Sarah Monette

The Doctrine of Labyrinths — (2005-2009) Publisher: Mélusine-a city of secrets and lies, pleasure and pain, magic and corruption. It is here that wizard Felix Harrowgate and cat-burglar Mildmay the Fox will find their destinies intertwined in a world of sensuality and savagery.

Melusine: Engrossing despite its flaws, deserving of patience

Melusine has some definite issues as a first novel. It's setting doesn't feel quite fully fleshed out — even if one gives the author the benefit of the doubt and believes things are left unanswered for plot purposes and are “to be revealed later.” If that's the case, the reader could have done with a bit more revelation early on, especially with regard to the politics which drive so much of the characters' motivations. Without that background, their actions run the risk of seeming arbitrary just for the sake of plot. Some of the side plots/characters get dropped or resolved a bit too abruptly, as do some of the major actions, again even given consideration for the sequel. And the language moves too often between imagined-word-speak and modern slang.

That said, there is much to be enjoyed in Melusine and the book rewards the reader who is willing to overlook a few of these flaws and let the book lure him/her in. Most of the book is set in the city of Melusine, protected by a cadre of court wizards and a magical talisman (the Virtu). Felix Harrowgate, a magician whose up-from-the-streets secret background has just been revealed, runs to his brutal mentor who uses him in a sadistic and relatively graphic rape scene to destroy the Virtu. The rape and destruction of the talisman leaves Felix mad and this, along with a magical compulsion not to reveal what happened, leads to his imprisonment.

Meanwhile, in the less aristocratic parts of the city, Mildmay the master burglar takes on a job that gets him first into an unlooked for romantic relationship and then into more trouble than he had planned. Eventually, the two main characters are both forced to leave the city and their two personal quests bring the two of them together in the latter half of the book.

The book's plotting may be the weakest part. Some of it seems overly convoluted, some too unexplained (such as the background politics/geography) and some too arbitrary (such as supposedly experienced wizards not noticing or thinking to look for a compulsion). And parts that should have been drawn out for tension (such as an evil spirit discovered late in the book) end more with a whimper than a bang. The plot holds interest despite these flaws, but more for atmosphere and character than actual events.

The characters, on the other hand, are the strong suits here. Both main characters have their own distinctive voice and each has an engrossing back and present story. They're also a nice shade of grey, allowing for more complexity in their actions/motivations and the readers' response to each. Just as importantly, the secondary characters, no matter their importance to plot, length of life, or species, also are fully dimensional and capture one's interest.

In the end, the book drew me in fully despite its annoyances of plot and language so that if they didn't go unnoticed, they stopped pulling me out of the reading experience. One assumes the next book (and be clear on this — this book has a sequel and can't be read without it) will improve in those areas. Good recommendation for Melusine and expectations for a better one for its sequel. —Bill Capossere

Melusine

My first reaction to Melusine was to be confused and impressed all at once. I was confused because I had no idea what was being said, and I was impressed because... well, because I had no idea what was being said. Yes, that makes no sense. Allow me to explain.

Even not being sure what was being said, I was pulled in immediately by Sarah Monette's use of language. It's utterly brilliant. Some might fine Mildmay's way of speaking occasionally too modern, but it didn't bother me at all. It was consistent, smart, and well at contrast with Felix's voice. Most importantly though, it fit. A lot of authors think that they can use a character's class, or nationality, or a number of other things, but what really makes language work is if you believe it. I believed, very quickly, that Mildmay would say the things he said, based on his character, so for me it all came together.

The problem I have with Melusine is that I struggle to explain why I enjoyed it. I think a large part of it is that I adore Mildmay. He's got to be one of my favorite fantasy characters in a long time. But other than that... I guess there was just a feeling to Melusine that caught me, because the book is undeniably filled with flaws.

The writing can be vague in spots, so that I'm not exactly sure what is being said (this fades fairly quickly, though). There's very little description of the world around our characters, which I found to be my biggest problem. It's all internal, with very little external, so sometimes I feel too much like I'm hovering in blackness. That doesn't mean there aren't some really good scenes, because there are. There's tension and creepiness and excitement in there, too. It's just that I would have liked a little more detail about the world in general.

All and all, I found Melusine to be an odd duck. I'm not positive why I enjoyed reading it as much as I did. And I wouldn't be sure who to recommend it to (though if you've enjoyed things like The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop or Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books, this might just be your pace). I will say that if you like darker fantasy, Melusine is definitely intriguing enough to give a shot. —Beth Johnson

The Virtu

Here we go again. It's time for another round of Beth-Can't-Figure-Out-Why-She's- Enjoying-This-So-Much.

Wizard Felix Harrowgate is back and much less crazy than he was during 90% of Sarah Monette's Melusine. So is thief Mildmay the Fox, who's a bit less mobile, crippled by a curse that caught up to him in the previous book. Their goal: To travel back across the world, return to Melusine (the city) and restore the magical crystal called the Virtu.

If the plot sounds a little thin...well, that might be because it is. It's padded with events, ones not necessarily pointless exactly, but not entirely relevant, either. Some of it is really interesting, including a trip into a creepy underground maze and the introduction of a new character, Mehitabel Parr, who muscles her way in on the trip to Melusine.

I suppose that's the whole thing. The Virtu offers much of the same; the same things I loved about Melusine and the same things that bothered me are present here. I believe it's the strength of Monette's characters, particularly Mildmay, that gets me so deeply involved with the book that end up enjoying it a lot. Even Felix, who I dislike, still produces emotion from me, rather than the complete apathy that I too often feel when reading. I'm curious enough about the characters, about what will happen to them next, that I'm even excited to read the next book, though The Virtu wraps up the plot that was begun in Melusine.

If you didn't care for Melusine, then The Virtu isn't going to float your boat either. But if you enjoyed the first book, the second will likely make you feel the same. —Beth Johnson