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Naomi Kritzer
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Dead Rivers Trilogy Jess: I saw this series when "Freedom's Gate" first came out, but didn't pick it up until the second was released. I even almost put it down, since it starts out as an alternate history book. That ended up being a minor focus, however, and became a story of character development. Lauria, the main character, is around two types of slavery: the enslavement of humans and the enslavement of the gods. She has to learn that both are bad in her own way, even though she is destined to free both. Kritzer does a wonderful job in creating a more human heroine. She doesn't just wake up one day and realizes, "Oh my, slavery is bad." Just like in real life, there are other factors that might prevent someone from changing their life's viewpoint on such a serious matter. Because of this, I found these books remarkably engaging and more realistic. One downfall is that Kritzer often reiterates things to the point of irritation. I felt that she was worried that the reader might miss her reasoning, which is unlikely. It didn't stop me from reading though, and its a small thing compared to the wonderful world she has built. She also manages to make the middle book as interesting as the first, something many authors have trouble managing. All in all this is a lighter read, but holds its own very well. 6/22/05 NEWS: "Freedom's Sister," the third and final in this series, will be released in mass market paperback in the summer of 2006. |
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