Ms. Kritzer has avoided, here, the numerous traps laying in wait for sequels, imbuing Turning The Storm with a vitality just as potent as tht which animated its progenitor. This second volume feels like a natural continuation from the first, not, as other sequels have been, an addition dreamed up after the fact at the urging of others.
After successfully transforming beaten down slaves into an army of reformists, intent upon bringing the old gods back to the land, Eliana, a violinist-in-training, should be able to lay down the burden of leadership necessity pressed upon her. But when her army is betrayed and many of her people ashed by magefire, Eliana conceives of a new, dangerous mission that, if successful, may bring to a conclusion this ugly war that has consumed her lovely, Renaissance country. Leaving her people behind, Eliana travels to the imperial court and, there, disguises herself as a boy musician. Her bold aim is to gain a secret audience with the emperor and convince him of the religious and mystical truths she's discovered. But though her plan meets with early successes, her life is ultimately imperiled and it may be that hope for the reformers is truly lost.
This second and, it seems, final edition in Eliana's Song is essentially two stories. The first, which consumes most of the novel, concerns Eliana's betrayal and subsequent attempt to finish the war. The second, though much shorter, is easily the most powerful of the two, as what Eliana has willed into being threatens to be derailed by zealots from within her own ranks. This eloquent coda is not only a fitting and emotional conclusion to the series, it convinced me that Ms. Kritzer has a truly open mind. Her sympathies were clearly with Eliana's people and Eliana's gods in Fires of The Faithful. But here, we see that the author has grasped a fundamental truth about power of every kind.
Heroes are just as likely to abuse power as villains. It doesn't matter if your soul is pure or tainted. The having of influence over other people creates temptations that no one is prepared to resist. And so, when some of Eliana's own reformers begin to exhibit signs that they might not be any better than the cruel tormenters they are trying to overthrow, the reader should feel blessed to be consuming a work of fiction that is both thoughtful and free of ideological blinders. Zealousness is an equal opportunity offender. Ms. Kritzer has tapped into some deeper truths here that won't disappoint those looking for realistic fantasy fiction.
This is good work. The author has an inventive mind, but there are some truly formulaic elements here that seem ripped straight out of the fantasy author's handbook. It's this that keeps it from being truly revelatory. (3/5 Stars)
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