10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Female Dar Sala-at, September 15, 2006
The Veil of a Thousand Tears (2002) is the second Fantasy novel in The Pearl series, following The Ring of Five Dragons. In the previous volume, Giyan removed Annon's mind from his body, stored it in Riane's body, and surrendered Annon's body to the V'oorn hunters so that the search for Annon will end. Kurgan played his father against Kinnnus Morcha until both are dead. Riane deactivated the Tymnos device by inserting her finger into the Ring of Five Dragons, but the Storehouse Door did not open. Riane then stabbed Malistra with a shard of oily heartwood and the sorceress died.
In this novel, the Dar Sala-at and her friends settle into the abandoned Abbey of Warm Current. Riane and Annon have become accustomed to residing in the same body, but Riane's mind is still producing moments of vivid memories from her forgotten life. Annon is uncomfortable with still loving Eleana in his female body. Giyan is also uneasy with her son residing in a female body, but she soon learns to love Riane as much as Annon.
Rekkk is still Rhynnnon, dedicated to Giyan's protection, and is now her lover, but her secrecy makes him doubt her love. Eleana is beginning to suspect Annon's presence within Riane. Both are Rekkk and Eleana are becoming impatient with their passive role in the Dar Sala-at's retinue.
Riane wonders why the Storehouse Door did not open for her to retrieve the Pearl. Giyan responds with the warning that the Portals between their realm and the Abyss must have been breached. Riane has actually seen a Tzelos possessing Rekkk. But this means that an Archdaemon has taken a host in this realm and is at work on Kundala.
As they are speaking, a daemon takes possession of Giyan. Riane is hit by a spell and knocked off her feet. Giyan levitates out the smashed window into the courtyard. Riane grabs her ankles, but cold fire forces her to let go. Rekkk and Eleana attack Giyan, but are driven off. Riane crosses over into Otherwhere and sees Ras Shamra, Giyan's sorcerous avatar, caged, with its powerful wings pinioned at its side. As Riane tries to release the avatar, an Eye of Ajbal opens and she flees the Otherwhere. In the normal world, Riane discovers that Giyan is gone, taken by the daemon.
Kurgan is now Regent, but he feels stifled by his duties and ignores them as much as he can. He has been encouraging the Kundalans to plot against the V'oorn, fanning the flames of resistance. All is a game to him.
The only inconvenience to his game is Nith Batoxxx, the Gyrgon who has secretly trained him from childhood. Batoxxx views him as one piece in the game. Kurgan tires of being yanked around by the Gyrgons, especially by Batoxxx. Now Batoxxx interrogates him about the Dar Sala-at and commands him to search for the seven Portals and to resume construction of Za Hara-at. Kurgan carefully notes the interest that Batoxxx has in these subjects, but also resolves to work toward domination over the Gyrgons.
During his father's Rescendance rite, Kurgan talks to Sornnn SaTrryn about the Korrush and his plans to rebuild Za Hara-at, the ancient Kundalan city; Sornnn invites him to travel with him to the site. Then Kurgan asks Olnnn Rydddlin, the new Star-Admiral, about the investigation of thefts of military equipment. Kurgan also talks to his sister, Marethyn, who chastises him for not inviting their older brother, Terrettt, to the ceremony.
Olnnn Rydddlin circulates among the mourners searching for Line-General Lokck Werrrent, but first he encounters Bronnn Pallln, a self-appointed candidate for the position of Prime Factor. Olnnn has been looking for a stalking-horse to implicate Sornnn SaTrryn in the theft of V'oorn weapons and Bronnn seems the ideal person for the job. He sets up an appointment to brief Bronnn and then goes on to set up another appointment with Lokck Werrrent.
In this story, Kurgan is playing everybody against each other, with Nith Batoxxx being his primary target. Sornnn SaTrryn and Marethyn become lovers and he introduces her to the Resistance. Marethyn also learns that someone, probably a Gyrgon, has tampered with Terrettt's brain as an infant, causing him to have seizures and to be unable to talk; yet Terrettt is not really mad.
Riane and her friends are racing the clock to free Giyan before the Archdaemon takes over her soul. Meanwhile, the possessed Giyan is being used to infiltrate the Ramahan in the Abbey of Floating White. Konara Inggres feels that something is wrong with the leaders of the Abbey; even her friend Konara Lyystra seems to be acting weirdly.
This novel introduces the daemons from the Abyss as major players in the Kundalan crisis. Several characters are possessed by daemons of one sort or another. In the worst case, the only way to return a daemon to the Abyss is to kill the host. That could be the fate of Giyan unless Riane can free her with the Veil of a Thousand Tears.
This volume continues the violence of the first novel. In many respects, the V'oorn are like the Shogunate Japanese in their treatment of inferior races. The Kundalans are treated much like the Koreans and the Okinawans were treated by the Japanese. Torture and murder were the methodology of that time, imposing order through fear. Both the method and its results are evident in this story.
The author uses a short, choppy style in this novel. Every segment seems to end with the hero/heroine in dire straits, like The Perils of Pauline. At least one segment is less than a page in length. This approach maintains the suspense, but leaves too many plot lines up in the air until the author returns to that element. Longer plot segments would probably reduce the confusion level.
Recommended for Lustbader fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, impromptu violence and intuitive magic.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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