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Rachel Nightingale

Autor de Harlequin's Riddle (Tales of Tarya)

4 Obras 26 Miembros 10 Reseñas 1 Preferidas

Obras de Rachel Nightingale

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TALES OF TARYA is a fresh, intriguing YA fantasy trilogy about teenaged Mina D’Aniello and a cast of travelling actors. When Mina discovers the manner by which the actors — players — create characters and stories, it becomes her destiny to set the world of Litonya right again — a quest that is both intimate and epic in its scale. Along the way, the trilogy provides philosophical musing on creativity and what it means to make art.

TALES OF TARYA is cleverly built to draw readers in with a fast-moving story and then hook them with the deeper themes. The first book is HARLEQUIN’S RIDDLE, in which Mina leaves her oppressive home life to follow, and eventually join, a troupe of players. When she is initiated into the troupe, it is a truly magical moment. Mina’s Harlequin, recognizing Mina’s special gift for visiting Tarya, the spiritual realm, begins to both teach and push her to explore the space of creation. Her world is an exciting, glamorous whirl of acting, romance, and discovery — until her creations attract the attention of the authorities and she realizes the true cost of being a player.

The second book is COLUMBINE’S TALE, in which Mina learns more about Tarya and about the friends with whom she has thrown in her lot. Something evil is afoot: artists of all kinds — sculptors, musicians, dancers — are being persecuted in their communities and even confined in asylums. The masks players use to perfect their art seem to hide much more than her friends’ faces, and Mina is soon confronted by questions about whom she can trust.

The final book is PIERROT’S SONG, in which Mina and her friends have only one goal: to stop the Red Assassin and restore all that has been stolen from artists. This book is especially magical, with a strong feminist strand of sisterhood and loyalty running through it.

The world of Litonya and Tarya, its heavenly extension, is finely realized. I particularly enjoyed the way the novels shifted points of view, giving readers different perspectives on action and consequences. I also enjoyed discovering the origin story of Eulalia and her sisters, a beautiful reinterpretation of the story of the Muses. Although there is romance throughout the trilogy, love realized through deep friendship and commitment underpins the characters’ final achievements.

Rachel Nightingale has written an engrossing epic fantasy, tenderly told and rich with threads of commedia dell'arte and Shakespearean plays. Readers who love the performing arts should adore this trilogy. Teens who enjoy the work of Guy Gavriel Kay should like this trilogy — or this trilogy could be a stepping stone into Kay’s work and the work of similar imaginations.
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Denunciada
laVermeer | Sep 18, 2021 |
The Tales of Tarya fantasy trilogy is presented for Young Adults, but it’s an engrossing read for anyone aged 109 or under fascinated by that most mysterious thing, the act or the moment of creativity. What happens to artists, writers, composers, actors, as they disappear into where 'the magic happens'? Do they go to another place? Do they go to Tarya? The Tales will especially appeal, I think, to anyone who has stepped onto a stage and entered that terrifying in-between moment being being oneself and playing the role.

‘Thunder rolled heavily as Mina neared her house, her steps weighed down by the endless years ahead, fulfilling everyone’s needs but her own.’

Mina’s quiet days consist of helping her family, particularly Uncle Tonio who had some sort of breakdown years before. She had enlivened her hours by telling stories but her father forced her to stop – he feared them for some reason.

Players arrive in her backcountry town of Andon in Litonya. When the disturbing Harlequin invites Mina to join the troupe she accepts with hope of learning what happened to her brother who disappeared years before. Her father now reveals that her story telling is a special gift: she can call visions into being with her words.

As the troupe rolls through Litonya in their wagons, Mina tests her story telling powers and discovers a mysterious other world called Tarya. But her new friends evade her questions, even Dario to whom she feels attracted. They pass through villages afraid of the Players and some people in them seem to be empty of soul, like Uncle Tonio. She grows more and more uneasy.

Rachel Nightingale’s story looks at the paradox of power. When you can affect the lives of others you can do great good but also unwittingly cause harm. And always there are those who take power for themselves and abuse it anyway.

‘Darkness can come from what seems to help others’.

The descriptions of the other-world of Tarya are lyrical, dreamy, haunting. I couldn’t get enough of it. I will never think about creativity again without Tarya in mind.

Columbine’s Tale, Book two of the series, is out now. I recommend also the the website for Rachael Nightingale, novelist, playwright, performer and thespian, where she speaks of the power of story and fantasy in our lives. Readers can learn more there about the Commedia dell’Arte
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Denunciada
Markodwyer | 6 reseñas más. | Jun 7, 2020 |
Once again, Nightingale effectively draws in the reader to a suspenseful tale of intrigue in the world of Travelling Players. Initially, I found the tale "all-action-little-atmosphere" as it raced through setting the story in place relative to 'Harlequin's Riddle'. However, the atmosphere ~ that magical sense that draws a reader into the heart and being of the story ~ developed most satisfactorily once the backstory was introduced. Briefly, so as not to spoil the plot twists, the main character Mina is effectively tutored in storytelling by a companion of the road, Sophia. In return, Mina gives back some of her skills and furthers her ability to complete the quest to find her brother. Storytelling is indeed a gift and this novel brought out the rich tapestry of such a craft. The fantasy of ‘Tarya’ is again present as a mythical realm. This aspect of the novel perhaps entreats an important theme: a story teller’s code of ethics to cause no harm and take care of your audience. That’s a tricky narrative to evoke, a perspective which the author has taken to an accomplished level. (Acknowledgement: I received this e-book as an ARC, and agreed to provide an impartial review).… (más)
½
 
Denunciada
SandyAMcPherson | otra reseña | Sep 23, 2018 |
As with all series, the reader should have read the first Harlequin’s Riddle. In Columbine’s Tale a short prologue provides a concise and engaging summary for the purposes of catch up, with many useful reminders of the story so far. Columbine’s Tale opens with Mina on the run, determined to find her brother, Paolo, and this time, she believes she knows where he is. She’s being pursued, too. Thinking she knows who by, she’s in terror for her life as she tries to escape the clutches of the Gazini players who are determined to keep her. Then Mina encounters Sofia, a master story teller, and together with their team, the two travel the countryside and, through the power of telling stories, hand back dreams stolen by the players. Mina is determined as ever to undo the wrongs of others, and her quest leads her into increasing danger. Mina’s quest is thwarted by menace and betrayals and as the story unfolds, petal by petal, old betrayals are healed and new secrets revealed.

Through Mina and Sofia’s eyes, Nightingale portrays story telling as a gift, one that gives something to the listener, which she juxtaposes with the approach of the players who steal peoples’ dreams and hand them back to audiences as entertainment. But that is only the tip of this complex, intriguing and beautifully told novel.

Columbine’s Tale is told from multiple points of view and the main plot lines are carefully interwoven. The use of jump cuts works well as does the building of suspense, culminating in a dramatic edge-of-seat flourish and a denouement that leaves the reader wanting the third and last in the series.

Nightingale’s characterisation is impeccable, and with the fewest words she conjures a convincing three-dimensional cast. Descriptions are detailed and evocative, providing the reader with a powerful sense of place. Nightingale makes not only her imaginary Italy alive in the mind of the reader, but also her etheric realm, Tarya, in all of its layers and complexity. The prose is gentle, soft and acts on the psyche like balm. Tales of Tarya is a series to sink into and savour.

Nightingale plays with the fourth wall as Mina learns to tell stories from master story teller, Sofia, and here the reader is introduced to the craft of story telling and finding the heart of a tale from a special and mythic perspective. The metafictional element works and invites the reader to consider the true value of the narrative form.

Ultimately, Columbine’s Tale is about creativity and healing, of good versus evil, of the use and misuse of magical powers – the power to create and to destroy – and the all-important moral message underpinning the series, that creativity should be life-giving, not life-taking. In all a delightful and insightful read.
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Denunciada
IsobelBlackthorn | otra reseña | Sep 14, 2018 |

Estadísticas

Obras
4
Miembros
26
Popularidad
#495,361
Valoración
½ 4.4
Reseñas
10
ISBNs
8
Favorito
1