White Star
by Beth Vaughan
Gollancz (2009)
ISBN: 9780575084247
$32.99
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Reviewed by Tehani Wessely, Oct 2009
White Star is the follow up fantasy romance to Red Gloves, Vaughan’s debut novel of 2008. Fantasy romance is not a phrase I have used before, but that’s completely how I felt reading this book. While Red Gloves had a romantic element to the story, the plot and magical aspects of the narrative outweighed the romance so that it became much more usual fantasy fare. White Star has a different balance altogether.
The Lady High Priestess Evelyn is a healer, trained in many of the magical arts, but dedicated to serving others. Orrin Blackhart appears to be at the opposite end of the human spectrum, known as a murderer and mercenary of the darkest sort. When Evelyn’s goddess insists she save Blackhart from a death sentence, neither could be more astonished. And a bond begins to grow between them.
But there are other forces at work, and Evelyn finds herself out of favour and sent away from those she loves, while Blackhart is sentenced to rid the land of the zombie-like creatures left behind when his previous employer was killed. Even now, they are fated to work together to not only destroy the walking dead, but save the country from those working from within to tear it apart.
When I was reading White Star, I was frequently put in the mind of the historical romances I read as a teenager – overwhelming odds stacked against two protagonists, the clearly misunderstood dark hero, the somewhat naïve but still wonderfully endowed (with brains, I mean!) heroine, thrown together by forces outside themselves, seemingly incompatible but somehow turning out to be the other halves of each others’ souls… And while this book is well-written, with a bit more polish than it’s also enjoyable predecessor Red Gloves, it almost felt like I was reading a romance under false pretences – it was a bit obvious.
I still enjoyed it, but hard core fantasists might choose something a little more edgy and a little less fluffy. However, for transition readers, or those new to fantasy, this might be just what you’re looking for!
