Tolkein meets Dickens
Written: Jun 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Deep, moving plot in a richly detailed world
Cons: Violence and sex, sometimes juxtaposed
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| rytersblok's Full Review: Michael Swanwick - The Iron Dragon's Daughter |
This is a kaleidoscopic novel set in a gritty world of industrial fantasy. The central character, Jane, is a changeling - a human - in a world of dwarves, ogres and sprites. Her mentor is an obsolete Iron Dragon - in this world, a sort of sentient fighter plane that requires a human pilot. And he is resentful at having been created, only to be tossed aside.
The story opens in a dragon plant where children are indentured to serve. During a plot to kill the literally monstrous boss, Jane discovers a tome - a manual for the dragon that will eventually be the only constant in her life. She escapes the factory and goes to school, discovering she has a talent for alchemy. Later, she goes on to "college" and finally winds up tragically in love with an elf who addicted to a strange, mind altering potion. Throughout, the dragon asserts its mighty animosity in her life, never letting her be happy or settle down.
Symbology abounds throughout the book as Jane discovers the secret names of all the people she loves and hates are the same. Additionally, she is haunted by dim memories of her mother whenever she encounters the awen, a sort of fever where advertising and catch phrases from our world are babbled by the afflicted. The ending is non-committal, leaving the reader wondering whether the entire story was real or imagined.
The most fascinating thing about the world in which Jane lives is how complete and self-contained it is. Like a dream of madness, it has its own intrinsic logic that defies description. The detail is stunning: cranky televisions that mumble to themselves, a "sin-eater" who shrunk from giant size to homonculus simply because his mate had lost respect for him, mega-cities that contain both technological marvels and the equivalent of crack dens. And like a dream, it has little history or future; the author makes up for this lack of depth by delving ever deeper into his characters and details. Sometimes these details get to be too much: there are a few scenes describing violent and sexual acts that some readers may object to.
In the final analysis, The Iron Dragon's Daughter is a story about triumph, not over external adversity, but inner turmoil.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rytersblok
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Member: Anthony
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 5 members
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