Review: Authentic Portrayal of  a Healer
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2012
I have a tendency to read books in a series out of order if I am drawn to the description of a later book.  The author generously provided me with an ARC when I expressed interest in reviewing this book.  Although this is the second book in The Healer's Shadow series, I didn't hesitate to plunge into it without any previous acquaintance with the work of Zoe Brooks.  I always expect that an author will want to make sure that readers like me aren't too much out of the loop.  I am happy to report that Love of Shadows, the sequel to Girl In The Glass stands on its own.Reviews of the first book categorize it as magical realism.  Based on this second novel, I actually thought this series is more similar to Ursula Le Guin's books set in the fictional country of Orsinia.  LikeMalafrenaandOrsinian Tales: Stories, Zoe Brooks deals with a real world type of setting with realistic characters and problems.  Her fictional country could be any second or third world country where old traditions have been condemned by rulers who are certain that modern Western ideas are superior. The mysterious Shadows could be any despised minority who are viewed as less than human by minds darkened with fear of difference.Judith, the traditional healer protagonist, has no paranormal powers.  She has learned how to recognize and utilize the plants that have been used in healing for many centuries.  Herbalism is often viewed as primitive superstition because modern people have forgotten that many drugs prescribed by doctors are synthetic forms of  the plant medicines in the herbalist's pharmacopeia.  Zoe Brooks also illustrates how this issue is also an economic one. When the herbalists that served village communities are banned, it is the health of those who can't afford doctors that suffers most.  This is shown without preaching through allowing us to experience the events of a well-devised plot.Love of Shadows is the work of an accomplished writer who is hitting her stride.  Zoe Brooks writes about issues that she cares about, and teaches her readers to care about them by creating characters that get under our skins and into our hearts.