Review: Charming

Charming by Jade Linwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let's get this clear right upfront: I don't give five stars lightly. And I certainly don't lightly compare authors to Terry Pratchett. But here we are: I've done the first, and I'm about to do the second.

Right from the moment he was described as "pre-crouched," Roland, Prince Charming's manservant, reminded me of a Terry Pratchett character, and his dialog reinforced that; he has much the same speech pattern as Gaspode the Wonder Dog, with more than a touch of Nobby Nobbs. On top of that, the depth of description, the clearly motivated (and determined, and ethical, except those that aren't ethical) characters, the more-than-competent prose, and of course the touches of humour all reminded me of the master. Admittedly, it's Pratchett that's faded a bit in the sun, less hilarious, less absurd, less intense all around, but that helps to establish it as not just a homage or pastiche but its own thing, even if displaying a clear influence.

So what is that thing? I've shelved it as "heist," but that's not entirely accurate; while Prince Charming is an itinerant swindler and thief, he doesn't so much perform heists as inveigle his way into a kingdom or occasionally grand duchy, often solving its pressing problem (with a genuine solution, to give him credit); get engaged to the princess or other noble daughter; express an interest in the security around the vault, which his prospective father-in-law is happy to discuss with him; and then disappear on the morning of the wedding with as much of the treasury as his beast of burden, the Mostly Donkey, can carry. Three of his victims - to give the names of their inspirations rather than the versions they bear in this book, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rapunzel - happen to meet at a wedding, compare stories, and plan, not a heist, but a sting.

Bella (Sleeping Beauty), given supernatural grace by the Good Folk at her birth, is an expert swordfighter. Marie Blanche (Snow White)'s character incorporates the Huntsman who spared her in the traditional story; she can also not only speak the language of birds, but has power, or at least influence, over all woodland creatures. Not just squirrels, either, but bears and wolves and wild boars and even dragons. Rapunzel, having got out from under the thumb of her sinister mentor, has become a Doctor of the Arcane Arts in her own right. They make a formidable team.

Not only that, but they grow and change, coming to personal realizations in the course of their sting on Charming. It's this, along with the general quality of the writing, that elevates the book to the five-star level for me. The characters have depth and heft and dimension, and when you start with well-known fairy-tale characters (or even when you don't) that's far from automatic; it takes skill, a lot of it.

This is good. Very good. It's a strong recommendation from me.

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