HNS Reviews - August 2008
CAPTAIN'S SURRENDER
by Alex Beecroft (Linden Bay Print, 9781602020894)
Josh Andrews is a midshipman in the British Navy in the late 18th century, serving under a brutal and tyrannical commander. Punishments on Josh's ship are extreme, especially for the crime of sodomy. Because of this, Josh has learned to hide his inner self, only giving in to his desires on land and in secret. And then, one day, the ship picks up a new lieutenant -- Peter Kenyon, a gentlemanly captain in training. Peter and Josh share quarters during a voyage filled with misery, abuse, and injustice; but as the weeks go by, the greatest danger lies in the passion growing between them. If mutinous crews, marauding pirates, or deadly conditions don't kill them, Article 29 just might.
The consequences of homosexuality in the British Navy are illustrated on page one, setting up a conflict that carries through the rest of the story. The historical detail is intricate but feels natural, never boring or overdone. If this author is as big a fan of Patrick O'Brian as this reviewer is, it definitely shows. The subplots surrounding the main love story feel like a plausible chain of events, not just the backdrop for a hookup. The pacing flows steadily from beginning to end, and the battles are exciting and gritty. This is a romance, though, and a realistic one, even if the intimate descriptions go a bit flowery at times. That's par for the romance course.
One drawback: the cover. Romance novels (and e-pubs in particular) are often mocked for their cover art, but this one is just plain awful. In this case you really can't judge a book by its cover. Captain’s Surrender is a satisfying love story in a rough-and-tumble setting and a great addition to my GLBT romance collection. This one's a keeper.
CLASS 1902
by Ernst Gläser [translated by Horst Kruse] (USC Press, 9781570037122)
The effects of war on ordinary citizens are illustrated with brutal and beautiful clarity in CLASS 1902, a biographical novel that found instant popularity when first published in Germany in 1928. The author turns his own memories of adolescence into the story of his protagonist, E., the son of a dutiful but emotionally absent government worker and a doting, courageous mother. E. spurns adulthood and everything to do with it, with one exception: he is obsessed with what he calls "the mystery," the secret connection between men and women with which he is wholly unfamiliar. E. feels that if he could only learn the truth behind "the mystery," he would understand the world and the strange behavior of adults. Over the course of four years, the agonies of E.'s puberty run parallel to the social upheaval unfolding around him, with idealization and jubilance followed by disillusionment and despair. These upheavals are mirrored in E.'s disparate group of friends: Ferd, the handsome and heroic son of an aristocrat who opposes the Kaiser's policies; Leo, the frail and insightful young Jew who benefits from Ferd and E.'s protection; and August, the fiery working-class Socialist who sees war as a chance for equality. At first they all leave the outside world to the adults, but as the realities of war become inescapable, each young man is marked by them forever, and E. struggles to understand what is happening to them and the world.
The 2008 English edition includes an introduction by Horst Kruse, whose translation preserves the sparse, sharp beauty of Ernst Gläser's memories. The struggles of growing up are magnified by the horrors of war, illustrating how war affects the innocents of every country. The prose is graceful and controlled, but it pulls no punches and offers no happy endings. CLASS 1902 is not an easy book to read, but its tragic beauty is not easily forgotten. Highly recommended.
RELIEF
by L.E. Butler (RCE Books, 9781932300987)
Katie is a young widow in Boston, 1912, struggling with lingering trauma from her husband's death. She is also a painter who always dreamed of living as an artist in Venice. After a year of floundering, she takes the plunge and moves to Venice to pursue her dream. She begins by painting portraits of Rusala, an exotic and beautiful ballet dancer. Katie's paintings are good enough to get attention from fellow artists and gallery owners, but through Rusala she is introduced to a more bohemian world of dancers and performers. Soon Rusala's allure as a muse becomes a deeper attraction, and the two begin a passionate affair. Katie's desire for Rusala and her need to establish a career compete for her focus, and secrets from her past continue to haunt her. If she is to find success she must deal with her demons and recover her inner strength – but not before Rusala reveals a secret of her own.
The character of Katie is at times confusing and self-contradictory. The truth behind her husband's death is never explored once revealed, missing an opportunity to more fully understand her. The prose wavers in places, weighed down by similes, odd adjective choices, and random expletives. But the chemistry between Katie and Rusala is undeniable, and their passion is both highly erotic and tastefully written. Venice in 1912 is described in detail; the author's love for that city and the various forms of art it inspired are obvious. RELIEF is not quite a character study and not quite a love story, but something in between. Overall, it is a promising debut.
SHADOW OF COLOSSUS
by T.L. Higley (B&H Fiction, 9780805417309)
As the hetaera, or bound courtesan, of one of the most powerful men in Rhodes, Tessa receives more respect and status than many Greek women in 227 BC. But she is still a slave, and her life is numb and hopeless. When her owner dies suddenly, Tessa sees a chance to escape, but first she must keep his death a secret. Among those who help her are Nikos, a handsome dockworker with a mysterious past, and Simeon, whose Jewish family shows Tessa a kindness and love she has never known. Soon they all become caught in a much larger clash of forces, from scheming politicians to spiritual awakening and a cataclysm that could destroy Rhodes itself.
The author makes ancient Greece feel gritty and real, and the plot is engaging and well-researched. Indeed, I was sometimes more interested in the subplots than the main characters, who could have used more fleshing out. Readers of Christian fiction will appreciate Biblical values applied to a pagan society, but the spiritual message is not so overbearing as to prevent others from enjoying the story. The first in a series based around the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.