Customer Reviews

The Sunne in Gold

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

 

 

The novel is set in medival times, in Ireland, when people were embracing new ideologies but also still clinging to older more barbaric beliefs as well.

Our two main heroines are well defined and I found it easy to be interested in them, and care about them. One of them is Cathelin O'Cameron, a strong warrior woman also known as the knight, Blacksunne. The other is a beautiful Muslim woman, Madrigal, who has known slavery. The story revolves around these two women, their growing love for one another, and those who would plot against them.

I especially liked the way the author used expressions and language of that time period, also attitudes and the environment were very well described so that I felt the characters, their story and their surroundings all fit together.

Sunne In Gold was a treat from beginning to end. The author grabbed me from the first few pages and kept me up WAY too late one night reading. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the great historical flavor. The characters' dialogue, clothes, the setting, etc., all lent themselves to several hours of wonderful escape. The love story was sweet but not gaggy and it was a gratifying to read about two women with such strong, vibrant personalities. Give this one a try! You won't be disappointed.

This was a really fun book to read, an adventure of a welcome sort for anyone who wants a bit of lesbian swashbuckling along with the love story.

I bought it because someone else compared it to Laura Adams/Karin Kallmaker's "Sleight of Hand." Well, that is a bit of a stretch. I've read Sleight three times now and have yet to find a flaw of any kind. The flaws in this book are apparent on the first reading.

The flaws aren't so very terrible, though. Yes, a couple of historical inaccuracies, but a whole bunch of details that were dead on, right down to King Richard's sexuality. There were a couple of jerky switches of point of view, but those smoothed out completely. The villainy was terrible, the winsome lasses exceedingly so! Sometimes the action was a bit predictable, but the way it was executed was still a thrilling, diverting and entertaining read. As another reviewer said, a lesbian knight story, at last!

I want more from Nene Adams because I enjoyed this book so much. How about a sequel? That would be *most* pleasing!

Lady Cathelin O'Cameron fought during the Crusades as the knight Blacksunne. Returning home, she fights a usurper to her family's estate, and finds love with a former slave named Madrigal. This will certainly appeal to those who love lesbian romances (like those published by Naiad Press, Cape Winds Press, or Bella Books), and also to those wishing for some escapist entertainment. I was thoroughly entranced by the story and characters, despite the high melodrama and historical inaccuracies. "The Sunne in Gold" is a lot of fun, and proves that small presses have wonderful books to offer.

Perhaps the last name "Adams" means "great fiction" for lesbians. First Laura Adams (Karin Kallmaker's fantasy/sci-fi pseudonym) floors me with "Sleight of Hand" and now Nene Adams has done the same with "The Sunne in Gold." Both books have a strong historical plot line and -- somewhat refreshingly -- neither have anything to do with Xena! (And neither claim to!)
The "Sunne in Gold" is well-researched and highly enjoyable. I have been longing for someone to give me a fully realized female knight and here it is. I'll reread this again and again, I'm sure, and I am hoping for many, many more like it.

Set in Erin during the time of the crusades. Lady Cathelin O'Cameron, known as the Blacksunne, armored herself as knight and followed Richard the Lionhearted (reigned 1189-1199) to the Holy Land. There Blacksunne gained a reputation as a fierce and blood thirsty warrior and suffered the loss of a lover in a cross cultural bit of sexism and homophobia. Like Richard, Blacksunne has returned home to find a relative -- in this case her cousin -- usurper has taken control of her home. She and her battle hardened allies turn out the villain with little difficulty. Although she makes the mistake of not killing him when she could . . .

Among many appalling changes to her keep, Lady Cathelin discovers her cousin has installed a Moorish bed slave, literally chained to his bed. Blacksunne frees Madrigal, who reminds Blacksunne of her lost love in the Holy Land. It turns out Madrigal has suffered so much trauma and abuse in her short life, she doesn't begin to know how to trust or love.

This is Adams' first novel and there are some uneven elements. The primary plot device, that of a cross-dressing, battle leading, noble woman requires the readers' willingness to suspend disbelief. This reader is willing to accept a broad range of premises, if the story is told well. Sunne in Gold does not entirely succeed. Certainly there have always been women who cross-dressed to increase their opportunities in this world. Indeed until the required medical exams of the 20th Century, every war has known some hidden women soldiers as well as less hidden ones. If the likes of a Blacksunne did exist, she seems more likely to be of Irish or at least Celtic origins. However, pinning her to the late 12th Century makes Blacksunne less likely in that the sexism of the time had already limited most women's options.

Some issues of characterization are too complex for this story and even distract from it. Adams might have been better off simplifying some of Madrigal's post traumatic stress -- since it is applying a current psychological standard to a very different set of values, time and culture -- and finally, most annoying, there are several historical inaccuracies that become distracting because Adams emphasizes them.

For example Cathelin gives Madrigal a dress. This is an important, touching moment for Madrigal. The former slave is impressed with the quality of cloth and the buttons, describing them in detail. (Well, she should be impressed, since buttons didn't exist until the 1600s!)

Then there is the issue of language. We're told Madrigal learned English from a cruel English knight who brought her back from the Middle East. It's unclear why the knight spoke English (even Middle English) instead of Norman French -- which is much more likely, certainly that's what Richard and most of the royal court spoke after 1066 -- but he did and thus taught Madrigal the language. Supposedly that's why she could understand Lady Cathelin O'Cameron. It's possible that the Blacksunne would have spoken Norman French or Latin because of her status and yes, perhaps even Middle English. However, it seems her first language, and certainly the language of most subjects of her fealty would have been old Gaelic. Indeed some of the characters speak with a strong dialect which may be intended to present Gaelic, but succeeds mostly in being distracting. As with the buttons, because Adams makes a point of bringing these language issues to the readers'attention, the error is annoying.

Adams' action is very good, if occasionally predictable, and draws the reader into the story. If you are in the mood for old-fashioned tale of betrayal, villainy, and the triumph of good with a touch of lavender romance, Sunne in Gold is worth your while. Certainly as Adams' first novel, it shows promise. Her plotting is good. Her depiction of the deterioration of the evil
villain is wonderfully weird. Hopefully her future work will be more careful with historical detail -- simply setting it in a fantasy alternative realm would have solved these problems nicely -- and some pieces of characterization.

The Sunne doesn't set on this wonderful book. I'm just happy that I get to "officially" own a copy now *S*. Full of danger, honor and passion, this book is sure be a favorite of anyone who reads it! - Silk

Nene Adams is one of the most competent and talented historical fiction writers I have ever encountered. If you like historical fiction, you should check this one out now.

I didn't dislike this book....I just didn't believe any of it. Why are the townspeople of Inishowen loyal to Kathelin? Why should they care about her? And where is the town in the book anyway? Most of what you read about is the Lady's bedroom. But hardly anything interesting happens in the bedroom. How can the Lady/Lord of the Manor run her town and castle if all she does is lay abed all day with her courtesan? Speaking of the slave, Madri, how come so many lesbian authors write about one powerful and white character falling for a lowly, female-of-color? I'm not sure I get that?

The language and descriptions of things seem somewhat accurate, but there aren't any horses--or tools--or trades--or other Knights. Didn't King Richard have a huge group of Knights? There's never any mention of squires...until the battle at the end, and all of a sudden Kathelin has a squire. Where'd he come from? And since when would the leader/lord fall to her knees and sob after an execution? Wouldn't a real leader save the boo-hoos for behind closed doors and not blubber all over her lover's knees? I just can't believe any soldiers or townspeople would follow Blacksunne if she proved to be such a lightweight emotionally.

There's not much believable daily life unless you count the kitchen information. What is the flora and fauna like? The castle, the village, and all the territory around are not described. Also, if the editor had deleted the countless descriptions of clothes, the book would have been 40 pages shorter or there would have been room for a sense of place to be developed.

I did like the battle scene (sorry, there's only one). I had hoped there would be more palace intrigue, more actual plot. This was basically a romance disguised as historical fiction, but the sex scene (sorry, there's really only one), leaves a lot to be desired. It's not that good of historical fiction, though. I think the author should have either stuck to the romantic elements and carried them out better or else stuck to history and made the story more believable.

It's not a bad book--just not a really good book. And what's the deal with the ragged right justification? The writer could have got 15 more words in per page and maybe given a little more plot with that amount of room.

I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't quite cut it, so I was disappointed. Maybe the sequel will be better done.

Rating this book from the point of view of XWP uber fan fiction, I must say it's dissapointing since the characters do not resemble XWP characters in any way nor they resemble the spirit of the relationship. It's a good book, but if you are looking for XWP uber fan fic this is certainly not it.