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jpskewedthroneI received an ARC of this book, which is why I can post about it before it's even been released. This book will hit the shelves on August 7th, 2012. You should preorder your copy today.
The Grass King's Concubine is Kari Sperring's second book and while it is NOT a sequel to her first, Living With Ghosts, it is set in the same world. However, this book is nothing like her first. It has some dark themes, but the overall atmosphere of The Grass King's Concubine is much lighter and the characters, in general, aren't as dark either.
The main premise is that there are two worlds--WorldAbove, which is where the main characters Aude and Jehan live, and WorldBelow, where the Grass King reigns. A human named Marcellan has inadvertantly traveled to WorldBelow and in the process--by introducing human ideas into a magical realm--has upset the balance of the world. The Grass King andh is Cadre are unaware of how dangerous Marcellan is until it's too late. Unfortunately, what's happening in WorldBelow is also affecting WorldAbove, causing a significant drought. Like her first novel, Kari Sperring appears obsessed with water. In Living With Ghosts there was too much water; here, there is too little. The two young lovers Aude and Jehan are separated and both end up in WorldBelow, where the Cadre is attempting to fix what Marcellan has broken. As they search for each other, they learn not only about WorldBelow, its troubles and rules and expectations, but also about themselves. And WorldBelow does not operate like WorldAbove. There are seas of moss, glass bones, rock trees, and creatures both beautiful and deadly.
Readers who like slower paced, character driven novels will love The Grass King's Concubine. It is, essentially, a mystery that slowly unfolds as Aude and Jehan explore WorldBelow in their search for each other. It has an old Europe flavor to the human culture (just like Living With Ghosts) which gives it great atmosphere and just a touch of a steampunk feel. The characters are interesting, the most captivating being the two ferrets from WorldBelow who can change into human form. And the world Sperring creates is interesting and engaging. Some readers will experience a little bit of confusion in the first part of the book until they realize that some of the chapters are actually set a significant amount of time in the past, rather than concurrent with Aude's and Jehan's chapters, but that confusion clears up as soon as Aude and Jehan reach the point where they are taken to WorldBelow.
Overall, The Grass King's Concubine is a great novel for those enjoy exploring a new world, in depth, at a slow pace, and with intriguing characters that capture the imagination.
The Grass King's Concubine is Kari Sperring's second book and while it is NOT a sequel to her first, Living With Ghosts, it is set in the same world. However, this book is nothing like her first. It has some dark themes, but the overall atmosphere of The Grass King's Concubine is much lighter and the characters, in general, aren't as dark either.
The main premise is that there are two worlds--WorldAbove, which is where the main characters Aude and Jehan live, and WorldBelow, where the Grass King reigns. A human named Marcellan has inadvertantly traveled to WorldBelow and in the process--by introducing human ideas into a magical realm--has upset the balance of the world. The Grass King andh is Cadre are unaware of how dangerous Marcellan is until it's too late. Unfortunately, what's happening in WorldBelow is also affecting WorldAbove, causing a significant drought. Like her first novel, Kari Sperring appears obsessed with water. In Living With Ghosts there was too much water; here, there is too little. The two young lovers Aude and Jehan are separated and both end up in WorldBelow, where the Cadre is attempting to fix what Marcellan has broken. As they search for each other, they learn not only about WorldBelow, its troubles and rules and expectations, but also about themselves. And WorldBelow does not operate like WorldAbove. There are seas of moss, glass bones, rock trees, and creatures both beautiful and deadly.
Readers who like slower paced, character driven novels will love The Grass King's Concubine. It is, essentially, a mystery that slowly unfolds as Aude and Jehan explore WorldBelow in their search for each other. It has an old Europe flavor to the human culture (just like Living With Ghosts) which gives it great atmosphere and just a touch of a steampunk feel. The characters are interesting, the most captivating being the two ferrets from WorldBelow who can change into human form. And the world Sperring creates is interesting and engaging. Some readers will experience a little bit of confusion in the first part of the book until they realize that some of the chapters are actually set a significant amount of time in the past, rather than concurrent with Aude's and Jehan's chapters, but that confusion clears up as soon as Aude and Jehan reach the point where they are taken to WorldBelow.
Overall, The Grass King's Concubine is a great novel for those enjoy exploring a new world, in depth, at a slow pace, and with intriguing characters that capture the imagination.
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Date: 2012-04-27 09:39 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2012-04-28 11:18 pm (UTC)