Gravity’s Revenge

We rated this book:

$9.99


The novel opens upon Hiresha, an enchantress at the Mindvault Academy, leading a new student to school. Unlike most places of learning, however, this school is on top of a mountain, and those who wish to get there must walk the Skyway, a long, windy passage straight up the side of a cliff. This is possible because the Academy was established long ago by a goddess, and the magic that manipulates gravity is updated nightly by the women who run the school.

Knowing this does not make that first climb any easier. For once, it is good to be wary. Once Hiresha reaches the snowy peak and begins walking around, she realizes that the long-trusted powers of the school might be waning, making the most ordinary walk potentially deadly. Can Hiresha, cursed with endless sleepiness, use her magic to save the Academy and those inside it?

Gravity’s Revenge is a fast-paced story with a strong female protagonist, fascinating (and sometimes infuriating) minor characters, and an ice-cold villain. There are chase scenes, physical confrontations, and enchanted gems used to surprisingly strong effect. Marling also includes several plot twists that allow the book to maintain a sense of suspense long after the main bad guys are revealed.

The only trouble I had while reading was in picturing the Academy itself. The normal rules of Gravity don’t apply here, and the buildings are twisty, inverted, and spinning. The characters walk up walls, scale towers sideways, and fall to the ceiling when gravity reasserts itself. The constant switching of direction was a bit difficult to follow.

This is the third book in Marling’s Enchantress series, and, considering I haven’t read the first two, it was remarkably easy to fall into this world. Despite the occasional confusion of spatial arrangement, the politics, fears, social structure, and overall feel of this society were easy to pick up on. Ooh, there are also beautiful illustrations sprinkled throughout the book that add another wonderful layer of enchantment to the story.

If you are in the mood for a fantasy novel that is original, entertaining, and full of interesting characters, then Gravity’s Revenge is the book for you.


Reviewed By:

Author
Star Count 4.5/5
Format Trade
Page Count 353 pages
Publisher AEther Publishing
Publish Date 01-Jul-2013
ISBN 9781484098783
Bookshop.org Buy this Book
Issue October 2013
Category Science Fiction & Fantasy
Share

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Gravity’s Revenge”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.