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branch_c's review
3.0
This follow-up to The Alchemist of Souls has many of the same high points that led me to regard the first book so highly. The characters are interesting and their motivations realistically complex yet understandable. The setting is uniquely creative in its use of the New World skraylings as a kind of fairy-folk and the supernatural dream world they have access to, but also surprisingly down to earth in its realistic depiction of Europe in Elizabethan times. This aspect is, if anything, more apparent in this volume, where Lyle's knowledge and research are clearly extensive. In addition to the seemingly intimate knowledge of both London and Venice, there are endless details of numerous aspects of life in that time and place, from food, lodging and other domestic affairs to sailing, navigation, court intrigue, international trade and spycraft, all with terminology that seems to effortlessly ring true to the reader.
Having said all that, I have to admit that I found the reading of this book a bit tedious at times - in spite of the numerous positive qualities mentioned above, I rarely felt truly engaged or drawn to the events of the story. Not sure what to blame this on exactly. Maybe the machinations of the Catlyns and other characters were just too subtle and intricate to hold my interest? Maybe the book was a bit overlong and could have benefited from some trimming to tighten it up and heighten the pace?
Also in case Lyle or the editorial staff is reading this, I should mention that I was sad to see the word "prevarication" used to mean "hesitation" (p. 129) - as much as it may seem like it should mean that! A trivial thing, I know, but jarring in the context of the otherwise impeccable use of language.
Anyway, not a bad read by any means, with many positive attributes.
Having said all that, I have to admit that I found the reading of this book a bit tedious at times - in spite of the numerous positive qualities mentioned above, I rarely felt truly engaged or drawn to the events of the story. Not sure what to blame this on exactly. Maybe the machinations of the Catlyns and other characters were just too subtle and intricate to hold my interest? Maybe the book was a bit overlong and could have benefited from some trimming to tighten it up and heighten the pace?
Also in case Lyle or the editorial staff is reading this, I should mention that I was sad to see the word "prevarication" used to mean "hesitation" (p. 129) - as much as it may seem like it should mean that! A trivial thing, I know, but jarring in the context of the otherwise impeccable use of language.
Anyway, not a bad read by any means, with many positive attributes.
bookpenguin's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jaymeks's review against another edition
3.0
Better than the first book, but to me, it still had some weird spots and issues that I just couldn't get around. A good 4 star read.
leontiy's review against another edition
5.0
The Merchant of Dreams, by Anne Lyle—Night’s Masque #2—is an example of pure storytelling. Rich and well-paced, the second instalment of the series builds on the foundation of The Alchemist of Souls and completely avoids “middle-book syndrome” by becoming a solid middle point for the series, setting a high bar and allowing only for things to get better.
Often, what makes a book is a mixture of two elements, perfectly and chemically arranged on a page as suits the author’s style and tastes. Character and plot. If any one ingredient is lacking, or does not gel well enough, then the formula is ruined and the result will be subpar. When reading Lyle you never need to worry about the mixture being right—it always is. Lyle’s skill at writing character sets her apart in the genre and makes her work all the more approachable and identifiable.
In The Merchant of Dreams—helpfully hinted at by the gorgeous front cover and the play on Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice—the cast sets sail on Walsingham’s business to the Serene Republic; Venice. With the richness and wonder of Venice to play with, Lyle set out to really push the imagination and just what she could achieve with her characters and the setting provided. The result is a magical romp through a familiar Venice—with its canals and piazzas and masked parties—with all the tension and intrigue of intelligencers, skraylings and guisers, and secrets nestled between the Serene Republic’s soft bosom—secrets that she wants to keep close to her heart.
With Coby’s secret held by Mal, their relationship begins to blossom, awkwardly—though as long as they remain in England there can be no romance between them. On the contrary, Gabriel and Ned have settled into a routine of domestic and romantic normalcy that—mostly—serves to quell Ned’s resurfacing affections for his former lover, Mal, who, despite having freed his twin brother Sandy from Bedlam and having successfully uncovered the mysteries of his past, is as troubled as ever by recent revelations and events. And with Ambassador Kiiren gone from England and Sandy with him, Mal’s humour has been better.
When he is ordered to Venice to spy on the skraylings’ sought alliance with Venice, he takes Ned with him, giving Cody strict orders to take care of Sandy, whose return is a welcome surprise, yet one he cannot fully trust. Coby swears to Mal his brother will stay safe. No sooner has the promise been made, than Sandy and Erishen inside him, begin to cause trouble—trouble that forces Coby and Gabriel both from England. Before long, more ungodly trouble hounds Coby, with the appearance of more skraylings, whose betrayal comes at sea and threatens to take them all the way back to the New World. Coby is forced to lie and think quickly and eventually they find themselves following after Mal and heading to Venice.
Meanwhile Ned is hardly cut out for the life Mal has introduced him to, and though he is a dab hand on a ship, he soon tires of being away from Gabriel and being surrounded by men on a ship who take a dislike to his preferences. More danger abounds before they even reach the Serene Republic, and with Sir Walter Raleigh in tow and appearances on the up-and-up, Mal is struggling to get done what needs doing, without arousing suspicion regarding his own secret past. After attacks at sea, storms and pirates, being in Venice should be an easy game, but Mal discovers otherwise when he finds there is no access to the skraylings or Kiiren, and that Venice is ruled from the shadows by at least one guiser.
Under the cover of seeking his brother Charles, who is rumoured to be in Venice, Mal treads as lightly as he dares through the streets of Venice, which he finds are not as serene as the name implies.
The Merchant of Dreams is a complete success that invites you into a world of intrigue and danger, fencing and romance. The sexual tension between Ned and Mal is beautifully written and adds not only a depth to the relationship, but a streak of realism. Lyle successfully writes gay and bisexual characters as naturally as breathing, and it makes for a deeply enjoyable read. Gabriel and Ned are as enjoyable as Coby and Mal, Sandy and Kiiren.
In fact, the relationships between Lyle’s male characters take the book to another level for me. She writes homosexual characters and shoehorns nothing for any minority (perceived or otherwise)—she just happens to write Gabriel and Ned, who love each other and do the dirty, and Ned, who is Mal’s former lover, who happens to enjoy the womenfolk as well. It’s as simple as that and I appreciate seeing more than just a homosexual character there for decoration, or to be penned in on all sides by heteronormative characters. Never mind the mythological bisexual character, appearing, nowhere, ever!
It’s refreshing, and damn if I don’t enjoy reading about pretty Gabriel and brooding Mal. Coby, too, is a brilliant example of a cross-dressing heroine doing it more—by now—because she enjoys being Jacob Hendricks as well as Mina Hendricks. It raises fantastic questions about gender in a new way—and I love it.
In fact, I loved everything about The Merchant of Dreams: it is exciting, thrilling and Lyle’s gorgeous prose drives the story elegantly forwards towards a goal. Lyle is good at endings—not all writers are—and amidst the bittersweet closing chapters lie the seeds of a plot that could have some incredibly awesome consequences, should they be allowed to bloom. A fantastic example of historical fantasy going all the way and holding nothing back, The Merchant of Dreams is complex and exciting.
Gorgeous prose, stunning ability to weave a story, and likeable, moreish characters—Lyle is a winner. Read her.
Often, what makes a book is a mixture of two elements, perfectly and chemically arranged on a page as suits the author’s style and tastes. Character and plot. If any one ingredient is lacking, or does not gel well enough, then the formula is ruined and the result will be subpar. When reading Lyle you never need to worry about the mixture being right—it always is. Lyle’s skill at writing character sets her apart in the genre and makes her work all the more approachable and identifiable.
In The Merchant of Dreams—helpfully hinted at by the gorgeous front cover and the play on Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice—the cast sets sail on Walsingham’s business to the Serene Republic; Venice. With the richness and wonder of Venice to play with, Lyle set out to really push the imagination and just what she could achieve with her characters and the setting provided. The result is a magical romp through a familiar Venice—with its canals and piazzas and masked parties—with all the tension and intrigue of intelligencers, skraylings and guisers, and secrets nestled between the Serene Republic’s soft bosom—secrets that she wants to keep close to her heart.
With Coby’s secret held by Mal, their relationship begins to blossom, awkwardly—though as long as they remain in England there can be no romance between them. On the contrary, Gabriel and Ned have settled into a routine of domestic and romantic normalcy that—mostly—serves to quell Ned’s resurfacing affections for his former lover, Mal, who, despite having freed his twin brother Sandy from Bedlam and having successfully uncovered the mysteries of his past, is as troubled as ever by recent revelations and events. And with Ambassador Kiiren gone from England and Sandy with him, Mal’s humour has been better.
When he is ordered to Venice to spy on the skraylings’ sought alliance with Venice, he takes Ned with him, giving Cody strict orders to take care of Sandy, whose return is a welcome surprise, yet one he cannot fully trust. Coby swears to Mal his brother will stay safe. No sooner has the promise been made, than Sandy and Erishen inside him, begin to cause trouble—trouble that forces Coby and Gabriel both from England. Before long, more ungodly trouble hounds Coby, with the appearance of more skraylings, whose betrayal comes at sea and threatens to take them all the way back to the New World. Coby is forced to lie and think quickly and eventually they find themselves following after Mal and heading to Venice.
Meanwhile Ned is hardly cut out for the life Mal has introduced him to, and though he is a dab hand on a ship, he soon tires of being away from Gabriel and being surrounded by men on a ship who take a dislike to his preferences. More danger abounds before they even reach the Serene Republic, and with Sir Walter Raleigh in tow and appearances on the up-and-up, Mal is struggling to get done what needs doing, without arousing suspicion regarding his own secret past. After attacks at sea, storms and pirates, being in Venice should be an easy game, but Mal discovers otherwise when he finds there is no access to the skraylings or Kiiren, and that Venice is ruled from the shadows by at least one guiser.
Under the cover of seeking his brother Charles, who is rumoured to be in Venice, Mal treads as lightly as he dares through the streets of Venice, which he finds are not as serene as the name implies.
The Merchant of Dreams is a complete success that invites you into a world of intrigue and danger, fencing and romance. The sexual tension between Ned and Mal is beautifully written and adds not only a depth to the relationship, but a streak of realism. Lyle successfully writes gay and bisexual characters as naturally as breathing, and it makes for a deeply enjoyable read. Gabriel and Ned are as enjoyable as Coby and Mal, Sandy and Kiiren.
In fact, the relationships between Lyle’s male characters take the book to another level for me. She writes homosexual characters and shoehorns nothing for any minority (perceived or otherwise)—she just happens to write Gabriel and Ned, who love each other and do the dirty, and Ned, who is Mal’s former lover, who happens to enjoy the womenfolk as well. It’s as simple as that and I appreciate seeing more than just a homosexual character there for decoration, or to be penned in on all sides by heteronormative characters. Never mind the mythological bisexual character, appearing, nowhere, ever!
It’s refreshing, and damn if I don’t enjoy reading about pretty Gabriel and brooding Mal. Coby, too, is a brilliant example of a cross-dressing heroine doing it more—by now—because she enjoys being Jacob Hendricks as well as Mina Hendricks. It raises fantastic questions about gender in a new way—and I love it.
In fact, I loved everything about The Merchant of Dreams: it is exciting, thrilling and Lyle’s gorgeous prose drives the story elegantly forwards towards a goal. Lyle is good at endings—not all writers are—and amidst the bittersweet closing chapters lie the seeds of a plot that could have some incredibly awesome consequences, should they be allowed to bloom. A fantastic example of historical fantasy going all the way and holding nothing back, The Merchant of Dreams is complex and exciting.
Gorgeous prose, stunning ability to weave a story, and likeable, moreish characters—Lyle is a winner. Read her.
wilmaknickersfit's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not going to repeat the Goodreads summary of this book.
Talk about betrayal.
I was looking forward to this second book of the trilogy, but now I'm not sure I like how some of the characters are developing. Mal makes some very dodgy decisions in this book and agrees to others that don't quite fit with what we know about his character. In particular, one betrayal and one decision are quite spectacular and his reasoning for both of these things didn't really work for me at all.
At least the betrayal is going to come back and bite him on the bum and that rather pleased me.
I don't understand either how Coby accepts Mal's behaviour and actions in this book. I know love is supposed to be blind, but she's an intelligent woman and a practising Christian, so how she reconciles accepting Mal's actions is a bit of a mystery to me and definitely a weakness in the plot.
No doubt some of the things that happened in this book were aimed at continuing the story, but the line between the good guys and bad guys is getting very blurred. A showdown between Mal and Sandy seems inevitable.
I've yet to read the third chapter in this series, but I hope this book just set the stage for the final book of the trilogy and the standard of The Prince of Lies returns to that of the first book.
Happy endings seem unlikely at this point.
Talk about betrayal.
I was looking forward to this second book of the trilogy, but now I'm not sure I like how some of the characters are developing. Mal makes some very dodgy decisions in this book and agrees to others that don't quite fit with what we know about his character. In particular, one betrayal and one decision are quite spectacular and his reasoning for both of these things didn't really work for me at all.
At least the betrayal is going to come back and bite him on the bum and that rather pleased me.
I don't understand either how Coby accepts Mal's behaviour and actions in this book. I know love is supposed to be blind, but she's an intelligent woman and a practising Christian, so how she reconciles accepting Mal's actions is a bit of a mystery to me and definitely a weakness in the plot.
No doubt some of the things that happened in this book were aimed at continuing the story, but the line between the good guys and bad guys is getting very blurred. A showdown between Mal and Sandy seems inevitable.
I've yet to read the third chapter in this series, but I hope this book just set the stage for the final book of the trilogy and the standard of The Prince of Lies returns to that of the first book.
Happy endings seem unlikely at this point.
cyber_spines's review against another edition
5.0
The Merchant of Dreams is the second book in Anne Lyle’s Night’s Masque series, continuing on the adventures of Mal, Coby, Ned, and Gabriel. The book picks up soon after where the other one ended: Mal is still working for Walshingham and Coby is by his side, posing as his manservant. Ned and Gabriel have joined them in the spymaster’s service, getting steadily more and more tangled up in the intrigues of court and the skraylings. They now also have to look after Sandy, Mal’s twin, as his skrayling side struggles to blend with the humans around him.
The relations between the skraylings and England are deteriorating, and fast. Worried about the possible repercussions, Walshingham sends Mal to spy on them in Venice. Taking Ned with him for the journey, Mal leaves Coby and Gabriel to look after his brother, which only causes trouble when Sandy, as Erishen, decides to seek out Lord Grey and the skrayling journal that his father had. Forced to flee to protect Sandy, Coby and Gabriel set off after Mal and Ned on a skrayling ship.
But not all is at it seems, neither in Venice nor on the skrayling ship, and there is more than one party out to get Mal and his friends. With old skrayling grudges surfacing, ancient skrayling souls roaming the streets of Venice, and tangled human politics, Mal and his companions have a lot to deal with. With Mal and Ned travelling together, the past can’t help with resurface and old attractions battle with new ones.
The sexual tension is as real as it gets, with every look, every touch threatening more than what they intended, and, as much as Ned is more than open to a little fun on the side whilst he has to be away from Gabriel, Mal isn’t so willing to betray Coby’s trust. Ned’s advances are only cut short by the obvious dislike Raileigh’s sailors take to him due to his preferences. Meanwhile, miles away from them, Coby can only think of Mal, an ache made all the worse by his identical twin’s presence at her side.
Sandy acts as the most mysterious of the characters. Not quite human anymore, but neither fully skrayling, he is caught in between both worlds and struggling with his very nature. As Erishen seeks answers, and a way to avoid having to return home in his current situation and without his amayi, he embarks himself, Coby, and Gabriel on a dangerous journey that almost sees them all taken back to the skrayling homeland. Their arrival in Venice turns out to be the one thing Mal needed to solve half of his problems which come in the form of an ancient skrayling soul that has been reincarnating endlessly around Venice. After an unexpected encounter with Charles, the brother Mal was using as a cover for his trip to Venice, Mal has to face a past he would have rather left behind. But with skrayling magic threatening the safety of all, Charles and his past as a Hunter may well be the only hope they have of saving the Serene Republic.
Lyle’s prose is as elegant as ever, mixing effortless storytelling with beautifully sweeping descriptions. She takes the reader on a magical journey from London to Venice, mixing the achingly familiar elements of history with the new and often surprising magic of the skraylings. The characterisation is excellent, and Lyle brings to life her characters effortlessly: they are imperfect and flawed, but all the more wonderful for it. She also presents us with the ever absent bisexual character. Mal’s sexuality is fluid and his attraction with Ned is obvious, so is their past together. But Mal is also in love with Coby, whether she is disguised as his manservant or wearing a gown. Mal is a refreshing character who demonstrates that as much as people don’t have to be good or evil, their sexuality doesn’t have to be one way or the other.
With Venice as the set for most of the book, Lyle has the perfect backdrop to her book, with a set that lands itself so perfectly to intrigue, mystery, and adventures. Lyle describes the city beautifully, bringing its many canals and small, narrow streets to life, leading the reader through a fast paced adventure with many twists and turns. The pace picks up more and more until it reaches its climax and a very fast paced ending. The Merchant of Dreams is a worthy sequel to The Alchemist of Souls, packed with intrigue, surprises, adventures, and loveable characters.
The relations between the skraylings and England are deteriorating, and fast. Worried about the possible repercussions, Walshingham sends Mal to spy on them in Venice. Taking Ned with him for the journey, Mal leaves Coby and Gabriel to look after his brother, which only causes trouble when Sandy, as Erishen, decides to seek out Lord Grey and the skrayling journal that his father had. Forced to flee to protect Sandy, Coby and Gabriel set off after Mal and Ned on a skrayling ship.
But not all is at it seems, neither in Venice nor on the skrayling ship, and there is more than one party out to get Mal and his friends. With old skrayling grudges surfacing, ancient skrayling souls roaming the streets of Venice, and tangled human politics, Mal and his companions have a lot to deal with. With Mal and Ned travelling together, the past can’t help with resurface and old attractions battle with new ones.
The sexual tension is as real as it gets, with every look, every touch threatening more than what they intended, and, as much as Ned is more than open to a little fun on the side whilst he has to be away from Gabriel, Mal isn’t so willing to betray Coby’s trust. Ned’s advances are only cut short by the obvious dislike Raileigh’s sailors take to him due to his preferences. Meanwhile, miles away from them, Coby can only think of Mal, an ache made all the worse by his identical twin’s presence at her side.
Sandy acts as the most mysterious of the characters. Not quite human anymore, but neither fully skrayling, he is caught in between both worlds and struggling with his very nature. As Erishen seeks answers, and a way to avoid having to return home in his current situation and without his amayi, he embarks himself, Coby, and Gabriel on a dangerous journey that almost sees them all taken back to the skrayling homeland. Their arrival in Venice turns out to be the one thing Mal needed to solve half of his problems which come in the form of an ancient skrayling soul that has been reincarnating endlessly around Venice. After an unexpected encounter with Charles, the brother Mal was using as a cover for his trip to Venice, Mal has to face a past he would have rather left behind. But with skrayling magic threatening the safety of all, Charles and his past as a Hunter may well be the only hope they have of saving the Serene Republic.
Lyle’s prose is as elegant as ever, mixing effortless storytelling with beautifully sweeping descriptions. She takes the reader on a magical journey from London to Venice, mixing the achingly familiar elements of history with the new and often surprising magic of the skraylings. The characterisation is excellent, and Lyle brings to life her characters effortlessly: they are imperfect and flawed, but all the more wonderful for it. She also presents us with the ever absent bisexual character. Mal’s sexuality is fluid and his attraction with Ned is obvious, so is their past together. But Mal is also in love with Coby, whether she is disguised as his manservant or wearing a gown. Mal is a refreshing character who demonstrates that as much as people don’t have to be good or evil, their sexuality doesn’t have to be one way or the other.
With Venice as the set for most of the book, Lyle has the perfect backdrop to her book, with a set that lands itself so perfectly to intrigue, mystery, and adventures. Lyle describes the city beautifully, bringing its many canals and small, narrow streets to life, leading the reader through a fast paced adventure with many twists and turns. The pace picks up more and more until it reaches its climax and a very fast paced ending. The Merchant of Dreams is a worthy sequel to The Alchemist of Souls, packed with intrigue, surprises, adventures, and loveable characters.
mackle13's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the first book of this series, despite it's flaws, mostly because I liked the characters - even if they were sketched a bit thin. I was hoping that this second book would develop them a bit more but, instead, it's the character stuff - especially the relationship between Mal and Coby - which mostly knocked this down to a 2-star.
That's not the only issue. There's also the fact that it's kinda slow to get started, and there seems to be a lot going on, especially in the middle, that I'm not sure really needs to be there. Like,
I'm also not exactly impressed with Mal's spying ability. I mean, he's sent to Venice to find out what he can about a possible agreement between Venice and some skralings - but his entire plan seems to be to find a way to talk to Kiiren. He does kind of fall into other connections - rather quickly and easily, and I guess it's just lucky that he's a young and strapping dude (?) - but, I don't know, he just never seems to have to work for anything. Even when things go bad and things get quickly handled and we move along.
I think, maybe, part of it is the whole "telling vs showing" chestnut. We're told how Mal feels, and that he has nightmares, and this that and the other thing - but I don't feel like we're ever really immersed in his situation.
And that goes for everyone, really.
As to Ned - I thought it might be interesting (though annoying) to see Mal and Ned on an adventure and Coby and Parrish stuck with Sandy - but while Gabriel sort of shone through, I didn't feel like Ned contributed much to the story.
I sort of feel like him and Coby are in similar positions - a lot of their story is about their feelings for Mal, and their feelings about themselves, but a) these things aren't really developed/handled very well and b) they don't often add much of substance to the larger story (though I will say Coby seems to fair better in this last regard than poor Ned).
And, finally, there's the relationship with Coby and Mal. As I said, for much of the story they're apart and missing each other - but I felt like, once again, almost all of Coby's thought and feelings are about a) Mal and b) whether to give up her guise and wear female clothing. (There's this whole thing about how once she goes respectable and dresses like a girl apparently she can never disguise herself as a boy again.)
(Oh, I will say - in the pro column - they dealt with the issue of her monthlies a lot better this time, by
But, anyway, my real issues start once the two parties converge - and I can't really get into it without ranting and getting spoilery, so you've been warned:
He feels bad about betraying Coby and all - but he keeps doing it, rationalizing it, at least in part, that needs must as part of the job and all.
Ok, fine.
But then Coby finds out about this, and is jealous, of course, but is all like "well, it's no less than I deserve for pushing him away for a year", and I'm a bit irritated by this, but she's young and naive and stupid so I let it go... but then, like, a week or two later he's proposing to her and they get married and she's just like "Ok!"
I mean - so there's jealousy, but no real feelings of betrayal, at least none deep enough to have to be healed? I mean, FFS, even if you rationalize it to yourself that, well, you weren't actually betrothed or together or anything, and whatever other reasons you give - emotions don't fucking work that way.
I just... ugh... This whole thing just pissed me off so much. Nothing about their interactions and everything that happens between them at the end had a shred of emotional resonance.
And I coulda smacked someone for the whole comment.
So, yeah - until that last bit I probably would've still rated the book 2.5 stars for slowness and general "what's the point of this plot" stuff, but I would've bumped it up to three for enjoyable readability. But that last part just left me so flabbergasted with WTFness that I had to bump it down.
That said - I'm still gonna read the last book in the trilogy, but I'm gonna pray real hard beforehand that I don't end up wanting to burn the whole set by the end.
That's not the only issue. There's also the fact that it's kinda slow to get started, and there seems to be a lot going on, especially in the middle, that I'm not sure really needs to be there. Like,
Spoiler
Coby and Co getting waylaid by the skraling dude makes sense and is important, because it's relevant to the story - but I'm not sure how the long belabored bits with Mal and Ned on their boat and fending off pirates actually adds anything to the story?I'm also not exactly impressed with Mal's spying ability. I mean, he's sent to Venice to find out what he can about a possible agreement between Venice and some skralings - but his entire plan seems to be to find a way to talk to Kiiren. He does kind of fall into other connections - rather quickly and easily, and I guess it's just lucky that he's a young and strapping dude (?) - but, I don't know, he just never seems to have to work for anything. Even when things go bad and
Spoiler
he's captured and being tortured,I think, maybe, part of it is the whole "telling vs showing" chestnut. We're told how Mal feels, and that he has nightmares, and this that and the other thing - but I don't feel like we're ever really immersed in his situation.
And that goes for everyone, really.
As to Ned - I thought it might be interesting (though annoying) to see Mal and Ned on an adventure and Coby and Parrish stuck with Sandy - but while Gabriel sort of shone through, I didn't feel like Ned contributed much to the story.
I sort of feel like him and Coby are in similar positions - a lot of their story is about their feelings for Mal, and their feelings about themselves, but a) these things aren't really developed/handled very well and b) they don't often add much of substance to the larger story (though I will say Coby seems to fair better in this last regard than poor Ned).
And, finally, there's the relationship with Coby and Mal. As I said, for much of the story they're apart and missing each other - but I felt like, once again, almost all of Coby's thought and feelings are about a) Mal and b) whether to give up her guise and wear female clothing. (There's this whole thing about how once she goes respectable and dresses like a girl apparently she can never disguise herself as a boy again.)
(Oh, I will say - in the pro column - they dealt with the issue of her monthlies a lot better this time, by
Spoiler
having a skraling contraceptive method which basically halts your monthly. I can buy that, and I'm just glad they didn't continue the whole 'really late bloomer' thing.But, anyway, my real issues start once the two parties converge - and I can't really get into it without ranting and getting spoilery, so you've been warned:
Spoiler
Ok, so Mal, because he's been denied by Coby for the past year and some (which, btw, totally not believable, but whatever), and during the course of his "investigations", ends up sleeping with the courtesan chick, who's also a guiser and teaches him some magic guisery stuff.He feels bad about betraying Coby and all - but he keeps doing it, rationalizing it, at least in part, that needs must as part of the job and all.
Ok, fine.
But then Coby finds out about this, and is jealous, of course, but is all like "well, it's no less than I deserve for pushing him away for a year", and I'm a bit irritated by this, but she's young and naive and stupid so I let it go... but then, like, a week or two later he's proposing to her and they get married and she's just like "Ok!"
I mean - so there's jealousy, but no real feelings of betrayal, at least none deep enough to have to be healed? I mean, FFS, even if you rationalize it to yourself that, well, you weren't actually betrothed or together or anything, and whatever other reasons you give - emotions don't fucking work that way.
I just... ugh... This whole thing just pissed me off so much. Nothing about their interactions and everything that happens between them at the end had a shred of emotional resonance.
And I coulda smacked someone for the whole
Spoiler
"being tamed"So, yeah - until that last bit I probably would've still rated the book 2.5 stars for slowness and general "what's the point of this plot" stuff, but I would've bumped it up to three for enjoyable readability. But that last part just left me so flabbergasted with WTFness that I had to bump it down.
That said - I'm still gonna read the last book in the trilogy, but I'm gonna pray real hard beforehand that I don't end up wanting to burn the whole set by the end.
denizyildiz's review against another edition
4.0
amazing!
bouncing between 4 and 5 stars in fact...
Lye has to my delight managed to not only deliver on my hopes for this book but has exceeded them!
The world building is absolutely flawless just like in the first book, and the characters are even better.
There are many subtle nuances and depths that have been added to the characters we got to meet in the alchemist of souls. In fact while I love the world building I adore the characters she created. I really care for them and wanna know what will happen in the next book!
Great series!
bouncing between 4 and 5 stars in fact...
Lye has to my delight managed to not only deliver on my hopes for this book but has exceeded them!
The world building is absolutely flawless just like in the first book, and the characters are even better.
There are many subtle nuances and depths that have been added to the characters we got to meet in the alchemist of souls. In fact while I love the world building I adore the characters she created. I really care for them and wanna know what will happen in the next book!
Great series!
tachyondecay's review
2.0
I had little but praise for The Alchemist of Souls, the first adventure of Mal Catlyn and Coby Hendricks in an alternative Elizabethan England. Anne Lyle had a keen eye for characterization and an ability to weave a tight, dramatic story that held my attention and left me wanting more. So more’s the pity that The Merchant of Dreams was quite a different experience!
This sequel picks up a little while after the first book, with Mal and Coby living in France while the fallout from their actions in England dissipates. When they learn that the skraylings are going to Venice to seek an alliance with this republic, they return to England to inform Walsingham. Naturally, they get tasked with going to Venice and learning as much as possible about this potential alliance and how it will affect England. Meanwhile, Mal continues to grapple with what it means that he and his twin brother, Sandy, share the soul of a departed skrayling named Erishen. And Coby, who has lived most of her life in the guise of a boy, starts wondering what it would be like to don dresses again and become Mal’s wife.
My disappointment is easily explained through the book’s title. The Merchant of Dreams is a character who shows up in Venice. He’s a shady dealer whom Mal encounters as he begins to send out feelers into the Venetian underworld. And then he dies.
For a book to be named after a character, that character usually has a big role to play. Certainly they are so important, so pivotal, that they don’t die so soon after being introduced (unless their death is itself the event that changes everything, which it doesn’t here). We don’t learn that much about the Merchant of Dreams, beyond the fact that he is a scheming traitor. Mal and friends have very little interaction with him; they don’t cross paths more than once or twice, and they don’t really butt heads.
And this seems to be the issue with the book as a whole: I never really had a clear idea of what story it was trying to tell. Mal’s mission to Venice is vague. He’s "gathering intelligence", and his goal for accomplishing this seems to involve gaining admittance into the skrayling quarters in Venice and talking to his buddy Ambassador Kiiren. Lyle pads out the book with a series of comical and serious mishaps and misadventures. While these are, in their own way, delightful, they also muddle and mask the true nature of the plot, and I confess that by the end of the book, I wasn’t really sure what England had lost or gained. Whereas, in the first book, the stakes were clear and quite dangerous, the stakes here seem … tepid at best.
Mal and Coby’s relationship becomes strained as the question of a marriage looms over them. To achieve this, Coby would have to give up living as a boy, losing the freedom such a disguise allows her. Her insecurities about living as a woman, and her love for Mal, are all natural and touching. Lyle once again does an excellent job of portraying differences that gender make in the power dynamics of 16th-century Europe. Yet the actual will-they-or-won’t-they subplot, complete with flashes of comical indignance from each character, is tired and boring.
Then there is a wholly different subplot involving Mal and Sandy’s older brother, Charles, who has apparently gone to ground in Venice (what a coincidence!). A Huntsman, Charles was initiated into a secret society devoted to wiping out the supernatural (including the skraylings). Or something. Anyway, he blathers on about how there are more frightening threats than the skraylings to human society, and one of these threats just happens to materialize at the climax. So it goes.
The Alchemist of Souls was electrifying in the conflict it presented and the way the characters had to handle it. With each chapter, Lyle left me wanting more. The Merchant of Dreams is the opposite. With each chapter, I was left scratching my head and wondering how these events would all come together. In the end, as the characters converged and the conflict intensified, I began to entertain a glimmer of hope. Alas, that’s all it remained: a glimmer. Although Lyle produced a great standalone story in the first book, this second book has not resulted in the ignition of a brilliant new series. I find myself most apathetic towards all the elements of the world here: I don’t really know or remember who the Huntsmen are, and I don’t really care about that. I’m somewhat vague on the whole skrayling reincarnation process, and this doesn’t bother me. A great series embeds this information in a memorable but subtle way within the stories themselves, and it does so in a way that makes me care.
I still find this universe an intriguing one, with all the deviations from established history that Lyle has carefully made. I’ll happily pick up the next book when it arrives and give this series another shot—no author can get it right a hundred per cent of the time. And I still recommend The Alchemist of Souls for those who have yet to meet Mal Catlyn. I just wish this book had lived up to the high expectations established by the first.
My reviews of the Night’s Masque series:
← The Alchemist of Souls | The Prince of Lies →
This sequel picks up a little while after the first book, with Mal and Coby living in France while the fallout from their actions in England dissipates. When they learn that the skraylings are going to Venice to seek an alliance with this republic, they return to England to inform Walsingham. Naturally, they get tasked with going to Venice and learning as much as possible about this potential alliance and how it will affect England. Meanwhile, Mal continues to grapple with what it means that he and his twin brother, Sandy, share the soul of a departed skrayling named Erishen. And Coby, who has lived most of her life in the guise of a boy, starts wondering what it would be like to don dresses again and become Mal’s wife.
My disappointment is easily explained through the book’s title. The Merchant of Dreams is a character who shows up in Venice. He’s a shady dealer whom Mal encounters as he begins to send out feelers into the Venetian underworld. And then he dies.
For a book to be named after a character, that character usually has a big role to play. Certainly they are so important, so pivotal, that they don’t die so soon after being introduced (unless their death is itself the event that changes everything, which it doesn’t here). We don’t learn that much about the Merchant of Dreams, beyond the fact that he is a scheming traitor. Mal and friends have very little interaction with him; they don’t cross paths more than once or twice, and they don’t really butt heads.
And this seems to be the issue with the book as a whole: I never really had a clear idea of what story it was trying to tell. Mal’s mission to Venice is vague. He’s "gathering intelligence", and his goal for accomplishing this seems to involve gaining admittance into the skrayling quarters in Venice and talking to his buddy Ambassador Kiiren. Lyle pads out the book with a series of comical and serious mishaps and misadventures. While these are, in their own way, delightful, they also muddle and mask the true nature of the plot, and I confess that by the end of the book, I wasn’t really sure what England had lost or gained. Whereas, in the first book, the stakes were clear and quite dangerous, the stakes here seem … tepid at best.
Mal and Coby’s relationship becomes strained as the question of a marriage looms over them. To achieve this, Coby would have to give up living as a boy, losing the freedom such a disguise allows her. Her insecurities about living as a woman, and her love for Mal, are all natural and touching. Lyle once again does an excellent job of portraying differences that gender make in the power dynamics of 16th-century Europe. Yet the actual will-they-or-won’t-they subplot, complete with flashes of comical indignance from each character, is tired and boring.
Then there is a wholly different subplot involving Mal and Sandy’s older brother, Charles, who has apparently gone to ground in Venice (what a coincidence!). A Huntsman, Charles was initiated into a secret society devoted to wiping out the supernatural (including the skraylings). Or something. Anyway, he blathers on about how there are more frightening threats than the skraylings to human society, and one of these threats just happens to materialize at the climax. So it goes.
The Alchemist of Souls was electrifying in the conflict it presented and the way the characters had to handle it. With each chapter, Lyle left me wanting more. The Merchant of Dreams is the opposite. With each chapter, I was left scratching my head and wondering how these events would all come together. In the end, as the characters converged and the conflict intensified, I began to entertain a glimmer of hope. Alas, that’s all it remained: a glimmer. Although Lyle produced a great standalone story in the first book, this second book has not resulted in the ignition of a brilliant new series. I find myself most apathetic towards all the elements of the world here: I don’t really know or remember who the Huntsmen are, and I don’t really care about that. I’m somewhat vague on the whole skrayling reincarnation process, and this doesn’t bother me. A great series embeds this information in a memorable but subtle way within the stories themselves, and it does so in a way that makes me care.
I still find this universe an intriguing one, with all the deviations from established history that Lyle has carefully made. I’ll happily pick up the next book when it arrives and give this series another shot—no author can get it right a hundred per cent of the time. And I still recommend The Alchemist of Souls for those who have yet to meet Mal Catlyn. I just wish this book had lived up to the high expectations established by the first.
My reviews of the Night’s Masque series:
← The Alchemist of Souls | The Prince of Lies →
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