This was a very weird story. Mostly that was because it didn’t follow any recognizable trajectory — normally there’s the typical plot arc, starting in the ordinary world, with rising action to a climax, falling action, and then resolution. Ideally the climax will be predictable based upon the conflicts that have come before, with the villains and heroes you expect.
In this one, Gretchen and Arthur both do start out in their respective “ordinary worlds”–Gretchen in her interstellar world while Arthur (who shapeshifts to bear form once a month) lives back on Earth in the wild forests, overrun by faeries. Gretchen has to go back to Britannia where the faeries are, sent by her stepmother to rescue her stepsister, who has been taken as the bride of the faerie prince. If she doesn’t save her stepsister, her stepmother will murder her father. Along the way, she meets Arthur and his family of bear shapeshifters… where his mother in particular is fixated upon a prophecy that the Silverhair will one day come and save the bearfolk from their enemies. Gretchen has a silver streak in her hair, so Arthur’s mother is convinced that it’s her, and she kidnaps her in order to force the prophecy to come true. Meanwhile, Arthur very quickly falls in love with Gretchen, which is forbidden (she’s human, not bearkind after all).
It’s a unique story thus far… but it leads one to believe that the climax will be one thing. Only when we get there, we’re not even halfway through the story. There were probably four or five different climaxes and stories within the story along the way. Noble kept introducing new characters and acts. I grew weary of them eventually, but I’d invested so much time that I wanted to see the resolution…
One thing about Noble’s books is that they are always both whimsical and clean, and the tension remains at a manageable level, so they’re good reads for just before bedtime. As usual, I got a happily ever after at the end.
My rating: ***1/2
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Violence: none
Political content: none
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