A good review to lighten editing hell
Jan. 10th, 2008 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdhttp://cocktailreviews.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/shifting-back-torquere-press/
Arqam, a young djinni from Arabia, is a curious creature. His curiosity leads him to wander through foreign lands to India, where he intervenes in a ritual to save a villager from becoming the sacrifice to a monster.
Rakesh, a naga (serpent deity), is the ‘monster’ who devours one human sacrifice a year. When he finds Arqam—a sacrifice he can’t eat—he’s intrigued and aroused. They become lovers, fascinated by their differences, but soon they’re forced to flee when Arqam’s vicious cousin Shahib causes trouble.
A lovely understated story that mixes the history of Colonial India with the mythologies of two different cultures. The prose is beautiful, languid and evocative, richly sensual, making this tale a joy to read. Arqam and Rakesh are fantastic characters—what a great idea to use mythological beings as shapeshifters rather than the usual human/shifter standard—and I’d love to see their story continue. An enjoyable 4 Flutes.
Arqam, a young djinni from Arabia, is a curious creature. His curiosity leads him to wander through foreign lands to India, where he intervenes in a ritual to save a villager from becoming the sacrifice to a monster.
Rakesh, a naga (serpent deity), is the ‘monster’ who devours one human sacrifice a year. When he finds Arqam—a sacrifice he can’t eat—he’s intrigued and aroused. They become lovers, fascinated by their differences, but soon they’re forced to flee when Arqam’s vicious cousin Shahib causes trouble.
A lovely understated story that mixes the history of Colonial India with the mythologies of two different cultures. The prose is beautiful, languid and evocative, richly sensual, making this tale a joy to read. Arqam and Rakesh are fantastic characters—what a great idea to use mythological beings as shapeshifters rather than the usual human/shifter standard—and I’d love to see their story continue. An enjoyable 4 Flutes.
