Elizabeth C. Bunce

Digger's Story — (2010-2011) Young adult. Publisher: In a glamorous castle full of Llyvraneth's elite, Celyn Contrare serves as a lady-in-waiting to shy young Merista Nemair. Her days are spent dressing in velvet, attending Lady Merista, navigating court gossip, and charming noblemen over lavish feasts. And at night, she picks locks, steals jewels, forges documents, and collects secrets. Because Celyn isn't really a lady-in-waiting; she's not even really Celyn Contrare. She's Digger, a sneak-thief on the run from the king's Inquisition, desperate to escape its cruel instruments and hatred of magic. If she's discovered, it will mean her certain death. But life as a lady-in-waiting isn't safe either. The devious Lord Daul knows her secret, and he's blackmailing her to serve as his personal spy in the castle. What she discovers — about Daul, about the Nemair, even about her own Lady Merista — could signal civil war in Llyvraneth. And for a thief trained never to get involved, taking sides could be the most dangerous job yet.

StarCrossed

StarCrossed starts with a bang. Digger, a young thief, has just escaped capture and turns up alone and breathless at the place she was supposed to meet her sweetheart and fellow thief, Tegen. But as she goes over the night’s events in her mind, she realizes Tegen didn’t get away and is probably dead. Afraid of getting caught herself, Digger takes her first opportunity to get out of the city. That opportunity comes in the form of four teenage aristocrats in a pleasure boat. She gives them a fake name, Celyn Contrare, and a semi-fake life story.

The next few chapters are a bit slow, especially after the tense beginning. Elizabeth C. Bunce uses these chapters to introduce several characters – some of whom go on to play a major role in the book, and some of whom do not (though they may turn up in a sequel) – and to unfold the political and religious situation to the reader. These chapters also explain how a street thief ends up becoming a lady’s maid to a young noblewoman, which isn’t something that just happens overnight! So, while this section drags a little, I can see why it’s necessary and the purposes it serves.

It’s when Digger/Celyn travels to the remote northern stronghold of Bryn Shaer with her mistress, Lady Merista Nemair, that StarCrossed truly becomes riveting. A large group of nobles descends upon the castle to stay for the winter, including one Remy Daul, an old friend of Merista’s father, who offers Digger a terrible choice between spying for him or being exposed as a thief. Then, the entire party is snowed in. From this point on, it’s impossible to put the book down. Everyone at Bryn Shaer has secrets, some of them deadly. But Digger hasn’t survived this long without learning to be sneaky and resourceful. I especially loved that Bunce allows her to suffer guilt for her role in the Nemair family’s troubles but without letting that guilt paralyze her; instead, Digger uses her wits and guts to try to save the day.

 StarCrossed is an exciting read for young adults, featuring plenty of politics, magic, and derring-do. Bunce writes in a clear and evocative style with a dash of humor. And while StarCrossed features serious themes such as religious persecution, the heroine’s intrepid personality keeps the book from becoming heavy or depressing. Adult fans of political fantasy will enjoy it too. Consider giving it a try if you enjoyed Maria Snyder’s Poison Study or Erin Bow’s Plain Kate. StarCrossed is a self-contained story, but a sequel, Liar’s Moon, will explore Digger’s further adventures. —Kelly Lasiter

Liar's Moon

Digger, a.k.a. Celyn Contrare, is back in the city of Gerse. Following a strange series of events, she learns that her friend Durrel Decath stands accused of murdering his wife, a woman from one of Gerse’s wealthiest merchant families. Digger sets out to clear Durrel’s name, even though, as she puts it, “I had no experience investigating crimes; committing them, yes, but never reconstructing them, piece by piece, backward in time.” What follows is an exciting whodunit… with magic.

In addition to the mystery, Liar’s Moon gives us a fuller look at the world Elizabeth C. Bunce created in StarCrossed. We see the effects of the escalating civil war from inside Gerse: heightened religious tension and persecution, food shortages, and various factions taking advantage of other people’s suffering for their own gain. Digger may be farther from the front lines now that she’s returned to Gerse, but she is well placed to show us the war’s effects on all the social classes in the city, and she has a few opportunities to change the course of “history.”

There’s a love story here too — a refreshingly down-to-earth one. This is no insta-love; it develops as Digger and her love interest get to know each other better. They’re not presented as cosmic soul mates; each has loved before, and one gets the idea that they would love again if this didn’t work out. And if it does work out, they will face a realistic set of class-based problems.

Liar’s Moon is an exhilarating read. This is in part because of the suspense and intrigue that will keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happens next. It’s also in part because of Digger herself and how much fun it is to follow her through her adventures. A brave and resourceful heroine, she’s always poking into something, always on the edge of danger, and always helping to move the plot along.

When I finished the last page of Liar’s Moon, I felt bereft, both because Bunce ends the book with a killer hook and because I wanted to spend a few hundred more pages hanging out in Gerse with Digger. I can’t wait for book three... —Kelly Lasiter