Review: Unveiling the Sorceress by Saskia Walker
By Saskia Walker
ISBN-10: 0809557819
ISBN-13: 978-0809557813
Trade paperback, 224 pages
Publication date: August 1, 2007
Juno Books
Reviewed for Front Street Reviews
To stop an impending war and create unity among countries, Elishiba, Empress of Aleem, consents to an arranged marriage to the Emperor of Karseedia, Hanrah. Unknown to Elishiba, the motivation for the union actually stems from the greed of Hanrah's mother. Mehmet will use any means necessary to gain power, even if it means sacrificing her son's happiness. That is exactly what is happening, as Hanrah's heart belongs to a slave and marriage to a stranger belies his nature.
In preparation for Elishiba's journey to Karseedia and the forthcoming marriage, Mehmet sends dowry offerings via courtly messengers. These messengers are also charged with leading the Empress and her attendants back to Karseedia to meet the groom and make negotiations for the betrothal. One such escort immediately captures Elishiba's attention. Amshazar carries with him a power and mysticism that reaches the Empress' core and awakens a repressed sorcery within her. He is an emissary of authority other than Mehmet, however, and takes special interest in helping Elishiba recognize the power she holds. Her kingdom's peace and well being relies on this, for she is about to meet the most threatening adversaries she has ever faced.
Unveiling the Sorceress is Saskia Walker's second fantasy romance for Juno Books. It follows a similar pattern as The Strangeling, her first fantasy romance, narrating a young woman's discovery of unrecognized power through love. Once again, a strong female lead takes control of her destiny while a wise male counterpart nudges her along. While The Strangeling followed the self actualization of a peasant, Unveiling the Sorceress chronicles the trials of the privileged.
The only complaint I had for The Strangeling was the romance overshadowed the fantasy storyline, which was not surprising since Walker was first an author of erotic fiction. However, Unveiling the Sorceress takes advantage of Walker's talent for imagery and allows the romance to complement the storyline rather than commandeering it. The novel is a shining example of Walker's creativity and talent, and draws on the reader to participate emotionally during periods of loss and melancholy. It is evident that Saskia Walker has the ability to branch out and master many facets of literature.
In preparation for Elishiba's journey to Karseedia and the forthcoming marriage, Mehmet sends dowry offerings via courtly messengers. These messengers are also charged with leading the Empress and her attendants back to Karseedia to meet the groom and make negotiations for the betrothal. One such escort immediately captures Elishiba's attention. Amshazar carries with him a power and mysticism that reaches the Empress' core and awakens a repressed sorcery within her. He is an emissary of authority other than Mehmet, however, and takes special interest in helping Elishiba recognize the power she holds. Her kingdom's peace and well being relies on this, for she is about to meet the most threatening adversaries she has ever faced.
Unveiling the Sorceress is Saskia Walker's second fantasy romance for Juno Books. It follows a similar pattern as The Strangeling, her first fantasy romance, narrating a young woman's discovery of unrecognized power through love. Once again, a strong female lead takes control of her destiny while a wise male counterpart nudges her along. While The Strangeling followed the self actualization of a peasant, Unveiling the Sorceress chronicles the trials of the privileged.
The only complaint I had for The Strangeling was the romance overshadowed the fantasy storyline, which was not surprising since Walker was first an author of erotic fiction. However, Unveiling the Sorceress takes advantage of Walker's talent for imagery and allows the romance to complement the storyline rather than commandeering it. The novel is a shining example of Walker's creativity and talent, and draws on the reader to participate emotionally during periods of loss and melancholy. It is evident that Saskia Walker has the ability to branch out and master many facets of literature.
3 comments:
I wonder if Saskia will stop by; I believe she's a blogging agent.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my book! I'm so pleased with your comments. You've really made my day, and I'm very glad you enjoyed this read more. It's interesting, what you've said, and I can learn from it. To me, first and foremost, they are both romances set in fantasy worlds. However, The Strangeling was conceived as a novella length, whilst Unveiling the Sorceress was always novel, possibly series, which gave me more scope. From my standpoint that might be why you've experienced the read differently, although I know that my writing has improved vastly in between the two books. I'm making my way along this writer's learning curve, slowly, but enjoying every step of the way ;) Once again, thank you so much for your review, and for publicising the cover art contest.
Thanks for stopping by, Saskia!
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