read: Of Noble Family (3 stars)

Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've mostly enjoyed this series of novels. A couple of them were very fun and all have been fascinating glimpses into this period of history (knowing full well that the magic changes things up a bit). The big draw that this episode has for me are the intrigues and details about plantation life when slavery was still quite active. The author does a good job of balancing the fine line between historical accuracy and modern sensibilities.

I did knock off a couple of stars. The first one has more to do with me than the book: I'm not in the target audience for the book. This volume swung the pendulum far into the Romance (with a capital R to the 10th power) genre and I cringed at every breathy breath, silently clenched muscle, faint, archaic euphemism and throat clearing.

The second star gets knocked off for the audio performance. While Mary does her usual excellent job. The other actors, while bringing in the island accents that were needed, always seemed insert too ... many ... pauses ... in ... unnecessary ... places. I had to put the Audible player into 1.25x playback mode to avoid losing my sanity.

If you've followed the adventures of Jane and Vincent thus far, you will want to read this closing volume of the series. Otherwise, read one of the other stories (I recommend Glamour in Glass or Valour and Vanity).

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