| Review of The Labyrinth of the Dead
By Queenie on Aug 20 2010 Category:Literature Queenie T. Van Fisticuffs’ review of The Labyrinth of the Dead, a speculative fiction novella by author Sara M. Harvey, and book two of a trilogy of novellas set in a fantastic scene of Steampunk and Sorcery. After an action-packed introduction to Portia Gyony and her spectral love, the beautiful Imogen, in book one of the Penemue trilogy, The Convent of the Pure, I was hooked-in and ready for book two! The Labyrinth of the Dead did not disappoint. Portia is a guardian of humanity, a Grigori, and of an order of warriors called the Gyony who protect against the demons and dark forces of ancient magic that are plotting to twist the world using arcane sorcery and an enormous, terrible, mortal soul-fueled rift engine. Harvey uses ancient Judeo-Christian mythology imagery, occult traditions, steampunk gadgetry and her amazing imagination to give the reader scenes that range from the achingly sensual and intimate interludes of long- separated lovers to crossbow bolt firing blood-soaked battles amongst angels and demons. I was delighted to find that the plot never relied too heavily upon steampunk imagery or made our beloved accessories and brass bits seem trite or gratuitous. When Portia was wearing goggles in a scene, there was a darn fine reason for it and, best of all, it wasn’t for a reason I would have ever expected. You see, I was at first hesitant at exploring the unlikely combination of a Harry Potter-esque bit of dark magic and instantly visible divisions between good and evil, coiled up with alternate/speculative fiction of the Steampunk flavor. Hence, my delighted surprise when it wasn’t quite that simple or overstated on either part. The characters were not strikingly unusual or new as to not feel like familiar literary archetypes but their presentation was just different enough to keep them interesting and lure me in further. Her vivid descriptions of this union of the human and the mechanical is right out of a horror novel but stops just shy of making me turn my head in disbelief. I love that feeling of being brought to that limit and then offered hope or comfort and then set back at the top of the cliff looking forward to being pushed off again. I refuse to tell you any further details of the story but I will warn you that Sara M. Harvey’s obvious lack of fear concerning leaving a reader hanging at the end of a story, knowing that book three isn’t out yet, caused me a sudden onset of Neo-Victorian Tourette’s Syndrome….I can assure you “poppy-cock” and “fuddle-dud” were the gentlest of the words that issued from my mouth for a good hour after finishing the book! Please see my subsequent interview with Sara M. Harvey also featured in this edition of the Steampunk Chronicle…. ~Queenie |