unfolds.

This is also a story of opposites. Night against day. Mina against Gayna. Mina with Statos and Tern. Gayna with Statos and Lapin. Love against hate and treachery. And of course, good against evil.

While everything seems quite separate at first, all the threads do wind together in the end quite satisfyingly. Everything that Sarastro does is based on trying to outwit a prophecy about Mina. The only problem is that, careful as he is, he may not have all the cards in his hands.

The tone of the book was refreshingly modern even though it is set in "a time that was young and many things were commonplace that are now forgotten". Sarastro and Pamina don't speak to each other, so Mina grows up wondering what her father is like. Sarastro tears her from her mother when she is just shy of 16, breaking the original agreement and causing a great deal of defiance on Mina's part. Gayna is hopelessly in love with Sarastro's guard Statos, but he's not interested in her. It makes absorbing reading.

And in the background there is Lapin, whom I count as my favourite character. He inherits a set of magical bells which can call your true love to you. While he practices listening to the music of his heart, he ends up calling birds instead. Lots of birds.

What Lapin and Pamina do after Mina has been stolen away by Sarastro is ingenious, and entirely within the rules of the game. I felt the blurb was totally misleading when it claimed that Pamina had lured Tern into a set of deadly trials. Sarastro set those trials, and Tern agreed to rescue Mina of his own free will.

Of course everything ends well and all live happily ever after. The story is shorter than I would have liked but it's very easy reading but sticks with you for a long while after. That's the best kind of story to own.

"Sunlight and Shadow" was the first book in the "Once Upon a Time" series that I read. It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it.

The story is a retelling of Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute", but it still manages to be original. The author puts some nice twists on an old story that was interesting and pretty original to begin with. It can be a little confusing because there are several narrators who switch without much notice, but it's not too hard to figure out. The plot has nice pacing, and the book is just the right length.

Best of all, she gives life to characters who were previously flat and stereotypical. The characterizations are nothing really special by themselves (still better than the stereotypes, but they're pretty typical of this kind of book), but it's interesting to get insight in the the characters' thoughts about events.

The writing was well-done. The romance was all right, but it seemed a bit shallow. But it was good for love at first sight, which was what it was in the opera. The author did a good job with it considering her resources. She does include a few themes about life in general, but they were nothing we haven't seen before.

I was not familiar with "The Magic Flute" before reading this, but it was a good way to introduce myself to it. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was still worth my time.

I was excited about this book because "Magic Flute" is one of my favorite stories. However while I did find myself enjoying it, I am not sure if I really appreciated this particular feminist take on it. Sometimes I think that a feminist take on an old beloved tale is great, however there are other times where it just distorts the story. I think that Nights Daughter by Marion Zimmer Bradley probably has a better attempt at having a feminst take on the story. And for an even better treat, score a copy of the Ingmar Bergman production of Magic Flute through netflix or your local library.