AUTHOR: Ruth Sims
PUBLISHER: Lethe Press
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 125k)
GENRE: Gay historical romance
COST: $18.00 (print), $9.00 (e-book from ARe)
Kit St. Denys wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but from the time he turns on his abusive father, all he wants to do is escape his past. He forges a new existence in the theater, becoming one of the most celebrated actors in
As the title suggests, this is a story of rebirth, not just of the obvious primary character of Kit, but of his lover and sometime companion Nick. Rich with historical detail, it spans both their lifetimes, opening in the slums of
This theme of constantly reinventing themselves hangs over the entire novel. Every time something crucial occurs in their lives, Nick or Kit takes a radical left turn. This makes for a lot of twists and turns, some of them quite melodramatic, more than one a tad over the top. While they fit with the way the characters are painted, after a while, it becomes a tad too much, especially when some of the choices don’t necessarily help me like the characters any more. Kit, especially, suffers from this. While I never doubted the realization of the character for a second, I can’t say that I actually liked him very much once he hit his late teens. Some of the selfishness of his choices, and his egocentricity, while appropriate both for the fact that he’s an actor and learned at an early age to fend for himself, don’t necessarily endear him to me, especially since I cared for Nick so much more. When Kit behaves badly and then turns on Nick when Nick dares to be upset by it, I was ready for Nick to walk out for good. The fact that that happened only a third into the story, however, meant they still had a very long road ahead of them.
The novel is written in 3rd person omniscient, which has the unfortunate effect of distancing me emotionally from the characters. This is a trait specific to me; I know of plenty of readers who have little problem engaging in this perspective. For me, however, the constant shift of headspace – to minor characters as well as the two primaries – yanks me out of the moment, and reminds me that I’m reading a story rather than experiencing it. While I still felt for what was happening within the context of the novel, I was never immersed in it, which is one of the biggest things that separate good reads from great ones for me.
What I did get immersed in, though, was the setting. Every place in this is gorgeously drawn, whether it’s dark and ugly or bright and shiny. It contributes to the saga feel of the story, and broadens the scope of its appeal. There’s never any question of where I am, or when, and that helps to root me within the story when sometimes the characters frustrated me. It’s a rich reading experience. Readers who enjoy historicals, especially long, involved ones, will likely love it.
| Readability | 8/10 – 3rd person omniscient is not my favorite narrative form, and while there was a definite flow, it often pulled me from immersing with the characters and emotions |
| Hero #1 | 6/10 – Selfish, even though he’s fully realized |
| Hero #2 | 7/10 – I empathized more with Nick from the moment he was introduced |
| Entertainment value | 7/10 – In spite of sometimes being annoyed by the selfish behavior and some of the melodramatic twists, I was engaged |
| World building | 10/10 – A lot of very believable detail that leaves no doubt of any of the worlds the characters inhabit |
| TOTAL: | 38/50 |
2 comments:
I love your review. I had a similar reaction to the story. The settings were so vivid and immersive, the omniscient point of view didn't bother me as much as it does in other novels. I also found Nick more sympathetic, but understood what made Kit the person he was, even when I didn't like him as much.
"For me, however, the constant shift of headspace – to minor characters as well as the two primaries – yanks me out of the moment, and reminds me that I’m reading a story rather than experiencing it. While I still felt for what was happening within the context of the novel, I was never immersed in it, which is one of the biggest things that separate good reads from great ones for me."
This is exactly *why* POV and showing not telling is important. But trying to get that across to authors is so very difficult. You have explained it better than I ever could.
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