Vera Mont

“A tale as old as time…” humankind (in this case planet Earth) needs something and spies a civilization that has that precious commodity. The story of colonization has played out countless times throughout the history books, and still Vera Mont’s tale of an Earth a thousand years in the future that wishes to take control of a habitable planet, convert its occupants as a means of controlling them, and mine its resources is a rich, fresh take with wonderful prose, excellent depth in world building, and characters that keep you turning page after page.

My favorite character was Gard, a crewmember stranded on the surface of Ozimord who is forced to learn to survive. Through his eyes, we watch as he learns their language, experiences paper books for the first time as more than museum relics (ha), is befriended by the native inhabitants of Ozimord in their villages, around campfires, and as they ride horses between villages across the countryside, and slowly begins to change in substantial ways.

”The prospect of his own people’s return filled him, not with relief and hope but fear and foreboding… And something more: a vague, unsettling, charcoal-burning resentment. The thought that bobbed to the surface of his mind was: Why must they spoil everything? ‘They’-not ‘we.’ This was the danger of “going native.” “

This was both an excellent read from a sci-fi lover’s perspective and also for its clever construction with overarching themes. Highly recommended!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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In Edwardian England, Mary, a poor maid, is whisked away to the fine estate of Twillingmarche by an unknown benefactor. Without getting into too many spoilers, she is given a new name (Felicity), and is to assume a new identity, that of a high society girl who had gone missing. “Twillingmarche” is a richly woven tale, populated with a vast cast of delightful characters, all with motivations you can’t know whether or not to trust. Vera Mont’s writing is exquisite in its detail, wonderfully researched, and as this mystery slowly unfolds, we are treated to descriptions of Mary/Felicity discovering the wonders of indoor plumbing, or delicacies like sliced chicken in raisin sauce, all the while wondering why she has to be kept a secret… and then keep up a parade of lies. But who is Mary, really? And is she even sure herself?

I LOVE a book that is chock full of secrets and reveals and this one… I won’t say much, just that you will delight in getting to know each character… and then in getting to rediscover what you thought you knew the further in you read. This book was a delicious spiderweb, twisting an intricate tale as each character’s motivations slowly become clear. Strong plotting. Good characterizations. And the pacing of the reveals and detail work of the English manor setting really made this an outstanding read.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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