Customer Reviews

Volkhavaar

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Until I read this, I was not terribly impressed with Tanith Lee's standalone novels (Electric Forest, Days of Grass, Day By Night). This, however, is probably one of her most imaginative and lush fantasy novels. The tale of lupine sorcerer Kernik/Volk and his dark god, and of innocent slave girl Shaina and her hopeless love for a cursed travelling actor, and how they interact, is engrossing and fantastic. Lee's writing is at its richest and most vibrant here, and the book is magical and totally enjoyable. And while "poetic justice" may be served, it's not done predictably so. If you're interested in checking out Tanith Lee, but don't want to get caught up in a series, this is an excellent place to start.

This is what you could describe as a perfectly crafted novel from begining to end. While reading it, the names of people and places sounded Russian, or Eastern European, and it does have the the effect of reading a well drawn out folk tale, Tanith Lee is no without her mythic influences here, as ever. There are charming details everywhere, and perspective changes from one character to the next, from Shaina, to Volk the magician and his origins (something you don't often see, especially in what you might class "fantasy", but done here is intense, with a lot of understanding, and not without dry humour) - even the cat Mitz, who Shaina shares a body with for a while, has a resounate voice here.
My favorite is Bubayat, the stone witch in her strange round house(Baba Yaga maybe?). The perfect anecdote to nasty sea witches and evil hags in prudish, sadistic Anderson fairytales,but provides the perfect piquant voice of someone older, and wiser. Bubayat teaches Shaina magic and power, and offers some brilliant invented proverbs,'Admire my necklace, said the dog with the choke chain' being one of them.
What made me love this book, and continue to, was the happy but unconventional ending. In fact it might even be leaving you hanging with an unresolved question, the narrator at various points poses us with questions and our own understanding.
But it's a beautiful, powerful story for our time. Tanith Lee creates a willful, bold but sensitive heroine in Shaina (I have to say, the name could have been a little better)without her ever seeming idealised- only young, idealistic and determined with a well developed sense of self worth, and these qualities are what makes her act to free herself and save the day, instead of endangering herelf for not being passive and virtuous.
As Bubayat says, Why drink stale beer in comfort, when you can drink white wine in danger?