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A review by lachese
Illusion by Paula Volsky
4.0
With the songs of Les Mis eternally stuck on repeat in my head and unable to rewatch the movie, I went for the second best option: re-reading Illusion. Its basis on the French Revolution made it the perfect match for my Les Mis obsessed mind.
It is the story of a land in revolutionary turmoil and at times even serves as a social commentary. Foremost, however, it is an adventure through the eyes of Eliste vo Derrivalle, a young member of the Exalted class. Through our journey with her, we experience her transformation from naive country girl to Exalted noblewoman and observe as her eyes open to the unpleasantries of life.
Readers of epic fantasy be warned! This is not a fantasy novel. It is an adventure with fantastical elements. The fantasy is an accent instead of an axis upon which the book revolves. This role is taken over by revolution.
Paula Volsky has a unique hold on the English language that enables her to breathe life into her characters and world. Each character is multifaceted and complicated with his or her own motivations, goals, thoughts, and actions. Her narrative style changes slightly between the privileged Exalted and the lowly serfs, furthering the divide of the classes in the reader's mind. In the Exalted, we can sense their air of superiority in their accustomed mannerisms. When our attention is turned toward the poor, we experience their foul conditions and feel their passionate anger.
In Illusion, Paula Volsky created a living, breathing world that sucks us in and sweeps us along with the tide of revolution. Can you hear the people sing?
It is the story of a land in revolutionary turmoil and at times even serves as a social commentary. Foremost, however, it is an adventure through the eyes of Eliste vo Derrivalle, a young member of the Exalted class. Through our journey with her, we experience her transformation from naive country girl to Exalted noblewoman and observe as her eyes open to the unpleasantries of life.
Readers of epic fantasy be warned! This is not a fantasy novel. It is an adventure with fantastical elements. The fantasy is an accent instead of an axis upon which the book revolves. This role is taken over by revolution.
Paula Volsky has a unique hold on the English language that enables her to breathe life into her characters and world. Each character is multifaceted and complicated with his or her own motivations, goals, thoughts, and actions. Her narrative style changes slightly between the privileged Exalted and the lowly serfs, furthering the divide of the classes in the reader's mind. In the Exalted, we can sense their air of superiority in their accustomed mannerisms. When our attention is turned toward the poor, we experience their foul conditions and feel their passionate anger.
In Illusion, Paula Volsky created a living, breathing world that sucks us in and sweeps us along with the tide of revolution. Can you hear the people sing?