Review: PRUE BATTEN'S WORDS EMBROIDER A BRILLIANT MAGIC TALE
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 31, 2011
I know it may  sound exaggerated,  but words can make fantasy true to our mind eye. Finely-chiselled, preciously embroidered words can materialize what we only dare fancy about. Prue Batten is very good with words, her talent to create characters and places and  to make them true to her readers is undeniable.Imagine the magic,  exotic world of  "A Thousand and One Nights".  Add a dark, damaged, doomed hero whose  attractiveness is magnified by his power to mesmer. Make him engaged in an adventurous quest to save not only his dear but the whole world from his wicked antagonist. Let him meet an extraordinarily beautiful,  brave young woman and join forces with her in his fight. Accept that they discover and face their fate,  united against their evil opponent. Enjoy their magic company of djinns, afrits, siofras. Prepare to a thrilling ride through bittersweet, romantic, gothic, tragic, funny, frightening, moving moments.  Do you think you can make all that?The two protagonists are two lonely souls, brought up experiencing very  little love in their lives. Fear has always  been their mute only companion in their respective solitudes.Finnian was raised by his grandmother, Isolde,  who hated him and punished him with her whip at  any little sign of disobedience.Lalita was left to the care of her loving uncle and aunt after her parents' death. But while her caring uncle and aunt were away on business,  she was left with her greedy, wicked uncle Kurdeesh who sold her to the Grand Vizier for the Sultan's harem.Lalita is a scribe with stunning talent in her craft. She can't renounce her freedom, she can't bear being taken as a slave in that golden cage which is the Sultan's harem. Moreover, her beauty and her talent soon bring enemies to her among the other women there.Finnian is a Faeran, one of the Others. He can mesmer and make himself invisible. "An eye for an eye" is what he believes in. He doesn't believe in Fate, but he will have to change his mind. He has no other ambition in life that revenge against his evil grandmother. He doesn't feel guilt or regret. In order to totally defeat Isolde,  he has to find the magic Cantrips and then destroy them . But then he meets Lalita and his task becomes even harder."A Thousand Glass Flowers" is a magic tale which has hold me hooked not only while reading it but even after that. It was not so easy to get out of its atmosphere, leave Eerie or farewell Finnian and Lalita. They stay with me as unforgettable. I'm sure they'll stay on for long. In my memory and in my heart.