Friday, October 02, 2009

Sacred Scars Review

No Spoilers!! Yay! (except my use of the eyedropper...?)

SACRED SCARS: Hornbook review 10/09

After the momentary pause at the (cliffhanger) end of SKIN HUNGER, the action resumes full throttle. In alternating chapters, magically attuned servant-girl Sadima plots a rebellion against her exploitive master Somiss, who is keeping her and Franklin captive in a cave complex while he relearns how to use the old magic; and two hundred years later, in the sadistic school for wizards run from the same cave complex, apprentice wizard Hahp plots a rebellion against Somiss and Franklin in a world where magic is now widespread. The plot-gunning question of what has happened to Sadima in the meantime is only partially answered: Duey doles clues with an eyedropper, keeping readers busily but happily engaged in connecting dots even as the horrors and triumphs of the unfolding story hold them spellbound. When the last page of this exquisitely suspenseful fantasy is turned, readers will be satisfied (Both plotlines come to crisis and thence to resolution, however temporary) but will feel they are still living in Duey’s world, waiting to discover what happens to the characters they have become so invested in—waiting impatiently for Duey to conjure the concluding volume.

10 comments:

tinkandalissa said...

Oh I cant wait! I have this in my TBR pile. Yay! I am so glad it's much longer than Skin Hunger. I love long books!! I wasnt ready for Skin Hunger to end and this one sounds AMAZING!

beth said...

What a GREAT review! I found myself agreeing with every word, including "...waiting impatiently for Duey to conjure the concluding volume". The upside to that wait? I get to reread both novels before the final one comes out. Yip! ; )

Bev said...

Oooh, Kathleen, good review. Two thumbs up!!

Bev

kathleen duey said...

Thanks! All the reviews have been wonderful. This one made me really happy because...it's from Hornbook!! Locus included me in their New and Notable books list last issue, too. I am so pleased!

Anonymous said...

i love the bit about the eyedropper!

kathleen duey said...

Candy: Me too. It made me laugh and then I thought, yeah, well, it's true. Life doesn't contain a lot of "all is now revealed" moments, so my books don't either.

I keep remembering your presentation in Bologna as I redo the website. Interactivity baffles me...My problem: I write books K-all the way up to angst-ridden teens and MANY adults are reading the trilogy. So focus is kind of hard.

I should talk to you...

Candy said...

kathleen, just message me on fb if you have an technical questions!

Melanie said...

Wow, I've just finished Sacred Scars and I loved it as much as I loved Skin Hunger.
The mysteries keep piling up and I finished Book2 craving for the third volume.
Haha, I might be nagging but do you have any news on that last book? :D
Very anxious!

Anonymous said...

The word "exquisitely" just pops, doesn't it? Congrats on this fine review.

kathleen duey said...

Thanks, everyone. I do so love this trilogy. I am writing the third one now and will be very sorry to see it end. Also, and equally, relieved.