![]() ![]() ![]() The story stands on its own, a richly envisioned portrait of a society in flux, a steely yet vulnerable heroine, and a young man who does some growing up. Resemblance to Austen's story lies largely in the superficialities of the plot Peterfreund (Rampant) invokes less of Austen's subtlety or social critique, and she really doesn't need to. Malakai Wentforth, flirting with Elliot's pretty neighbor and being savage to Elliott. Four years earlier, Elliot refused to elope with Kai, a mechanical prodigy and descendant of the Reduced. Those survivors, the "Reduced," are now having normal children, and the Luddites' status is no longer unquestioned. ![]() And it's also a cautionary tale that details the dangers of two very different extremes. Antitechnology "Luddites" took sanctuary underground, emerging as overlords of the mentally diminished above-ground survivors. For Darkness Shows the Stars is a deliciously painful story of love and loss, of misunderstanding, of evil in the world and triumph over that evil. Elliot North is a strong and creative woman, holding together the estate her father neglects and conducting secret agricultural experiments that defy "the protocols," which were established after genetic tinkering nearly destroyed humanity. Dystopian, ideological, rebellious Peterfreund's fantasy homage to Austen's Persuasion departs from the original in many respects, and with great success. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |