Fires of The Faithful: Eliana's Song 01 by Naomi Kritzer

From The Week of February 27, 2011

I found Ms. Kritzer in one of my periodic plunges into the depths of the internet, trolling for good, dark, fantasy fiction. And though the results of such searches can be frustratingly hit or miss, this potent, allegorical tale is certainly a success.

Set in a fantasy realm inspired by, and which closely hews to, renaissance Italy, a hardworking family manages to send their young and talented daughter to a musical conservatory where, while she is learning the violin, she has her eyes opened to the powerful religious and magical forces that underpin her existence. The former becomes evident to Eliana when one of her fellow students introduces her to a kind of earth music that the dominant, monotheistic faith has banned because of its connection to the now suppressed pagan faith that inspired it. The latter arrives in the form of Eliana's roommate who carries within her a strength that Eliana and her fellows cannot imagine. As the country beyond the conservatory devolves into savage war, Eliana flees her schooling only to discover terrible truths about her family, her land, her emperor, and her faith, truths that have forged for her a rebel destiny she has no choice but to embrace.

Ms. Kritzer has served up a full platter of issues for her readers to sink their teeth into. Theologically, her decision to cast the enforcers of the Christian-like religion as cruel and oppressive villains leaves little doubt that her sympathies lie with the pagans. But whatever one might think of her religious politics, the extent to which she's highlighted the brutality of one religion's suppression of another is worthwhile. It It has come to pass, many times in our world, that religions which claim to practice only peace wind up having some of the most heinous crimes committed in their honors. More interesting to me, though, was the conversation here about the nature of power. That magic in Eliana's world is drawn out of the earth and, as a consequence, sickens it, serves as a wonderful analogy for power of any kind that is gathered up and used regardless of its consequences. Our entire world is powered by fossil fuels, the use of which sickens our world, but we use them because we believe we must, because we are driven by necessity. So too the magicians here who use their powers because they believe they must, choosing not to think about the price that is paid. Finally, politically, the necessity of good people to stand up to tyranny is, while hardly a new theme in literature, successfully drawn. Ms. Kritzer's tale suffers from a bad case of the predictable. Most of the outcomes here are readily apparent before they occur which can make the 400 odd pages drag as our heroine plods her way to conclusions the reader's already drawn.

For those who appreciate good fantasy that uses its world to speak to some of our own issues, this is worth a pickup. For Christians sensitive about their religion, be prepared to be reminded of your faith's bloody history. The parallels are not subtle. Good work... (3/5 Stars)