Tanith Lee (1947–2015)

This was such an odd retelling of the Snow White story that even a few weeks later I can’t quite comprehend writing an adequate review of it. The story is engaging and Tanith Lee’s writing is wonderful, but I spent most of the time while reading it feeling a vague sense of unease and discomfort. Maybe it’s because the themes of Snow White are deeply problematic already (rape, viewing different people as being “other,” attempted murder, family betrayal), or maybe it was Lee’s show more straightforward yet twisted presentation of these themes, but either way this story was deeply unsettling. show less

A woman wakes deep beneath a mountain with no clue who, or even what, she is. She discovers a strange being who tells her she's the last descendant of a god-like race and if she chooses to live out her life and leave the mountain she'll be cursed. She decides to leave and begins her new life running from an erupting volcano. Arriving in the remains of a small town, she's hailed as a local goddess and begins her journey through the land. Goddess is just one of the roles she finds herself in- show more witch, slave, partner and mother being some of the others-while she tries to discover who she is and wants to be.

As usual, Tanith created a character who is complex and emotional. Our main character, known in parts as Uastis, annoyed and entertained me. As she learned of the powers she possessed and struggled through various relationships, I varied from wanting to slap her to wanting to hug her. When she was being a badass, chariot-riding warrior-babe I was rooting for her to dominate the world. There are a lot of classic fantasy elements in this book, enriched by Tanith's writing style and spiced up with surprising sci-fi elements towards the end. It's a somewhat heavy read-not something you can fly through in a day or two-but worthwhile for fantasy fans. I also have to mention the lovely cover art by Ken Kelly, which captures one of my favorite parts of the book and is everything you could want in a vintage fantasy book cover. It's my favorite cover of the three. show less

Oct 2018, 3rd read, 5 stars: Liked it even better the third time around! Upgraded to 5 stars.

Oct 2015, 2nd read, 4 stars:
This has to be one of the strangest and most unique vampire stories I've read (though admittedly, I haven't read that many vampire stories). Sabella Quey is a reclusive young woman living on her own in Novo Mars when she receives an invitation to her aunt Cassi's funeral. Cassi has left her some money, some items, and an ominous letter stating that she found out Sabella's show more secret and that is where everything begins... It's really hard to talk about this story without giving away a lot of its twists and intrigue. The plotline is pretty unexpected as Tanith Lee makes a lot of unusual choices and I could not predict what would happen at the end (though it's my second time reading it, I had forgotten much of the story).

At the core, this is a story about self-discovery, acceptance, and redemption. The main character deals with a lot of emotional issues and has to come to terms with herself. I was really impressed with how Tanith Lee pulled off such an usual tale (downright bizarre at times!) about a bloodsucking creature and yet made it so relatable. Sabella herself is a very compelling character. Alluring and cynical, she has a weird sort of sinister appeal and like her victims, you can't help but be drawn in. She's essentially a predator, a killer-- her exploits are often simultaneously sensuous and horrifying-- and yet everything about her reads as incredibly emotionally true. Lee manages to make us sympathize with her and feel for her.

The setting is very unique-- it's a vampire story that's also a science fiction, taking place on a future, human-colonized Mars. The technology reflects what people in the 80s thought the future would be like-- there are self-driving cars and electric flash-guns, but there are also mailmen who deliver letters and packages. Meanwhile, wolves with champagne-coloured fur live in the Martian wilds, and the planet is not without its own long history: "There are genuine ruins (beware tourist traps) here and there. Thin pillars soaring, leveled foundations crumbling, cracked urns whispering of spilled dusts-- all the Martian dreams that old Mars denied to mankind. Though this prior race, whose wreck men inherited, left small self-evidence beyond their architecture. Maybe men find it, anyway, more romantic to guess."

I really enjoyed reading this one again and foresee myself picking it up again in the future. show less

This short book was a re-read and unlike quite a few of the author's novels did not disappoint. Sabella has a secret and it is gradually revealed, along with the background of what happened to her when she was about 11 years old and why she now has problems going out in the sun and a few other aspects traditionally associated with vampires.

The setting is Novo Mars, a planet colonised by human beings, where the original inhabitants died out, but have left behind a legacy for a select few. I show more did at one point think it was straying into the 'dodgy' territory of female masochism etc seen in many other of the author's works, but in this instance there is a sensible biological reason for Sabella's "submission". I liked the dry ironic tone of the story which is told from the title character's perspective. A vampire novel with a difference, and a keeper, which cannot be said about many of the books I read, so a well-deserved 5 star rating. show less