Fletcher, Susan - Alphabet of Dreams
Mitra and her younger brother Babak are currently living in the City of Bones, caves surrounding the poor part of Rhagae. They're of royal blood, but since their father attempted to overthrow the king, their entire family has been hunted down. Mitra is struggling to just keep herself and Babak fed, and she dreams of Palmyra, where she thinks she might be restored to her former lifestyle. Then, they discover that Babak will dream of someone's future if he sleeps with an item of theirs under his pillow.
This is a retelling of the story of the three Magi, only their story is rather incidental to Mitra's, but mostly, it's a story about dreams. The obvious bits are Babak's true dreams, but the driving force behind the book is Mitra's dream of finding her family again, along with safety, wealth and comfort. At one point in the book, Mitra and Babak wonder if Babak doesn't dream true, but only dreams what someone else strongly longs for and dreams of. In fact, Mitra and Babak end up accompanying the Magi precisely because they too long for something.
I am rather cranky today, so that may be why I was partly grumpy that a fantasy story starring a girl of color was a take on a Christian myth. That noted, the Nativity story takes place on the side; we never get to see Joseph and Mary, and Mitra could care less.
I very much loved Mitra -- she's strong and willful and often selfish, she looks after herself and her brother but not always well, she struggles between wanting what's best for Babak and wanting what may prove to be a way back to her old life. Not that many other female characters of note, though I also liked the wily, crafty, not-entirely-trustworthy Zoya from the beginning, who gets to be an old woman with a personality and an agenda.
I also love Fletcher's Persia and Roman Empire; it feels real. There are details galore on food (mmmm), buildings, clothes, and animals, and I particularly like that her cities are all different. This doesn't feel like a generic Persia copy-pasted from Arabian Nights. I also liked the details about Zoroastrianism in the book (all the Magi are followers) and about religion in general; the way people who weren't Magi believed in elements of Zoroastrianism as well as elements of other systems felt particularly real.
I'm a little sad that Mitra had to get thrown into a romance, though at least it wasn't an important plot point and more like a side note. I was also a little cranky about the resolution to Babak's dreams and how it weighted Christianity, but that's also a minor note that I am mostly handwaving.
Anyway, interesting, and am now looking for her other books, particularly Shadow Spinners.
Links:
- coffeeandink's review
This is a retelling of the story of the three Magi, only their story is rather incidental to Mitra's, but mostly, it's a story about dreams. The obvious bits are Babak's true dreams, but the driving force behind the book is Mitra's dream of finding her family again, along with safety, wealth and comfort. At one point in the book, Mitra and Babak wonder if Babak doesn't dream true, but only dreams what someone else strongly longs for and dreams of. In fact, Mitra and Babak end up accompanying the Magi precisely because they too long for something.
I am rather cranky today, so that may be why I was partly grumpy that a fantasy story starring a girl of color was a take on a Christian myth. That noted, the Nativity story takes place on the side; we never get to see Joseph and Mary, and Mitra could care less.
I very much loved Mitra -- she's strong and willful and often selfish, she looks after herself and her brother but not always well, she struggles between wanting what's best for Babak and wanting what may prove to be a way back to her old life. Not that many other female characters of note, though I also liked the wily, crafty, not-entirely-trustworthy Zoya from the beginning, who gets to be an old woman with a personality and an agenda.
I also love Fletcher's Persia and Roman Empire; it feels real. There are details galore on food (mmmm), buildings, clothes, and animals, and I particularly like that her cities are all different. This doesn't feel like a generic Persia copy-pasted from Arabian Nights. I also liked the details about Zoroastrianism in the book (all the Magi are followers) and about religion in general; the way people who weren't Magi believed in elements of Zoroastrianism as well as elements of other systems felt particularly real.
I'm a little sad that Mitra had to get thrown into a romance, though at least it wasn't an important plot point and more like a side note. I was also a little cranky about the resolution to Babak's dreams and how it weighted Christianity, but that's also a minor note that I am mostly handwaving.
Anyway, interesting, and am now looking for her other books, particularly Shadow Spinners.
Links:
- coffeeandink's review