Warrior (Doppelganger, Bk 1)
Author:
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Helpful Score: 2
5 stars! This is one of the best books Ive read in a long, long time and it didnt even have an ounce of romance in it! Marie Brennan is a master writer, and Im really looking forward to getting my hands on Warrior and Witch. I have to see where this goes!
The plot and layout of the story are surprisingly simple, but no less vivid for it. Very few authors can create a world that is both realistic and unique and still effectively entertaining. Even fewer authors can describe that world as effortlessly as Brennan does throughout Warrior. She never took the droll, plain description approach, but instead wove the world through the characters eyes and experiences, and showed the different lifestyles, friendships and rivalries in a mundane air that conveyed the actuality of the world. The characters are developed this way as well; other than Mirages and Miryos red hair, she really doesnt give physical descriptions of anyone, but you can see them through their mannerisms, their words, and in how others act around them and react to them. No one truly relaxed in Jaguars presence.
As much as I love Miryo and Mirage, Eclipse is my favorite character. It's unusual for me to read a story with an attractive guy (were never really told what he looks like, but his actions speak louder than any looks could, so hes definitely attractive!) and there not be some kind of romantic pairing. In my head, I played with him and Miryo together, and the dynamic of her being Mirages other half made the possibilities interesting, though weird. But romance simply wasnt what the story was about; it was about both girls finding themselves, finding a way to have both sides of magic live when the norm for hundreds of years has been to kill off the non-magical half. Im really looking forward to seeing Eclipse again in Warrior and Witch, because I know hes not going anywhere.
Another thing that I loved about this book was that as I read it, I couldnt predict the ending, or even the next step. I was thinking the whole puzzle through right along with Mirage and Miryo. I felt their confusion, their curiosity, their insecurities. I was completely along for the ride because, unlike romance novels where killing the hero or heroine is a total taboo, there wasnt such a rule here. Something really bad happening simply wasnt out of the question. I really respect Brennan for being able to weave that kind of story and still keep me believing in a good ending.
Speaking of believing, the faith in this book is right up my alley. Miryo is brought up as a witch, so reveres the Goddess through her training and Mirage, while having a base in her youth as a Temple Dancer, is also aware of the Goddess as a higher power. Even though sometimes they sit down to pray and neither of them really feels it, they never completely disregard Her influences, and in the end, She doesnt desert them.
Both on the whole and on the micro scale, I really dont have anything negative at all to say about Warrior, because I simply loved it. It is well-written, flows perfectly, has excellent descriptions and rounded character development. Have I mentioned it is just plain good? Yes? Well, you get the picture. Onward to Warrior and Witch!
www.whitneycarter.wordpress.com
The plot and layout of the story are surprisingly simple, but no less vivid for it. Very few authors can create a world that is both realistic and unique and still effectively entertaining. Even fewer authors can describe that world as effortlessly as Brennan does throughout Warrior. She never took the droll, plain description approach, but instead wove the world through the characters eyes and experiences, and showed the different lifestyles, friendships and rivalries in a mundane air that conveyed the actuality of the world. The characters are developed this way as well; other than Mirages and Miryos red hair, she really doesnt give physical descriptions of anyone, but you can see them through their mannerisms, their words, and in how others act around them and react to them. No one truly relaxed in Jaguars presence.
As much as I love Miryo and Mirage, Eclipse is my favorite character. It's unusual for me to read a story with an attractive guy (were never really told what he looks like, but his actions speak louder than any looks could, so hes definitely attractive!) and there not be some kind of romantic pairing. In my head, I played with him and Miryo together, and the dynamic of her being Mirages other half made the possibilities interesting, though weird. But romance simply wasnt what the story was about; it was about both girls finding themselves, finding a way to have both sides of magic live when the norm for hundreds of years has been to kill off the non-magical half. Im really looking forward to seeing Eclipse again in Warrior and Witch, because I know hes not going anywhere.
Another thing that I loved about this book was that as I read it, I couldnt predict the ending, or even the next step. I was thinking the whole puzzle through right along with Mirage and Miryo. I felt their confusion, their curiosity, their insecurities. I was completely along for the ride because, unlike romance novels where killing the hero or heroine is a total taboo, there wasnt such a rule here. Something really bad happening simply wasnt out of the question. I really respect Brennan for being able to weave that kind of story and still keep me believing in a good ending.
Speaking of believing, the faith in this book is right up my alley. Miryo is brought up as a witch, so reveres the Goddess through her training and Mirage, while having a base in her youth as a Temple Dancer, is also aware of the Goddess as a higher power. Even though sometimes they sit down to pray and neither of them really feels it, they never completely disregard Her influences, and in the end, She doesnt desert them.
Both on the whole and on the micro scale, I really dont have anything negative at all to say about Warrior, because I simply loved it. It is well-written, flows perfectly, has excellent descriptions and rounded character development. Have I mentioned it is just plain good? Yes? Well, you get the picture. Onward to Warrior and Witch!
www.whitneycarter.wordpress.com
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