My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review: Eclipse Dancer by Laura Koerber
This novel by Laura Koerber is an amazing mixture of fantasy and contemporary, somewhat harsh, reality. The thought of reading such a book is not at all my usual choice of literature, but, having read one of her books before and enjoyed it, I looked forward to starting Eclipse Dancer. Ms Koerber has a magic all of her own when it comes to writing moments of fascinating, surreal intrigue combined with the touching complications that often revolve around family relationships.
Andy is a mature woman who is caring for her dying mother but has perpetual flashbacks to events that took place and dramatically changed her own life, together with strong influences upon her outlook and her attitude towards her mother. The discovery that Andy is a “mix”, a person who is half-human and half-fairy, is gradually revealed in such a powerful and beautiful way that even a doubting old cynic like me could accept it. There were some expressions in the book that demonstrated Koerber’s wonderful literary skill, which is one of the main reasons I enjoy her writing. For example this will stick in my mind for a long while: “She’d treated her childhood like a bad bruise. She didn’t touch what already hurt.”
The ending of the book brought tears to my eyes but, somehow, still was not dripping in obvious sentiment. The characters and their conversations were well drawn and believable. There was enough pace to keep me reading, even on those hot and sweaty days that Andy found so uncomfortable. I would recommend Eclipse Dancer to those readers who enjoy books about the dark and unspoken secrets that sometimes lie beneath the surface of a family’s history. Fantasy with an emotional touch of realism.
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