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Antyre #1
Maledicte
From a dazzling new voice in fantasy comes a mesmerizing tale of treachery, passion, intrigue, betrayal, and an act of pure vengeance that threatens to bring down a kingdom.
Seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods, the court of Antyre is ruled by the last of a dissolute aristocracy. But now to the kingdom comes a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes . . . and conceal a hunger beyond reckoning.
For Maledicte is actually a woman named Miranda–a beautiful thief raised in the city’s vicious slums. And she will do anything–even promise her soul to Black-Winged Ani, the most merciless of Antyre’s exiled gods–to reclaim Janus, the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams. As her machinations strike at the heart of Antyre’s powerful noble houses, Miranda must battle not only her own growing bloodlust, but also her lover’s newly kindled and ruthless ambitions. As Ani’s force grows insatiable and out of control, Miranda has no choice but to wield a weapon that may set her free . . . or forever doom her and everything she holds dear.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods, the court of Antyre is ruled by the last of a dissolute aristocracy. But now to the kingdom comes a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes . . . and conceal a hunger beyond reckoning.
For Maledicte is actually a woman named Miranda–a beautiful thief raised in the city’s vicious slums. And she will do anything–even promise her soul to Black-Winged Ani, the most merciless of Antyre’s exiled gods–to reclaim Janus, the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams. As her machinations strike at the heart of Antyre’s powerful noble houses, Miranda must battle not only her own growing bloodlust, but also her lover’s newly kindled and ruthless ambitions. As Ani’s force grows insatiable and out of control, Miranda has no choice but to wield a weapon that may set her free . . . or forever doom her and everything she holds dear.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
464 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2007
36 people are currently reading
1648 people want to read
About the author
Lane Robins
10 books56 followersLane Robins was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of two scientists, and grew up as the first human member of their menagerie. When it came time for a career, it was a hard choice between veterinarian and writer. It turned out to be far more fun to write about blood than to work with it. She received her BA in Creative Writing from Beloit College, and currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with an ever-fluctuating number of dogs and cats.
She also writes under the pseudonym Lyn Benedict.
She also writes under the pseudonym Lyn Benedict.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
November 29, 2009
This stunning novel with its beautiful cover is a must-read, even if you don't normally read fantasy. Set in a pre-industrial European-like world with very vague borders, Maledicte is a tale of love, betrayal and vengeance - yes, just like the cover says; I'd add to that jealousy, blood-lust, political intrigue and murder.
I will make a mess of describing the plot, especially since it's been a couple of days since I finished reading it, so I'm resorting to the book's blurb:
That's much more dramatic than I would have put it but it does the job.
The setting is dark but not morbid, the diction perfectly suited to the atmosphere - creates the atmosphere, I should say. Not only the setting, but Maledicte as well. Here is the true genius of the novel: the gender blurring. It becomes increasingly easy to forget and disbelieve that Maledicte is actually Miranda. He's slightly built, true, and very pretty, but in a French-style Court he fits in perfectly and soon others are aping his style. Maledicte is always referred to as a "he" - that is the construct - and only rarely does the facade slip and Maledicte becomes Miranda and "she", briefly and conflictingly. On one hand it's great fun seeing men - even the king, Aris - fall for Maledicte's charms and want him, while we the reader know the secret; on the other it's fascinating to likewise falls for his charms, and to think of him as an enigmatic and pretty young man with a talent for swordplay (and tantrums). Is it weird that I've always been drawn to stories about cross-dressing?! Like Victor Victoria and Twelfth Night (but not ones where men dress like women. They just can't pull it off. Except for Tootsie!).
That Maledicte is unstable adds to the spookiness of the character - he flies into fits of jealousy, or anger, or possession, when Black-Winged Ani momentarily takes over. She has gifted him with self-healing and strength, but at great cost. It's hard watching Maledicte self-destruct; even harder to watch him get used by Janus who envisions the power he would wield as king of Antyre with Maledicte and his blade at his side. Maledicte is a wonder of story-telling, that character whom we love and are drawn to despite the horrifying array of flaws and bad choices.
And then there's Gilly. Sweet, patient Gilly, who finds himself loving Maledicte even though he thinks he's a man, and a destructive one at that. Maledicte abuses Gilly's trust, draws him into murder, and yet gains a conscience from his company. It's interesting that the only character who's described in any depth is Maledicte himself; Janus we know has blue eyes and blonde hair, Vornatti - the old pervert who takes Maledicte in and trains him - is frail in body but not in mind - none of the other characters are described much in physical detail, if at all. There's very little about Gilly, for instance. But these characters are vividly alive through their personalities and interactions with others, so that you don't need physical descriptors.
There's a lot to love in this book. The city is a ghostly skeleton, thinly sketched beyond the homes of Vornatti, through which the characters manoeuvre. The details are elsewhere, in Maledicte's "sulky mouth" and the ruined cover of The Book of Vengeances, in the blood spray of Maledicte's victims and the fornicating cherubs on the ceilings of Vornatti's home. This world was so alive to me - and the characters so real - that when I finished it I had to take some time to assimilate it all. It's still living on in my head even now.
As a debut, Maledicte is more than successful: it showcases great talent for wordcraft and artistry. While some of the characters may seem familiar, they're handled in such a way that you soon believe in them as real, historical figures who lived, breathed and - some of them - died by Maledicte's black blade. The premise is kept simple and straight-forward, allowing the themes to come through more strongly. Some authors hide their less skilful ability to create believable characters through over-plotting, disguising clichéd and weakly drawn characters amongst a busy plot in a fiddly world. Not so Robins. I'll definitely be reading her next book.
I will make a mess of describing the plot, especially since it's been a couple of days since I finished reading it, so I'm resorting to the book's blurb:
Seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods, the court of Antyre is ruled by the last of a dissolute aristocracy. But now to the kingdom comes Maledicte, a handsome, enigmatic nobleman whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes ... and conceal a hunger beyond reckoning.
For Maledicte is actually a woman named Miranda - a beautiful thief raised in the city's vicious slums. She will do anything - even promise her soul to Black-Winged Ani, the most merciless of Antyre's exiled gods - to reclaim Janus, her first love, whose kidnapping still haunts her dreams. As her machinations strike at the heart of Antyre's powerful noble houses, Miranda must battle not only her growing bloodlust but also Janus's newly kindled and ruthless ambitions. As Ani's force grows insatiable, Miranda has no choice but to wield a weapon that may set her free ... or forever doom her and everything she holds dear.
That's much more dramatic than I would have put it but it does the job.
The setting is dark but not morbid, the diction perfectly suited to the atmosphere - creates the atmosphere, I should say. Not only the setting, but Maledicte as well. Here is the true genius of the novel: the gender blurring. It becomes increasingly easy to forget and disbelieve that Maledicte is actually Miranda. He's slightly built, true, and very pretty, but in a French-style Court he fits in perfectly and soon others are aping his style. Maledicte is always referred to as a "he" - that is the construct - and only rarely does the facade slip and Maledicte becomes Miranda and "she", briefly and conflictingly. On one hand it's great fun seeing men - even the king, Aris - fall for Maledicte's charms and want him, while we the reader know the secret; on the other it's fascinating to likewise falls for his charms, and to think of him as an enigmatic and pretty young man with a talent for swordplay (and tantrums). Is it weird that I've always been drawn to stories about cross-dressing?! Like Victor Victoria and Twelfth Night (but not ones where men dress like women. They just can't pull it off. Except for Tootsie!).
That Maledicte is unstable adds to the spookiness of the character - he flies into fits of jealousy, or anger, or possession, when Black-Winged Ani momentarily takes over. She has gifted him with self-healing and strength, but at great cost. It's hard watching Maledicte self-destruct; even harder to watch him get used by Janus who envisions the power he would wield as king of Antyre with Maledicte and his blade at his side. Maledicte is a wonder of story-telling, that character whom we love and are drawn to despite the horrifying array of flaws and bad choices.
And then there's Gilly. Sweet, patient Gilly, who finds himself loving Maledicte even though he thinks he's a man, and a destructive one at that. Maledicte abuses Gilly's trust, draws him into murder, and yet gains a conscience from his company. It's interesting that the only character who's described in any depth is Maledicte himself; Janus we know has blue eyes and blonde hair, Vornatti - the old pervert who takes Maledicte in and trains him - is frail in body but not in mind - none of the other characters are described much in physical detail, if at all. There's very little about Gilly, for instance. But these characters are vividly alive through their personalities and interactions with others, so that you don't need physical descriptors.
There's a lot to love in this book. The city is a ghostly skeleton, thinly sketched beyond the homes of Vornatti, through which the characters manoeuvre. The details are elsewhere, in Maledicte's "sulky mouth" and the ruined cover of The Book of Vengeances, in the blood spray of Maledicte's victims and the fornicating cherubs on the ceilings of Vornatti's home. This world was so alive to me - and the characters so real - that when I finished it I had to take some time to assimilate it all. It's still living on in my head even now.
As a debut, Maledicte is more than successful: it showcases great talent for wordcraft and artistry. While some of the characters may seem familiar, they're handled in such a way that you soon believe in them as real, historical figures who lived, breathed and - some of them - died by Maledicte's black blade. The premise is kept simple and straight-forward, allowing the themes to come through more strongly. Some authors hide their less skilful ability to create believable characters through over-plotting, disguising clichéd and weakly drawn characters amongst a busy plot in a fiddly world. Not so Robins. I'll definitely be reading her next book.
Read
January 14, 2017Goodness.
I received this as a recommendation on GRs because of my love of historical romances and, I believe, an edgier subplot. I tried to read the story. I really did. But even I had a great deal of difficulty following the strange plot, oddish characters and some disturbing moments. I read, went back and forth between pages trying to grasp what I had just read and began to skim. Hoping against hope things would get better.
There was a gender-bender theme along with a love triangle. Some paranormal moments and a god-like presence. Good and evil, love and lies and a very strong female who appears as a man. And refers to himself as a man. Except when he wants to act as a woman.
If you enjoy reading HRs and want a story that transcends bizarre, read it. I would love to know what my GR friends/followers think of it.
I received this as a recommendation on GRs because of my love of historical romances and, I believe, an edgier subplot. I tried to read the story. I really did. But even I had a great deal of difficulty following the strange plot, oddish characters and some disturbing moments. I read, went back and forth between pages trying to grasp what I had just read and began to skim. Hoping against hope things would get better.
There was a gender-bender theme along with a love triangle. Some paranormal moments and a god-like presence. Good and evil, love and lies and a very strong female who appears as a man. And refers to himself as a man. Except when he wants to act as a woman.
If you enjoy reading HRs and want a story that transcends bizarre, read it. I would love to know what my GR friends/followers think of it.
November 26, 2016
Whew, that was so much fun!
I originally wanted to read this partially because of the gorgeous cover and partially because it looked like a dark and decadent book, which intrigued me. It's definitely dark and decadent. The story is also about treachery and corruption mixed with lots and lots of murder.
Miranda and Janus are gutter rats from the Relicts where they depend on each other for survival as well as love. When Janus is abducted and Miranda is unable to stop it, she flees to a temple dedicated to Black-Winged Ani, one of several gods who nobody believes in any longer. Ani's domain is vengeance and love. Months later, Maledicte arrives at a Baron's manor with no real plan other than to kill the man responsible for Janus's abduction and get Janus back. Maledicte is actually Miranda posing as a boy, and is referred to throughout the text as such. Several years pass before Maledicte gains enough knowledge to be able to pass as Quality. Throughout this time we see that Maledicte is emotionally unstable and prone to both violence and extremely destructive tantrums.
And this is what I loved so much about this book. When I read the description and saw that Miranda was willing to sell her soul to Black-Winged Ani to get Janus back, I figured this was saying that she was willing to go that far, not that she had. Ani is something like a mad god with an extreme thirst for violence. Once the pact is sealed there simply is no way to get out of it. Maledicte grows increasingly erratic as he spirals out of control into bloodlust and madness.
I truly never knew where this was going. I wanted to peek at the end so badly but the story was so unpredictable that I knew that it would be a big mistake. So I gripped my book tighter and read faster. I did manage to make it to the end without peeking, although I did have to stop and order the next book mid-way through because I was so hooked.
The writing is good but unexceptional, and the world building seems to be based on something like 18th century France with few embellishments. But it's where those embellishments are that makes the story. The gods and Maledicte's increasing madness are what had me so engrossed. I'm absolutely intrigued with where the story left off and I absolutely cannot wait until the sequel gets here.
I originally wanted to read this partially because of the gorgeous cover and partially because it looked like a dark and decadent book, which intrigued me. It's definitely dark and decadent. The story is also about treachery and corruption mixed with lots and lots of murder.
Miranda and Janus are gutter rats from the Relicts where they depend on each other for survival as well as love. When Janus is abducted and Miranda is unable to stop it, she flees to a temple dedicated to Black-Winged Ani, one of several gods who nobody believes in any longer. Ani's domain is vengeance and love. Months later, Maledicte arrives at a Baron's manor with no real plan other than to kill the man responsible for Janus's abduction and get Janus back. Maledicte is actually Miranda posing as a boy, and is referred to throughout the text as such. Several years pass before Maledicte gains enough knowledge to be able to pass as Quality. Throughout this time we see that Maledicte is emotionally unstable and prone to both violence and extremely destructive tantrums.
And this is what I loved so much about this book. When I read the description and saw that Miranda was willing to sell her soul to Black-Winged Ani to get Janus back, I figured this was saying that she was willing to go that far, not that she had. Ani is something like a mad god with an extreme thirst for violence. Once the pact is sealed there simply is no way to get out of it. Maledicte grows increasingly erratic as he spirals out of control into bloodlust and madness.
I truly never knew where this was going. I wanted to peek at the end so badly but the story was so unpredictable that I knew that it would be a big mistake. So I gripped my book tighter and read faster. I did manage to make it to the end without peeking, although I did have to stop and order the next book mid-way through because I was so hooked.
The writing is good but unexceptional, and the world building seems to be based on something like 18th century France with few embellishments. But it's where those embellishments are that makes the story. The gods and Maledicte's increasing madness are what had me so engrossed. I'm absolutely intrigued with where the story left off and I absolutely cannot wait until the sequel gets here.
March 31, 2009
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
Maledicte is Lane Robins' debut novel about Miranda, a street urchin whose best friend Janus is the bastard son of the King's brother. Janus has been reclaimed from the streets, and therefore stolen from Miranda, because his father has no legitimate heir. Miranda, in her grief, makes a deal with an evil god (who everyone thought was dead), gets a scary-looking sword, and sets out for vengeance. She manages to enter noble society dressed as a boy (named Maledicte) under the patronage of a lecherous old man, the only one who knows her secret.
The publisher's description of the book is misleading. First of all, the court is not "seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods." It's just your average king's court full of gossiping courtiers. Not seething, and no more decadent that any other court I've ever read of. There really wasn't much political intrigue either. Then enters "a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes..." He may have been handsome (not very well described), but I didn't find him (her) particularly enigmatic, enchanting, or charismatic. His manners were not at all perfect (which was the only reason I could find for the courtiers to consider him enigmatic), and his swordplay was not brilliant. Really, (s)he was just an sulking angsty girl trying to be bad, and she didn't seem so bad to me at first. I couldn't really understand why her behavior was so scandalous because all she did was draw her sword and mouth off to a couple of nobles. I think it was supposed to be witty mouthing-off, but I found it rather obnoxious. If the court was really seething in decadence and intrigue, Maledicte's behavior shouldn't have caused such a scandal. To me, the court seemed like a bunch of priggish gossips who were blown away when Maledicte acted like a spoiled brat. I just wasn't convinced. And I was bored with Maledicte.
Then, just as I'm thinking that this book is not as bad as it wants to be, suddenly Maledicte starts murdering people ruthlessly, a drive instilled by a hungry god. This god (and the other apparently dead gods) were not well described, so I had a hard time understanding or relating to this. In fact, not much was well described -- not the city, the court, the house where Maledicte lived, or the political and religious systems. The only motivation of Maledicte's that was described was his/her constant drive to kill Janus's father (whose name is Last), which seemed a bit unrealistic to me. All the father had done was to take his bastard son off the streets and raise him to be a nobleman. Not really a reason to murder him. And, we get no back-story on the relationship between Miranda and Janus, either. I never saw Janus as "the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams" since I never saw any dreams or passion until they were reunited. Again, I wasn't convinced that this was realistic behavior. Maledicte keeps on murdering people (and not very cleverly--she just jumps them at convenient moments) and shows no remorse or internal conflict. This goes on and on an on and I found myself searching for some reason to like Maledicte and some reason to care what happens to him/her. But I couldn't -- (s)he was utterly unlikable all the way to the end. In fact, only two characters were likable: Maldedicte's servant Gilly, and the king. But, both of them fall in love with Maledicte, even after seeing him murder people with no remorse. I had a hard time believing that, too.
But Maledicte is mostly very well written, and for that reason I think Lane Robins has a promising future as a writer. Sometimes the writing was over-done, resulting in vagueness, and points of view shifted unexpectedly, causing occasional confusion. The novel is character-driven, yet most of the characters were not as well fleshed-out as they should have been and I had a hard time understanding what drove them. But, all in all, the writing was better than a lot of what I've read by authors who have been publishing for decades, and I think I will pick up the next book that Ms. Robins writes. I just hope it won't be about Maledicte.
Read more Lane Robins book reviews at Fantasy literature.
Maledicte is Lane Robins' debut novel about Miranda, a street urchin whose best friend Janus is the bastard son of the King's brother. Janus has been reclaimed from the streets, and therefore stolen from Miranda, because his father has no legitimate heir. Miranda, in her grief, makes a deal with an evil god (who everyone thought was dead), gets a scary-looking sword, and sets out for vengeance. She manages to enter noble society dressed as a boy (named Maledicte) under the patronage of a lecherous old man, the only one who knows her secret.
The publisher's description of the book is misleading. First of all, the court is not "seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods." It's just your average king's court full of gossiping courtiers. Not seething, and no more decadent that any other court I've ever read of. There really wasn't much political intrigue either. Then enters "a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes..." He may have been handsome (not very well described), but I didn't find him (her) particularly enigmatic, enchanting, or charismatic. His manners were not at all perfect (which was the only reason I could find for the courtiers to consider him enigmatic), and his swordplay was not brilliant. Really, (s)he was just an sulking angsty girl trying to be bad, and she didn't seem so bad to me at first. I couldn't really understand why her behavior was so scandalous because all she did was draw her sword and mouth off to a couple of nobles. I think it was supposed to be witty mouthing-off, but I found it rather obnoxious. If the court was really seething in decadence and intrigue, Maledicte's behavior shouldn't have caused such a scandal. To me, the court seemed like a bunch of priggish gossips who were blown away when Maledicte acted like a spoiled brat. I just wasn't convinced. And I was bored with Maledicte.
Then, just as I'm thinking that this book is not as bad as it wants to be, suddenly Maledicte starts murdering people ruthlessly, a drive instilled by a hungry god. This god (and the other apparently dead gods) were not well described, so I had a hard time understanding or relating to this. In fact, not much was well described -- not the city, the court, the house where Maledicte lived, or the political and religious systems. The only motivation of Maledicte's that was described was his/her constant drive to kill Janus's father (whose name is Last), which seemed a bit unrealistic to me. All the father had done was to take his bastard son off the streets and raise him to be a nobleman. Not really a reason to murder him. And, we get no back-story on the relationship between Miranda and Janus, either. I never saw Janus as "the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams" since I never saw any dreams or passion until they were reunited. Again, I wasn't convinced that this was realistic behavior. Maledicte keeps on murdering people (and not very cleverly--she just jumps them at convenient moments) and shows no remorse or internal conflict. This goes on and on an on and I found myself searching for some reason to like Maledicte and some reason to care what happens to him/her. But I couldn't -- (s)he was utterly unlikable all the way to the end. In fact, only two characters were likable: Maldedicte's servant Gilly, and the king. But, both of them fall in love with Maledicte, even after seeing him murder people with no remorse. I had a hard time believing that, too.
But Maledicte is mostly very well written, and for that reason I think Lane Robins has a promising future as a writer. Sometimes the writing was over-done, resulting in vagueness, and points of view shifted unexpectedly, causing occasional confusion. The novel is character-driven, yet most of the characters were not as well fleshed-out as they should have been and I had a hard time understanding what drove them. But, all in all, the writing was better than a lot of what I've read by authors who have been publishing for decades, and I think I will pick up the next book that Ms. Robins writes. I just hope it won't be about Maledicte.
Read more Lane Robins book reviews at Fantasy literature.
December 5, 2007
Yuck. Please do not pick this book up. I can see that the author wanted to write the next count of Monte Cristo, but this revenge theme this bbok is centered on is shallow. The plot: poor "gutter" girl dresses like a boy and gets revenge for her long lost childhood friend and they have a lot of sex while turning into blood thirsty killers grasping for the throne (seriously) at the urging of a mean God represented by the crow. Sound familiar? The book is shallow, although theauthor does describe and intereting world. I felt like I was tripping over the words as I read because they were unecessarily complicated to try to create an old world formality that failed. The sexual androgony and never-ending lust madness got really old really fast. Seriously, this book was should be relegated to the bottom of the pile. A surprisingly bad recommendation from Mary - although she did say it was bad(but not this bad) and I wonder if this was a cruel way of getting me back somehow. My question is for what? And that is more interesting than this book.
August 8, 2019
I tried to read this for a goodreads friend and failed dismally (sorry!!). Even though the writing showed promise and talent, the plot of the story just didn't have me convinced. The problem, I think, lay in the point of view (usually not from the main character, but from people around her/him), and the flimsy "revenge." Now, I'm no stranger to flimsy revenge plots -- cue those everlasting romance "I'm going to make him fall in love with me and spurn him" revenges -- which really belong more to the grade school "I'm going to run away from home and die a horrible death and that'll show my parents that they should have been nicer to me" variety.
To a couple of guttersnipes, an illegitimate kid being kidnapped off the streets by his biological, wealthy aristocrat of a father (in order to make him his heir to replace legitimate children who had died) is not that bad of a thing, if these two kids put things in perspective. Sure, he's being taken against his will, and that's always terrible, but don't they face equally terrible misdeeds every single day? Starvation being the most likely and the least horrendous, there's stabbings, rapes, enforced slavery, child prostitution -- really, there's a whole list that probably escape me that could happen to two parentless kids in the slums, especially in a developing world with very distinct social barriers. So really, your teen bestie being kidnapped by his aristocratic father to be made into his heir really is the best case scenario that could happen to the pair of you, given that he will suddenly inherit a fortune instead of a stab in the back from crime gone wrong. And also, it just didn't seem that necessary for someone to cross-dress in order to go on a killing rampage in a decadent court, other than the admitted dexterity pants would give over yards and yards of embellished skirt.
Then again, the people who seemed to love this book also loved the Kushiel series, and frankly, I hated that book (I only read the first and only just managed to wade through it).
To a couple of guttersnipes, an illegitimate kid being kidnapped off the streets by his biological, wealthy aristocrat of a father (in order to make him his heir to replace legitimate children who had died) is not that bad of a thing, if these two kids put things in perspective. Sure, he's being taken against his will, and that's always terrible, but don't they face equally terrible misdeeds every single day? Starvation being the most likely and the least horrendous, there's stabbings, rapes, enforced slavery, child prostitution -- really, there's a whole list that probably escape me that could happen to two parentless kids in the slums, especially in a developing world with very distinct social barriers. So really, your teen bestie being kidnapped by his aristocratic father to be made into his heir really is the best case scenario that could happen to the pair of you, given that he will suddenly inherit a fortune instead of a stab in the back from crime gone wrong. And also, it just didn't seem that necessary for someone to cross-dress in order to go on a killing rampage in a decadent court, other than the admitted dexterity pants would give over yards and yards of embellished skirt.
Then again, the people who seemed to love this book also loved the Kushiel series, and frankly, I hated that book (I only read the first and only just managed to wade through it).
July 13, 2009
Rating: Falls somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars
I'm a sucker for good revenge fantasies, particularly ones where the avenger realizes (often, alas, too late) how pointless their vengeance has become when they finally achieve it. (When I first read The Count of Monte Cristo, I think that's one of the points that endeared it to me: Edmund's realization at the end that he had wasted decades of his life to achieve what? A hollow victory, indeed.)
Maledicte fulfills all my expectations of a good revenge fantasy. It's the story of Miranda/Maledicte, a child of the slums, whose life with her closest friend and lover, Janus, is torn apart when Janus' father, Lord Last, "retrieves" him from the slums. It turns out that Janus is Last's bastard son, and Last has lost all other heirs to his legacy. Miranda's tragedy is just the opening that Black Winged Ani, goddess of love and vengeance, needs to reenter the world; thus, Maledicte is born. Perforce, Miranda must become Maledicte, the male protege of the corrupt Baron Vornatti, in order to infiltrate the kingdom of Antyre's court, where she (ahem, "he") can kill Lord Last and be reunited with Janus. If there were any justification for the barbarism "s/he," it's Maledicte. I liked how Robins used the pronoun in the book to keep us in the minds of "Miranda" and "Maledicte" and jumbled them at the points where Miranda and Maledicte him/herself got confused.
In his transformation from Miranda to Maledicte, Maledicte befriends Vornatti's manservant Gilly. It's that friendship that, at the story's climax, saves Miranda/Maledicte from becoming Ani's unthinking puppet and allows her to abandon Janus.
Which brings us to Janus - a more unlikeable, vicious and amoral creep is hard to imagine but Robins is good in making us believe that Miranda could have fallen in love with him during their lives in the slums, and understanding why she sticks by him as long as she does.
I also like Robins' economical writing style. The book is not bogged down with pages and pages of pointless exposition. Exempla gratia: Maledicte's 2 years of training under Vornatti is dispensed with in a paragraph. Thankfully. And we see only enough of Miranda's former life to understand why she is the person she is.
This is not a perfect novel by any means (particularly if you prefer your heroes a bit less bloody minded) but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I'm a sucker for good revenge fantasies, particularly ones where the avenger realizes (often, alas, too late) how pointless their vengeance has become when they finally achieve it. (When I first read The Count of Monte Cristo, I think that's one of the points that endeared it to me: Edmund's realization at the end that he had wasted decades of his life to achieve what? A hollow victory, indeed.)
Maledicte fulfills all my expectations of a good revenge fantasy. It's the story of Miranda/Maledicte, a child of the slums, whose life with her closest friend and lover, Janus, is torn apart when Janus' father, Lord Last, "retrieves" him from the slums. It turns out that Janus is Last's bastard son, and Last has lost all other heirs to his legacy. Miranda's tragedy is just the opening that Black Winged Ani, goddess of love and vengeance, needs to reenter the world; thus, Maledicte is born. Perforce, Miranda must become Maledicte, the male protege of the corrupt Baron Vornatti, in order to infiltrate the kingdom of Antyre's court, where she (ahem, "he") can kill Lord Last and be reunited with Janus. If there were any justification for the barbarism "s/he," it's Maledicte. I liked how Robins used the pronoun in the book to keep us in the minds of "Miranda" and "Maledicte" and jumbled them at the points where Miranda and Maledicte him/herself got confused.
In his transformation from Miranda to Maledicte, Maledicte befriends Vornatti's manservant Gilly. It's that friendship that, at the story's climax, saves Miranda/Maledicte from becoming Ani's unthinking puppet and allows her to abandon Janus.
Which brings us to Janus - a more unlikeable, vicious and amoral creep is hard to imagine but Robins is good in making us believe that Miranda could have fallen in love with him during their lives in the slums, and understanding why she sticks by him as long as she does.
I also like Robins' economical writing style. The book is not bogged down with pages and pages of pointless exposition. Exempla gratia: Maledicte's 2 years of training under Vornatti is dispensed with in a paragraph. Thankfully. And we see only enough of Miranda's former life to understand why she is the person she is.
This is not a perfect novel by any means (particularly if you prefer your heroes a bit less bloody minded) but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2009
Oh my GOD, this book is awesome. I've only given five stars to about four or five other stories. I randomly picked this book up off the shelf at a Barnes & Noble, not even knowing what it was about. I was bored, and just bought it after glancing over the back cover. I can't believe I found such an amazing book out of nowhere! The story is very dark, but in such a beautiful and sad way, it's full of so much PASSION. I would die happy to see this made into a movie. The whole story was wonderfully clever and wicked. Half cynicism, the other half hopeful. The characters were driven, almost desperate, to fulfill their goals, to make it to the end, regardless of how it was done. Rarely do you see such a dark and conniving main character and still manage to like him/her a LOT. The main character in Maledicte was beautifully dark, and full of so much rage, but it was impossible to dislike her or become annoyed with her. I was on her side the whole way, sympathetic and anticipating her next move. AMAZING.
March 7, 2022
A strange, compelling and darkly Gothic fantasy, Maledicte is set in a fantasy universe where the gods have abandoned humanity, and a decadent city sits on the threshold of disaster. Born in poverty, Miranda and Janus only have one another, but Janus is the bastard of an Earl, and he will be pulled from Miranda. Making a vow to a dangerous god, Miranda casts off her former self and becomes Maledicte, the dark cavalier, sworn to revenge. This book is full of swordplay and poison, revenge and politics, and is very queer, exploring gender and intimate relationships in ways that consistently resist heteronormative narratives. Some aspects of the story aren't very well realised - the fantasy setting is very roughly sketched, and the narrative of the gods, while interesting, isn't explored enough - but the central three characters, Janus, Maledicte and Gilly, are all compelling and well-drawn. They are all, to some extent, anti-heroes, but are also consistently interesting and believable. The intimate relationship that exists between them feels very alive. While the plot sometimes is in danger of running out of Robins' grasp, it's also refreshingly unexpected, never leading is in a conventional direction. I found this diverting, surprising, and thrilling. Recommended for fantasy lovers, and anyone who likes complex queer relationships.
March 28, 2020
Maledicte (Antyre, #1)
Maledicte is the first book of the Antyre series, an extremely promising novel written by Lane Robins. I was anticipating super great things from this one, and I was absolutely not disappointed. While I’ve personally never heard of Lane Robins before reading Maledicte, I am sure never to forget her now, after having read it. Wowie. This book was so incredibly good...breath-taking, enthralling, captivating, lush, decadent, suspenseful, wonderfully well-written. Maledicte is a dark fantasy novel of love, loss, revenge, rage and betrayal. In a fantasy world of dead gods, in a realm called Antyre, though some what reminiscent of medieval-renaissance era France or Italy, it is a novel full of murder, jealousy, political intrigue, from the gritty filthy slums to the decadent rich palaces and estates of the nobility.
"From a dazzling new voice in fantasy comes a mesmerizing tale of treachery, passion, intrigue, betrayal, and an act of pure vengeance that threatens to bring down a kingdom.
Seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods, the court of Antyre is ruled by the last of a dissolute aristocracy. But now to the kingdom comes a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes . . . and conceal a hunger beyond reckoning.
For Maledicte is actually a woman named Miranda–a beautiful thief raised in the city’s vicious slums. And she will do anything–even promise her soul to Black-Winged Ani, the most merciless of Antyre’s exiled gods–to reclaim Janus, the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams. As her machinations strike at the heart of Antyre’s powerful noble houses, Miranda must battle not only her own growing bloodlust, but also her lover’s newly kindled and ruthless ambitions. As Ani’s force grows insatiable and out of control, Miranda has no choice but to wield a weapon that may set her free . . . or forever doom her and everything she holds dear." -Book Blurb
The story really takes off, full throttle, transporting the reader into a mesmerizing tale of revenge and intrigue. I absolutely adored the lush, intellectual writing style, being both compelling and entrancing. The vocabulary was to die for, at least for the truest lovers of words. Author Lane Robins is a master story-teller, world-builder, and wordsmith.
The character Maledicte was a very interesting one to be sure, very gender ambiguous, a biological woman dressing and identifying as a man, though oftentimes seeming to be more sexless or androgynous. He was a complex character, both fascinating and mysterious, and exceptionally cunning. One of the things I enjoyed most was his persona as an anti-hero, selfish, flawed, merciless and often without any notable moral conscious. This aspect of his character was not without cause, as some characters of this ilk often are. He comes from severe poverty stricken slums, a victim of neglect, abuse, and violence, not to mention becoming immeshed with the crow-like god Black-Winged Ani, god of love and revenge.
Another character truly worth mentioning was the splendidly crafted character of Gilly, the ever faithful, moral, loyal, manservant and companion of Baron Vornatti. Gilly’s character was so well-crafted, and completely balanced the scales, a benevolent force shining along side the dark malevolent character of Maledicte. He was very realistic, lovable and a character to really empathize with amidst all the many deplorable people of Antyre.
There are many interesting characters and an endless potential directions for this series, and I am eager to read the sequel, which I immediately purchased after only a few pages into this thing. For readers looking for a light, cross-dressing, rags to riches, friends to lovers romance, STOP. Look elsewhere. Maledicte is very dark and at times, downright grim. It is filled with a lot of political intrigue as well, which might not be well received with impatient readers, and as I said before the vocabulary is pretty heavy. Recommended for well-versed readers who enjoy a dark, twisted fantasy novel, with a likable anti-hero, and plenty of intrigue. Overall, an awesome read.
P.s. I must add the cover art is utterly gorgeous. LOVE.
[OFFICIAL VOTE ON LOVE TRIANGLE: GILLY]
[CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING BELOW...]
[OFFICIAL RATING: 5 STARS]
[CONTENT NOTE / TRIGGER WARNING: Some scenes are very violent and graphic (such as the murders, i.e, assassinations, sword fightings, poisonings, accidents, deaths of innocents, a murder of an newborn baby etc.) as well as some other very dark imagery. Revenge is a very strong theme throughout the novel, and a few characters are possessed and used in the service of an evil god, that resembles a crow. There are also a few sex scenes which are vividly described, not always in the romantic light, (a man and woman are forced to be sexual companions to an elderly noble man, the main romance is not loving but obsessive and toxic, etc.) prostitution, whores and brothels, mentions of child prostitution, suggestions of child abuse and neglect, polytheism/pantheism, cross-dressing, vague gender identity, perverse bisexual noble man, blackmail/bribery, language, gambling, alcohol/smoking, drug use (i.e. Petal and Elysia). Not recommended for minors to read, or for those who have triggers with any of these issues or for the faint of heart.]
Maledicte is the first book of the Antyre series, an extremely promising novel written by Lane Robins. I was anticipating super great things from this one, and I was absolutely not disappointed. While I’ve personally never heard of Lane Robins before reading Maledicte, I am sure never to forget her now, after having read it. Wowie. This book was so incredibly good...breath-taking, enthralling, captivating, lush, decadent, suspenseful, wonderfully well-written. Maledicte is a dark fantasy novel of love, loss, revenge, rage and betrayal. In a fantasy world of dead gods, in a realm called Antyre, though some what reminiscent of medieval-renaissance era France or Italy, it is a novel full of murder, jealousy, political intrigue, from the gritty filthy slums to the decadent rich palaces and estates of the nobility.
"From a dazzling new voice in fantasy comes a mesmerizing tale of treachery, passion, intrigue, betrayal, and an act of pure vengeance that threatens to bring down a kingdom.
Seething with decadent appetites unchecked by law or gods, the court of Antyre is ruled by the last of a dissolute aristocracy. But now to the kingdom comes a handsome, enigmatic nobleman, Maledicte, whose perfect manners, enchanting charisma, and brilliant swordplay entice the most jaded tastes . . . and conceal a hunger beyond reckoning.
For Maledicte is actually a woman named Miranda–a beautiful thief raised in the city’s vicious slums. And she will do anything–even promise her soul to Black-Winged Ani, the most merciless of Antyre’s exiled gods–to reclaim Janus, the lover whose passion still haunts her dreams. As her machinations strike at the heart of Antyre’s powerful noble houses, Miranda must battle not only her own growing bloodlust, but also her lover’s newly kindled and ruthless ambitions. As Ani’s force grows insatiable and out of control, Miranda has no choice but to wield a weapon that may set her free . . . or forever doom her and everything she holds dear." -Book Blurb
The story really takes off, full throttle, transporting the reader into a mesmerizing tale of revenge and intrigue. I absolutely adored the lush, intellectual writing style, being both compelling and entrancing. The vocabulary was to die for, at least for the truest lovers of words. Author Lane Robins is a master story-teller, world-builder, and wordsmith.
The character Maledicte was a very interesting one to be sure, very gender ambiguous, a biological woman dressing and identifying as a man, though oftentimes seeming to be more sexless or androgynous. He was a complex character, both fascinating and mysterious, and exceptionally cunning. One of the things I enjoyed most was his persona as an anti-hero, selfish, flawed, merciless and often without any notable moral conscious. This aspect of his character was not without cause, as some characters of this ilk often are. He comes from severe poverty stricken slums, a victim of neglect, abuse, and violence, not to mention becoming immeshed with the crow-like god Black-Winged Ani, god of love and revenge.
Another character truly worth mentioning was the splendidly crafted character of Gilly, the ever faithful, moral, loyal, manservant and companion of Baron Vornatti. Gilly’s character was so well-crafted, and completely balanced the scales, a benevolent force shining along side the dark malevolent character of Maledicte. He was very realistic, lovable and a character to really empathize with amidst all the many deplorable people of Antyre.
There are many interesting characters and an endless potential directions for this series, and I am eager to read the sequel, which I immediately purchased after only a few pages into this thing. For readers looking for a light, cross-dressing, rags to riches, friends to lovers romance, STOP. Look elsewhere. Maledicte is very dark and at times, downright grim. It is filled with a lot of political intrigue as well, which might not be well received with impatient readers, and as I said before the vocabulary is pretty heavy. Recommended for well-versed readers who enjoy a dark, twisted fantasy novel, with a likable anti-hero, and plenty of intrigue. Overall, an awesome read.
P.s. I must add the cover art is utterly gorgeous. LOVE.
[OFFICIAL VOTE ON LOVE TRIANGLE: GILLY]
[CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING BELOW...]
[OFFICIAL RATING: 5 STARS]
[CONTENT NOTE / TRIGGER WARNING: Some scenes are very violent and graphic (such as the murders, i.e, assassinations, sword fightings, poisonings, accidents, deaths of innocents, a murder of an newborn baby etc.) as well as some other very dark imagery. Revenge is a very strong theme throughout the novel, and a few characters are possessed and used in the service of an evil god, that resembles a crow. There are also a few sex scenes which are vividly described, not always in the romantic light, (a man and woman are forced to be sexual companions to an elderly noble man, the main romance is not loving but obsessive and toxic, etc.) prostitution, whores and brothels, mentions of child prostitution, suggestions of child abuse and neglect, polytheism/pantheism, cross-dressing, vague gender identity, perverse bisexual noble man, blackmail/bribery, language, gambling, alcohol/smoking, drug use (i.e. Petal and Elysia). Not recommended for minors to read, or for those who have triggers with any of these issues or for the faint of heart.]
December 30, 2010
I bought this book because I loved the cover and when I read the premise I was intrigued. I love these kinds of stories and this one was especially heart-rending yet hopeful.
Miranda's childhood sweetheart is stolen from her in the slums that they are raised in. She vows to get back her love, Janus, at any cost. Disguising herself as a young lord named Maledicte she wins over the elderly lord of a house; he decides to foster Maledicte as an heir; for a price. When the lord finds out Maledicte's secret the stakes are even greater.
Miranda adopts Maledicte's persona completely and works to become a ferocious fighter and deadly courtier. This book is full of lush description, great fight scenes, and intrigue galore. There is much contemplation on the topics of love versus power and the values of each.
This book was well-written, impossible for me to put down, and a classic type of story with a twist. It is kind of your classic rage to riches story, but your young man is actually a girl pretending to be a man, and the young man's true love is not exactly what he seems.
The style of writing and court intrigue reminded me of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart series; although the scope of this book is smaller (it is a stand alone novel) and the sex scenes are not explicit (just very sweet and tasteful).
This was a beautiful book and I was sad when it ended. The ending seemed slightly rushed. I was still very impressed and it was awesome to find such a good stand alone novel. It seems like now-a-days everything is part of a series. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this author in the future!
Miranda's childhood sweetheart is stolen from her in the slums that they are raised in. She vows to get back her love, Janus, at any cost. Disguising herself as a young lord named Maledicte she wins over the elderly lord of a house; he decides to foster Maledicte as an heir; for a price. When the lord finds out Maledicte's secret the stakes are even greater.
Miranda adopts Maledicte's persona completely and works to become a ferocious fighter and deadly courtier. This book is full of lush description, great fight scenes, and intrigue galore. There is much contemplation on the topics of love versus power and the values of each.
This book was well-written, impossible for me to put down, and a classic type of story with a twist. It is kind of your classic rage to riches story, but your young man is actually a girl pretending to be a man, and the young man's true love is not exactly what he seems.
The style of writing and court intrigue reminded me of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart series; although the scope of this book is smaller (it is a stand alone novel) and the sex scenes are not explicit (just very sweet and tasteful).
This was a beautiful book and I was sad when it ended. The ending seemed slightly rushed. I was still very impressed and it was awesome to find such a good stand alone novel. It seems like now-a-days everything is part of a series. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this author in the future!
October 7, 2013
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the beautifully gothic atmosphere placed in a late medieval/early modern setting. It reminded me a lot of Amanda Downum's The Bone Palace in that respect. Various names give things just the right feel, too--one character named Vornatti, for example, is from Itarus but lives in Antyrre. Something about the combination of sounds harmonizes perfectly with the atmosphere the author is aiming for.
I also admire the author's ability to make the whole "decadent aristocracy" trope work and not feel clichéd, and to pull off fairly ornate dialogue in a way that feels unforced. It reminds me, for example, of China Miéville's ability to make a scene in which two characters summon the Ambassador of Hell sound totally awesome, rather than campy, winking, or bathetic.
The book was also a vocabulary-builder for me ("megrim," "rusticate," "sennight," etc.), which I love.
Finally, come on, a young woman becomes the avatar of a vengeance goddess named Black-Winged Ani and lives as a man in order to kill the earl who had her lover kidnapped. How is that not awesome?
Definitely reading the next one.
I also admire the author's ability to make the whole "decadent aristocracy" trope work and not feel clichéd, and to pull off fairly ornate dialogue in a way that feels unforced. It reminds me, for example, of China Miéville's ability to make a scene in which two characters summon the Ambassador of Hell sound totally awesome, rather than campy, winking, or bathetic.
The book was also a vocabulary-builder for me ("megrim," "rusticate," "sennight," etc.), which I love.
Finally, come on, a young woman becomes the avatar of a vengeance goddess named Black-Winged Ani and lives as a man in order to kill the earl who had her lover kidnapped. How is that not awesome?
Definitely reading the next one.
December 28, 2007
Wow, what a good book! I'd almost give it five stars. Heck I think it probably deserves it, if not for the fact that the ending wasn't exactly as I was hoping for.
Set in a fantasy world, it has all the opulent touches of a renaissance court. Intrigue, poision, gossip, betrayal.
When a street kid is stolen back by the royal family (being an illegitimate bastard), his lover swears revenge, and prays to a dead god for aide, in a world that no longer believes in the gods.
What follows is at first a slightly drawn out story of 'waiting for revenge' which quickly turns into a bloodbath, and a well paced one at that. With all the casual killing it almost felt like an Anne Rice novel.
Highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind a little bit of dark with their fantasy. Here's hoping Lane Robins plots other books in this world.
Set in a fantasy world, it has all the opulent touches of a renaissance court. Intrigue, poision, gossip, betrayal.
When a street kid is stolen back by the royal family (being an illegitimate bastard), his lover swears revenge, and prays to a dead god for aide, in a world that no longer believes in the gods.
What follows is at first a slightly drawn out story of 'waiting for revenge' which quickly turns into a bloodbath, and a well paced one at that. With all the casual killing it almost felt like an Anne Rice novel.
Highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind a little bit of dark with their fantasy. Here's hoping Lane Robins plots other books in this world.
April 8, 2009
I loved this book, and will definitely be reading more by this author. Maledicte is a stunning tale of vengence, irrational love, and betrayal. It's chock full of scheming nobles and coutiers all attempting to manipulate and control one another. I always love intrigue and evil machinations, and this book had both in spades. The characters were fully realized in a way most authors don't manage to pull off. An excellent debut novel by Robins.
December 11, 2009
It's great if you can tolerate a protagonist that's possessed by a god of vengeance, which lets him kill without remorse while harboring a disturbingly fevered obsession for his true love. It's perfect for the same protagonist's non-lethal interactions with the only person who offers a "normal" frame of reference. The book is thick with political machinations and cutthroat dealings, but I think the characters shine during their simpler moments, when we're reminded that they're human.
August 9, 2007
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The problem was that I did not empathize that much with the characters.
August 27, 2014
This was a fabulously dark story.
March 14, 2019
This book was one hell of a ride. On one side, I must admit I chafed at the pacing of it. The prose was beautiful (if a bit too overwrought in some parts, maybe) and the characters engaging and the descriptions and the setting enthralling, but gods, did I hate the pacing for great chunks of it. Had i not been so enthralled with the characters and the story itself, I would have definitely put it down for good.
Really, though, the book's praises are many more than its flaw. Though it feels at times as if the world-building is partly to blame for the damning slowness in some sections of the novel, it is also one of the best parts of the entire book. I really loved Antyre, really loved learning about it, seeing it through the eyes and voices of the characters. I liked the quotes we'd sometimes get from in-universe books and such on the headings of some chapters, too.
I also believe the characters were all very well crafted, with perhaps the exception of Aris. Why? Because Aris' besottedness with Mal comes a bit too strong from the first, causing him to act rather d dumbly towards someone who is a complete and utter stranger and dangerous besides. It is hinted during his first appearance that his mind might have been affected by Ani, but this does not make reading any of his subsequent (and rather predictable) appearances any more interesting. Worse, his interactions with Mal never seem to pay off one way or the other. Other than the kiss there's neither consummation nor confrontation, which feels deeply unsatisfying.
The rest of the cast I very much loved (though I think was a little before its time, and resulted in some awkward meandering before the book refound itself again). I also can't quite express how satisfying it was to discover that
All in all, I am glad I stuck with the book. I deeply relished reading about Miranda, about Black-Winged Ani, about her transformation into Maledicte, about the mythology and the obscure reference to the dead of the gods and her love and obsession for her childhood dear. This, along with the scattered references to pistols and mechanisms brought to mind a bit of Dishonored, Corvo, and the Outsider, which only speaks well of both.
I shall certainly be checking the second book.
Really, though, the book's praises are many more than its flaw. Though it feels at times as if the world-building is partly to blame for the damning slowness in some sections of the novel, it is also one of the best parts of the entire book. I really loved Antyre, really loved learning about it, seeing it through the eyes and voices of the characters. I liked the quotes we'd sometimes get from in-universe books and such on the headings of some chapters, too.
I also believe the characters were all very well crafted, with perhaps the exception of Aris. Why? Because Aris' besottedness with Mal comes a bit too strong from the first, causing him to act rather d dumbly towards someone who is a complete and utter stranger and dangerous besides. It is hinted during his first appearance that his mind might have been affected by Ani, but this does not make reading any of his subsequent (and rather predictable) appearances any more interesting. Worse, his interactions with Mal never seem to pay off one way or the other. Other than the kiss there's neither consummation nor confrontation, which feels deeply unsatisfying.
The rest of the cast I very much loved (though I think was a little before its time, and resulted in some awkward meandering before the book refound itself again). I also can't quite express how satisfying it was to discover that
All in all, I am glad I stuck with the book. I deeply relished reading about Miranda, about Black-Winged Ani, about her transformation into Maledicte, about the mythology and the obscure reference to the dead of the gods and her love and obsession for her childhood dear. This, along with the scattered references to pistols and mechanisms brought to mind a bit of Dishonored, Corvo, and the Outsider, which only speaks well of both.
I shall certainly be checking the second book.
March 30, 2019
The first and last quarters of this book were amazing--page-turning and exciting. The middle was way too long. How many times can one character look at another and see the influence of a dark god in their eyes? A LOT, as it turns out. There are also some extraneous deaths--not from a moral standpoint, just from a literary one (introducing a stranger who is instantly killed is boring when there are plenty of other murders in the book and you don't care about the stranger). I bumped the book up to four stars despite the tedious long middle section because a) the set-up and conclusion were so much fun and b) I loved the gender and social orientation fluidity in all the characters. People are just attracted to whom they're attracted to and that's that. And yay for that!
December 17, 2012
Whenever I'm in the mood for Machiavellian subterfuge, lush prose, or disconcerting tales of spoiled and/or lost innocence I look to the darker parts of the medieval fantasy genre for satisfaction. Maledicte is a book that skillfully juggles all three elements, while impressively managing to hit a few of my other less commonly prodded buttons.
The core of the story is a recognizable one: girl and boy fall in love as children; girl and boy are then separated for reasons beyond their control; girl and boy reunite; emotional turmoil ensues as together they struggle their way into adulthood. However, the obstacles littering their gradually diverging paths are just darkly compelling enough to turn what might've otherwise become a simple revenge tragedy into something far more elegantly subversive.
Meet Maledicte, bewitchingly young male courtier come to Antyre's court seeking revenge. Formerly Miranda, scrappy slum girl hellbent on escaping a destitute future, Maledicte sweeps into the gossiping hearts of Antyre's bored aristocracy in pursuit of Janus, childhood love and bastard son of the Earl of Last newly made legitimate by the very father who abandoned him to the slums as a baby. Intending to reclaim Janus as his/her own and repay Last's thievery with a sword through the heart, Maledicte makes a bloodthirsty compact with a long-dead goddess named Black-Winged Ani, who blesses him with a deadly sword to aid his vengeance.
Take note: I've referred to Maledicte as him/her for a reason. While the notion of a woman masquerading as man is not a new one at all (Twelve Night, etc), the nature of Maledicte's transformation has led some to read him not as a crossdresser, but as transgender. But whether or not one chooses to read the protagonist this way, the strength of the story remains.
Maledicte is a convincingly flawed character, just as infuriating as he is charming, as arrogant as he is humbled. Similarly, Janus, his counterpart, is successfully characterized as an inescapably alluring young man. You do begin to believe that Janus just might be worth all the havoc and death Maledicte so desperately wreaks upon court society -- to a point, of course. And what is a good, blood-riddled romance without a foil to complete a love-triangle in this day and age? Gilly, erstwhile kept boy for Maledicte's guardian, and eventual servant to Maledicte himself, treads as gently as he needs to in order to become a believable contender for Maledicte's tempestuous heart.
It's also worth noting how excellently the action scenes are described -- and make no mistake, there's plenty of sleek violence in this book to satisfy those looking for that sort of thing. Lane Robins is an underrated master of flow and movement, vividly painting her fight scenes as deftly as she does her love scenes. The fact that her swordplay is just as, if not better written, than her bedplay makes this book not only sexy but entirely sensual and easy to lose one's self to for hours at a time.
So if you're looking for scheming nobility, godly possession, bloodlaced romance and gender subversive moments, Maledicte is definitely the book for you.
The core of the story is a recognizable one: girl and boy fall in love as children; girl and boy are then separated for reasons beyond their control; girl and boy reunite; emotional turmoil ensues as together they struggle their way into adulthood. However, the obstacles littering their gradually diverging paths are just darkly compelling enough to turn what might've otherwise become a simple revenge tragedy into something far more elegantly subversive.
Meet Maledicte, bewitchingly young male courtier come to Antyre's court seeking revenge. Formerly Miranda, scrappy slum girl hellbent on escaping a destitute future, Maledicte sweeps into the gossiping hearts of Antyre's bored aristocracy in pursuit of Janus, childhood love and bastard son of the Earl of Last newly made legitimate by the very father who abandoned him to the slums as a baby. Intending to reclaim Janus as his/her own and repay Last's thievery with a sword through the heart, Maledicte makes a bloodthirsty compact with a long-dead goddess named Black-Winged Ani, who blesses him with a deadly sword to aid his vengeance.
Take note: I've referred to Maledicte as him/her for a reason. While the notion of a woman masquerading as man is not a new one at all (Twelve Night, etc), the nature of Maledicte's transformation has led some to read him not as a crossdresser, but as transgender. But whether or not one chooses to read the protagonist this way, the strength of the story remains.
Maledicte is a convincingly flawed character, just as infuriating as he is charming, as arrogant as he is humbled. Similarly, Janus, his counterpart, is successfully characterized as an inescapably alluring young man. You do begin to believe that Janus just might be worth all the havoc and death Maledicte so desperately wreaks upon court society -- to a point, of course. And what is a good, blood-riddled romance without a foil to complete a love-triangle in this day and age? Gilly, erstwhile kept boy for Maledicte's guardian, and eventual servant to Maledicte himself, treads as gently as he needs to in order to become a believable contender for Maledicte's tempestuous heart.
It's also worth noting how excellently the action scenes are described -- and make no mistake, there's plenty of sleek violence in this book to satisfy those looking for that sort of thing. Lane Robins is an underrated master of flow and movement, vividly painting her fight scenes as deftly as she does her love scenes. The fact that her swordplay is just as, if not better written, than her bedplay makes this book not only sexy but entirely sensual and easy to lose one's self to for hours at a time.
So if you're looking for scheming nobility, godly possession, bloodlaced romance and gender subversive moments, Maledicte is definitely the book for you.
March 21, 2012
This was... confusing. I'm actually pretty glad I stuck it out, and I don't say that for a lot of novels. Usually, my gut instinct about a third of the way through the book is accurate, but in this case I would have been wrong, and I'd have missed out.
I normally hate the female protagonists (of a novel, movie, whatever - if they can run around screaming or fuming that they 'Have a right to know' or 'Want to be treated like a woman,' I'm done with them), but Miranda/Maledicte was... bearable. I can't say she's one of my favorite characters, as you barely learn anything about her. But for all of that... she grew on me. She was spunky - and not in an urban-fantasy kind of way. She had a goal and underwent any number of trials to reach it. I even admired her moods and motivations. It was great that she so took Maledicte's character in herself that she was referred to using male pronouns through almost the entire novel.
I think the whole book would have been immeasurably better with a little more world-building on Robins' part, or even a little insight into the history Janus and Maledicte shared before he was stolen away. Both could have been accomplished in one go, in fact. It would certainly have explained a bit more about Maledicte's bloody single-mindedness. Especially since this is a character-driven novel, it would have been nice to know a little more about Maledicte's history, or even about Gilly and Aris.
That being said, something about the novel still kept me going. I want to say it's the writing, but it's that's not entirely it - because a third of the way through I thought it was the most stilted, awkward way of explaining debauchery I'd ever had the misfortune to read. Don't get me wrong: mass gratuitous sex is NOT what I'm looking for, but you could almost miss the naughty bits in this novel if you weren't reading carefully. So. Anyway. Not the writing that hooked me.
Something about Maledicte's determination, something about Ani, Gilly, Aris, Last... something about them all drew me in and wouldn't let me go. The entire Gothic feel of the novel was pretty gripping as well. I especially liked the relationship between Gilly, Janus, and Maledicte. Never did I feel that she was just stringing Gilly along, or toying with him. She honestly did give all of herself to Janus. But it was also fear of him that kept her away from Gilly. I was even pleased with the ending and the epic showdown between Mirabile and Maledicte (that wasn't all that epic and yet worked) Robins also puts an interesting twist on the 'innocence of youth' and how love changes you.
All in all, a nicely chilling, well-written book, with a good, strong finish. I've already ordered the next book in the series and am a little disappointed that it's about Janus and not Maledicte.
I normally hate the female protagonists (of a novel, movie, whatever - if they can run around screaming or fuming that they 'Have a right to know' or 'Want to be treated like a woman,' I'm done with them), but Miranda/Maledicte was... bearable. I can't say she's one of my favorite characters, as you barely learn anything about her. But for all of that... she grew on me. She was spunky - and not in an urban-fantasy kind of way. She had a goal and underwent any number of trials to reach it. I even admired her moods and motivations. It was great that she so took Maledicte's character in herself that she was referred to using male pronouns through almost the entire novel.
I think the whole book would have been immeasurably better with a little more world-building on Robins' part, or even a little insight into the history Janus and Maledicte shared before he was stolen away. Both could have been accomplished in one go, in fact. It would certainly have explained a bit more about Maledicte's bloody single-mindedness. Especially since this is a character-driven novel, it would have been nice to know a little more about Maledicte's history, or even about Gilly and Aris.
That being said, something about the novel still kept me going. I want to say it's the writing, but it's that's not entirely it - because a third of the way through I thought it was the most stilted, awkward way of explaining debauchery I'd ever had the misfortune to read. Don't get me wrong: mass gratuitous sex is NOT what I'm looking for, but you could almost miss the naughty bits in this novel if you weren't reading carefully. So. Anyway. Not the writing that hooked me.
Something about Maledicte's determination, something about Ani, Gilly, Aris, Last... something about them all drew me in and wouldn't let me go. The entire Gothic feel of the novel was pretty gripping as well. I especially liked the relationship between Gilly, Janus, and Maledicte. Never did I feel that she was just stringing Gilly along, or toying with him. She honestly did give all of herself to Janus. But it was also fear of him that kept her away from Gilly. I was even pleased with the ending and the epic showdown between Mirabile and Maledicte (that wasn't all that epic and yet worked) Robins also puts an interesting twist on the 'innocence of youth' and how love changes you.
All in all, a nicely chilling, well-written book, with a good, strong finish. I've already ordered the next book in the series and am a little disappointed that it's about Janus and not Maledicte.
December 26, 2012
While undoubtedly well written and far superior to the disappointing rubbish spattering the panorama of contemporary fantasy fiction, this debut novel is deeply and inexcusably flawed to the point I could not not only enjoy it but even finish it without forcing myself which is not exactly the effect fantasy books (and fiction in general) are supposed to engender.
Maledicte, the main character and her lover Janus nearly never come to life to me: they act consistently, their set of mind is well drafted but nothing Ms Robins writes about them is able to make me forget or condone how unpleasant their motives and their actions are: throughout the novel I could feel no anxiety form them, robbers and murderers they were born and they stayed to the last page.
One could say that a writer does not need to portray likeable characters nor to have the evil ones punished for their crimes, but while I admit that flawed personalities make for better character developments and that larger than life villains make for better fun, I will neither deny my personal urge to identify with the character I am supposed to read and care about.
My limit, perhaps.
Small compensation is that Gilly, the third main character, is finely wrought, likeable and good natured and that all side characters are not bad at all.
Further than this Ms Robins has a fine sense for situation sketching.
Set in the usual kingdom rotted to the core and devoid of salvation, surrounded by enemies and mined by conspirators (a XVII century England comes to mind), the novel contains many a memorable scene, sort of tableaux vivants (living pictures) sketched ably and with surprisingly deft hand: servant quarters, brothels, balls, duels, all come to life through a nice economy of words.
Most scenes where characterization is attempted instead fail to attain their goal and slow the narrative to dragging halts.
The writing itself is always professional, routine pages alternating with some splendidly drafted ones and a few where the attempt at fine literature turns out clumsy.
While the issue of gender -a woman masking herself as a man coming to think about herself as such (and pronouns follow suit) without losing her deeper femininity- is satisfyingly dealt with, those of love, trust, friendship and supernatural are far less convincingly dealt with.
Because of the constant bloodshed and the complexity of themes I would not recommend this book to teens.
Maledicte, the main character and her lover Janus nearly never come to life to me: they act consistently, their set of mind is well drafted but nothing Ms Robins writes about them is able to make me forget or condone how unpleasant their motives and their actions are: throughout the novel I could feel no anxiety form them, robbers and murderers they were born and they stayed to the last page.
One could say that a writer does not need to portray likeable characters nor to have the evil ones punished for their crimes, but while I admit that flawed personalities make for better character developments and that larger than life villains make for better fun, I will neither deny my personal urge to identify with the character I am supposed to read and care about.
My limit, perhaps.
Small compensation is that Gilly, the third main character, is finely wrought, likeable and good natured and that all side characters are not bad at all.
Further than this Ms Robins has a fine sense for situation sketching.
Set in the usual kingdom rotted to the core and devoid of salvation, surrounded by enemies and mined by conspirators (a XVII century England comes to mind), the novel contains many a memorable scene, sort of tableaux vivants (living pictures) sketched ably and with surprisingly deft hand: servant quarters, brothels, balls, duels, all come to life through a nice economy of words.
Most scenes where characterization is attempted instead fail to attain their goal and slow the narrative to dragging halts.
The writing itself is always professional, routine pages alternating with some splendidly drafted ones and a few where the attempt at fine literature turns out clumsy.
While the issue of gender -a woman masking herself as a man coming to think about herself as such (and pronouns follow suit) without losing her deeper femininity- is satisfyingly dealt with, those of love, trust, friendship and supernatural are far less convincingly dealt with.
Because of the constant bloodshed and the complexity of themes I would not recommend this book to teens.
September 2, 2011
I don't know how long it's been since I laughed out loud for the sheer joy at just having been able to experience something so deftly crafted, so heart wrenching, so nail biting as Maledicte. But I did. And I laughed long, and loud, and joyously. Let me tell you how I over came the crappy blurb and my own reservations and found my new favorite book . . .
I'll admit it - the book sounded like crap. Intrigues, passions, desires, a half hearted cross dressing plot? Oh man, just set me on fire now so I can experience the less painful of two slow deaths. Hell, I even got the damned book for FREE and didn't want to read it. And then funny thing happened, I came across someone online who shared all my tastes in books and loved this. That sparked my attention a bit. You like x book and thought that THIS hunk of drivel was good? Well ok, if you say so. And so I begin to pick my way through it. According to Kindle I hated the first 26% of this book. Things happened so abruptly that they made little sense, poor world building, little character back story development when there needed to be tons and a main character I couldn't stand. But then I got 27% way through and suddenly I found myself in the midst of the novel I'd been hungering for my whole life but never thought existed. This novel is like the answer to so many years of prayer that I didn't think I'd ever find it. Every time I picked up a book that promised me adventure and romance, revenge, dark pacts with gods, twisted plots and honest to god true gender bending and all the time I only got pale shadows of what I asked for and then suddenly, unexpectedly, I found the real thing.
I won't talk about the plot, it's been done to death in other reviews - suffice to say it is very different from the asinine blurb. I won't talk about the book's failing, there are a few very real ones but they pale in the face of such a masterfully told tale that they aren't worth mentioning twice. Instead I'm just going to send out my wholeheartedly honest plea with anyone reading these words right now that you should read this book. Make it to that 27% and find yourself the best book of the year.
I'll admit it - the book sounded like crap. Intrigues, passions, desires, a half hearted cross dressing plot? Oh man, just set me on fire now so I can experience the less painful of two slow deaths. Hell, I even got the damned book for FREE and didn't want to read it. And then funny thing happened, I came across someone online who shared all my tastes in books and loved this. That sparked my attention a bit. You like x book and thought that THIS hunk of drivel was good? Well ok, if you say so. And so I begin to pick my way through it. According to Kindle I hated the first 26% of this book. Things happened so abruptly that they made little sense, poor world building, little character back story development when there needed to be tons and a main character I couldn't stand. But then I got 27% way through and suddenly I found myself in the midst of the novel I'd been hungering for my whole life but never thought existed. This novel is like the answer to so many years of prayer that I didn't think I'd ever find it. Every time I picked up a book that promised me adventure and romance, revenge, dark pacts with gods, twisted plots and honest to god true gender bending and all the time I only got pale shadows of what I asked for and then suddenly, unexpectedly, I found the real thing.
I won't talk about the plot, it's been done to death in other reviews - suffice to say it is very different from the asinine blurb. I won't talk about the book's failing, there are a few very real ones but they pale in the face of such a masterfully told tale that they aren't worth mentioning twice. Instead I'm just going to send out my wholeheartedly honest plea with anyone reading these words right now that you should read this book. Make it to that 27% and find yourself the best book of the year.
June 19, 2012
Girl dresses up as a boy and sells her soul to the goddess of vengeance in order to win back her true love? Yes, please! But for anyone who expects this story to be all happy pappy and "dashing debonair princely figure ends up with the dark cavalier on winged vengeance", the book might be more disappointing, because Maledicte is so much more twisty than the cover indicates.
The story is about Miranda, a destitute girl who has sworn her soul to Black-Winged Ani, a goddess thought to be long dead in a machinist-type world. In exchange for retrieving Janus from his aristocratic captors, Maledicte opens herself up to the idea of vengeance, striking down anyone who gets in her way. In order to do so, she dons the identity of Maledicte, an effeminate and scandalous courtier who's turned heads in the Court from both males and females.
But what happens when Ani harbors a dark, insatiable vengeance that will lead from one kill to the next? And what happens when, at the end of the road, the goal doesn't justify the pain and agony it cost to get there?
I really enjoyed this book, even as I was pleasantly surprised at how more adult it was! But I suppose I should have realized this, considering even the main character(s) was/were technically "whores" for at least the first third of Maledicte.
Mal definitely had one roller coaster ride throughout Maledicte, and sometimes it was a love/hate relationship as I read the story. It definitely helped that while Maledicte was the major hero of the tale, there were other characters whose POVs remained vital to telling the story. I personally loved Gilly's perspective, as well as King Aris's. But most importantly, I loved the feel of the setting! There wasn't a time period necessarily tacked into the story, but to me, it was most likely Renaissance Venice meets steampunk elements.
So yes, absolutely fabulous.
The story is about Miranda, a destitute girl who has sworn her soul to Black-Winged Ani, a goddess thought to be long dead in a machinist-type world. In exchange for retrieving Janus from his aristocratic captors, Maledicte opens herself up to the idea of vengeance, striking down anyone who gets in her way. In order to do so, she dons the identity of Maledicte, an effeminate and scandalous courtier who's turned heads in the Court from both males and females.
But what happens when Ani harbors a dark, insatiable vengeance that will lead from one kill to the next? And what happens when, at the end of the road, the goal doesn't justify the pain and agony it cost to get there?
I really enjoyed this book, even as I was pleasantly surprised at how more adult it was! But I suppose I should have realized this, considering even the main character(s) was/were technically "whores" for at least the first third of Maledicte.
Mal definitely had one roller coaster ride throughout Maledicte, and sometimes it was a love/hate relationship as I read the story. It definitely helped that while Maledicte was the major hero of the tale, there were other characters whose POVs remained vital to telling the story. I personally loved Gilly's perspective, as well as King Aris's. But most importantly, I loved the feel of the setting! There wasn't a time period necessarily tacked into the story, but to me, it was most likely Renaissance Venice meets steampunk elements.
So yes, absolutely fabulous.
September 2, 2011
Miranda, a girl child of the goddess-devastated Relicts, is destined to be a whore, but she has the companionship of her street crew to fill her days. Until her beloved Janus, who has the misfortune of being the bastard son of a nobleman short on heirs, is torn from her.
Miranda leaves her mother, determined to find Janus, to kill Lord Last and reclaim her companion. She takes shelter beneath the altar of Black-winged Ani, the goddess of vengeance responsible for the devastation around her, and emerges as Maledicte, goddess-ridden avatar of vengeance, and is determined to successfully pass as a male. In this new guise, Maledicte is taken in by a deviant count and taught the ways of twisting men and women to do his will, while doing that of the count. All the while just waiting for the opportunity to strike, for Black-winged Ani is not a patient deity, and vengeance must be served.
Maledicte is decadent and beautiful- language and languorously dangerous characters distract readers from the violence hovering just beneath the surface so that even as the crisis point of the book is reached, the reader is no more used to the bloodshed than when the book started. It is far too easy to write a book in which a reader becomes jaded to the violence and deviance contained within. Maledicte deftly avoids that trap, and pulls every necessary wince and gasp out of the reader as a result.
It is a book about love, and most of all about trust. It is about the ways people change over time, and the desperate way in which we cling to the shades of the people they used to be. Robin's does some wonderful things with language, skillfully writing a book that contains beautiful prose that does not distract the reader.
If you are looking for a different, dark sort of fantasy, give Maledicte a read. It is stunning.
Miranda leaves her mother, determined to find Janus, to kill Lord Last and reclaim her companion. She takes shelter beneath the altar of Black-winged Ani, the goddess of vengeance responsible for the devastation around her, and emerges as Maledicte, goddess-ridden avatar of vengeance, and is determined to successfully pass as a male. In this new guise, Maledicte is taken in by a deviant count and taught the ways of twisting men and women to do his will, while doing that of the count. All the while just waiting for the opportunity to strike, for Black-winged Ani is not a patient deity, and vengeance must be served.
Maledicte is decadent and beautiful- language and languorously dangerous characters distract readers from the violence hovering just beneath the surface so that even as the crisis point of the book is reached, the reader is no more used to the bloodshed than when the book started. It is far too easy to write a book in which a reader becomes jaded to the violence and deviance contained within. Maledicte deftly avoids that trap, and pulls every necessary wince and gasp out of the reader as a result.
It is a book about love, and most of all about trust. It is about the ways people change over time, and the desperate way in which we cling to the shades of the people they used to be. Robin's does some wonderful things with language, skillfully writing a book that contains beautiful prose that does not distract the reader.
If you are looking for a different, dark sort of fantasy, give Maledicte a read. It is stunning.
April 1, 2013
And now for something completely different. Lane Robins’ Maledicte is an extraordinarily strange and unflinching foray into the human psyche. Miranda is a street urchin with an extremely sharp edge. When her lover/soul mate is taken from her, she vows not only to get him back, but to seek revenge on the taker, namely, his father. But how? Enter the taint of dark magic and the price of dealing with a goddess with an agenda of her own.
None of the characters in this novel are pure and many of them aren’t even likeable, yet I couldn’t stop reading. Miranda’s transformation into Maledicte is so complete that she stops thinking of herself as female, willing to deny a basic component of her personhood in order to achieve her objectives.
He turned, studied himself in the mirror, distracted from worrying in the shock of self-exploration. It had been so long since he had taken the risk of loitering unclothed, or even thought of himself as Miranda; though he had all her desires, her dreams, he spoke truly to Janus when he declared her dead. Maledicte could not put himself back in her position, could not remake time, unable to remember how it felt to not carry this secret.
The depth of Maledicte’s obsession is fully matched by the warped nature of her beloved and yet I couldn’t stop hoping that she would awaken to the costs of vengeance and finally say no to evil.
Robins’ novel is a study in contrasts; darkly lyrical, love verses hatred, female becoming male. Even the gods are dual in nature. Black winged Ani is the goddess of love and vengeance. Baxit is the god of indolence and reason. Maledicte is the shadowy reflection of a love story coupled with a tainted coming of age, and the offspring of this merging is a very strange child indeed.
None of the characters in this novel are pure and many of them aren’t even likeable, yet I couldn’t stop reading. Miranda’s transformation into Maledicte is so complete that she stops thinking of herself as female, willing to deny a basic component of her personhood in order to achieve her objectives.
He turned, studied himself in the mirror, distracted from worrying in the shock of self-exploration. It had been so long since he had taken the risk of loitering unclothed, or even thought of himself as Miranda; though he had all her desires, her dreams, he spoke truly to Janus when he declared her dead. Maledicte could not put himself back in her position, could not remake time, unable to remember how it felt to not carry this secret.
The depth of Maledicte’s obsession is fully matched by the warped nature of her beloved and yet I couldn’t stop hoping that she would awaken to the costs of vengeance and finally say no to evil.
Robins’ novel is a study in contrasts; darkly lyrical, love verses hatred, female becoming male. Even the gods are dual in nature. Black winged Ani is the goddess of love and vengeance. Baxit is the god of indolence and reason. Maledicte is the shadowy reflection of a love story coupled with a tainted coming of age, and the offspring of this merging is a very strange child indeed.
October 2, 2012
Dark Vengeance, Bloodlust, and Complicated Love
In a debut fantasy, Robbins introduces the readers to the city of Murne and the court of Antyre, forsaken by the gods and ruled by old aristocracy values. After Miranda’s best friend and companion Janus, the bastard son of the earl of Last and last living blood relative, is kidnapped from the slums to become heir, she is devastated. In her despair, she seeks refuge in the fallen temple of the Black-Winged Ani, the goddess of love and vengeance. The story follows the transformation of the then 15 year old Miranda, from a street smart thief of the Relicts, to an attractive male courtier possessed by Ani and seeking revenge for her lost friend.
Maledicte, as she renames herself finds shelter in the home of the old and dissolute Baron Vornatti, another enemy of Last. As she plots her revenge, she trains herself in the skills necessary to navigate the lewd and vile baron as well as the treacherous court-politics, blackmail, dueling, twisted love affairs and murder. Along the way, she finds friendship, loyalty and trust in the baron’s servant Gilly. But her trust only extends so far, and Ani’s possession grows more bloodthirsty every day.
A dark and complex plot, as deep as the characters themselves, Robbins creates a compelling storyline, balancing the emotions of love and vengeance through Maledicte’s feeling for both Janus and Gilly and her internal battle with the merciless Ani. Although, at times a little long winded, and high on sexual tension without eloquent release, the complexity of the characters and the storytelling of Robbins create a unique fantasy novel.
Baseballvalbooks.wordpress.com
In a debut fantasy, Robbins introduces the readers to the city of Murne and the court of Antyre, forsaken by the gods and ruled by old aristocracy values. After Miranda’s best friend and companion Janus, the bastard son of the earl of Last and last living blood relative, is kidnapped from the slums to become heir, she is devastated. In her despair, she seeks refuge in the fallen temple of the Black-Winged Ani, the goddess of love and vengeance. The story follows the transformation of the then 15 year old Miranda, from a street smart thief of the Relicts, to an attractive male courtier possessed by Ani and seeking revenge for her lost friend.
Maledicte, as she renames herself finds shelter in the home of the old and dissolute Baron Vornatti, another enemy of Last. As she plots her revenge, she trains herself in the skills necessary to navigate the lewd and vile baron as well as the treacherous court-politics, blackmail, dueling, twisted love affairs and murder. Along the way, she finds friendship, loyalty and trust in the baron’s servant Gilly. But her trust only extends so far, and Ani’s possession grows more bloodthirsty every day.
A dark and complex plot, as deep as the characters themselves, Robbins creates a compelling storyline, balancing the emotions of love and vengeance through Maledicte’s feeling for both Janus and Gilly and her internal battle with the merciless Ani. Although, at times a little long winded, and high on sexual tension without eloquent release, the complexity of the characters and the storytelling of Robbins create a unique fantasy novel.
Baseballvalbooks.wordpress.com
March 10, 2013
SlashReaders LJ: Alright first off if you are looking for an out and out 'slash' novel this is not what you want to read. There are slash elements in this book given the gender issues that arise surrounding Maledicte/Miranda. However the main couple does remain in essences between Miranda/Janus.
Now if you like books of Jacqueline Cary's ilk, that is what this book reminds me of. It is also reminiscent of Kushner's books though, they are much more blatant. Out of curiosity I've been reading a number of the reviews posted on Amazon surrounding this book.
It seems that a lot of people have problems with the out and out violence, in here. It is not a comfortable book I suppose is a good way to put it. I did not have a problem with the violence, I felt that it worked in this novel. The character was rich and consistent in themselves to the end of the novel. I liked the fact that Lane did not feel the need to show us every detail with Maledicte and Janus's previous relationship. I felt that the bits she did show us and the implicit trust between the two nearly to the end worked well. The way you want to believe in someone until you just can no longer do so, even though you want to--desperately.
While I do not think that Lane, reaches the level of the authors I've compared her to. I do feel that she could reach that eventually. She has a very strong start here, a good and ultimately for filling story, full of darkness, violence, sex and love.
Now if you like books of Jacqueline Cary's ilk, that is what this book reminds me of. It is also reminiscent of Kushner's books though, they are much more blatant. Out of curiosity I've been reading a number of the reviews posted on Amazon surrounding this book.
It seems that a lot of people have problems with the out and out violence, in here. It is not a comfortable book I suppose is a good way to put it. I did not have a problem with the violence, I felt that it worked in this novel. The character was rich and consistent in themselves to the end of the novel. I liked the fact that Lane did not feel the need to show us every detail with Maledicte and Janus's previous relationship. I felt that the bits she did show us and the implicit trust between the two nearly to the end worked well. The way you want to believe in someone until you just can no longer do so, even though you want to--desperately.
While I do not think that Lane, reaches the level of the authors I've compared her to. I do feel that she could reach that eventually. She has a very strong start here, a good and ultimately for filling story, full of darkness, violence, sex and love.
December 17, 2010
After the love of her life, Janus, is stolen by Lord Last who hopes to make his bastard son heir, Miranda swears she will do anything to get him back, even pledge herself to Ani, the dead goddess of Vengence, who may not be so dead after all, and become the ward of the lascivious old courtier Vornatti. The road to revenge is a long one, one that sees her become the dark and mysterious courtier Maledicte. In the corrupt and treacherous court, Maledicte has only two who he can trust to help him regain Janus, his friend and servant Gilly, and black Ani inside him...
I really liked this book a lot, but I'm still digesting it to see if I loved it, because it certainly didn't end the way I thought it would. It reminded me a lot of a slightly 'darker, and edgier' version of the world depicted in Ellen Kushner's 'Swordspoint' and The Privilege of the Sword', what with all the debauched and corrupted courtiers and aristocracy and the desperately poor and savage Relicts. The way it dealt with gender and identity was really fascinating to me, the way Maledicte mostly displaced Miranda, and how Ani fought to displace Maledicte.
There's a sequel, but it doesn't seem like Maledicte is in the sequel, which makes me not as enthusiastic about it, because I really loved Maledicte. He was one of my favorite characters I've read recently.
I really liked this book a lot, but I'm still digesting it to see if I loved it, because it certainly didn't end the way I thought it would. It reminded me a lot of a slightly 'darker, and edgier' version of the world depicted in Ellen Kushner's 'Swordspoint' and The Privilege of the Sword', what with all the debauched and corrupted courtiers and aristocracy and the desperately poor and savage Relicts. The way it dealt with gender and identity was really fascinating to me, the way Maledicte mostly displaced Miranda, and how Ani fought to displace Maledicte.
There's a sequel, but it doesn't seem like Maledicte is in the sequel, which makes me not as enthusiastic about it, because I really loved Maledicte. He was one of my favorite characters I've read recently.
November 20, 2013
The cover of this book drew me and I was fascinated by the idea of Maledicte. For some reason it made me think a bit of Kushiel's Dart so I had high expectations on the political front. Unfortunately the book didn't deliver. The events were flat and at times confusing. I didn't understand the court's fascination with Maledicte, he could have been witty, politically savvy and I would have understood but as it was he came across as arrogant, sarcastic, and rude most of the time.
The historical background was not well fleshed out so it was difficult to get a sense of what might happen in terms of the plot. What powers do the gods give to their followers? How could the tension between the countries play out?
Halfway through things picked up and the reader has some idea of where the plot was going. Gilly was the most developed character while Maledicte's unwavering devotion to Janus did not seem to be merited by Janus' selfish attitude and stretched the bounds of believability even taking into account Maledicte's love. It would have been much more interesting if Maledicte had to struggle with ethical doubts throughout the novel rather than just agreeing to everything Janus requests.
Not a bad book, stylistically good for the most part although a too slow paced to begin with, 3 stars.
The historical background was not well fleshed out so it was difficult to get a sense of what might happen in terms of the plot. What powers do the gods give to their followers? How could the tension between the countries play out?
Halfway through things picked up and the reader has some idea of where the plot was going. Gilly was the most developed character while Maledicte's unwavering devotion to Janus did not seem to be merited by Janus' selfish attitude and stretched the bounds of believability even taking into account Maledicte's love. It would have been much more interesting if Maledicte had to struggle with ethical doubts throughout the novel rather than just agreeing to everything Janus requests.
Not a bad book, stylistically good for the most part although a too slow paced to begin with, 3 stars.
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