[Leonie]

and nicer!!:p

[BrianC]

Alison, any idea when The Gift is coming to America in hardback? *Tapping toes; Glaring at watch*

[alison]

Brian, The Gift is aka The Naming (they changed the name because Le Guin's Gifts came out the same year) - so there is not another book that you can't find! I don't know whether this is disappointing or not. The Riddle, on the other hand, is coming out in August.

[BrianC]

Brian, The Gift is aka The Naming (they changed the name because Le Guin's Gifts came out the same year) - so there is not another book that you can't find! I don't know whether this is disappointing or not. The Riddle, on the other hand, is coming out in August.
Mea culpa. I meant the second book, which my diseased brain thought was the Gift. Nice to know August--I'll have finished Locke Lamora by then (it comes out late June). By the way, nice to see you over at the Lotus Lyceum.

[KatG]

Like with Caitlin Sweet, I’ve been meaning for a good bit to put down my impressions of Alison’s first novel, “The Gift,” also called “The Naming.” I have developed immense respect for Alison’s perspicacity on the forums, so I looked forward to seeing what she’d do in her storytelling. The novel wasn’t exactly what I expected – more dark layers to it. It certainly was very bardic and mythic in tone, but I get the inkling that Alison would dearly like to be melodramatic, but her sense of practicality keeps getting in the way. :)

What I loved most about the book is that the heroine, Maerad, is grumpy. Not sullen and whiny as fantasy teen characters may often get, but flat-out, reasonable person grumpy, frustrated in grappling with obstacles and uncertainties, and not suffering fools gladly. What is not to like when a teenage former slave tells her powerful rescuer/possible mentor not that he’s being a meanie, but that he’s being stupid. Maerad starts off with a streak of believable hardness, but that does not turn her to darkness, and she watches things closely. It’s a lively and engaging portrayal, and the dialogue is great fun.

My favorite parts are the beginning and end sequences of the book, when Maered and Cadvan are making their escape through the mountains, and when they face similar challenges to get out of the city. Alison does thriller action scenes very well, with the elements being quite clear and tense. The middle parts, with the training stuff, I sometimes felt unspooled a little too slowly, although they offer a lot of hints of things that may be coming up down the road. The forest sequences really resonated, and had a nice Robin Hood feel to them. Alison has a good eye for transmitting the landscape.

I did have some initial confusion about the gap they encounter. It seemed to be a main approach to the city, but it was not guarded or protected despite the considerable potential threat that could develop there. However, once the main characters got to the city, this issue was explained and reasonably so.

I like how Cadvan has visions and pinpricks of the future, but is still very uncertain he knows what is really going on. I liked the anti-female aspects of the story and how they were handled, especially since in some markets the book is considered YA, for younger readers. All the mystery threads to the plot seem like a lot to juggle, but Alison is good at spinning them out. I liked the college system with its different flavors. I also really liked the poetic, lyrical bursts in the story – like the fight with the werewolves, and the first encounter with Ardina. There’s a feel of real history to Alison’s world and it is one the characters are very involved with.

I know that Alison has mentioned being accused of being derivative by some, and she is, though not in the way that has probably been claimed. She’s derivative in the footsteps of things like Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonsinger books, and Patricia McKillip – early fantasies and sf fantasy that showed such stories didn’t have to be just about boys and men, that a woman could be at the center of important events or have a big impact on those around her. “The Gift” is very much in that tradition, with its focus on issues of honor, integrity, grit and learning, but it blends those aspects with a tougher, more modern feel. Add her sometimes wild and dreamy mythic bits, and it’s a narrative that frequently surprises you, even when elements are familiar. Kind of like Alison herself. :)

Oh and this forum is huge! I had to do a new thread because I wasn’t sure where to put this post. Is there a map of this place or something?

[alison]

Why KatG, thank you so much! That means a lot, coming from you. (Yes, Maerad is grumpy - like my daughter, but don't tell anyone...) I'm really so glad you enjoyed it. You're absolutely right about the feminist influences, though Le Guin is in there too.

But now I have a plane to catch - I had better run...! I'll see you all in three weeks...

[StarLily]

have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D

[KatG]

Thanks for merging me into the right thread. Have fun on your trip.