Larissa N Niec

When I read epic fantasy, I expect to wait for major events to develop, but even taking that into account, Shorn was a slow read. This could not be called a "driving narrative" by any stretch. Instead of spitting out one drama after another, Larissa Niec takes pains, almost to the exclusion of all else, to develop the main character of Jhared Denaban (It wouldn't be a fantasy without silent letters, would it?) I knew that the author was a psychologist, but after reading the opening scene, I was skeptical about the depth that I could expect from this story. I was very mistaken. The prettily-written Shorn accounts the journey of Jhared, a member of the outcast "Shorn" race, men and women born with wings, the telltale evidence of their inner, "evil" urges-- inconvenient urges like wanting to jump from cliffs, i.e. self-destruction in Jhared's time when these men and women are sheared of their wings as soon as possible to keep them in their places. So from impassioned young -maybe a little annoying- idealist Jhared becomes a knowing, cautious young man. Paced slowly, the narrative includes a few earth-shaking events, but mostly, it's about Jhared growing up. He leaves his childhood home, where he was somewhat cozened compared to most of the Shorn, who nurse a kind of bitter pride in enduring the burden of their stigma. Shuffled into service like all of his kind, Jhared is selected for the military. He finds himself unwelcome among Shorn and men both and enters a brutal world that is no longer black and white or even rational. I liked the politics. I also particularly appreciated the depiction of the military. While most of the forms that characterize a modern army are absent, the familiar dynamics of power in the military hierarchy, or more precisely, at the lowest rung of that hierarchy, were very interesting to read: the binding and exclusionary nature of, the opportunities for abuse, the helplessness as the smallest dog. Niec is not afraid to let her hero suffer. Many times, life is unfair to Jhared. He is tested and developed in one way or another throughout the novel with a subtlety uncommon in the genre. There are no mustache-curling villains. Aside from the prejudice that he faces, many of the demons that Jhared must tackle are internal-- because, contrary to every expectation of The Hero, Jhared has internalized his society's claims. He believes himself predisposed to evil and doomed by the acts of his evil forebears to pay for the sin of his very existence in service. Indefinitely. Until such time as someone feels that the ugly cur deserves rights. Does that sound depressing? It is.While I found this realistic, it was also difficult to stomach. The reader has to watch again and again as Jhared is victim of prejudice or abuse of power, and he has no right even to defend himself. What's more, since he was raised from birth to believe that he is evil, he takes these punishments as his due, though more often than not he is as or more innocent than his peers. Guilt complex is an understatement. He is certainly angst-ridden and very much a martyr. It's mostly irritating.Actually, that sums most of the book: Jhared getting beat down and taking it. I would expect to find this kind of exploration of the psychology of childhood and growth in contemporary fiction rather than a fantasy. I'll give it three stars because Jhared is a little stronger at the end, less gullible and finally taking or about to take some small action (he doesn't for most of the book, no joke). As much as is possible with his negligible status anyway. He's still mostly powerless. Nothing "epic" yet. Very much a bildungsroman.Otherwise, this was about as gloomy as most of the contemporary fiction on the popular bestseller lists, those "100 Must-Reads" lists, albeit this is without the "triumph of goodness" or "tears of joy." Maybe that's in the next book.… (más)