Review: Very Well Done
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 6, 2012
INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders, by L. Leander is a book I'd been dying to get to for some time.  The story is told first person point of view from Bertha Maude Anderson, a young girl growing up on a farm in North Carolina 1843.  The prose is interesting, different, as you get a full idea of the woman's background and education through her story telling, and immediately you see a woman that doesn't belong.  She's a good girl, attached to her family as much as she can be, but she doesn't feel connected to the world around her.  She eventually joins the Romanoff Brothers Circus, falling in love and discovering a lifestyle that she had never known existed, but one that fit who she was deep down.For spoiler's sake, I don't want to delve too much into the book because like many others, I feel part of the fantastic journey is turning the pages not quite knowing where the story is going to go.  I found it to be predictable in places where it should be, but left enough mystery in the pages so when you reach the ending you find yourself in awe of the events that took place.  The details are fantastic, and able to paint a wonderful mental picture as you delve into the world of an 1800′s Gypsy circus.I can't comment on how well researched the author is on the topic because I know very little about the workings of the circus, 1800′s or otherwise, but Leander writes with such confidence that I didn't find myself doubting a word of authenticity in the pages.I appreciated the deep detail that she gave, and the story being told first person really worked for connecting to the main characters, and honestly worked well with connecting to the others as well.  The supporting characters were very fleshed out and impressive, and rarely was there a moment where I felt any of the characters slipped.Inzared/Bertha's use of language changes as the book goes on, and though she does retain some of the mountain slang, you can see her being more enveloped into the world of the circus, and it worked for the book very well.  I did find the ending a tad rushed, but frankly it didn't take away from the story enough for it to give me pause, and I'm happily awarding this book a five of five stars.I'm excited to see what this author comes up with next, and you should all definitely pick up your copy of INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders today!