Book Review
Dec. 29th, 2004 12:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariThe Burning Times
by Jeanne Kalogridis
This was a mediocre book. I found myself rushing through the end, not out of any sort of involvement with the plot or characters, but just to get it over with. First of all, The Burning Times bills itself as a historical novel set in France during the 1350s. However, it's really more of a fantasy novel with a historic setting. The main character, Sybille, is a member of a pagan goddess cult, blessed with supernatural powers, and destined to become even more powerful as the living embodiment of the Goddess. As such, she comes into perilous conflict with the Inquisition. Unfortunately, the potential of such a subject is utterly wasted. The conflict and the characters are too simplistic: the pagans are good and wonderful, the Catholic Church as represented by its Inquisitors is malicious and evil. There are also some fairly ridiculous coincidences and plot twists.
If you're looking for a book about the conflict between Christianity and paganism in a medieval setting, read The Mists of Avalon. If you're looking for a fantasy novel with a historical setting and basis, read something by Judith Tarr. If you want a straight historical novel set in the middle ages, there are plenty of better options: Sharon Kay Penman, Cecilia Holland, Zoe Oldenbourg, and others. Just don't read this book.
by Jeanne Kalogridis
This was a mediocre book. I found myself rushing through the end, not out of any sort of involvement with the plot or characters, but just to get it over with. First of all, The Burning Times bills itself as a historical novel set in France during the 1350s. However, it's really more of a fantasy novel with a historic setting. The main character, Sybille, is a member of a pagan goddess cult, blessed with supernatural powers, and destined to become even more powerful as the living embodiment of the Goddess. As such, she comes into perilous conflict with the Inquisition. Unfortunately, the potential of such a subject is utterly wasted. The conflict and the characters are too simplistic: the pagans are good and wonderful, the Catholic Church as represented by its Inquisitors is malicious and evil. There are also some fairly ridiculous coincidences and plot twists.
If you're looking for a book about the conflict between Christianity and paganism in a medieval setting, read The Mists of Avalon. If you're looking for a fantasy novel with a historical setting and basis, read something by Judith Tarr. If you want a straight historical novel set in the middle ages, there are plenty of better options: Sharon Kay Penman, Cecilia Holland, Zoe Oldenbourg, and others. Just don't read this book.
