Four out of Five Stars
Prisoner of State is a deeply absorbing novel set in an alternative 1920s Britain. It’s a complex tale of intrigue and drama, focusing on Felix Skryker, a war-hero and Minster of State security in Deva, and his ward, Xanthe Chance, a Prisoner of State and heir to the Chance family fortune. At times, Prisoner of State is a harrowing read as Ruth describes Xanthe’s past torture and suffering at the hands of her unscrupulous tormenters in the North and the effects of that past on Xanthe’s present. This is important theme that runs right through the book; how actions of the past can haunt the present and future.
Ruth has a gift for beautiful prose, full of rich detail, which draws the reader into the story. Prisoner of State reminds me of Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy, but, instead of Daemons, characters carry around automaton animals with their own personalities. This lends a Steampunk air to the story, along with the intricate descriptions of towers and flying machines. There is a depth to the work, the presence of a history and sense of place behind the story, which Ruth delicately weaves into the novel, so as not to over-burden the reader. Ruth has a skill for mixing the ordinary with extra-ordinary to make a completely believable story, which is often hard to put down.
Sometimes Prisoner of State reads like a Sherlock Holmes’ novel, other times a mystery or romance, or, maybe even gothic, and this is part of its magic. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Prisoner of State is a deeply absorbing novel set in an alternative 1920s Britain. It’s a complex tale of intrigue and drama, focusing on Felix Skryker, a war-hero and Minster of State security in Deva, and his ward, Xanthe Chance, a Prisoner of State and heir to the Chance family fortune. At times, Prisoner of State is a harrowing read as Ruth describes Xanthe’s past torture and suffering at the hands of her unscrupulous tormenters in the North and the effects of that past on Xanthe’s present. This is important theme that runs right through the book; how actions of the past can haunt the present and future.
Ruth has a gift for beautiful prose, full of rich detail, which draws the reader into the story. Prisoner of State reminds me of Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy, but, instead of Daemons, characters carry around automaton animals with their own personalities. This lends a Steampunk air to the story, along with the intricate descriptions of towers and flying machines. There is a depth to the work, the presence of a history and sense of place behind the story, which Ruth delicately weaves into the novel, so as not to over-burden the reader. Ruth has a skill for mixing the ordinary with extra-ordinary to make a completely believable story, which is often hard to put down.
Sometimes Prisoner of State reads like a Sherlock Holmes’ novel, other times a mystery or romance, or, maybe even gothic, and this is part of its magic. A thoroughly enjoyable read.