by Stephen Reger
book review by Mari Carlson
“What happens to one of us… happens to all of us.”
In 1618-1619, as a civil war between Protestants and Catholics comes to a head across Europe, two formidable sisters, Vanessa and Sarlatova, and their entourage head to Vienna to report atrocities against Catholics that they’ve witnessed. Ferdinand, the archduke and their father, is the leader of Stormsong, a Catholic group defending the throne, but with the emperor dying, Ferdinand assumes control. However, not everyone makes the same assumption about his succession of power. Protestants and others contesting Ferdinand for one reason or another band together, in some cases outnumbering the Catholic stronghold. As the sisters learn more about their father and the political situation during their journey, their goals change. Meanwhile, Ferdinand sends various parties in search of his daughters. But is it for good or ill?
This second book of a trilogy opens with the disclaimer that the history as it has thus far been reported is wrong. Instead of correcting mistakes and, in fact, deliberately misdating and misnaming some historical events and characters for the sake of streamlining the story, the truth the book tells readers is that history is personal. History’s relevance is brought to the fore by setting sweeping social, religious, and military movements alongside a narrative of two sisters gaining knowledge about their past and their identities. Through vibrant, superlative, and contrasting personalities, the story brings history’s impact to life, not only for these protagonists but also for readers compelled by their struggles and triumphs.
The book’s conflict centers around the sisters’ magical powers. Setting aside whether magic is real or not, the book’s use of the supernatural is thrilling and intriguing. For her outspoken ability to cause storms with her song, Sarlatova is called a witch, among other put-downs. Vanessa’s powers, on the other hand, emerge over the course of the book. She becomes a heroine by overcoming that which keeps her from expressing her powers. She is a source of conflict and strife. She is frustratingly stubborn and used to getting her way as the heiress to an archduke but yet also generous and fair. Her immersive and mesmerizing, if not magical, combination of qualities keeps readers’ attention.
The two sisters’ bickering over their differences reflects the larger context in which they fight. The story, though, focuses on reconciliation. While most of the action takes place in descriptive passages, dialogue advances the novel’s philosophical underpinnings. With entertaining accents and idiosyncrasies, characters discuss forgiveness, moral obligations, and God-given (magical) gifts. Their jaunty conversations contemporize an ancient tale. Against the backdrop of factions planning and battling, the main plot remains focused on Vanessa’s change of heart about her abilities as she experiences forgiveness from her sister and the others in her traveling party.
Other storylines interlock with Vanessa’s. The parallel woes of a baker accused of witchcraft, a desperate rabbi, and abused siblings, among other mysterious personages, bring Vanessa closer to transformation in their relationships with her. At times, the number of interwoven subplots and bits of historical data about imperial troops, religious orders, and politics is dizzying. However, everything manages to be held together by Vanessa’s storyline. Toggling between threads in short chapters, this long book reads quickly. Clever segues weave the segments together. The tone is driving, with pictures of wanton brutality meted out by both warring sides met with equally strident expressions of love. Toward the end, the plots dovetail, and the writing becomes chantlike and rhythmic, with repeated phrases mirroring the forces marching toward the site of the archduke’s secret weapon. The novel ends on a precipitous note that works to bait readers toward the final book in the trilogy.
US Review of Books 